By Kyle Vuille
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
With the 2017 Dawson County Fair long gone, the fair board is looking forward to tidying up and improving the facilities around the fairgrounds as they make plans for next year’s event.
The fair board led by fair manager Tacee DeSaye met Monday night.
The main issue discussed in the meeting was fixing the roof on the exhibit hall because there are currently leaks in the roof.
According to DeSaye, the roof on the exhibit hall hasn’t been retinned in 30 years. The roof job would be roughly covering 9,000-10,000 sq. ft.
The Glendive Masons donated $30,000 to the fair board for improvements which will be used for the project.
One bid from Windfall Remodeling LLC came back at $46,000 for the entire roof repair and insulation. The board also got a quote for soffits and fascia which added approximately $5,400 to the estimate.
The board also looked over several other bids that were over a year old. DeSaye suggested the board request current bids for the project from various contractors before making a decisions.
Before any decisions are made on the roof, the fair board members agreed they need to re-prioritize the projects they have going on at the moment.
Fair board member Brady Smelser noted the cost of the roof repairs could easily equal the price of a brand new pole barn.
Other fair board members entertained the idea of a new building for a few moments before it was mentioned that the building has historic value, as it was relocated from its previous location years ago.
The fair board will now get three bids to replace the entire roof as well as a separate bid for the insulation.
The new ice skating rink opening in December that will be located at the fairgrounds was also discussed.
Fair board members have come up with a rental price for the organizers of the ice skating rink. The suggested rental price would be $100 a month.
DeSaye noted some concerns about the farigrounds restrooms usage during the time the ice skating rink is located on property. She noted that the restrooms, especially with kids, tend to get dirty more quickly and questioned who would be responsible for the restroom cleaning.
Brady Smelser suggested the responsibility of the cleanups be written in the contract with the ice rink organizers or the price of cleaning be included in the rent price.
As fair board member Troy Kaufman pointed out, weekends will be the busiest with kids out of school and having weekly cleanings the following Mondays would be best.
The lighting for the skating rink was also discussed in regards to the utility bill paid by the fair board.
Board members questioned how long lights would be on and hours and allotment of special events put on at the ice skating rink.
Kaufman suggested limiting the ice rink organizers to one event a month during the two to three months the ice skating rink will be at the fairgrounds.
No decision was made on the matter.
The board briefly discussed the possibility of security cameras being installed around the fairgrounds and inquiring about prices of security systems.
The last two items on the agenda were reviewing the finances after this year’s fair and discussing the fair manager and two other board members attending the Nov. 8-11 Rocky Mountain Fair Association Convention in Colorado Springs.
Reach Kyle Vuille at
news@rangerreview.com.