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Gogebic County approves Fairgrounds Management Agreement amid public concern
Summary
The county voted 5-2 to approve a management agreement with the Friends of the Fair, approved a grass-cutting contract and authorized bids for concrete pads and accessible patios; a public commenter said she was unaware the fair was on the agenda and raised concerns about land transfers to nonprofits.
The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a Fairgrounds Management Agreement with the Friends of the Fair and authorized several related contracts and improvement bids at its March 26 meeting. Chairman Dan Siirila presided.
Commissioner Wood told colleagues he supports the Friends of the Fair managing the fair itself but does not support them taking control of the entire fairgrounds. The board approved the management agreement in a roll-call vote recorded as five in favor and two opposed (YES: Lorenson, Matonich, Yon, Peterson, Siirila; NO: Wood, Cayer). The minutes record the outcome as a 5-2 approval.
The board accepted a bid from Kitto's Property Management for routine lawn care at the fairgrounds at $500 per visit. Separately, commissioners authorized soliciting bids to place a concrete slab under the grandstand bleachers and to add open-air patio spaces and handicap-accessible areas at the bleacher ends.
During the agenda, member of the public Lydia Christenson said she was unaware the fair item was on the agenda and noted she is running for U.S. Senate; she expressed concern about government entities giving nonprofit organizations land. The board allowed her to speak before voting on the management agreement. Other public commenters later raised safety and fairboard participation questions during the public comment period.
The motions related to fairgrounds management and the improvement work were presented as individual agenda items and moved by commissioners as recorded in the meeting minutes; the lawn-care contract and the bid solicitation passed unanimously. The minutes do not specify a written contract between the Friends of the Fair and the county beyond the approved management agreement; details of control, term length and liability provisions were not specified in the minutes and therefore are not described here.
Next steps recorded in the minutes include placing committee reports on file and soliciting bids for the concrete work; the minutes do not set a scheduled date for award of the concrete contract or for a public hearing on the management agreement.
