Seward County commissioners voted to adopt a resolution requiring event sponsors to provide portable sanitary facilities for public events at the Rodeo Arena to satisfy International Building Code requirements tied to the arena’s new bleacher capacity.

The resolution creates a sliding scale tied to event attendance and the additional capacity from newly installed bleachers; for the top capacity tier used in the example during discussion (1,200 additional seats), the resolution requires eight water closets and three lavatories for men and 15 water closets and four lavatories for women. Those fixtures reflect the code calculations for the added seating, while existing permanent restrooms remain credited toward overall capacity.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said the requirement brings the county into compliance with building-code restroom counts for larger events but will shift the cost of portable facilities from county budgets to event promoters. Commissioners noted that larger annual events, such as the rodeo, could cause a substantial increase in porta-potty rental costs for organizers.

Nathan (Planning & Zoning staff) explained the resolution implements a sliding scale so smaller events are not required to provide the full complement for 1,200 attendees, while events that reach the maximum capacity must provide the full code-required quantities. Staff said previously the arena’s portable units were not required; the resolution clarifies responsibilities going forward.

Commission discussion focused on cost implications. One commissioner said the county currently spends about $3,000 a year on porta-potties for two rodeo nights and that meeting the new maximum would raise that to roughly $14,500 annually if the county absorbed the cost. Staff and legal counsel emphasized the sponsor-pay approach in the resolution to avoid putting recurring costs on county taxpayers.

Commissioner Abbott moved to approve resolution 2025-04; Commissioner Fuller seconded the motion. The commission approved the resolution by a show of hands.

Next steps: Planning and zoning staff will notify event sponsors of the new requirements when booking dates and issuing permits; the county will apply the sliding scale based on expected attendance reported by the sponsor.