Fair association chair explains its duties

GUEST EDITORIAL

GUEST EDITORIAL

WILSON CREEK - Over the last few years, the fair board has been accused of a lengthy list of mis-attributed offenses - the unnecessary and inefficient road around the fairgrounds, the new arena that didn't meet the proscribed needs, vendors who chose not to abide by contracts or cooperate in following established rules, and the office's refusal to conduct fair business as the Fair Association and Fair Board directed.

Many of these misconceptions would be cleared up with a better understanding of the function and purpose of the Association and its Board. Annually, the County Commissioners contract with the Fair Association to operate the Spring and Fall fairs. Under this contract, the Association takes on all responsibilities for the fairs with the exception of maintenance of the facilities. The Association elects a 15-person board (representing the 15 communities of the county) from its own membership and to represent itself and organize its activities. Under the Fair Board and Association's operations, the Fairgrounds produces more revenue in less than two weeks than the other scheduled events for the rest of the year.

The Fairgrounds Office, on the other hand, operates the grounds and facilities for all activities outside of the fairs year-round. The fair facilities manager (not a fair manager) is ultimately in charge of these operations, and oversees the function of the office. The office staff also serves the Fair Association by performing office duties, such as mailing contracts, collecting Association mail and being the Association's communication link to the community. The office manager is also not a fair manager.

All of the above-mentioned offenses were in the purview of the office, not the Association or its board. The Association makes no decisions on roads or construction, offering only suggestions based on the ideas of the membership. The vendor problems arose out of altered contracts disseminated by the office staff, from refusal of concessionaires to follow established fair rules, and from miscommunication by the office staff with those vendors and the county commissioners. The office further interfered with other aspects of the fair as well, including the exhibitor guide, camping and parking, payment of premiums and other monetary awards, communication with fair volunteers and budgetary issues.

The county commissioners hold their own level of responsibility in these matters. When office staff accused the Fair Board of causing some of these problems, the commissioners did not discuss the complaints with the Board. When angry vendors or volunteers complained, the commissioners again chose not to communicate with the Board. When the Board tried to communicate with the commissioners, they were simply told that complaints were unacceptable; yet volunteers who complained to the commissioners about the office were told the matter was being handled through Human Resources and was not of any concern.

The Fair Association is the body of community volunteers interested in our kids and our agricultural way of life in Grant County. The Fair Board consists of people within that body who have stepped up - elected by the Association - to take the ideas of the Association and turn them into a great showplace for our communities. The Fair Office and the County Commissioners have chosen not to communicate with this body of volunteers. Instead, they intend to create a small advisory - not functional - board appointed by the commissioners, who may or may not accept the ideas of the Association and who will simply do the will of the commissioners.

This handful of people is somehow expected to do the year-long work of 15 Association representatives in less than six months, with the office staff at the helm. Despite any claims to the contrary, the fair office is already asserting its assumed authority; once the change is in effect, the process to remove the influence of the office will revert back to relying on the Human Resources office and the Commissioners' lack of concern. This is a recipe for disaster, and sadly, it's forecast for our fair's Centennial year.

Now, more than ever, the commissioners need to hear the voice of the people in Grant County. Despite any problems in the Fair Board's past or any failings inherent in the nature of large bodies of opinionated volunteers, it's these opinions that create debate and discussion, and thus develop a better fair. We need the ability to decide for ourselves what we want to see at our county fair - more revenue streams, or more kids and agriculture, as is our purpose. Please write and call your county commissioners, and demand that they reconsider this troubling decision.