SPECIAL GALLATIN COUNTY FAIR BOARD AND FOUNDATION MEETING
JANUARY 17, 2007
(As approved on February 20, 2007 Meeting)
FAIR BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT – Bob Brekke, Chris Budeski, Blair Howze, Misty Radue, Dennis Farnham
FOUNDATION MEMBERS PRESENT – Lowell Springer, Bob Diggs, Lorna Simard, Kathy Farnham
STAFF – Sue Shockley, Debbie Ehlert-Secretary
PUBLIC – Chuck Busta, Sonja Berg
CALL TO ORDER -The Joint Informational Meeting of the Gallatin County Fair Board and the Fairgrounds Foundation was called to order at 6:07PM.
Sue Shockley said the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that was set up a few years ago would need to be updated. Gallatin County is working on a long range CIP Plan for the entire county. The Fairgrounds completed the sidewalk on Tamarack and they are going to start on the electrical and lighting on the Midway. The Fairgrounds needs to update the video they had done three years ago to include the potential new ICE Facility.
Sue asked the Fair Board and Foundation Board what their expectations were regarding the Event Center the Fairgrounds want to build. Various discussions were regarding how much fixed seating to include in the design. The consensus was to start smaller and make a design capable of supporting expansion and skyboxes with the minimal amount of cost in the future. The Board members discussed planning two buildings, one with 5,000 fixed seats and the other building with 10,000 fixed seats with dividing walls that were easily installed and taken down in order to be able to make smaller rooms that would allow smaller events on the same day or one large facility. Soccer would require the largest amount of space for any events that would use the Event Center for. Since parking is limited at the Fairgrounds transportation would need to be
addressed to transport people to events held. It would be 2-3 years out to book large events. The Board members agreed that a booking staff would need to be hired to manage booking events for the Event Center.
The discussion was to do a conceptual drawing of the proposed Event Center and present it to various groups that may have interest in using the facility and getting their opinions as well as another updated demographic survey.
Both Boards agreed that the Event Center needs to be a multi-use facility with flexible usage, with a certain number of fixed seats and a certain number of portable seats.
Both Boards agreed that Sue Shockley would meet with Harry Huntsinger and confirm his commitment for fundraising for the Event Center. They are allowing 60 days to verify if Harry Huntsinger and the potential investors he said he has on line are interested in the design that the Fairgrounds will have to present. Sue Shockley will also pursue talks with Tim Stefan regarding the proposed soccer group and their potential investors and confirm if they are interested in the design that the Fairgrounds will have to present within 60 days as well. The Gallatin County Fair Board and the Fairgrounds Foundation Boards will meet again in April 2007.
The meeting ended at 8:00PM.
Respectfully Submitted By _______________________________________
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