County fair and 4‑H program staff updated commissioners on preparations for the upcoming county fair and a continuing shortfall of volunteer leaders needed to support rising youth participation.

A 4‑H representative said the program had roughly 260 youth and about 90 volunteers before the COVID‑19 pandemic; during the pandemic, numbers dropped to roughly 100 youth and 14 volunteers. "Now we're up to about 200 youth, but we're still ... about 40 volunteers," the presenter said, adding many clubs are at capacity and maintain waiting lists. The speaker stressed that volunteers provide substantial time and hands‑on mentorship "—most of them put in well over a hundred hours each year." The presenter asked the public and commissioners to encourage volunteer recruitment.

Staff and commissioners discussed operational pressures at the fairgrounds: large increases in poultry and rabbit entries, shortages of animal cages and pens, limited capacity in the sheep/goat barn, and rising demand for camping spaces. The presenter said organizers had identified immediate needs (for example, more turkey cages) and planned to purchase replacements for worn animal housing, but acknowledged uncertainty about whether all incoming entries will fit in existing barns.

Commissioners and staff flagged the fairgrounds as a potential capital planning priority: expanding camping infrastructure would require coordination with the city (including potential tree removal) and could serve demand for vendor spaces that need electricity and water. Participants described the fair as a longstanding youth education event tied to 4‑H’s year‑round programming and noted youth exhibit growth and stronger open‑class entries since the pandemic.

The board will continue monitoring operational capacity and consider fairgrounds capital planning and vendor/camping infrastructure as part of facility discussions going forward. Staff asked the public to attend the fair (projected dates: mid‑August) to support youth exhibitors and consider volunteering.