Dolores County sets industry-standard daily rate for fairgrounds use by incident-management teams

The Dolores County Board of County Commissioners agreed July 6 to charge incident-management teams an industry-standard daily rate when using county fairgrounds during prolonged events. Commissioners said a typical industry rate is about $1,200 per day for buildings and utilities, with $500 to $800 per day for grounds-only use, and moved to apply that standard when the team needs large acreage or infrastructure.

The discussion centered on how to balance reimbursement for county facilities with public access to the county's Public Service Center. Staff and commissioners noted that the incident-management teams typically bring their own trailers, tents, communications equipment and portable showers and can operate independently of local utilities. The board indicated it would continue to make the Public Service Center available for community meetings without routine charges but supported reimbursement for fairgrounds use during major incidents.

Chair (speaker S1) said staff should coordinate with the incident-management team and finalize an agreement showing the expected facility usage and reimbursement. Commissioners voted to authorize staff to offer fairgrounds facilities at the stated industry rates and to work with emergency managers to identify suitable acreage and logistics.

Next steps: staff will meet the incident-management representative at the fairgrounds to confirm usable acreage and return with a formal land-use or rental agreement if needed.