Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners set rental price for new fairgrounds community building at $2,500; broader fee schedule updated
Summary
The board approved updated rental fees for fairground facilities and set the new community building’s base rental rate at $2,500 for year one, with staff to draft discount/criterial language for donors and local users.
Decatur County commissioners on Oct. 6 approved an updated fee schedule for fairgrounds facilities and set a year-one base rental rate of $2,500 for the new community building under construction.
Officials said the existing rental agreement had not been updated in some time and the fair committee recommended a range of $2,500–$3,500. Commissioners opted to set the first-year price at $2,500 to encourage early bookings and said they would revisit rates after the facility has calendar history. The board also approved several other fee changes recommended by the fair committee: the full fairgrounds rental increased from $9,000 to $10,000; the Farm & Home building increased slightly to $500; the rabbit and poultry barn fee was reduced because it is rarely rented; and horse facilities (arena, barn and lights) were combined under a single $500 charge to simplify rental logistics.
The board agreed to stop allowing county-owned heavy equipment to be rented for private events, citing liability and preservation concerns; equipment donated to volunteer groups with separate ownership/use arrangements was exempted from that change. Camping rates with electricity were set at $35 per night and table/chair rental rules clarified (tables $5, chairs $1) for existing inventory (not the new community building’s new furniture).
Commissioners discussed donor discounts for contributors to the community-building fundraiser. Staff described pledge tiers used in the fundraising campaign (e.g., “Grand Champion” for contributions of $50,000 and up; smaller tiers for lower gifts). The board directed staff to draft criteria for donor discounts—options discussed included limited-duration discounts tied to pledge levels and a limit on how often a donor could use a discounted rental per year—but took no immediate discount action.
County attorney was asked to revise contract language and the board instructed staff to return with a formal rental agreement and a set of criteria for discounted use by donors and local organizations. Commissioners approved the fee schedule and the $2,500 base rate for the new community building by voice vote.
