Fairgrounds budget restored, Special meeting scheduled to talk money woes

Fairgrounds budget restored

Special meeting scheduled to talk money woes

Alexis Barker

NLJ News Editor

Despite the return of $17,000 to its budget on Aug. 20 by the county commissioners, Weston County Fair Board members still worry about loss of revenue and meeting expenses. Fairgrounds manager Kara Fladstol and fair board members Jessica Graham, David Kline and Justin Mills discussed their budgetary concerns for the current fiscal year with the commissioners at the Aug. 20 meeting. 

Kline outlined the financial strain the fair board is in, in large part due to the effects of COVID-19.

“COVID is making it impossible. … We have had $15,000 in scheduled events that we will never recover because they were canceled,” Kline said. “We have almost no income at this time. We are bringing this to your attention because we are managing this (Weston County Fairgrounds) for you guys.” 

According to Kline, the fair board was considering management alternatives and other cost-saving measures but each option would have an impact on the facility and the services and building availability. 

“Where we sit today, employment and benefits is 95% of the block funds you guys give us,” Kline said. 

In order to save money, Kline said, the board could consider replacing the full-time fairgrounds manager position with a part-time person. 

“There would be no one managing it on a daily basis. It would be tough to meet the needs,” Kline Said. “There would be no one available to take reservations. We would have to come up with a new way without a full-time employee.” 

He noted that paperwork and other office duties would also suffer without a manager. 

“With no full-time employee, we would need to consider closing the event center (Weston County Event Center), … take a hard look at it,” Kline said, adding that even with a manager, the event center loses $16,000 a year because of upkeep and utilities costs. 

“Without a full-time employee on site, we would need to close down all the restrooms. … If someone is not there watching them, then there is vandalism,” Kline continued. “The arena work and rentals would need to be reduced to what we can accommodate with part-time help. There is a chance the barn would have to be locked up, and we limit what we do to fair and seasonal events.”

Limiting the fairgrounds activity to only fair would not result in any cost savings, said Kline, who serves as chairman of the fair board. The fairgrounds sees  no income during fair. Two years ago, Kline said, the facility put out about $24,000 for the fair. 

“It was not as bad this year because people stepped up. This year has proven, though, that we will need more seasonal employees and temporary help, especially because we don’t have the honor camp anymore,” Kline said. Inmates from the Wyoming Honor Camp north of Newcastle have, until this year, supplied the fairgrounds with labor.

Fair board members present at the meeting said that they were hoping to get ideas from the commissioners on how to proceed. 

Mills told the commissioners that over the past four years, the fairgrounds has experienced a 28% cut in its budget from the county. He added that the board is the most cohesive it has been in years and that the productivity of the facility idepends on who is on the board and how the commissioners support them. 

“We are coming to you guys to say that we are getting close to saying we are done. …. We knew cuts were needed, but this is drastic,” Mill said.  

“Ultimately, it falls back on you guys. We are under you folks,” Kline said. “We need a solution to the problem.”

The quick consensus of the commissioners was that the facility could not be sacrificed to save money. 

“I have issue with talking about cutting staff. Our reserve increased by $300,000. We can’t say we can’t afford $17,000 to keep this a full-time facility. I think it is important,” Commissioner Tony Barton said. 

The motion to hold a budget hearing to return the $17,000, which was cut from the fiscal year 2021 budget when the commission approved the county budget in July, carried 2-1. Barton and Chairman Ed Wagoner voted in favor and Marty Ertman voted against the measure. The commissioners also voted to cover maintenance at the facility. 

 The commissioners suggested that the fair board apply for lost income through the Wyoming Business Council for income loss directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“If you had canceled events, not as many campers. … You show them that in your books, show the lost revenue,” advised Wagoner. 

Ertman furthered explained that if the board could show lost income based off the calendar of the previous year and events canceled throughout 2020, it could be reimbursed for that loss. 

“If you show events on weekends in July of last year that didn’t happen this year, that is lost revenue. You have to show what didn’t happen,” Ertman said. 

The board could go all the way back to March 13 when the first health orders in the state were issued, she suggested.

“Wait as long as you can for expenses and lost revenue, ... up to the date of the application. Now is the perfect opportunity,” Ertman said. 

According to Barton, the commissioners should be prepared to meet with the fair board again to discuss other avenues of relief if it  does not get any COVID-19 relief funds from the business council. 

Meanwhile, the fair board planned to hold a special meeting on Aug. 24 to further discuss budget concerns.