Fair board stuck on 7

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County commissioners unanimously decided to expand the volunteer fair board from seven to nine members Monday, but there’s a problem: They can’t do that.

According to Idaho Statute 22-202, county fair boards must comprise either five or seven members. Commissioners had hoped to appoint two additional members by mid-August, before the North Idaho State Fair, Aug. 24-28.

A recent audit which raised financial concerns about the Kootenai County Fairgrounds prompted the request of a board expansion recommended by the Clerk’s Office.

“To me (the statute) was clear,” Commissioner David Stewart said in a county commissioners meeting Thursday. “It didn’t need a review.”

Jerry Johnson, chairman of the fair board, requested fair board alternates in lieu of the nixed expansion, but Stewart and Commission Chairman Dan Green denied the request.

Johnson noted three fair board members’ terms end this year.

“The expectation is that (the alternates) are going to be appointed,” Green said. “The expectation is that they’re moving into that slot. I think that’s an unreasonable expectation.”

The fair board was recently awarded a $340,000 Idaho Parks and Recreation grant for an RV park, but has yet to accept it.

The board, which applied for the grant six months ago, wants to make sure it has everything ready before making decisions.

“We just feel a little behind the curve,” Johnson said. “We want to get caught up with the fair coming up and make sure our house is in order first.”

Johnson said the fair board would likely have to hire a project manager, “one who understands the process better,” if it accepts the grant.

Fair General Manager Dane Dugan echoed Johnson.

“We want to take a step back, go through the process. We’ve done a lot of work already,” Dugan said. “We already want to address the other issues that have been presented, and there’s only so many of us.”