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Fair board seeks options as small-animal barn bids come in; county may bridge shortfall
Summary
Fair board presented bid scenarios for a proposed 4,700-square-foot small-animal barn; commissioners discussed borrowing from county contingency or other sources if bids exceed available 351 account balance.
Baker County commissioners heard an update on the proposed small-animal barn at the county fairgrounds and discussed contingency plans should construction bids exceed the project budget.
Ron Rowan, representing the fair board, told the board that bids for the 4,700-square-foot building would be received the following day and presented a range of cost scenarios tied to per-square-foot estimates. He said the fair’s unencumbered balance in the identified account (the “351 account”) stood at about $1,548,000 and laid out multiple price-per-square-foot scenarios to show potential remaining balances after construction and a 10% contingency.
Using the fair board’s scenario worksheet, Rowan said that if bids came in at $300 per square foot the project would show a significant deficit; higher per-square-foot bids would increase the shortfall. Rowan and other fair-board speakers described the project as “simple” in design and said they had seven contractors attend a pre-bid meeting, which they expect to increase competition.
Commissioners and fair-board members discussed potential county-level remedies if bids exceeded the 351 balance. Options mentioned included borrowing from the county’s general contingency and then repaying as outside funding arrives, or identifying other county accounts to bridge a temporary shortfall. One commissioner stressed the desire to avoid charging high interest to the fair board and to seek noninterest-bearing sources if possible.
Mark Johnson, who identified his address for the record during public comment, urged the county to “help them” if bids exceed the budget. County staff noted that a forthcoming legislative change could increase available project revenues if enacted; staff said that passage would likely take time and should not be relied on for immediate funding.
Fair board representatives said the project solved long-running storage and livestock-housing issues for youth programs and would add flexible meeting space at the fairgrounds. Commissioners asked fair-board staff to return with the actual bid results at the next meeting so the board could evaluate options and identify a funding strategy.
