BROKEN BOW – The Custer County Ag Society held its final regular meeting before the all-important county fair on Thursday, July 14 at the Custer County Fairgrounds.
The upcoming fair, now just several days away, was the focus of the meeting. The board established a grounds-wide cleanup date of Friday, July 14, and celebrated the arrival of the Buddy Trailer in time to help assist with stall cleanup during the weeks ahead.
According to Fairgrounds Administrator Michelle Nelson, despite its cumbersome 80 feet of hose, the machine has helped immensely in cleaning efficiency.
“Tyson cleaned 15 stalls in about an hour and a half. It’s kind of neat.”
For perspective, before the trailer arrived, fairgrounds staff would spend a minimum of 15 minutes of cleaning per stall; the vacuum has nearly tripled the staff’s efficiency, running the Ag Society roughly $44,000.
Nelson, in her administrative report, also broached questions from fair sponsors regarding the perks of sponsoring the events, given that the Ag Society this year had opted for a single ticket price for the concert.
“I didn’t know if we could somehow give them their own special beer garden, and maybe do a meet-and-greet before the concert, just for the sponsors.”
The administrator said that the bands had agreed to participate in the meet-and-greet, and the board is now considering how and where to make it possible.
In other fair business, the board heard 2 quotes for rainout insurance for the fair concert; after evaluating both options, the Ag Society elected not to pursue either insurance option, as the costs for the show had already been covered.
One quote came back for fan installation in the show ring; M&M Electric would have the 3-speed fans installed and hardwired by the start of the county fair for $5100. The board unanimously approved moving forward with the quote and opted to earmark a donation from the Bartak family to cover the cost.
The board also considered bringing on 4 additional employees for the upcoming fair. The meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m.
