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Fairgrounds manager reports security upgrades, scale replacement and event planning; barns, track safety and relay rules under review
Summary
At the monthly fairgrounds update, staff described security upgrades, a donor-funded beef scale head replacement, progress on bleachers, a new fairgrounds policy manual, concerns about condemned barns and track safety for relay races, and early planning for concerts and events.
Sam Nunnally addressed the Flathead County commissioners in the fairgrounds monthly update, reporting several operational items and planned maintenance actions for the fairgrounds.
Security and facilities: Nunnally told commissioners the fairgrounds lockbox had been broken into and keys stolen. The grounds will move toward Medeco core key locks when doors are replaced and IT will adjust cameras; staff are considering a 24/7 locked-office-door practice that would leave the lobby accessible but secure the interior office for safety. Nunnally said some office doors are hollow-core and may be replaced as funds permit.
Livestock scale and bleachers: The Flathead Livestock Sale Organization is paying to upgrade the older beef scale head electronics so the county will not need to budget that purchase. The north bleacher project is progressing with Bleachers International.
Operations, policies and rentals: Staff are drafting a fairgrounds policy manual and a business-continuity/succession plan. A renter is moving out of an on-site house; county staff reported significant needed repairs, including an unsafe basement wiring installation. The county will try to locate any security deposit records.
Events and safety: Nunnally described revisions to the relay-race team packet and rules to address past criminal activity at evening events, including instituting a quiet time and minimum-team rules to reduce late-night disturbances that affect 4-H and FFA campers. Track maintenance and sand replacement were highlighted as safety priorities to reduce hard-spot injuries to horses; Nunnally said barns that have been condemned cannot be used and the county will rent stalls and consider demolition when funding allows.
Entertainment and budgets: Staff continue to pursue a large rock concert and other fundraising banquets; concert planning is ongoing and staff noted genre and booking challenges compared with prior headline acts.
Why it matters
The fairgrounds host year-round events that generate revenue, require public-safety oversight and involve livestock and youth organizations. Maintenance and safety investments (bleachers, scale, track) affect event viability and liability exposure. The donation from the Flathead Livestock Sale Organization for scale replacement relieves capital pressure on the county.
Ending
Commissioners asked about deposits, demolition procedures and timing for barn removal; staff said demolition timing depends on available funds and that past barn removals sometimes were accomplished by soliciting contractors to tear down structures and remove debris. No formal board action was required on these operational updates.
