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Osage County Fair Association asks commission for guidance on fair-board authority as carnival and 4-H plans expand
Summary
Fair Association members told the commission they need written guidance on the fair board's responsibilities and authority after the county fair and carnival were combined; commissioners advised consulting state statutes and the K-State extension office and said county counsel will be asked to provide statute references.
Members of the Osage County Fair Association told the commission on Aug. 12 they are preparing for a larger fair next year, and asked the commission for clarity about the fair board’s responsibilities, authority and insurance and contract procedures.
Jim Paul, events and entertainment coordinator for the Osage County Fair Association, said the fair and the carnival will be combined the next year, bringing more vendors and attendees, and that the fair board could not locate written records describing the board’s duties and limits. “I don’t know if there’s actually any records here that actually tell, like, what our responsibilities and our dues are as a peer board,” Paul said during public comment.
Commissioners and staff advised Paul to consult the K-State extension office for 4-H-related questions and said state statutes address fair boards. The commission’s legal counsel (Josh) was identified in the meeting as the person who had previously provided links to statutes; commissioners said they would ask him to resend those resources. Commissioner remarks in the meeting emphasized that fair boards generally operate under state statute and that the fair board may be largely autonomous, though county facilities and use agreements might affect some logistics because the fair uses city-owned or county-owned buildings.
The commission offered to follow up by sending statute links and encouraged the fair board to check with the extension office for 4‑H-related rules. Paul said the group needs clear, written guidance on issues such as parking, insurance and contract authority before it finalizes logistics for the larger combined fair.
No formal action or vote was recorded on the fair-board questions; the item appeared in public comment and staff follow-up was requested.
