BROOKSVILLE – After several rocky years between Hernando County and the group that runs its fairgrounds, the Hernando County Fair Association brought commissioners a redevelopment report and a rough vision for the property Oct. 27. Commissioner Steve Champion said he hopes it marks a new beginning.
Not everyone was persuaded. State Rep. Jeff Holcomb, a former county commissioner who ran to return to the board, told commissioners the fairgrounds are an embarrassment and the association needs new leadership.
“I’m sick of looking at Citrus County Fairgrounds and saying, ‘They’re way better than us,’” Holcomb said. “Why can’t Hernando County have a great fairgrounds?”
The presentation was required under a settlement of a lawsuit between the county and the association. Under the agreement, the association had to provide its current master plan and a redevelopment report covering 2008 through July 27 of this year. The report was to detail all fairgrounds work that required a building permit or environmental resource permit, including contractor records, inspections and engineered drawings. In return, the county agreed to drop the case.
Joe Mason, an attorney who represented the Fair Association in the lawsuit, acknowledged the strained history.
“We have had a rough relationship,” he said, but “in the last six months we’ve had a much-improved relationship.”
He said the association looks forward to working with the commission to improve the fairgrounds. The presentation, he said, covered 18 years of improvement efforts and offered a look at what the property could become, though it is less a master plan than a set of ideas for how one might be developed.
Arena, grants proposed
Fair Association Operations Manager Richard Klimas showed examples of work done on buildings, facilities and grounds, and outlined what still needs to be done.
The biggest idea was an arena of about 40,000 square feet for horse shows, including the Ohio Horse Show, that Klimas said would draw people from a 50-mile radius.
“These are high-dollar people. They bring a lot of money into the community, and they’re working with me to construct a facility that they would be frequently using,” he said.
Manatee County is building a similar arena that will double as a hurricane shelter for its emergency management, Klimas said, and a Hernando arena could serve the same purpose.
He said a neighboring business is willing to invest in hardware to improve the property. Some buildings need to be torn down and others, including the auditorium, need upgrades, he said, and changes to the fencing could ease parking.
Klimas said he has put some money into the fairgrounds, but more is needed. The association hopes to pursue grants to pay for some of the projects, he said, and would need the county’s cooperation to get them.
Commissioners respond
Champion said he liked the presentation but that the association must become more professional and transparent to restore public confidence. Still, he said, it was an improvement over what the association had offered before, which was nothing.
“Let’s make it work, and no more conflicts,” he said.
Champion pointed to the 4-H members who waited months to be paid for animals they sold at the fair as an example of past problems. Klimas said livestock buyers often purchase on credit and gave a lengthy explanation of what happened, but said he is committed to making sure the students get paid.
He also acknowledged that last year’s fair had “a horrible, horrible midway, and their check bounced.” Next year will be better, he said.
“That’s what we’re striving for,” Klimas said.
Commissioner Ryan Amsler said small improvements can go a long way toward making the property look better.
Commission Chairman Jerry Campbell said the board wants the fair to succeed with transparency and accountability and called the presentation a first step in mending the relationship.
“I look forward to seeing you guys more often,” Klimas told the board.
‘New leadership’
Holcomb said the condition of the fairgrounds had long bothered him as he drove past, but the 4-H payment problems are what pushed him to get involved.
He said Hernando 4-H students and the Cattlemen’s Association have given up on the fairgrounds because of the payment delays and have found another place to show and sell their animals.
The presentation did not change his mind, Holcomb said. He noted that Mason sat reading a newspaper during the meeting and that fair board members did not attend.
“The grant funders are not going to believe in the current leadership that we have here,” he said.
Champion countered that the county negotiated the settlement in good faith and has two commissioners on the fair board, Amsler and John Allocco, so the current leadership deserves a chance.
“Hopefully, this is the first start of something,” Champion said.
Klimas said the association’s door is always open and invited anyone with questions to stop by, adding that there is a lot people don’t see.
“We want to be transparent, but we don’t have any money,” he said.
Upcoming meetings
The commission’s next meeting is its Nov. 10 land-use session, followed by a regular meeting Nov. 17. The board’s reorganization meeting is Dec. 15.
The fairgrounds presentation begins on page 487 of the Oct. 27 agenda packet, available at hernandocountyfl.legistar.com.