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Clatsop County interviews Fair Board applicants; themes include strategic plan update, facilities and emergency preparedness
Summary
Board interviewed multiple applicants for Fair Board seats; candidates emphasized updating an outdated strategic plan, resolving a conditional-use permit to expand usable land, improving facilities and maintenance, fundraising, outreach and emergency-preparedness priorities for the tsunami/earthquake-prone county fairgrounds.
Clatsop County commissioners interviewed several candidates to fill Fair Board seats that are expiring at year-end and to fill recently expanded positions. Board members used a standardized set of questions to evaluate applicants’ commitment, collaboration skills and priorities for the fairgrounds.
Applicants repeatedly said the Fair Board’s strategic plan needs updating (one candidate noted the plan was last updated in 2009) and urged a focus on actionable goals, transparent rationale for board decisions and regular check-ins to hold members accountable. Multiple applicants flagged the conditional-use permit and wetlands constraints as limiting use of fairgrounds land and proposed revisiting permitting and site planning to expand usable space.
Facility maintenance, preventive upkeep and fundraising were frequent themes. One applicant recounted serving as fair president and emphasized continuity during the fair week, while another described bringing in sponsorships that generated more than $20,000 in a recent year. Emergency preparedness — especially tsunami and earthquake response — was raised by candidates who cited past experience using fairgrounds as disaster staging in other communities and asked the board to prioritize readiness planning and storage solutions.
The board will consider appointments at its December 10 meeting after reviewing applications and interview notes.
