Commissioners hear Chase County fair board concerns

As Chase County Commissioners work their way through budget planning, Commissioners Kurt Bernhardt, Jacci Brown and Billie Muehlenkamp had a visit from fair board members Ryan Stromberger, Alex McNair and Scott Way last Tuesday at the commissioners regular meeting.
Last year Commissioners Duane Dinnel and Dennis Kunnemann voted to decrease the fair’s budget from $60,000 to $20,000. Brown voted against the change.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the fair board members said $20,000 doesn’t even pay the electric bill for the fairgrounds. While the board can raise the money for fair activities, upkeep of the grounds is a different story. The fair board is also working on $100,000 in improvements, such as a new ticket booth and entrance to the grandstand area.
Repairs are needed to the Eagles’ concession stand roof which will hopefully be covered by the county’s insurance, and upkeep is needed on the Nutrien Ag Expo Building.
All in all, the fair board would like to see the county go back to $60,000 for the fair.
With Stromberger, McNair and Way on hand, discussion was held about the county audit performed by Don Wilson.
Wilson had concerns about the fair’s bidding process not being in compliance and provided a written reminder that any projects from $10,000 up to $50,000 needs informal bids and above $50,000 need formal bids.
He went on to suggest that the commissioners take over the bidding process for any fair board bids over $25,000 and the commissioners decided to take over the whole bidding process for the fair board.
Other business
After the commissioners canceled the bids for the Spring Creek projects during their final meeting of July, new bids to replace the bridge and repair ditches were opened during the meeting.
A bid from South Platte Excavation to do the work on 347 Ave for $20,000 was approved over a bid from 5 Star Land Restoration and Development for $27,500. The work will be completed by Oct. 1.
Caitlin Whitehead with Prairie Plains CASA requested and received $4,500 to support the Court Appointed Special Advocates program.
The commissioners had two calls of interest for the opening on the Chase County Community Hospital Board, but with Sam McNair wanting to remain on the board the commissioners approved his reappointment.
The commissioners also made the decision to offer the county’s Highway Superintendent and Road Foreman job to Dick DeWester for $72,000 and will wait for DeWester’s decision.
The next meeting of the board will be Aug. 22 at 8 a.m. in the Chase County Courthouse.