BROKEN BOW—With only a week and a half before the Custer County Fair, the Custer County Ag Society/Fair Board is finalizing all the preparations. During the regular meeting on Thursday, July 14, the board first added to the agenda the resignation of Grounds Manager JJ Martin.
Under New Business, President Kent Nelson said he received a verbal resignation from JJ Martin who had worked as the Grounds Manager for several years. The board went into executive session for about 20 minutes and then approved the resignation and put together a committee on how to proceed with the hiring process as well as current maintenance/management duties at the fairgrounds.
The board voted to approve their budget/tax levy request for 2022-2023 at a 2.5% increase bringing the budget from $177,735 to $182,178. The board then voted to ask for an additional 1% increase bringing the total request to $183,956.
A motion was approved to fix the wires and speaker at Barn 6 for approximately $1,500.
In preparation for the fair and other upcoming events, board members Blaire Hartman and Casey Cooksely discussed some cosmetic updates that could be completed during a workday such as some painting and spraying weeds.
The fairgrounds welcomed volunteers on Sunday who helped clean up from Saturday night’s storm. According to the Custer County Fairgrounds Facebook page, the storm took off the roof of Barn 1 (the shop) which also caused some damage to the roof of Barn 2 (hog barn).
Administrator Michelle Nelson said she has been collecting sponsorships for the Casey Donahew concert on Saturday, July 30 following the downtown parade. Help is needed to take tickets and work the beer garden.
Beef Educator with the Custer County Extension office Troy Walz said the recent carcass weigh-out saw about 100 head and 4-H youth will be cleaning out the concessions and exhibit hall prior to fair.
No decisions were made, but Michelle Nelson is working on putting together a grant application for a grant from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. The grant highlights incentives for waste reduction and recycling as well as littler reduction and recycling.
If awarded the grant, the money would go toward tearing down some of the older buildings at the fairgrounds including several of the buildings near the entrance and some of the barns on the north side. With the grant application, the board is collecting bids for the demolition of the buildings and costs for hauling materials, such as concrete to be crushed and therefore recycled.
Below: Some of the buildings to be potentially torn down and later rebuilt if the Custer County Fairgrounds receieves a grant from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Also discussed was the possibility of bringing future demolition derbies to the fairgrounds and hosting them at the grandstands arena. No decisions were made.
Mileage for fair judges was approved at .625.
The meeting adjourned at 8:33 p.m.
