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Decatur County officials say fairgrounds renovation is mostly complete, review $329K gap and optional upgrades
Summary
County leaders reported the bulk of a $4 million fairgrounds renovation is complete, with the community building, horse arena and restrooms finished; officials reviewed about $329,000 remaining on the county’s portion, a state-ready balance of about $519,637, and debated adding landscaping and midway paving.
County officials told commissioners on April 20 that the multiyear fairgrounds renovation is largely finished but still needs remaining electrical and selected site improvements.
Staff said the project originally estimated at $4 million has progressed through major components: the new community building, renovated horse arena and upgraded restrooms and HVAC. Project accounting presented at the meeting showed about $3,671,000 spent to date, leaving roughly $329,000 on the county’s books and ~$519,637 of state "ready" funds still available.
The remaining work the county considered includes undergrounding overhead electrical lines and installing pedestals (an electrical contract phase estimated around $470,000), repairs to horse-barn structural elements and new gutters, and options for landscaping or boulders near the community building. Staff said roughly $617,630 in cash donations currently sit in the local community foundation and that the county has more than $600,000 in pledges outstanding; combined with state-ready funds, staff said the sums provide flexibility to finish remaining items but also push total potential project costs above the original $4 million estimate.
Commissioners debated whether to keep optional items — landscaping (~$18,000 estimated) and a $200,000 midway paving component — in the general construction contract (the BO) or to bid them separately. Advocates said including them in the BO ensures engineered management and insurance coverage; others said bidding select items could produce savings. Staff said the BO’s listed figures are maximums, that a $50,000 contingency could be adjusted, and that council review was required because anticipated totals exceed the original appropriation. The board did not remove the items from the contract pending council consideration.
Staff briefed commissioners on logistics for events: a paved midway would improve ADA access and reduce mud during fair-week rains and could expand usable parking. Commissioners also discussed maintenance implications (weed growth around planters/rocks) and whether in-kind donations could offset maintenance burdens.
The most recent timeline shared by staff kept the project moving with an anticipated completion target in June for the construction contractor; staff said they will return to the county council to confirm any changes to the funding plan before authorizing additional contract amendments.
