Fergus County fair board seeks clarity on staff roles, communications and stall rules

The Fergus County Fair Board met to clarify lines of authority and day-to-day communications between volunteer board members and fairgrounds staff, focusing on the office clerk’s duties, executive-session procedures and stall-management practices.

Board members opened the meeting by identifying a persistent communication problem: some members believed they had been told not to contact the office clerk directly for fair-related questions. The chair framed the discussion as a need to define expected contact points and responsibilities so fair operations run smoothly and no one is put in an awkward position with staff.

Why it matters: board members said uncertain communication has led to missed or delayed decisions about contracts, stall assignments and event details. Clarifying who should be the first point of contact for routine questions, and when staff must consult supervisors, is intended to reduce confusion during the busy fair season.

The group reviewed the draft job description and authority structure. Members distinguished authority over volunteers and volunteer positions from authority over county staff, saying the board can assign and accept volunteers but does not have unilateral hiring or firing power for county employees. A supervising staff member reiterated that the clerk’s job description includes contract assistance, financial tracking, ticketing support and coordinating with related departments, but that the clerk should coordinate with supervisory staff when work would conflict with higher-priority department tasks.

On executive sessions and privacy, participants walked through procedural steps for handling private personnel matters: announcing the executive session at the meeting, asking the public to leave when appropriate, and maintaining sealed executive-session minutes, which only the board can unseal if questions arise about votes taken in closed session.

Stalls and event operations consumed a large portion of the meeting. Board members discussed facilitating stall assignments for rodeo and horse-show events, producing a laminated stall map for public posting, assigning keys to superintendents, and using deposits as an enforcement tool when groups fail to clean stalls. One board member outlined a deposit approach used at other fairs — for example, a modest deposit that is cashed only if the stall is left unclean — and recommended requiring entry forms to specify number and location of stalls needed so the office can track responsibility.

On term lengths and records, the board flagged a discrepancy in the draft regarding whether board members serve two- or four-year terms and agreed to preserve staggered terms so not all seats come due in the same year. The group also discussed contingencies for minute-taking when the clerk is absent: options included having the secretary or treasurer record minutes or relying on audio recordings for clerks to prepare draft minutes.

Throughout the meeting participants urged de-escalation and direct verification of misunderstandings before raising issues publicly. The chair said, "I'm the chair, that's what I'm asking — how do I go about doing this?" and a staff member advised that for privacy matters, "You just call for executive session."

Next steps: board members were asked to review the draft policy and return suggested edits. The group did not take any formal votes during the session; rather, members agreed to refine the job description language (including term-length language), clarify who is the operational point of contact for routine fair questions, and develop clearer stall-assignment and deposit practices ahead of the next fair cycle.

The meeting ended with thanks to volunteers and staff and a request that members send any additional policy edits before the next meeting.