Williams County approves leases, advances fairgrounds feasibility plan

Williams County on Nov. 18 moved to formalize long-running operations at its recently acquired fairgrounds, approving a set of lease agreements for user clubs and accepting a feasibility report that shows desired arena and ag-education facilities can fit on the site but that parking and funding will be significant constraints.

Helen (county staff) told the Board of County Commissioners the ICON Architects feasibility report confirmed “we can fit all of the things that we would anticipate doing” on the county-owned fairgrounds site, but she cautioned that “parking becomes the greatest challenge.” The schematic, she said, is high-level and not bid-ready; cost estimates on the final page were “random, kind of guesstimates” based on recent bids and indicated the county’s sales-tax allocations would not fund every project the county envisions.

The county has divided tenant leases into two categories. Helen said primary tenants — groups that operate, maintain and pay utilities year-round — would have standardized lease provisions; primary tenants identified in the meeting packet include the Bowman Club, Racing Club, Skating Club (hockey), and the Snowmobile Club. Secondary tenants that use space seasonally will receive a different lease form and a rental arrangement tied to usage.

Helen also described lease language to protect community investments: where tenants previously contributed capital (for example, lights or building improvements), leases will record an equity interest and require negotiation of a buyout or provision of replacement space if the county later changes use of those structures. She said the goal is to “make sure that those clubs get credit down the road for all of the money that they've invested in the site.”

The leases include a blackout period around the Upper Missouri Valley Fair: the county will block 23 days (14 days prior, five fair days, and four cleanup days) and will formalize relations with 4-H and the fair association so the county and nonprofits know who uses what space during that period. Helen said North Dakota Century Code requires the organization running a county fair to be a nonprofit, a statutory point that shapes how the county structures the events and leases.

Commissioners voted to approve the packaged lease agreements and authorized the chairman to sign. Helen said staff will return with any material changes recommended by tenant attorneys but will handle minor, non-substantive edits administratively. She also said staff will prepare a fairgrounds budget, consolidate the multiple parcels into a single Williams County Fairgrounds Subdivision plat, and create a Williams County Fairgrounds website to centralize information for users and link to each group’s pages.

The board did not adopt final design documents or commit additional funding at the meeting; Helen said next steps will include more detailed design work with consulting engineers and architects and further discussion of funding options.