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Residents and fair board raise livestock-show and meat-processing concerns; county to revisit item Wednesday
Summary
Public commenters and the fair board described ongoing problems with livestock show management and a 2024 meat processor; the commission said it lacks direct oversight of the Livestock Committee but will relay concerns and postponed a formal action until Wednesday.
Public commenters and fair volunteers urged the Elko County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 8 to address problems they say are affecting the livestock portion of the county fair.
John Dahl, a Star Valley rancher, told commissioners he and his children participate in the fair’s livestock show but that the livestock program and facilities “can be run better.” Dahl said the livestock portion is being treated as "the black sheep," and described repeated circuit-breaker outages that make it difficult to prepare animals for sale. "I feel like the livestock show... is run like the black sheep. They really are put in the corner," Dahl said during the public comment period.
Commissioners responded that the county commission does not have direct oversight of the Fair Board or the Livestock Committee, but said they appoint members and would pass Dahl’s concerns to the Fair Board. The board also agreed to take up a separate, agendaed Fair Board appointment item (F5) at a fuller session on Wednesday to allow more public input and to ensure a full commission is present.
At the Jan. 8 meeting, Tony Bazzetti, who said he has served on the Elko County Fair Board and recently as its chairman, described a specific problem with a meat processor hired by the Livestock Committee for 2024. "We had a problem with the meat processor, that was hired by the livestock committee to process the meat for the 2024... this guy screwed up," Bazzetti said, and added that the Fair Board was working to replace affected beef and make buyers whole where possible. Commissioners agreed to postpone the agenda item and to allow additional public comment on Wednesday so the issue can be discussed with a full board in attendance.
No formal corrective action or contract remedy was adopted at the Jan. 8 meeting; the item was deferred for further review and possible action at the next meeting.
