By Myrna Trauntvein
TN Correspondent
There are many improvements that could be added to the list for the county fairgrounds.
Jamie Garrett, county fair and special events director, presented her list of suggestions to county commissioners at the meeting they held in Eureka on Monday.
“The numbers on the West side of the grandstand bleachers need to be repainted. They haven’t been painted since the 75th anniversary rodeo in 2009,” said Garrett.
Clinton Painter, commissioner, asked about the ones on the east side and Garrett said they seemed to be fine.
Garrett said she had been contacted by the organization, JustServe, and they had offered free service where they were needed. They had suggested planting flowers and even cleaning up the grandstand and fairgrounds.
She would like to see some flowers planted to beautify the fairgrounds.
Painter said that people from all over the state volunteered for JustServe and Juab County might even have people from Heber City travel to Nephi to perform service.
“The fire guys clean the bleachers,” said Garrett. “We need a power washer and a blower. I know that we don’t have any trees anymore, but we still have sticks all over. Maybe the birds drop them but a blower would help.”
The chairs on the west side that are used for the box seats are breaking from the constant moving for various events, she said. Something more permanent was needed.
When the new ticket office was built, she said, some parking needed to be added for those who were disabled. To meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards more stalls were needed for large crowds.
“We have ADA parking by the rabbit barn,” said Painter. “It empties onto a concrete walkway.”
Garrett said that a woman had recently inspected the fairgrounds and had indicated that all buildings should have spots and permanent markings. Perhaps they could even be marked on buildings.
She said that, when the new ticket office was built, there needed to be more restrooms.
There also needed to be a walkway of some sort on the south end, said Painter. People drive into the fairgrounds on the south and then cut through to the east. That creates a dangerous situation with the equipment and horses staged on that end.
“We talked about building a connection inside but decided against it,” said Painter.
He said that they could, however, build a walkway for fans that would lead them safely through all of the hubbub. It could be fenced and have gates that could be locked.
Garrett said that once the fans were in place and the event began, the gates could be locked.
The corrals needed to be painted, said Garrett, and fans were needed for the indoor barn.
“We were wondering about getting a projector for the events in the multi-purpose and recreation buildings,” she said.
Painter said that a big screen television would be a better purchase. It could be used in many ways. People can even connect their computers to it for presentations.
Garrett also said she wondered about scales and a Derby Connex.
She said that the county fair needed to move storage out of the Ute Stampede committee office.
Marty Palmer, commissioner, said that the committee had just cleaned out the office.
More storage was needed, said Garrett. She hated to keep adding storage semitrailers to the property because she did not want it to look “trashy.”
“We need to hire someone to be an employee over the fairgrounds,” said Garrett. “We have seven new events this year.”
Painter said they could make the position dual-purpose with that person able to write grants. That might even make enough money for the fairgrounds that the position would pay for itself.
Garrett said that they also needed to have some stalls covered so that they could be rented. Amazon had a cover that would be sufficient for now and would work June through September.
Shade was needed between the recreation and multi-purpose buildings.
Painter said that the plan was to plant trees at the fairgrounds to replace the dying Cottonwood trees that were removed.
New skirting was needed along the stage for when there were activities and performances in the multi-purpose building.
“It isn’t that old,” said Painter.
Garrett said it was coming away from the stage and was dirty.
Garrett said they also needed picnic tables and round tables.
We have the best arena in the state,” said Garrett. “We need to maintain the arena and stay the best.”
She said that they could use JustServe to help them out.
Garrett said that there had also been cattle being dropped off in the cattle pens at the fairgrounds.
“That happens because ranchers drop off their cattle there to be picked up and hauled to Salina,” said Palmer.
Garrett said that she had been contacted by Nephi City Police Officer Thomas Talbert, who is the animal control officer, who said it had been reported that the water had been turned off. He had told her that there was also a bucking pony that was not being taken care of.
The sheriff’s office had worked it out to get it in the barn.
“The county is not liable,” said Perry Davis, Juab County attorney. “We do need to have a process in place. If there is a sick animal, there needs to be policy in place.”
Garrett said that there needed to be new signs at the fairgrounds.
“We need different signage,” said Davis.
Palmer asked if the grandstand could have one gate left open so people wanting to buy tickets could see where the seats were.
“We started locking it up because of local teenagers who would drive inside and also because we started to have graffiti painted inside,” said Painter
“There is a map,” said Marvin Kenison, county commission chairman. “It shows the seating for the event.”
“The Ute Stampede uses a different map than we do but they both show the seating,” said Garrett.
What they needed, she said, was a one year, a five year and a ten year plan.
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