Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fair Contract topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Connersville parks staff reviews Fayette County Free Fair contract; vote deferred
Summary
The Connersville Parks and Recreation Board reviewed proposed changes to the Fayette County Free Fair contract — including a requested $3,000 donation and new utility-reimbursement procedures tied to itemized meter readings — but did not vote because a public forum was not available.
Connersville — Parks staff and board members reviewed proposed revisions to the Fayette County Free Fair contract at the Jan. 26 Connersville Parks and Recreation Board meeting, but the board did not take a vote because the session could not accommodate a public forum.
Parks Superintendent Marla Steele told the board, "We cannot vote tonight because we are not able to have a public forum," explaining that the changes would be brought back for formal action at the February meeting. The discussion centered on several requested changes from the fair board, including removal of the James Roberts and Miller buildings from fair use, altered move-in and move-out days (still totaling 15 days), and a $3,000 donation to the parks department for use of Roberts Park during the free fair.
A primary addition in the draft language would require the fair board to reimburse the parks department for "above-normal" electric and water usage tied to the fair. Under the proposed process, the superintendent and the fair-board president would determine which meters are associated with fair use, take meter readings before and after the event, and the parks department would provide an itemized bill with meter numbers and affiliated charges. Marla Steele described the procedure and said the reimbursement could take several months to arrive.
Board member Vane Lashua expressed that having the fair reimburse utilities seems reasonable; Rob Ball sought clarification on whether the reimbursement would cover "above-normal" usage. Steele and President Amy Hammons said the reimbursement would be itemized for the 15 days the fair occupies the grounds and billed accordingly. Hammons emphasized that this is an annual contract review and that the current draft reflects changes negotiated after consultation with fair-board representatives.
Because the meeting lacked a public comment period, the board postponed any vote so the public can comment at the next meeting. The board is expected to revisit the contract and vote in February, after which any approved changes will be forwarded to the appropriate approving bodies if required.
