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Fair board looks at budget

Sets new committee, approves fee increases, looks for tenant of house

The Great Northern Fair Board Monday held in-depth discussions of its budget, including setting a new committee to look at ways to better fund the annual Great Northern Fair.

Board members Scott Doney, Chad Murnin and Gus Sharp advocated creating a committee to analyze the budget and find ways to increase revenue or cut costs.

“I was kind of thinking we should have … a budget committee or a finance committee,” Sharp said.

Doney agreed.

“It seems like, every meeting, we discuss it but we're really not doing anything about it,” he said.

The county commission cut the fair’s requested budget for next year. Last year’s budget was $241,146 and fairgrounds manager Tim Solomon initially requested $271,000, an amount he said last month usually does go down once details on costs of shows and events are found.

The commission approved a budget of $206,499.

Board Chair Bert Corcoran and manager Tim Solomon said Monday that a committee already is doing some of what Doney, Murnin and Sharp were requesting — the board Monday approved some fee and rental increases proposed by that committee — but Sharp said he thought more work was needed.

Sharp moved to create the new committee, with Murnin seconding the motion, and the board approved its creation.

Corcoran appointed Sharp and Doney to the committee, and at the request of Sharp, tentatively appointed Havre public schools District Clerk Mike Arnold. Arnold and fellow fair board member Missy Boucher could not attend Monday’s meeting.

The board approved the rent committee’s recommendation to increase winter storage fees, for items like motor homes, boats and vehicles, from $200 to $300, and to add $50 for the day before and day after a rental of the fairgrounds community hall, if the group renting it wants to use those days for set up and cleanup. The cost of renting the hall for one day will remain $200.

The board also discussed getting someone into the house on the fairgrounds, traditionally used by the fair manager or a groundskeeper.

Solomon said Opportunity Link Inc. is working on a proposal to contract with the fair board to put someone in that position. He said he expects the proposal to be ready this week, saying he had hoped it would be ready by Monday’s meeting.

Board members suggested the board run advertisements to find out who might be interested in the position, adding they are concerned about giving the selection of the person to Opportunity Link.

Sharp said he thinks getting someone in the position to train them to do work at the fairgrounds would benefit the grounds.

Doney said he wants to find someone who can take the position long term.

“It’s going to take some time finding the right person It’s not going be to a snap-your-fingers type of thing,” he said.

“I want to see someone in their for 20 years, so we don’t have to do this again,” he added later when an audience member suggested going to the hospital or U.S. Border Patrol to see if those organizations could put someone in the house temporarily.

Solomon said he is open to suggestions, but he needs some input from the board.

“But, I guess, what are the ads going to say? That’s what I’m looking for, because I’m going to have to answer those questions,” he said.

The new committee agreed to come up with proposals of what could be put in an advertisement to consider as an option.

 

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