Putnam Fair Board seeks county support as phased $3M grant push continues

Malcolm Fabry, president of the Putnam County Fair Board, told the Board of County Commissioners the Fair Board is pursuing phased construction of an Expo Hall and related fairgrounds improvements and has sought repeated state grant funding over several years.

Fabry said the Fair Board previously received a $1,125,000 grant in an early phase and later an award of $1.7 million; the board has applied for the maximum available in a recent round (described in the meeting as $3,000,000). He said the project has been bid on a phased basis to establish real costs and allow the Fair Board to continue applying for grant funds. "We could put continue to put in. We got 1,125,000 the first go round. We got a million 7 on the second go round... We submitted for the max, dollars 3,000,000," Fabry said. (Transcript excerpts)

Fabry described a phased construction approach the Fair Board says is intended to limit immediate county liability and to show progress to state grantors. He said the contractor awarded the work is cooperating on a phased approach, and that the Fair Board has engaged an estimator, pursued repeated state contacts and secured letters of support from county staff. He asked the commission to approve a consent‑agenda item (Item I) related to the fair board; commissioners approved the consent item later in the meeting.

Commissioners praised the volunteer Fair Board and supported the project while flagging fiscal prudence. Commissioner Harvey cautioned that grants are not guaranteed and said the county and Fair Board must be realistic about value‑engineering and the possibility the state will not provide the full requested amount. "Sometimes we want the Cadillac, but we have to get the go‑car... these grants are encouraged, but they're not promised," he said. Commissioner Newbold and others said they supported the project despite the risk and lauded the volunteers’ work.

Fabry described fair revenues being plowed back into infrastructure and programming and said the fair authority spends a large share of funds on capital and operations; he said the Fair Board pays a part‑time manager and that event revenues are reinvested in livestock programs and grounds maintenance. He asked the county to continue letters of support and to consider the phased approach as the board seeks more grant funds.

Why it matters: The expo hall and fairgrounds upgrades are presented as economic‑development and tourism investments; they rely heavily on state grants and local volunteer oversight and carry potential county financial exposure if full grant funding is not secured.