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 size: smaller community fundraisers may require less notice, mid-size events about 60 days, and major events such as concerts roughly 90 days to allow time for coordination with council, public-works and safety departments. Melinda agreed to work on clarifying the application and posting a single online form so all board members can see submitted applications and deadlines.

Members also discussed the relationship between the fair board and the fair committee, which several speakers described as a separate entity with its own bylaws, insurance and 501(c)(3) status. Board members said the committee operates independently for its internal finances but that decisions affecting use of city property, scheduling or city services must be routed through the fair board and the mayor and council.

A substantial portion of the meeting focused on harness-racing financial procedures. Board members said past practice was for the city to receive race-related revenues and to issue payments, and they asked for a clearer, faster system for paying purses. The city clerk or finance staff said checks for race payouts are processed on the mayor-and-council bill list and thus must be submitted with sufficient lead time to appear on a council agenda. The board discussed requiring racers and payees to submit IRS Form W-9 before participating so the city can issue Form 1099s at year-end; staff noted federal reporting rules require W-9s for payments of $600 or more and that missing W-9s can delay payments.

Several members proposed a procedural change: require W-9 forms before a participant can race, to prevent multi-month payment delays. Staff said they will help draft the form and required paperwork and coordinate with whomever will prepare checks so the process is clear and timely. Members also discussed creating a standard "welcome" or race packet listing the steps required for participation, including deadlines for submitting tax forms.

The board decided on a regular meeting schedule of the third Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., with the ability to call additional public meetings with 24 hours' notice for time-sensitive items such as race planning. Members discussed closed-session rules and were told closed sessions are allowed only for topics that meet statutory criteria.

During roll call and nominations, members nominated and elected Dan as chair by voice vote. The meeting adjourned after public comments and a brief bill-list reminder for forthcoming council action items.

What remains for follow-up: staff will prepare a clear event-application form and an outline of advance-notice windows for different event sizes; staff will draft required paperwork and procedures for harness-racing payouts, including W-9 collection; and the board will use the posted application and staff guidance to route event requests to the mayor and council as required.