Fair foundation meeting set for Thursday; seeking new members

A local foundation is meeting this week to try to revitalize efforts to support the Great Northern Fairgrounds.

The Great Northern Fair board and foundation board have been the focus of community attention since the fiscal situation of the fairgrounds was brought to light.

Last month, the Great Northern Fair board held two meetings; their monthly meeting as well as an emergency meeting and this Thursday the foundation board will hold a meeting open to the public.

Great Northern Fair Board Chair Tyler Smith said he feels that the decline of the fair started when the grandstands were removed;  he said he felt the commission office should have engaged with the public more before the removal.

County Commissioner Mark Peterson said that the grandstands were removed prior to him being a commissioner, but  he believes they were removed because they were determined to be unsafe.

Smith said that since they had to lay off the manager because of money issues, the board members are doing the managerial work.

The Great Northern Fair Foundation Board President Andy Owens said the foundation raises funds for improvements to the fair and it does not provide money toward maintenance or managerial salaries.

Owens said that in the past they have raised money for fair projects such as new panels for the arena. The foundation’s next goal is to raise funds for new bathrooms on the west side of the fairgrounds. He added that this is not something that will happen right away, but that they would like to do this in the future.

The foundation raises money through community fundraisers, Owens said, and now the board is trying to think of the next fundraiser they can have to raise more money.

Smith said that because the foundation’s funds do not go toward maintenance or operations, he is hoping that the community will help with small projects for the fair, such as helping build the saw horses that will be used for traffic control, or go to the treasurer’s office and donate money to the fair.

“The only way it (the fairgrounds) will be sustainable is if mills would be increased,” Smith added. “We would like to get a total of four mills — one for operations, two for current projects and one for future projects like the grandstand.”

He said that the fair board now receives .1 mills, or about $3,900, for its annual operation.

Smith said, though, that the fair will be fine and will go on; they are just trying to figure out how to keep the fairgrounds open year-round.

The foundation board meeting will be at the Eagles Club side bar room at 7 p.m.

Owens said that to join the foundation board, it is $25 a year.

“We would love to have more people join the foundation and give new ideas,” Owens said. “We have got to have the funds first before we can do anything (for the fair).”