Fair Board discusses improvements and delays

The Hill County Fair Board discussed Tuesday a number of improvements that could be made to the fairgrounds in the coming year that may be complicated by the financial handicap of this year’s fair having been canceled.

The board discussed during its monthly meeting making improvements to asphalt in the campground, which Board Member Tyler Smith said, is not in great shape.

He proposed that they could use insurance money obtained from collapse of the fairgrounds office roof last winter to overlay it to make the campground more palatable.

Smith said this is one of many projects that could be started. He said the Commercial Building and parts of the Horse Barn need work as well.

Smith said the Buildings and Grounds Committee needs to have a meeting to discuss a lot of these potential improvements, but many would likely have to be put off even with insurance money they have.

“This year, without a fair, a lot of those projects are probably going to get shelved a little bit, just until things balance out,” he said.

The board also discussed the matter of repairing the building holding the office itself. Smith said the damaged roof needs to be at least partially removed before further repairs to be made.

He proposed that Board Member Josh Heitzenroder have some builders look at it and see what they think before making the decision, but the matter would need to be discussed at a meeting of the Building and Grounds Committee first.

Board Chair Bobbie Dolphay brought up the subject of building a grandstands in the lower arena area of the fairgrounds and asked how such a thing would be done.

Smith said the board would put out a request for proposals looking for designs from builders, evaluating them based on their experience with similar projects.

Hill County Extension Agent Jasmine Carbajal brought up a potential issue 4-H is having at the fairgrounds.

She said the livestock committee noticed during our 4-H fair that the Beef Barn fans were not working.

Board Vice-Chair Chelby Gooch said the are in the process of being replaced.

Small Animals Superintendent for the 4-H Livestock Committee Amanda Powell said the the washing station drain at the barn is plugged as well and needs to be pumped.

She said that has been a problem in the past, but this has been the worst year they’ve had, with it backing up.

Powell also said the cooling water system on top of the barn needs to be fixed or replaced.

Members of the board said they would put it on the fairgrounds manager’s to-do list.

Carbajal said 4-H is planning to have their end-of-the-year celebration Sunday, Oct. 4, and they want to invite all of their buyers to be part of it because the Great Northern Fair was canceled.

The board canceled the fair due to COVID-19, although Hill County 4-H held a virtual fair that week with shows, activities and the livestock sale.

Carbajal said the 4-H Chuckwagon is too small to accommodate them and she was hoping to use the Bigger Better Barn instead as it will allow attendees to use social distancing.

Carbajal said she emailed the fairgrounds manager to see if the barn is available that afternoon, but she hasn’t heard back. Members of the board said they would make sure she got an answer.

Dolphay said she had been contacted by someone from the Veterans of Foreign Wars who asked if the board would be willing to let them set up a food booth for the next Great Northern Fair, as well as using a building on the fairgrounds to hold monthly meetings.

Smith said as long as the booth had running water it would be fine.

Dolphay and Smith said before they could approve use of a building they would need to announce that they are taking proposals for private use of the buildings.

Smith said if no one else makes a proposal the building could be used by the organization as long as they keep up the maintenance while using it.

“If we can get one more group to have a booth up here it’s ultimately in the fair’s best interest,” Dolphay said.

She said she would get back in touch with the person she spoke to and invite them to a meeting to discuss the prospect further.

Dolphay also discussed wanting to make improvements to the fairground’s website.

She said she’s looking to do something in the same vein as Beaver Creek Park’s Campground website, something with a better layout to make it easier for end users.

Dolphay said she has spoken with a consultant who said the improvements would cost $500 with some yearly maintenance fees.

She said the consultant she spoke with was also willing to train board members to use the back end of the website.

Smith said his only concern with the prospect was making sure not to accidentally relinquish control of the website in the process.

The board also discussed recreating the secretary position for the fair board to handle claims, minutes and other duties.

Smith said he thinks this is a good move, and the board voted unanimously in favor of advertising for the position.

“I think it’s really important that we get that position back, because everything just doesn’t flow like it should,” he said.

Gooch said the board’s budget is done and has been submitted to the Hill County Clerk and Recorder.

The board also made final decisions on the last few committee appointments with the third position on the Policy Committee being filled by Ron Konesky, and Smith taking the third position on the Grounds Committee.

Dolphay discussed members of the board attending a fair convention, which she said, she thinks would be useful given the current irregularity of this year.

“The reason I think it would be beneficial for us to attend the fair convention is because of the stuff happening with COVID,” she said.

She said it would be useful to see what other counties are doing and have done for this year’s fairs, what they’re planning for this year and discuss ideas with others outside Hill County.