City, county discuss fairgrounds annexation

GRANT COUNTY — Moses Lake's mayor and city administrator met Monday with the Grant County commissioners to discuss the future of the Grant County Fairgrounds.

As part of the plans to renovate the fairgrounds and enable them to be used year-round, the county commissioners are seeking an interlocal agreement with the city to receive such utilities as water and sewer at the fairgrounds.

Grant County Commissioner LeRoy Allison and Moses Lake City Administrator Joe Gavinski both said that progress was made at Monday's meeting in working with the language on the proposed interlocal agreement.

"We have a much better understanding of their concern, and they have a much better understanding of our concern," Allison said. "I really appreciate [Moses Lake Mayor Ron Covey's] efforts in trying to resolve issues before we get this accomplished."

Gavinski said the draft presented at the meeting was one he had last prepared with the city's additional comments. As a result of the meeting, another revision will be created and Gavinski hopes to have that agreement done by sometime next week, and will send it back to the commissioners. The commissioners will then deliberate with the fairgrounds representatives.

Gavinski said the city is trying to bring utilities to the fairgrounds, as requested by the county, and retain the integrity of the city's annexation policy.

Allison said that the discussion essentially boils down to two major concerns. The city is concerned about maintaining the viability of their annexation policy, he explained, and the county, through its Fair Association, fair facility and rodeo groups and the like, are concerned about the ability to maintain and/or expand the activities happening on the fairgrounds.

"There's a legislative policy issue on one side, and there's the ability to do similar things that we've already done in the past, or do them again in the future — to continue to do them and maybe expand them in the future," Allison said.

"In the agreement, the city is trying very hard to respond to all of those concerns and issues raised by the commissioners that give them a bit of heartburn," Gavinski said.

The annexation legal process has not begun yet, but the need for sewer in order to expand the fairgrounds services and facilities is driving the discussion, Allison said.

He noted that the commissioners have heard from members of the fair board with concerns about the annexation process moving forward, because no one knows how that will impact the fair this August or other functions that occur on the grounds.

"There's a whole lot of interest we've got to figure out before we start an actual annexation process, but we're trying to iron out the issues that have been brought up already with this interlocal agreement," he said. "If we can solve those, we'll be moving forward. If we can't solve those, then we're going to have to find another option."

The county commissioners also had a meeting Tuesday afternoon to receive input from the Fair and Facilities Advisory Committee about the needs at and wishes for the fairgrounds.

"The ultimate reason — and needs for water and sewer upgrades," Allison said, "is to make [the fairgrounds is] a more year-round facility, to improve it to a year-round capacity, which then in turn helps the funding issues for the fair."