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Richland County committee reviews fairgrounds storage removal, sponsorship updates and options for future fair governance
Summary
Committee members confirmed an April 20 removal date for stored campers and vehicles at the fairgrounds, instructed staff to update sponsorship packages, and discussed stakeholder interest and possible transfer of fair operations to an ag society; no formal transfer decision was made.
At the March 27, 2024 Richland County committee meeting, staff reported that letters had been sent to owners of vehicles and equipment stored at the county fairgrounds notifying them that April 20 is the removal date. Staff said they will bring a small crew to remove items from buildings on that date and that the county's new fair coordinator, Lyric (spelled variously in the record), will be on site to oversee the effort.
Committee members discussed updating the fair sponsorship packages, which staff said had last clear printed versions dating to 2016 and later annual updates; members asked staff to compare current market costs and recommend modest increases to reflect inflation and higher entertainment costs. Josh and Lyric were directed to review the sponsorship packages and return with a recommendation to the next committee meeting.
Members also reviewed a porta-john contract the county has with a vendor called Nature's Way; staff reported the vendor's quoted total payment for the county fair at $2,975. Committee members said they will reassess the number and size of dumpsters and port-a-potties based on expected attendance and operational costs before finalizing payments.
A longer discussion covered a recent stakeholder meeting about the future governance of the fairgrounds. Staff said the meeting drew interest from community volunteers and groups but that there were many unanswered questions about scope, insurance, utilities, and ongoing maintenance costs. Members described several models used by other counties—full transfer to an ag society, hybrid models retaining county support, or county-led staffing to support year-round operations—and agreed to prepare written scenarios showing different levels of county involvement, staffing needs and revenue implications. No formal decision to transfer operations was made; members asked staff to reconvene a larger stakeholder meeting once the committee has prepared options on paper.
The committee did not take formal votes on sponsorship price changes, porta-john purchases or a governance transfer at the meeting; staff were assigned to return with contract details, cost comparisons and draft sponsorship packages.
