Pocomoke City fair board clarifies event approvals, harness-racing payment process and elects chair

The Pocomoke City Fair Board on Saturday discussed how events at the fairgrounds should be approved and coordinated with city staff, reviewed timelines for permits and larger events, outlined procedures for paying harness-racing purses, and elected a chair.

Board members and city staff emphasized that events run by the fair board or its associated fair committee must be communicated to the mayor and council so the city can provide support such as equipment, manpower and public-safety notifications. Melinda, the city staff liaison, said routine smaller events will be handled administratively but that larger or unusual events must be routed through her office and the mayor and council for scheduling and review.

The board discussed permit timelines. The existing permit paperwork requires 30 days' notice, but several members said that is often insufficient for major events. Members suggested tiered advance-notice windows based on event…