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Fairgrounds director seeks urgent fixes for arena lighting, commissioners approve bid solicitation
Summary
Fairgrounds Director Greg Glidebeck told commissioners a twisted light pole and unreliable metal-halide fixtures create a safety risk before the May rodeo; commissioners approved a request to call for bids and award a construction contract for egress lighting in the arena.
Fairgrounds Director Greg Glidebeck told the Wallowa County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 3 that one arena light pole is “twisted almost 90 degrees” and presents a possible safety hazard ahead of the high-school state rodeo scheduled in May.
Glidebeck said the arena currently uses metal‑halide lamps that take up to 10–15 minutes to restart after a power loss and therefore do not meet the county’s need for reliable egress lighting in a power outage. He described options ranging from a temporary single‑pole wooden replacement to a longer‑lasting solution: metal poles with LED fixtures and backup power. “The pole is a safety problem,” Glidebeck said, arguing for urgency in bidding and construction schedules.
The board and Glidebeck discussed costs and funding sources at length. Glidebeck said his available capital funds for the fairgrounds are limited (he mentioned about $100,000 of capital funds may be available, though amounts carried over were debated), and he intends to seek support from the fairground foundation, state agriculture grant programs and other sources. He estimated a full two‑pole LED-plus‑metal‑pole solution could be in the roughly $270,000–$300,000 range; a more limited fix to replace one wood pole with the existing metal‑halide fixtures would be cheaper but would not solve the egress lighting problem.
Commissioners asked whether a temporary measure could address immediate safety issues while larger funding is pursued. Glidebeck said a single‑pole fix could be done quickly to ensure safety for May events, but that it would not solve the lighting/electrical reliability problems for emergency egress. He said he planned to solicit bids for a set of alternatives (wood poles/metal halide, wood with LED, metal poles with LED) and return to the board with options and costs if desired.
The board voted unanimously to approve Proposal 2025-23 (Fair) authorizing the fairgrounds manager to call for bids and, as presented on the agenda, to award a construction contract for egress lighting in the Fairgrounds Arena and platforms. Commissioners said they expect Glidebeck to pursue multiple funding sources and to present the board with bids and options as they become available.
Glidebeck also reported ongoing event and maintenance activity at the fairgrounds, including a scheduled March concert and rising event bookings, and said the fair foundation may have funds to contribute toward lighting upgrades.
Ending: Glidebeck will solicit competitive bids on several technical options with tight timelines so work, at least on safety fixes, can complete before May events. The board’s motion authorizes him to call and award bids; Glidebeck will report back with bids, funding plans and recommendations.
