Fair Board Minutes – May 19th 2025

Monday, May 19, 2025

PRESENT: Matt Plaisted, Chairman, Derrick DeHaan, Leighton Bilbrey, Wendy Wagner, Jennefer Wheeler
Fairgrounds Manager
ABSENT:
GUESTS: Julie Straub, Kimberly Jensen, David Kirschten
6:31PM CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Matt Plaisted called the meeting to order.

6:31PM APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Wendy Wagner motioned to approve May 19, 2025, Fair Board Agenda. Derrick DeHaan seconded the
motion. The motion carried. 3 Ayes. 0 Nays. 1 Absent.

6:32 PM APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Leighton Bilbrey motioned to approve April 21, 2025, minutes. Wendy Wagner seconded the motion. The
motion carried. 3 Ayes. 0 Nays. 1 Absent.
6:34PM Justin Koenigsfeld arrived.

6:34 PM MANAGERS REPORT
Jennefer gave them a list of the events present and past that have happened at the Fairgrounds
since the previous meeting. Jennefer asked the Board their thoughts on the padded chairs as
mentioned last month requested by Commissioner Rost. Wendy Wagner asked if the old ones would go
up for sale and if someone could buy them. Jennefer asked Kimberly if they would have a county
auction on such things. Kimberly Jensen stated that they hadn’t had one in a while. Jennefer did
get a quote for them for around $20,000. The Board is fine with it if the Commission wants them.
Jennefer got the Mutton Bustin sheep secured for each day. She is waiting on the contracts back
from Comedian. She has not received anything from Jeff Marn. C5 is working on theirs to get to us.
Jennefer had a person come in and apply for a seasonal position. Do we want to ask the Commission
for the 5th person? Julie Straub stated she could ask the Commission for verbal approval. The Board
would like her to reach out to them. If we are approved, it would have to be reopened for 10 days.
Also, there was an estimate for the curtain in the grandstands from Griffith Steel. With the
amount the Board wants to wait on replacing it.

6:43 PM EXTENSION REPORT
David Kirschten Extension Agent discussed the Fair Barn expansion. He presented one of the plans
that they came up with on this. The Board and Dave discussed a few ideas and how he felt about a stand-alone barn
below by the shop area suggested by Derrick DeHaan due to the amount of fill we would have to put
beside the barn. There was a great discussion of many ideas and Dave stated he knows it won’t be
done this year, and it may take 2 years before it’s all done. He will work on more ideas and bring
them back again. Otherwise, they have had a workshop, the Livestock Judges are arranged, and he
will get Jennefer a list next month.
Dave Kirschten leaves the meeting at 7:06pm

7:06 PM PUBLIC COMMENT
No one appeared for Public Comment.

7:06 PM OLD BUSINESS
2025 Fair-Most all contracts are back. Jennefer is waiting on the Night Show acts to get them to
Commission to sign.
Bar Bids-Jennefer is going to send Bar Bids out for fair this coming week.
Beer Booth Contract-Jennefer is going to send out the Beer Booth Contract again this coming week
for Fair. Vendor/Merchandise Contracts-Jennefer is sending all these out this coming week.
Sponsorships-Jennefer is sending out these this week also.

7:07 PM NEW BUSINESS
Matt Plaisted stated he asked C5 for help on some of the timed event cattle.

Matt asked for any other business. We will recess for a few before the Budget meeting.
7:09PM RECESS

7:14PM- 2025-2026 BUDGET MEETING
The Board along with Kimberly Jensen Payroll/AP Clerk gave all the Board members and Manager a
packet that explained how the budgets work, what Commission expects and the different general ledger
accounts. She had already went over a lot of it last month and then everyone went down each of the
line items and discussed many things we would like to do in the future. They worked on breaking
out the Fair budget to better see where things were being spent with more general ledger accounts.
Jennefer will get it typed up and to Brenda for the Budget meetings on the week of June 9th.
Matt asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

Next Meeting: June 16, 2025, 6:30 pm at the Fair Office
8:39PM Wendy Wagner made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Derrick DeHaan seconded the motion.
The motion carried. 4 Ayes. 0 Nays. 0 Absent.

ADJOURN:
s/ Matt Plaisted, Chairman

ATTEST:
s/Jennefer Wheeler, Fairgrounds Manager