Alpena County Fairgrounds Dispute Raises Licensing, Cleanup and Contract Concerns

Alpena County officials are weighing changes to the agreement governing use of the Alpena County Fairgrounds after managers reported missing documentation, unauthorized camping, property and cleanup problems following this year’s fair.

Alpena County Fairgrounds Manager Holly Akins told the Alpena County Facilities Committee on Wednesday that the property should be returned in the same condition in which the county provides it to the Alpena County Fairboard during fair time. She said the problems could threaten the county’s state licensing, including its ability to allow camping at the grounds.

“The scary thing to me is there's a couple of things on here that could actually cost us our camping license, and then what good is the fairgrounds when nobody can camp there?”

Akins said the fairgrounds had “a pretty smooth year last year,” but described this year as more difficult. Among the concerns she raised was the late submission of documentation for activities on the property. She said the 4-H food booth began selling food before the required documentation was provided, and that she never received the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development food licenses for the fair.

“We never received a copy of the MDARD food licenses. We were told we were going to get an email and we never got an email.”

Equipment and grounds remained after the fair

Akins said fair equipment was still on the property and needed to be removed so fairgrounds management could begin its storage season in about two weeks. She said the arena had not been returned to its original condition and still needed to be flattened. Cages and bleachers also remained at the site.

“We're still waiting for the area to be flattened out and returned to its original state. We still have some cages and bleachers over there. We're trying to do storage starting in two weeks.”

She said the county was not asking the fairboard to make improvements beyond restoring the grounds to the condition in which they were received.

“All I ask is it be left how you found it. I don't expect anybody to do anything extra or plant flowers or anything. I just want it left how we give it to them. We're respectful enough to give it to them in good condition.”

Additional concerns involved camping, utilities, parking and traffic control. Akins said nine rodeo families camped inside the arena from Aug. 19 to 20, outside the designated temporary camping area. She said campers and vendors also connected to county buildings for electricity and used hoses attached to buildings for water, including the MSU building.

She said people parked on temporary campsites and that traffic control was inadequate. Akins also reported that fairboard members used heavy equipment on Aug. 21 until 3 a.m. the next day to prepare the arena for the bump-n-run, after the city’s ordinance quiet time of 10 p.m.

Fairboard says concerns should have been raised earlier

Fairboard President Courtney Taurianen said she was surprised the fairboard was not contacted about the reported condition of the fairgrounds before the concerns were brought to the county committee. She said the board should have been given an opportunity to respond directly.

“It is increasingly frustrating that we continually have to defend ourselves instead of hosting a community event.”

Taurianen also said it was frustrating that the complaints went directly to commissioners. The source article did not include a response from her to each individual allegation raised during the meeting.

Akins said carnival workers remained after the fair and that rides were left on the grounds until Aug. 30 at 10 p.m. The fairboard was charged $340 for leaving equipment at the fairgrounds after fair time.

She also identified the bathrooms and Merchants buildings as recurring problems, saying they were not cleaned and returned to their original condition.

County considers a new fairgrounds agreement

Commissioner Todd Britton asked how the county should address the concerns. Chairman John Kozlowski said he had a meeting scheduled with the fairboard on Thursday and would raise Akins’ concerns then.

Commissioner Brenda Fournier said she believed the fairboard had a history of not cooperating and said she had been criticized on Facebook after raising concerns. Akins agreed with Fournier’s assessment during the meeting.

Nick Akins, the county facilities manager, said the county and fairboard need to rewrite their property-use agreement so it is realistic for the fairboard to follow and for fairgrounds management to enforce. He said the fair could not operate under the existing contract and described a recent disagreement with Taurianen about the agreement.

He also said carnival rides obstructed animal-control operations during the fair, forcing officers to enter from the side because rides extended into caution tape. Better planning, he said, is needed to keep fair activities from interfering with county operations.

The Thursday meeting identified in the source is the next stated step in addressing the complaints. The officials’ broader focus is a revised contract covering documentation, camping, utilities, cleanup, equipment removal, quiet hours, traffic control and access for county operations.