Bonner County Fair Board asks commissioners for $60,000 to address safety and building repairs

The Bonner County Fair Board asked county commissioners to forward $60,000 to its C budget for fiscal year 2026 to pay for safety repairs and capital projects at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, Fair Board members said at a meeting with county officials.

The request is intended to cover a mix of building and land improvements the board has identified as priorities: the fair board asked to roll about $70,000 from its B budget into the C budget for capital improvements and separately requested $60,000 from the county. Fair Board members said earmarks for the rollover include $35,000 toward a partial rebuild of the swine wash rack, $12,000 for entrance/door repairs at the Main Exhibit Building and about $15,000 toward perimeter and parking-lot drainage and foundation work.

Why it matters: fair staff and board members described the swine wash rack as a safety concern for exhibitors and children and said the arena and parking conditions create safety and accessibility problems during events. Commissioners and county staff flagged insurance and risk implications and asked for clearer project phasing and cost estimates before committing county funds.

Fair Board members described the swine wash-rack project as an engineered addition to the south side of the swine barn to replace failing, potentially hazardous existing wash racks. Ben Wood, Fair Board member, said the project will be “pretty simple” structurally but will include concrete, purpose-built paneling and plumbing and therefore carries specialized costs: “I mean, concrete alone can be, you know, $6 a square foot,” Wood said. The fair board provided a ballpark estimate for the addition of roughly $65,000 to $70,000 but said many foundation, excavation and material costs are expected to be partially donated and that firm quotes were still outstanding.

Board members said they have begun a strategic plan that prioritizes safety issues first and is using that prioritization to sequence projects. “The strategic plan starts with safety issues first,” a Fair Board member said. The board told commissioners it could supply a more detailed, fleshed-out strategic plan with phase definitions and cost estimates after the board’s upcoming meeting.

Commissioners and county staff recommended closer coordination on project planning and offered to help identify county resources. County staff said the fairgrounds could be integrated into the county’s financial system (Munis) so commissioners could see consolidated, regular financial reports. Jessica (county staff) offered to sit down with the fair board on a comprehensive budget that combines enterprise revenues and the requested tax-dollar supplement so both parties can evaluate funding needs and phasing. A county official also offered to arrange an inspection by the county’s risk reviewer for any structure identified as an imminent safety hazard.

On parking-lot repairs, Fair Board members described a plan that could range from low-cost incremental improvements (a few loads of gravel) to larger build-ups requiring graders and compaction. Ben Wood said much of the work can be staged and that the board is exploring lower-cost options such as partnering with Road and Bridge for hauling and placement if the county can assist.

Next steps: the fair board will finalize and send an updated strategic plan with clearer project phasing and written cost estimates to county staff. County officials said they will review the plan, help coordinate any immediate safety inspections, and consider how county funds and in-kind resources could be applied across a multi-year capital plan.

Ending: commissioners emphasized they want regular, timely financial information from the fair board and more detailed project scoping before approving county funding. Fair Board members said they would provide quotes and a revised plan after their next internal meeting.