Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the User Guide Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board to condense 40'page user guide and consider fees, automation and enforcement
Summary
Director Morgan Squires asked the board to help condense the fairgrounds user guide and revise the fee schedule; members suggested a short 'what you must do' front sheet, market comparisons for pricing, automated reminders, and possible billing for county-obtained insurance.
Director Morgan Squires told the board that the current user guide is 40 pages and many renters do not read it, which has produced recurring problems with missing insurance and payment deadlines.
"It's 40 pages long, and nobody reads it because it's 40 pages long," Squires said, adding that a 1- to 3-page "what you have to do" front sheet or "cliff notes" would help renters comply. Board members recommended automating reminders, creating clear deadlines for insurance submission (48 hours was cited as a current expectation), and setting firm consequences such as billing renters for county-purchased insurance or shutting down events if documentation isn't provided. One member recalled shutting down a children's event when insurance was missing and later billing for staff time.
On fees, members urged Squires to collect market data from comparable venues so the board can make percentage-based adjustments rather than flat-dollar changes. Squires said improved metering this summer will help calculate utilities and bundle or unbundle water and electricity charges more fairly. The board agreed to create a shared folder for draft policy language and to take on sections of the user guide for staged review prior to the next meeting and the planned retreat.
No final fee changes or enforcement rules were adopted at the meeting; the board set action items for staff and volunteers to draft condensed guidance, gather market comparators and plan outreach to major users for feedback.
