SIDNEY — Members of the Shelby County Agricultural Society (fair board) have given Secretary Jerry Schaffner their approval to put a grandstand project out for bid.
During the fair board’s Oct. 19 meeting, Schaffner reported that he was researching what would be a reasonable amount of cash and pledges to have in order to put a new, 1,500-seat grandstand for the Shelby County Fairgrounds out for bid.
“We want to bid it, knowing the (fundraising) campaign is still going on,” Schaffner told the Sidney Daily News after the meeting. About $493,000 has been raised so far.
The board voted that if the cost of the grandstand was near what has been raised that the project could be bid.
Also during the October meeting, the board voted to override a decision of the junior fairboard concerning a junior fair horse show steward.
The junior fair board had voted to remove Jeremy Reese, a senior fair board member, as steward. The junior fair move was made without the approval of the senior fair board. The senior board will have the junior board re-address the issue at the next junior board meeting.
During the fair board’s Sept. 21 and Oct. 19 meetings, members discussed at length a letter that had been sent to them by an interested party. The letter listed suggestions for improving the fair: 1) changing the dates so as not to conflict with the state fair; 2) changing the admission charge; 3) decreasing the entertainment budget; 4) developing more space for hogs; 5) friendliness or lack thereof of board members; and 6) the need for a long-range plan.
Schaffner said that changing dates is not an option in the next few years. All the other issues will continue to be discussed at future meetings. He said he has surveyed more than 30 other county fairs to garner information about how they handle admission prices and charges for rides and will present that information to the board for their consideration. It was the general feeling that the fair’s entertainment budget will have to be decreased for future fairs but that specifics would have to be decided by the budget committee.
The current barn used for hogs has stalls that were not built to accommodate hogs of the size that are now routinely entered in the fair. Additional space is needed for hog pens. The board decided that appropriate committees should make recommendations to the board about how to solve the problem.
The board did not address members’ perceived unfriendliness and moved to meet with the county commissioners to discuss the process for developing a strategic plan for the fair.
In other business, the board:
• Set 2017 fair dates as July 23-29.
• Accepted the resignation from the board by Barb Heilers, a director from Loramie Township, and approved Mike York to fill that seat.
• Heard reports about drainage problems in the horse arena, planned changes to the antique tractor show during the fair, income from the cheerleading contest, and that the junior fair reverse raffle had raised $29,400 for capital improvements to junior fair facilities on the fairgrounds.
• Voted to increase storage rates to $2 per linear foot, from $1.75 per linear foot, and to eliminate the option for free storage.
