Clallam County fair board advances small rodeo lighting upgrade, forms budget subcommittee and prioritizes facility repairs

Clallam County Fair Advisory Board members on an April meeting (date not specified in the record) approved routine minutes and then turned to facility planning, forming a budget subcommittee to draft a 2026 fee schedule, advancing a small rodeo-arena lighting project and reviewing a slate of repairs and volunteer projects across the fairgrounds.

The board emphasized safety and phased planning as the lighting work moves toward construction. The director said the upgrade under discussion is “very minor. It's within my realm of authority,” and noted the contractor had provided required documents, including a certificate of insurance and W-9; a preconstruction meeting was scheduled for 9 a.m. on the 28th, the director said. Board members urged the director to brief the Board of County Commissioners on a larger fairgrounds master plan so commissioners can see the longer-term vision and phasing for future renovations.

Why it matters: the lighting change is intended as a safety improvement and as a first phase of broader facility upgrades the board wants to present to county decision-makers. Separately, the fee schedule and budget planning will feed into the county’s 2026 budget process and could affect user charges for events and year-round facility rentals.

Key budget and process steps The board convened a budget subcommittee to coordinate with staff on draft 1 of the fairgrounds fee schedule for 2026. The timeline described at the meeting calls for the subcommittee to report draft 1 at the May advisory-board meeting, allow public comment in June on draft 2, and send a final recommendation to the director. The director said the recommendation will be bundled with other budget materials and presented to the Board of County Commissioners for adoption in October, with any approved fee schedule taking effect January 2026.

Members who volunteered for the fee-schedule subcommittee during the meeting included Cindy, Megan, George and Carol (full names not specified). The meeting record does not show a roll-call vote on the subcommittee; the group was formed by board consensus and staff direction.

Staffing, job classification and pay implications Board members and staff discussed revising the vacant fair position’s job description. Staff explained that county labor contracts define the term "manager" for M&P (managers and professionals) positions and that designation usually requires supervising at least two full-time equivalent employees. Because the fair position historically supervises fewer than two full‑time FTEs (with seasonal and part‑time help during the fair), staff said the title will likely be “coordinator” rather than “manager.”

The director and staff also discussed Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) implications: nonexempt (coordinator-level) roles are subject to overtime for hours worked over 40, whereas exempt managerial roles are not. Staff said the county will weigh labor-contract definitions, FLSA thresholds and the position’s year-round responsibilities (events and rentals outside fair week) before posting. The director suggested a likely hire title of “Fair and Events Coordinator.”

Facility projects, volunteers and priorities Board members reviewed multiple facility items: - Dog barn flooring: staff reported the laminated flooring installation was essentially complete as of 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting; the building is not insulated or heated, and staff noted installation quality depends on adequate ambient temperature for adhesives to set. Some volunteer finish work and painting remain. - Portable handwashing stations: participants confirmed the fairgrounds already has three portable handwashing stations available from prior donations and county purchases; staff said portable stations were a recommended mitigation after E. coli and avian-flu conversations at other fairs. - Barn paint, pens and repairs: superintendents said pens and paint are in varying condition and requested a formal prioritized punch list after the fair; staff asked superintendents to submit written lists so facilities can coordinate work orders, budgets and volunteer days. The county’s facilities staff said paint and primer costs and scheduling limit immediate repairs and recommended planning months ahead when possible.

Volunteers and liability Staff reiterated volunteer procedures. Returning-volunteer forms shorten onboarding for volunteers with no prolonged break in service; long-term or new volunteers use the longer application form. The director said the county is working toward a digital volunteer form but progress is gradual. Board members were reminded that signed rosters and completed volunteer forms are required to ensure liability coverage if an injury occurs during volunteer work.

Use of correctional work crews ("chain gang") and staffing limits Board members asked whether sheriff’s correctional work crews could assist with painting or repairs. Staff said the county has used custodial/corrections crews for pre-fair setup in the past, but that the sheriff’s corrections crews are currently less active because of heavy staffing shortages in corrections; use of such crews is possible but depends on sheriff’s staffing and supervision capacity.

Public health, biosecurity and avian flu In response to public questions, staff said they will present fair biosecurity procedures to the county communicable-disease group next week. The director credited collaboration with a local veterinarian (Dr. Chrissy) for recent improvements in fair biosecurity and said maintaining ties with public-health staff is part of fair planning.

Other items - Superintendents’ handbook: the superintendent-handbook committee (Julie, Lori and another member) is revising the handbook; board members encouraged recruiting experienced superintendents to review the draft. - Resignation: the board was told that Fair Board member Mandy Mundy submitted a resignation notice about two to three weeks earlier and that staff had asked her to hold the notice while they sought to address her concerns; the record shows follow‑up communications between Mundy and staff.

Votes and formal actions at a glance - Approval of last month’s minutes — approved by voice vote (no tally recorded). - Formation of a budget subcommittee to draft the 2026 fee schedule — formed by board consensus; volunteers identified during the meeting included Cindy, Megan, George and Carol (last names not specified in transcript). - Motion to adjourn moved by George (second not recorded); meeting adjourned.

What’s next Staff asked superintendents to submit post‑fair work orders and repair lists as soon as possible to inform the 2026 budget submittals. Staff also said they will coordinate with the board on prioritization of safety-related repairs, and will return with a formalized contractor schedule for the lighting upgrade and other funded projects.

Ending The board closed the meeting after routine adjournment; members are scheduled to continue work in subcommittees on the fee schedule, the superintendent handbook and facilities prioritization.