Commissioners, FAC members discuss disposition of $80,000 WSDA grant

OKANOGAN – The Okanogan County Commissioners and members of the Okanogan County Fair Advisory Committee met last Monday, July 9, to discuss the welcome topic of how to channel $80,000 in grant funds awarded to the Fair by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) last month.

Commissioner Andy Hover submitted two grant applications for capital improvement funds for upgrades to the fairgrounds and structures. One of those, a request to WSDA for $100,000 in matching funds, was approved in the amount of $80,000. The WSDA application requested funds to replace the running rail along the horse racing track, the rodeo arena, bucking and roping chutes, and construct a small grandstand and a 20-stall horse barn.

Hover stressed that the funds approved were under a safety grant that require certain safety features like the new race rail and ADA-approved, covered grandstand close to the arena.

“To use that money, they have these provisions that we have to cover,” Hover said.

Additional funds from other sources including the Lumbering Employees Trust, Boots and Saddles Club, and Team Penners brings the total available to some $238,000, but also brings the interests of those s applied.

“They shrunk down the amount of money,” said Hover of the WSDA grant, “but I’m not willing to just throw everything into one of these pieces because there are multiple interests here and I want to make sure that the grant that we wrote is representative of what we do.”

Tunk Creek resident Andy Ade, who has 30 years of government contracting experience, presented a three-phase barn construction to the meeting to provide a rough estimate of site preparation, permit and building costs for an 80-foot by 120-foot covered barn with 24 stalls. Ade itemized the component services that must be considered.

“It’s not just the building; there’s a lot of costs that come into that as far as permits, electrical, water,” Ade said.

“As long as you stay within 200 feet of the transformer on the north end, they can handle that,” Ade said of the PUD hookup. “Anything beyond that and the price goes up considerably.”

Hover said he has consulted with outside sources about rail kits and materials and approved grandstand features.

The discussion ranged from the barn’s proposed location at the north end of the arena complex to the size and cost of the structure and what uses it would accommodate.

FAC member Sam Buchert said the Team Penners were not specific as to how their contribution was used so long as the group has a plan.

Sandy Buzzard representing the Boots and Saddles Club said if there was a nice facility with some stalls “we could start doing some race activities that bring people in.”

Hover said that while the group has less than a year to get the projects done, once the group nails down a plan then work can begin on permit acquisitions, site studies, and other requirements.

With some research assignments and input from the funding interests, the group adjourned to consider the next steps in the process. The Fair Advisory Committee meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month in the Commissioners hearing room.