Fair committee approves updated fee schedule, forwards rental and horse-stall policies to county board

The Richland County Fair Committee approved an updated, condensed rental contract and fee schedule on Dec. 1 and voted to forward the documents to the full county accounting board for final action.

Staff presented a revised one-page rental contract and a fee schedule that updates rates for camping, conference-room use and whole-ground rentals. Staff said they have been charging a $500-per-day whole-ground rate in recent years; the contract clarifies billing (net 30 days), utility and cleaning charges, and a bathroom-cleaning fee that the committee can waive if a volunteer group performs cleaning.

During discussion, committee members raised concerns about affordability for smaller community groups. A representative asked whether volunteer time and donated labor could be acknowledged in writing; staff said the committee could authorize staff to make adjustments tied to labor and that specific concessions (for example, deducting a bathroom-cleaning fee when a volunteer group cleans) could be put in separate written agreements.

The committee also reviewed a 2022 horse-stall/boarding agreement found in office records after an incident in which horses were kept on the grounds without paperwork. That contract included stall rates (noted in the packet as $90 per month or about $3 per day) and basic animal-care and cleaning requirements; members asked staff to review and bring a finalized version before next season to avoid ad-hoc arrangements.

The committee made the fee-schedule motion on a motion by Sandy, seconded by Randy Scoonever; the motion authorized staff (finance/coordinator) to adjust fees to cover labor costs and directed any disputes to the county administrator or the committee. The motion carried by voice vote.

Next steps: staff will forward the fee schedule and contract package to the full accounting board, prepare a written concession or volunteer-labor agreement for groups that clean, and return with a finalized horse-stall contract and proposed language for concessions.