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Board debates new fees, nonprofit discount and security requirements for fairgrounds and Bear Creek Farm use
Summary
Facilities committee proposed new rental rates and security rules for the district-owned fairgrounds and the Bear Creek Farm parking area; proposal includes a $1,000/day for‑profit fairgrounds rate and recommended nonprofit discount, a $500/day Bear Creek fee for events that charge admission, and a security staffing requirement.
The board discussed proposed new rates and rules for district‑owned event properties, including the fairgrounds and Bear Creek Farm parking area, and the facilities committee recommended updating long‑standing informal practices.
Key parts of the proposal: the facilities committee proposed charging outside, for‑profit users $1,000 per day for the fairgrounds when the district was not operating the fair. The committee recommended a 50% discount for nonprofit organizations that charge admission, producing a $500‑per‑day nonprofit rate under the policy. For the Bear Creek Farm parking area (which committee members said has capacity for roughly 100 vehicles), the committee recommended a $500‑per‑day fee for entities charging for parking or otherwise profiting; the facility policy would continue to allow nonprofit groups to use district facilities at no charge when the nonprofit is not itself charging admission.
Security and staffing: board members said they want events to provide security. The facilities chair proposed a $65 per hour rate when the district provides paid security staffing and said volunteers would need Act 235 certification; administration said it would draft attendee‑to‑security ratios and guidelines so staffing could be scaled to event size rather than using a one‑size‑fits‑all mandate.
Board members asked for clarifications and adjustments. Multiple board members and staff reiterated that the long week of the fair is governed by a separate, existing 1950 contract and that the proposed rates would not automatically be applied to fair week without renegotiating that contract. Some board members called the proposed Bear Creek rate “exorbitant” for a field with no buildings or electricity and recommended reducing the fee for nonprofits; administrators clarified the intent was to correct longstanding practice that had allowed for‑profit events to use the sites free of charge.
Why it matters: the policy sets the financial terms and operational expectations for community and commercial use of district land and could affect local nonprofits, booster clubs and small‑scale vendors that use district property for a single event.
What’s next: the facilities committee and fair committee agreed to meet every other month to improve communications and refine the policy language; administration said it will return with revised wording that clarifies rates, nonprofit discounts and security requirements.
