Fair board discusses projects, events, contract negotiations

The Great Northern Fair Board discussed efforts to finish multiple projects on the fairgrounds by winter and ongoing contract negotiations with local 4-H, as well as upcoming events on the grounds this coming month.

Board members discussed ongoing negotiations with local 4-H’s contract to use the grounds with Ken Erickson saying he thinks their contracts have been unfairly preferential.

He said everyone that uses the grounds other than employees and one club which helps them during the fair, has to buy parking passes, so 4-H should as well, otherwise it’s unfair to everyone else.

Board Chair Michelle Burchard said there is also some argument between the board and 4-H over how much money goes to the fairgrounds.

Burchard said everyone with a contract with them pays 15 percent of their gross profit, but 4-H want to pay 15 percent of their net profit.

She said they also don’t want any limits on their ability to use of fairground facilities despite the fact that every other contract the fair board has has limits.

She said 4-H has said they don’t feel that they have abused their access to these facilities so their contract should continue to not specify any limits.

After some discussion Burchard and Erickson said they believe they need to have an in-person meeting with 4-H rather than just trading emails.

Montana State University Hill County Extension Agent Kati Purkett, who manages much of Hill County’s 4-H program, said this morning, that 4-H already pays for parking passes as part of their usage fees, so they are effectively paying the fees upfront anyway.

She said she feels that 4-H always leaves things in better condition than they found them, and their activities benefit the entire community.

She said they also have expenses that others don’t, especially at the Chuckwagon, which they own, such as paying for all of their electricity, toilet paper, garbage bags and other products, which are all useable by the community, especially when other fairground facilities break down.

She also said she wants to make clear that their relationship with the fair is not adversarial and these negotiations are just that, negotiations, between two non-profit entities trying to manage their money in the most fiscally responsible way they can.

“Hill County 4-H tries to make the fair better,” she said. “ ... We don’t want these negotiations to come off as negative.”

During the board meeting, Vice-Chair Bob Kaul said they are gathering bids for materials and labor to get two commercial buildings on the grounds reroofed, as they are starting to show early signs of deterioration.

Kaul said he is hoping the buildings can have new roofs installed before winter so they can avoid any problems with moisture leaking in when spring rolls around.

He said they are continuing to keep up with routine maintenance on the grounds, without which they will not be able to continue doing other projects.

Erickson said that, now that they have the horse barn reroofed, they can go back to offering indoor storage on the grounds, for vehicles like cars, boats and motor homes, which people can use for a fee.

Fairgrounds Manager Frank English said the grounds have received a second set of bathrooms and plans are being made for their installation and future upgrades.

Burchard said the fair’s budget has been approved, including their new full-time secretary position, which has been filled, a position which will lessen the paperwork load on English so he can focus more on fairgrounds upkeep and other management tasks.

English also talked about upcoming events on the grounds, including a Halloween circus he’s trying to get set up for Oct. 20 with Monster Mash Magic Show and Halloween Circus.

He said he is also setting up this year’s Trunk-or-Treat, looking for sponsors and participants.

As for the more firmly established events, he said Montana State University-Northern’s Fall Rodeo will be at the fairgrounds Thursday through Sunday this week in the Bigger Better Barn, and Friends of the Havre Animal Shelter’s Fundraised Woofstock will be on the grounds Sept. 23.

Havre High School’s rodeo will be on the grounds Sept. 31 and Oct. 1 in the Bigger Better Barn.

Oct. 21 the Beaver Creek Jam Concert will return to the Bigger Better Barn, and a Little Texas concert will be at the barn Oct. 26.

Hi-Line Rodeo will hold its youth rodeos at the Bigger Better Barn Oct. 28 and 29.

He said there may be another rodeo at the grounds Oct. 14 as well, but that isn’t a guarantee yet.