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Board approves El Dorado County Fair Association 2025 budget, asks staff to form ad hoc on lessons learned
Summary
Supervisors approved the Fair Association’s 2025 budget, received a presentation on 2024 operations and directed staff to return with an item creating a fairgrounds ad hoc committee to address ARPA-funded projects and grant navigation.
The Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 approved the El Dorado County Fair Association’s 2025 budget, received a report on operations and directed staff to return with a recommendation to form an ad hoc committee to review lessons learned from recent ARPA-funded infrastructure work.
Kathy Duncak, chief executive officer of the nonprofit El Dorado County Fair Association, told the board the fair again drew more than 80,000 visitors in 2024, and that the organization has completed several capital projects funded with ARPA and other grants including culvert lining and ADA restroom upgrades. She said livestock camping spaces were reduced from 42 to 20 in 2024 to improve arena access and that operational staffing has returned to pre-COVID levels.
Why the board asked for an ad hoc: Several supervisors, including Supervisor Parlin who also chairs the Water Agency, described difficulties coordinating state-level grant administration (an ARPA grant that involved Army Corps and other agencies was described as particularly complex). Supervisor Parlin asked staff to return with authority to form an ad hoc committee to capture lessons learned and improve coordination on multi-agency projects.
Budget and project details highlighted at the meeting - Attendance: Duncak reported attendance in excess of 80,000 in 2024. - Capital work: ARPA grant agreement #6666 funded culvert lining, new asphalt across the fairgrounds and ADA restroom upgrades in the Forney building. A second ARPA-funded ditch project required coordination with federal resource agencies and was delayed. - Staffing: The fairgrounds reports staff levels have reached pre-COVID numbers with four full-time facilities employees and three full-time and 0.75 staff in administration (as reported by the Fair CEO). - Events and revenue items: Some revenue (motorized racing ticketing) is managed by outside lessees such as Russell Motorsports; the Fair Association receives rental or parking revenue rather than ticket sales.
Board action: The board unanimously approved the CAO recommendation to accept and authorize the Fair Association’s calendar-year 2025 budget, receive the associated audits and strategic plan, and directed staff to return with an item establishing a fairgrounds ad hoc committee to address complicated multi-agency grants and project coordination. The motion passed 5-0.
Ending: Supervisors praised the fair’s year-round community uses and encouraged stronger county support for coordinating complex grant-funded infrastructure projects at the fairgrounds.
