Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Abilene and Central Kansas Free Fair Association move toward updated lease/use agreement; stadium repairs and fundraising discussed
Summary
City staff presented a consolidated agreement modernizing 1991/1996 documents with the Central Kansas Free Fair Association, preserving city ownership of land and stadium, clarifying maintenance and removable fairboard improvements, and proposing an annual coordination meeting and joint fundraising for capital needs.
City Manager Quende reviewed a consolidated agreement intended to replace the city’s 1991 and 1996 fairground documents and to clarify operations, maintenance responsibilities and improvement ownership between the City of Abilene and the Central Kansas Free Fair Association.
Key provisions in the draft: the city retains ownership of the real property and the stadium building; the fair association retains ownership of removable buildings, barns and fixtures it constructs; the agreement clarifies who is responsible for stadium maintenance and which city services (trash hauling for straw, traffic control assistance, monitoring water usage) the city will provide subject to personnel availability; and it adds an annual coordination and planning meeting for both parties to discuss operations and capital plans.
Staff discussed stadium capital needs including replacement of light poles and seating and said the fair board signaled willingness to raise funds for improvements (examples mentioned: a benefit rodeo and a concert). The draft also contemplates cooperative pursuit of grants where appropriate and aims to strengthen — not alter the substance of — the long‑standing partnership. The city manager said the fair board had largely agreed to the document and staff would return with a finalized agreement after brief clarifying edits.
