Rusk County approves fair contracts, Trails End cabin renovations and a policy to limit fairlike events near county fair dates

The Justice, Youth and Extension Committee approved several fairgrounds contracts and usage agreements, heard a major update on Trails End camping and cabin projects, and moved a scheduling resolution to the full county board aimed at protecting the county fair's revenue stream.

Demo derby, pedal pull and usage agreements. The committee approved a contract with 7 1 5 Motorsports and Promotions to run a demolition derby at the county fair; the contract structure reported in the meeting included $11,000 in advertised payouts, a $3,000 base payment plus $25 per car entry, and a planned $75 entry fee charged to participants, with the fair retaining gate and pit revenue. The committee also approved a state-sanctioned Wally's Pedal Pull contract (approximately $300 plus medals). Fair manager Jess said the derby promoter will handle most operational details; the board approved both contracts by voice vote.

Policy to protect the fair's income. Committee members debated — and ultimately approved to forward to county board — a resolution creating a scheduling guideline for the Rusk County Fairgrounds: events that are similar to the fair's major attractions (examples listed include truck/tractor pulls, demo derbies, mud bogs and rodeo-type events) would not be scheduled prior to the fair and would be scheduled no sooner than 30 days after the fair. The committee discussed whether to require 45 days but settled on 30 days for the version to be forwarded; members clarified the rule applies only to events similar to fair attractions, not to all events (church gatherings, circuses, or unrelated uses could still be permitted). The committee voted to send the revised resolution to the county board for approval.

Trails End and cabin renovations. Charmaine, the Trails End caretaker/coordinator, reported extensive work at the county camp facility. Two cabins — Birch and Juniper — will be renovated this spring at the donors' expense; the Jana Kelly Memorial Foundation committed to an $8,000 renovation of Birch and local descendants of a former caretaker volunteered to restore Juniper. The committee also discussed a $15,000 contingency fund previously allocated to repair the swinging bridge and said bridge repairs and boardwalk/ARPA-funded nature-trail work must meet DNR timing requirements. Charmaine said tree removal and cabin repairs are scheduled before the June opening and that the property is booking groups well into 2027.

Fairgrounds infrastructure. Committee members reviewed upcoming Fairgrounds work: demolition of the north bathrooms and replacement with new bath/wash-rack configurations, installation of two new wash racks (one draining to a manure pit), a planned chain-link spectator fence around the horse arena, and water hookups for several new camping sites funded by the fairboard. The committee noted there will be heavy construction before and during the early summer season and discussed temporary portable toilets and logistics for large camping groups.

Votes at a glance (meeting actions). The committee recorded motions and voice votes on several items: approval of the Wally's Pedal Pull contract and the demolition-derby contract with 7 1 5 Motorsports; approval of multiple fairgrounds usage agreements (including a revised date for a graduation party, advertising on the fairground fences, and a sheep-and-goat fitting clinic); approval of the resolution restricting fairlike events around the fair (to be forwarded to the county board); and approval of bills. In each case the minutes record voice approval and "motion carries." The committee did not record roll-call tallies in the transcript.

Why it matters: The contracts and infrastructure work affect the county's primary annual fundraiser (the Rusk County Fair) and the county's ability to host youth and community groups year-round. The scheduling resolution is intended to protect fair attendance and sponsorship revenue by preventing nearby competing fair-type events within a short window surrounding the county fair.

Next steps: The scheduling resolution will be presented to the full county board for action; Trails End and fairgrounds construction tasks will continue through spring with seasonal opening in June; the fairboard will finalize vendor arrangements, and staff will reconcile prepayment and grant or contingency fund uses as projects proceed.