Guymon board discusses Main Street matching grant and possible city role at Texas County Fairgrounds

GUYMON, Okla. ' At its Sept. 18 meeting the Guymon Convention & Tourism Board discussed supporting a Main Street Diamond matching grant application and explored next steps on revamping the Texas County Fairgrounds and sports facilities, but took no formal votes.

Ernie (identified as the Main Street design committee presenter) outlined a potential Main Street matching application administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. He said the program requires projects to be within a Main Street district and on city-owned property, and that the state's match can fund up to $150,000 with the city required to provide matching funds; if fully matched the program can support projects up to roughly $300,000. Ernie said the Commerce application window typically opens Sept. 1 and closes Sept. 30 and that applicants must have matching funds approved and available when applying.

The committee suggested possible projects that could be included in a matching application: a pocket park, shade or canopy and seating for the Make a Masterpiece area, pet-water stations and fencing to create a dog-friendly portion of Hermann Park, a splash-pad redesign, and wayfinding signs to promote downtown businesses. Board members discussed budgeting such a match in the 2026 city budget so a grant application could proceed.

A separate presentation came from the Northwest Oklahoma regional development specialist with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (speaker name not specified in the transcript). That presenter encouraged the board to consider sports-facility improvements and noted a sports-facility contractor had supplied qualifications and a possible quote for work at the Nash Soccer Complex, which could dovetail with broader plans for the county fairgrounds.

Texas County Fairgrounds discussion

Several board members and community attendees raised the long-running condition of the Texas County Fairgrounds and debated whether the city should seek a larger role in redeveloping or managing the site. Speakers described the facility as underused and cited ADA-compliance issues that limit rentals; community members urged greater city involvement or partnership with the county, the tribe, local agribusiness or other private partners to fund renovation and expand programming.

Board members and attendees discussed next steps including: (1) attending the fair board's next meeting (Oct. 1) to raise concerns and offer assistance; (2) talking with county commissioners about possible partnership or transfer of responsibilities; and (3) exploring public-private partnerships with local stakeholders named in the meeting (for example, the tribe and regional businesses) to fund an initial remodel. Several participants emphasized that grants or matching funds would require clear project plans and committed local match dollars.

Clarifications and process notes

Presenters said Commerce indicated the Main Street matching program will continue for multiple years if communities apply. The board's staff said that applications typically require the match to be in place when applying and that any municipal commitment would need to be included in the 2026 budget. During the discussion a speaker misstated a historical date related to the Americans with Disabilities Act; meeting participants later discussed the longstanding accessibility issues at the fairgrounds and the reality that ADA compliance upgrades are often costly and require grant or budgeted funds.

No board motions were made during the Main Street and fairgrounds discussions; members asked staff to keep the items on future agendas and to report back after attendees visit the Oct. 1 fair board meeting and after staff follows up with county officials.

Ending

The board agreed to keep the Main Street match and Texas County Fairgrounds topics on the next CT meeting agenda so members can report on outreach to the fair board, county commissioners and potential funding partners.