Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fairgrounds Facilities Foodbank Relocation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fairgrounds grandstand repairs funded in part by $3,000 Warren Trust grant; commissioners open to food bank relocation pending insurance review
Summary
Facilities staff reported a $3,000 Warren Trust grant to support fairgrounds improvements including ticket booth windows and small building repairs; commissioners expressed support for a request to move the food bank to the fairgrounds but asked staff to confirm liability insurance and a traffic plan with the county risk group.
County facilities staff told the Board of Commissioners on July 14 that Friends of the Fairgrounds and partners had been awarded a $3,000 grant from the Warren Trust to support improvements at the fairgrounds, including windows in the ticket booth, repainting small horse-stall buildings and installing carpeting on the east end of a building.
Facilities staff reported that Anderson Perry and Grant Morgan (county staff/consultants) will tour the East Grandstand to scope necessary renovation work; a volunteer task force led by a local organizer (referred to as Betty Lou) is planning fundraising for grandstand renovations.
Separately, commissioners discussed a request from Judy Pilcher and the local food bank to relocate distribution operations to the fairgrounds. Commissioners said they were generally supportive but asked staff to confirm whether the food bank carries liability insurance and to run the plan by the county’s risk-management group. One commissioner noted concerns about traffic and crowding during events and recommended coordinating with fairboard leadership on traffic control and staging.
Facilities staff offered to exchange contact information with Judy Pilcher so the food bank and county risk staff can coordinate insurance documentation and traffic details. Commissioners said they saw potential benefits—more usable square footage and streamlined distribution—if liability and traffic risks are addressed.
No formal action or contract was approved; staff were directed to continue coordination with the food bank, the fairboard, and risk management and return with documentation for commissioners’ review.
