Fairgrounds Task Force
Wednesday, February
15, 2023 - 8:30 am
Roy Holzer - Chairman
Chairman Holzer called
this Fairgrounds Task Force to order at 8:30 with the following in attendance:
Roy Holzer, Ken Hughes, Jim Monty, Matt Stanley, Meg Wood, Mark Wright, Jim
Dougan, and Mike Mascarenas.
Also Present: Dina Garvey,
Holly Aquino, Becky Provost and Dennie Westover.
HOLZER: So, let’s start
with Holly.
AQUINO: You can see the
report and I think a couple, one of the new things that was added onto the
calendar was the Ag Society Craft Show, Swap Meet and they’re adding a car show
into that event.
PROVOST: Correct
AQUINO: At the end of
April. They did something similar, last year at the end of April, as well, but
not with the car show. So, that’s in the works for them.
In terms of activities,
we did have a meeting with Cat Sayre and Keith Hoffnagle from the Ag Society,
two of their several new Board Members. That was very productive; we went over
a lot of things that are required for the Fair and other events, including
insurance, contracts, the terms of conditions. They’re really focused on making
sure the paperwork is all, you know, on the up and up and transparent and
everything is done by the books. That was a really good meeting.
HOLZER: Okay
DOUGAN: Can I jump in on
that? We talked quite a bit about grants. We talked a little bit about the idea
you had, that you two discussed with me, outside, a couple of months ago,
regarding something near the grandstand that’s for handicapped accessibility
and stuff and redoing that. One of the things that I said to them and talking
with your Board, regarding the $97,000.00 grant that’s still out there, you
know, if you guys could finalize a project that you think you want to do,
something like that and bring it to this committee then we could talk about the
grant and whether or not the County’s going to upfront the money for it and
that Cat seemed like she was going to work on that, a lot, for you guys. I
don’t know if that was the case or not, but she didn’t really want to lose that
money, none of us ever did, but they just couldn’t pull things together, but
she seem very, very organized and ready to tackle that. So, I just want to make
that suggestion to the two of you, since you weren’t there, if you could come
with a suggested project that this committee could get on board with. Then that,
maybe the $97,000.00 is still a possibility.
PROVOST: Our biggest
concern right now is the fact that we don’t have our 501.
DOUGAN: I know.
PROVOST: And that’s still
a problem, because we’re about to lose our $10,000.00 Covid one on the last day
of February, if we don’t have that or if the State will give us the money
without it. Cat’s working on that, right now.
HOLZER: So, why would
they have given you guys money before without a 501, but now it’s an issue? Is
it because the money was able to go through the County easier, back there?
PROVOST: No, we actually
had it.
HOLZER: Okay
PROVOST: We lost it
WESTOVER: We lost it in
2018.
HOLZER: Okay
AQUINO: June of 2021.
WESTOVER: Due to
inappropriate paperwork being turned in.
HOLZER: Okay and who do
you have for an attorney helping you?
PROVOST: We don’t have an
attorney. We have an accountant working on it, right now.
WESTOVER: We have an
accountant working on it and I was on the phone with her, 6:30 this morning and
she’s all over it and she know what needs to be done, but it’s waiting on the
State.
HOLZER: So, we’re talking
about the Department of State?
WESTOVER: Yeah
HOLZER: Corporations, I
would assume?
WESTOVER: The State and
IRS.
HOLZER: Okay, and IRS?
WESTOVER: Yes
HOLZER: Well, that might
be more of a hinderant. Because if it was just the State some of us might be
able to call like the Department of State and see if there’s any way we can
expedite it.
PROVOST: No, it’s the
IRS.
HOLZER: IRS, forget
about it. They don’t like anyone.
PROVOST: well, it’s a hot
mess.
HOLZER: Okay
WESTOVER: Stuff still
haunting us.
PROVOST: Bad
MONTY: Is it still part
of the investigation?
PROVOST: A lot of it is,
yes.
WESTOVER: So, have you
guys ever looked, the 501 that was apparently suspended, could you just form
another 501 and kind of have a clean slate starting over?
WESTOVER: That I’m not
sure of.
HOLZER: It might be
something you would want to consider.
PROVOST: You would have
to ask.
WESTOVER: She was 100%
positive that we will, we were 501c and she is 100% positive that she can get
us the 501c3 and the 3, as you know is much better.
HOLZER: Okay
WESTOVER: So, that is
what she’s working on, right now and catching up the back paperwork that was
due.
HOLZER: Okay
PROVOST: But, because of
the legalities, maybe we should talk to Jen about if we could start fresh.
HOLZER: All I’m thinking
is you guys could make one hell of an argument for, because you’re sort of
reorganized, restructured. Things that you did in the part you’re not doing
going into the future and you might be able to make that case. You’ve got new
board members; you got new fiscal policies, things like that.
PROVOST: Right
HOLZER: Because, obviously,
if you don’t have that, then the last grant is…
WESTOVER: She said when
she spoke to the State, the State was well aware. They knew everything we were
going through.
PROVOST: Yeah, but the
IRS might now.
WESTOVER: And she was
hoping that that would have some baring on that and she said it really should
have happened by now.
HOLZER: All right, Holly
was there other stuff that you wanted to finish up on?
AQUINO: No, not
necessarily. Nothing terribly urgent. The website’s been updated with all the
documents, if anybody need the permit application, step by step instructions,
it’s all been updated ion the webpage. I am waiting for permit applications,
just about everything that is on the calendar, which is typical, but they all
know that it’s there and it’s ready to go.
HOLZER: So, I want to
give you an opportunity to speak early in the meeting and Holly want to go back
to, after we’re wrapping up a conversation about like doing an event out to the
fair. Since you missed last couple of
meetings, is there anything that you want to talk to our committee about?
WESTOVER: Not really. I
got a few things. The biggest thing, one of the biggest things I believe is the
fiber optic down at the fairgrounds.
PROVOST: Yup
WESTOVER: Has anybody
done anything with that?
DOUGAN: The Wi-Fi?
WESTOVER: Yeah, the
research on it?
DOUGAN: Nope
WESTOVER: We have spoken
to Chazy-Westport.
PROVOST: I have the
information right here.
WESTOVER: Well, I’ll let,
she’s got the information.
PROVOST: So, if we were
to only to have it for six months that would include a one-time activation fee
of $299.00 plus the monthly fee.
HOLZER: What is the monthly
fee?
PROVOST: They couldn’t
give us that, because it will, I guess it…
AQUINO: It depends on
your speed?
PROVOST: Yeah and so we
didn’t know what we wanted, so that’s all they could give us. However, they
would waive the installation fee of $299.00 if we signed a 3-year contract.
HOLZER: Now, Ken Hughes
at the last fair, him and I were walking around the fairgrounds. He had an idea
of possibly getting a mini-tower at there. Have you had any further
conversation with him on that?
PROVOST: Never even spoke
to Ken Hughes, but I can.
HOLZER: I think you
should, because and it’s not just an agricultural society issue. I think this
goes into Holly’s area, too, that having, you know, internet for anyone that’s
using those facilities, I think it is a no brainer.
PROVOST: Oh yeah.
DOUGAN: Can you share
with us, who’ve you have already, maybe even email it to Holly, who you’ve
already talked with and we’ll carry that a little further for all events, not
just the Ag Society.
WESTOVER: That’s why we
didn’t really didn’t too much, because you said that you believed it was a
County a responsibility.
HOLZER: It is
DOUGAN: If we’re going to
do these other events, and we’re going to try and promote it there, it’s bigger
than the one week a year. So, yes, I think we should do that.
LEE: I don’t know if it
would be helpful or not, but I know that Laurie has some specific places and
things that people needed Wi-Fi for sales during our Harvest Festival. So, she
might have a read on like the layout of where booster could be, because of where
the food trucks have to go, because of where the electricity is. It’s kind of
like a matrix of what’s need where.
AQUINO: Yeah, because at
the Harvest Festival, you guys did get, the Ag Society did get their Wi-Fi up
and running at some point and it was still running during the Harvest Festival
and so Hub on the Hill was in the Sugar House and you can get the signal there,
but up at the beer tents, they could not and that was closer to the Cornell
Building.
HOLZER: Who’s the primary
supplier for internet services there?
WESTOVER: Westelcom.
HOLZER: So, there’s not
like Spectrum or any option like that?
WESTOVER: Westelcom is
actually very good. You know they run fiber all the way into Etown.
MASCARENAS: Yeah, we have
a contract with them. I can have my guy look at it, too.
HOLZER: That would be
good.
MASCARENAS: Hugh is
outstanding. If I sent him over, he would be able to troubleshoot it, probably
very quickly.
HOLZER: getting internet
out there and having hotspots close to the food court, Floral Hall.
MASCARENAS: Well, if
there’s a system where you can put up some kind of tower or multiple that
supports all the areas at the fairgrounds.
HOLZER: With different
events a vendor may want to use Bluetooth capability for entertainment, you
know there’s a lot of different reasons.
MASCARENAS: Well, even
now that new satellite works very well for anybody that’s used it.
WESTOVER: Starlink.
HOLZER: How expensive is
that?
WESTOVER: We used that on
the fairgrounds, last year.
MASCARENAS: It’s not any
more expensive than…
STANLEY: $599.00 setup,
$110.00 a month.
MASCARENAS: You own the
equipment. The equipment’s yours, but the service is, I got to tell you it’s
better than fiber. My friends and things that have it, get faster download
speeds, upload speeds than I do.
HOLZER: So, it’s $599.00.
MASCARENAS: You own the
equipment, you set it up and there’s a one time and there’s a monthly charge,
after that, like any other provider. There’s no contracts, you can end it any
time, those types of things. It might be a little easier to turn equipment on,
turn equipment off, instead of signing 3-year contacts and those kinds of
things, because during the winter, right now, we probably don’t have a lot
going on; right?
PROVOST: Right, right
MASCARENAS: So, maybe just
activating that on a monthly basis might be, let me get Hugh over there and do
an assessment and see what he thinks.
WESTOVER: We did use
Starlink in the beer tent last year for the DJ and karaoke guy.
MASCARENAS: It’s
phenomenal; right? Works get; right?
WESTOVER: Yeah it was
phenomenal. It’s crazy.
MASCARENAS; Yeah, I
couldn’t believe it. If you run HughesNet and Starlink. Starlink’s got it
right.
AQUINO: So, Starlink is
basically satellite?
MASCARENAS: It is
satellite. It absolutely is, but they control the users which is why I think
they’re having a lot more success than HughesNet. So what HughesNet does, is
they have limited satellite, but every one of us in the room can get on it and
they promise you the world and they lack space for all those individuals, so
they struggle. Starlink doesn’t do that. Starlink limits the user. If they
don’t have space, they don’t let you on and they sorry, we just don’t have it,
until they get another satellite launched or something like that that can
support their actual system. So, they seem to have a much better product and
have some parameters around control of that product that make it more
effective.
AQUINO: So, basically
it’s satellite but it operates just like Wi-Fi, as opposed to cell service.
MASCARENAS: Absolutely
and it’s fast. You can have a phone call, there’s no latency, any of that. It
works well.
AQUINO: Yeah, I just see
the lack of both cell service and Wi-Fi as one of the biggest drawbacks to the
fairgrounds in terms of getting newer businesses to participate in things,
because there is just no way to do credit sales without that and it’s got to be
cash only.
MASCARENAS: Well even
like, Dennie was eluding to, if you have a DJ, music stuff, people don’t bring,
like in the old days, 400 CDs; right? They have their Apple Music and you want
a song and they put that song on and if they can’t download it, you’re pretty
limited in the amount of entertainment that you’re able to offer.
AQUNIO: Even like vendors
just trying to access their email and continue to do business while they’re
there. You cannot really do it. You can maybe read an email, but you can’t send an email, because the
signals are very weak.
STANLEY: Most of them use
Square, anyways, which needs either cell service or Wi-Fi.
MASCARENAS: Let me get
Huge over there. I bet I can get him over there this month and have a better
answer for you.
HOLZER: Good, so well
have something at our next month’s meeting. Yeah, cool.
Becky, you had something
else?
PROVOST: No, we’re
working on our stuff for April 29th at this point. The car show,
like she said, is the thing that we added to it. So, that would just bring in
more people to promote the grounds.
HOLZER: And when is the
car show, again?
PROVOST: The 29th
of April.
DOUGAN: I wanted to
follow up with you. The wall that was in the Egglefield Building…
PROVOST: Yes
DOUGAN: Is in where the
picnic tables are. Glen had put it aside. He was expecting to see you and it
didn’t work, so it got it out of the building and it’s where the picnic tables
are when you want those materials back.
PROVOST: Okay, thank you.
HOLZER: Holly, did you
want to go back to anything?
DOUGAN: I would go back
to Department of Health.
AQUINO: Yes
DOUGAN: So, everybody
knows, we’ve got four of our staff that are going to take that certification
course on March 7th. That’s the course that Scotty Moran always had
and somebody from the Ag Society is also signed up to take that.
PROVOST: There’s two of
us, Becky Hance and myself.
AQUINO: I didn’t that
information.
PROVOST: I’m sorry,
because she was getting back to me, but yes.
AQUINO: You have to send
me your official name, address, telephone number, email, all of that, because I
have to give that to the Department of Health.
PROVOST: Okay, got it.
DOUGAN: So, we’ll try and
have a little more flexibility than we’ve had in the past. You guys will have
some people that have attended that course and so will we.
HOLZER: So, you have two
of your people taking that?
DOUGAN: Four of us.
HOLZER: Four of you,
you’re taking it as well?
DOUGAN: Yeah, the buck
stops here, doesn’t it?
HOLZER: Good, good, good.
DOUGAN: Not really
looking to sign up for more, but the buck stops here. So, I’ve got to keep us
certified as people come and go.
HOLZER: Do you have
anything else, Jim?
DOUGAN: No, I did ask
Holly to make sure she’s letting you know other things that she is working on
for us. You know the household hazardous waste days are an event, so she’s kind
of taken that over for me and probably will do a much better job with the
posters and those kinds of things than I have in the past, a better eye for
those things. She is helping transportation an awful lot. We are down a lot of
bus drivers. Our supervising bus driver who does a lot of with schedules and
things like that is so busy filling in for other people that she’s doing a lot
and additional to that, she’s also making the schedules for buses a little
easier to ride. I’m kind of loosely calling the buses a facility; okay? And
things and using some marketing on that. So, I just want this group to know
that. This may not be the place to report it, but I want you to all know.
HOLZER: I think it’s
important for you to report here, because I think we all have expectations for
this position and I want to make sure that the county taxpayers are getting
their biggest bang for their buck. So, no I think it’s very important that you
let us know. That doesn’t get me off the, like the specific goals that we have
for the fairgrounds.
DOUGAN: Understand
HOLZER: And that brings
me back to the next point, Holly. I really think it’s imperative that we pick
one event that you streamline and organize on the County’s behalf. Now, I know
you mentioned financial issues in the past. We do, like how would we pay for
the band?
AQUINO: It’s just a lot
of logistical questions.
HOLZER: I want to assure
you, upon to talking to Mike, here, it sounds like we could get some funding
out of occupancy funds that the County’s going to have.
AQUINO: Okay
HOLZER: So, I guess I
would suggest to you that you come up with, like pick an event to have for
consideration for our next committee meeting and along those lines, do a
tentative budget. We’re not going, it’s just a tentative budget, and we’re not
going to, it’s just a tentative budget, but give us an idea of what kind of
funds you think you would need as seed money, logistically what we would have
to do to do like a county jamboree out there or something. Just one event, I’ve
been on this for like a while now, that we need to do like one event out there,
ourselves.
DOUGAN: So, Holly wasn’t
here at the last meeting, but I was and so I did attend the FISU games up there
and I attended what used to be the Gap Building where they brought in some of
the Native Americans to present some things. So, I reached out to a contact.
They sound like they might be interested in putting, having some kind of indigenous
people or Native American festival there; okay? So, some history, some
training, maybe some tribal dances and things like that. It’s a little
different. It’s not something we’ve seen out there before, but it’s the North
American Traveling, the Native North American College. They’re located,
actually in Cornwall, Quebec and they would bring vendors along and things like
that. So, that is, and I don’t have a lot of information for you right now, but
it’s a little different than some of the things that we’ve talked about before
and so that is, I am going to try and run some of that down, Holly is going to
try and run some of the that down for me for our next committee meeting, to see
if they’re interested.
HOLZER: That’s different,
I kind of like the idea of it.
AQUINO: And if you
remember, Whiteface, years ago used to do a Native American Festival and that went
away and it was kind of sad.
HOLZER: It was
interesting. I don’t think they got the attendance numbers that they had hoped
for at Whiteface.
DOUGAN: We need to find
out what they think they could offer and then what level of making they would
do and what level of marketing they would want us to do.
HOLZER: Okay
DOUGAN: But, I’ve just
started some of those conversations and I’m going to hand this off. It was just
interested, what I saw at the FISU Games, which they pulled together awfully
quickly, is my understanding was interesting.
HOLZER: I observed them.
Too.
DOUGAN: It was
interesting and because of the local contact I have and I don’t have the
lacrosse hat today, Mark, I’m sorry, but they’ll do demonstrations making a
traditional lacrosse stick. They’ll do things like that that might be
interesting, just different.
MONTY: in collaboration
with that a good contact may be, because Fort Ti used to do something with the
Native Americans down there, as well and they may want to collaborate, as far
as the Native Americans as it relates to the history of Fort Ti and stuff.
AQUINO: Yeah, I was, when
we were talking about it, I was thinking about contacting Fort Ti. I did go on
their website just to see if there was anything that mentioned Native
Americans. I didn’t find too much, but I’ll certainly be happy to contact them
and I was also thinking of maybe contacting the Essex County Historical Society
to see if there’s anything in terms of Native American history that they could
present, as well.
MONTY: I may have the contact’s
name or the Director.
DOUGAN: We do
WRIGHT: I have her
contact information.
HOLZER: So, I love how
this is expanding, because it may be a great way to get local historical
societies there and I don’t know about other communities, but in Wilmington,
our Historical Society is very active and they always bring a good dozen
volunteers for anything that they work on. So, they maybe another competent of
this whole history and you know, festival thing that Jim’s bringing up.
PROVOST: Yeah, Willsboro
has one, it’s Mr. Bruno.
HOLZER: So, the other
thing, Becky, I want to try, even though we’re only a task force here, I want
to try and streamline what we’re, so we’re not all over the place. So, if
there’s anything that you want to actually have us discuss, maybe the Thursday
before our Monday meeting, because normally we’re meeting Monday, get me or
Holly the information just so I’m a little bit better prepared. I think I want
to go back to the days where we have a little agenda, so I’m not jumping all
over the place. Even though I think it has been very productive, today. I’m
happy where we’re headed.
DOUGAN: Can I jump
in? You had said at the last meeting
that you had a list of some maintenance things and stuff and the sooner you can
get me some of those things the better; okay?
PROVOST: Okay
DOUGAN: Some things are
probably true maintenance, may be other things are improvements. You know
maintenance and improvements could be a little different and we might need to
plan for them longer. So, if you guys have some needs we would like…
PROVOST: I believe most
of them you still have already from last year that were just never done. So, it
will probably just be a duplicate.
WESTOVER: I see Glen’s
working there a lot. I see his truck there a lot. I’ve been going to stop in
and visit with him.
DOUGAN: He’s there other
than he’s been, other than when we have snowfall events, he’s basically been
there. Most of his work has been getting sections of fence ready.
WESTOVER: Yeah, I see
he’s got a lot of the fence down and working on it.
DOUGAN: Yeah and we just
order another 10 gallons of paint. We just ordered some more rough sawn wood to
make more fence pickets, more fence sections. So, the little things that he can
do in the winter and we are planning a project once the weather breaks a little
bit. Although yesterday was great to tackle the leaking flashing on Floral
Hall. We did move forward awarding the painting for Floral Hall. All things
that you might want to know.
HOLZER: Following up on
last month’s meeting where we talked about the sign. Have you reached out to
anyone in Westport about the code’s issue?
DOUGAN: Ike made the
comment that their sign ordinance had been passed or whatever. Holly did speak
with George, he said it has not. So, we would have to do a submission. So, I
was kind of hoping Ike would be here. Maybe he had different information on
when that was actually was supposed to be considered by the Board or zoning, I’m
not sure.
HOLZER: Well, we didn’t
do an actual submission though, did we?
DOUGAN: We did not,
because last month, Ike said he thinks it was already done; okay? That is what
was said.
HOLZER: No, no, I
remember. Maybe what we should do, over the next few weeks is put something in
writing to them. We put the ball in their court, Jim, and then let’s see what
happens.
DOUGAN: Yup, what I
brought last time was just that one, couple pictures, you know something that
was roughly this size. If this committee agrees that something of about that
size, then I would ask my engineers to clean it up, a little bit, with a bit of
Essex County Fair, Essex County Fairgrounds type detail on. So, that I would
have something, somewhat realistic to submit to them, without having an actual
sign vendor involved yet.
Holzer: So, personally
I’m okay with that. I just want to see if they’re going to allow us to do he
electric signs.
DOUGAN: Understand, it’s
going to come down to the actual detail that we give them. I’m sure that if
they’ve got to take it through a variance, it’s going to be, actually want to
know how high it is, what size it is. That can be a little bit tough without a
vendor already lined up and because of our purchasing here, lining up a vendor.
HOLZER: Well, Mike says
money is no object.
DOUGAN: Well, it’s not
the money. It’s the Purchasing Agent. So, if you’re okay with that, then I’m
going to take this and then make it, take some detail from maybe the Fair sign
or the existing sign that’s out there and try to have something with an
electronic piece in the middle of it.
HOLZER: So, I envision
like a sign out there being tied into the way Floral Hall looks or the Ag
Building or something like that. So, just kind of keep that in mind when you’re
doing some kind of a design, whether it’s a small cupola on top of the sign or something
like that.
DOUGAN: Yup
HOLZER: Something that
blends in.
LEE: There’s a, Dennie,
you might know who did the new welcome to Westport signs, because I think that
was someone from Port Henry; right?
WESTOVER: Yeah, Willie
Grant.
MASCARENAS: Yeah, he does
signage everywhere.
LEE: It might be worth
asking.
DOUGAN: How do I procure
it?
MASCARENAS: That’s an
issue.
LEE: Okay
DOUGAN: That’s what I was
saying, it’s not easy to procure; okay?
LEE: I think he does
designs. You would still build it, if he would design it, I think, but I could
be wrong about that. I don’t know.
HOLZER: Well, the actual
sign that we’re talking about is going to be…
LEE: It was just a
suggestion, like maybe drive by and look at them and see if that could go into
the design that picked out, so that it fits in.
HOLZER: Where is the sign
in Westport?
LEE: There’s one on the
way into town on both North and South.
HOLZER: Okay
LEE: It was just a look
and feel thing, not necessarily a vendor thing.
HOLZER: Because it’s more
of like the structure that’s going to go around the electronic sign and the
reason we keep going back to the electronic sign is we kind of what to do
messages on there.
LEE: I agree, I wasn’t
trying to, it was an and.
HOLZER: Do you live in
Westport?
LEE: I do
HOLZER: So, you can
advocate for our electronic sign?
LEE: I already have. It
was an and, not an or. It was like if you’re looking for a little tip to add to
make it look like it fits in, maybe he could help. But, if it’s not helpful,
I’ll retract it.
DOUGAN: So, in my mind,
I’m thinking of something like the bottom of this, which is a stone look or
concrete, brick, something like that with a digital sign somewhere in the
middle with over the top of it, something that always says, Essex County
Fairgrounds and then over the top of that, a roof that is red that somehow mimics
some of the other things.
HOLZER: Yeah, yeah, yeah
DOUGAN: If you’re okay
with something like that, then let me get something on paper, not that I’m a
marketing expert here. But, let me work on getting something like that and then
we can at least put it out to some vendors for a two-stage process. One is,
tell us what something of this size would cost, but first tell us what it be to
give us the drawing we need to apply for a variance; okay?
HOLZER: Okay
DOUGAN: That way it’s a
two-step process and we’ve followed procurement, over there with Linda and all
of that.
HOLZER: Do we have
anything else?
WESTOVER: Yes, along,
let’s continue with the sign. We have a local artist in Westport that’s done
all of our, I wish Ike was here, that did all the murals and other art, our
bridge and everything else and she’s done all the paintings on the wall at the
Ledge Hill Brewery. She wants to redo the sign that’s basically already there,
but you guys are going to want that spot for your sign.
MASCARENAS: Yes
WESTOVER: So, we were
going to ask if she wanted to do that sign, which would basically be the same
one that’s there, you know, welcome to Essex County Fair. If we could move that
to the upper entrance?
HOLZER: Would you want to
do it at the upper entrance or would you want it down towards the fairgrounds
were most the pedestrians walk and then just do a really nice, because this is
basically a sheet of plywood; right?
WESTOVER: Yeah, it’s
going to be…
HOLZER: We’re going to
have the new building on the other entrance, too. I’m not sure that’s…
WESTOVER: New building on
the upper entrance?
HOLZER: Well, you’re
talking about the upper end towards the school?
PROVOST: No
WESTOVER: No, it would
be…
PROVOST: Up by the
nutrition center.
WESTOVER: At the top of
the track.
HOLZER: I think there’s a
place, I’m only one member of this task force and Matt can weight in or whoever
else wants to weight in. I think it’s important we don’t over, to too much
signage. The sign that the County, hopefully is going to do, will be the
statement that we’re going to be making to anyone that’s never been there
before. A sign like this is certainly appropriate, somewhere around that area,
because I love the graphics and stuff, but maybe inside where it’s, you know,
framed and we have like flowers under it and really, almost like a photo
opportunity spot that people could take their picture by.
PROVOST: So, if we…
HOLZER: I’m not saying
I’m totally right on this, because this is the first time I have been hit with
this.
PROVOST: Well, no, but,
no, we discussed this a little bit last month, because you said to bring it to
Ike first, which you did; correct?
WESTOVER: No, I have not
taken this to Ike. This is just a 4x8 wooden sign.
PROVOST: So, we would
still that, is…
WESTOVER: This is really
just replacing what’s there.
PROVOST: Right
WESTOVER: Or we’re just
moving it to a new location.
DOUGAN: Can I make a
suggestion? I was going to bring it to
the next Facilities Committee, as we’re looking at the new building I think
there’s some opportunity to change the entrance that’s off of Sisco Street to directly
on to 9 & 22. I think our sight distances and everything get a little
better if we basically, right now, you just come around the corner to turn in,
off of Sisco Street. I think I’ll get support from DOT to do that. I think it
will make your distances and stuff a little bit better. Which that would affect
the signs a little bit here and would actually, potentially, create a little
bit of green space along Sisco Street, right on the corner. So, you may be able
to have a new electronic sign and if it’s alright we you guys I would like to bring
you a good sized drawing at the next committee meeting of what I’m concerning;
okay? Because Sisco Street entrance has always been a problem.
PROVOST: Yes
WESTOVER: You’re talking
about the main entrance?
PROVOST: Yes
WESTOVER: Because there’s
two entrances off of Sisco Street.
DOUGAN: There is, there
is.
MASCARENAS: Yes
PROVOST: I knew what he
was talking about.
DOUGAN: Sorry
WESTOVER: I thought I
knew what you were talking about, too.
DOUGAN: Okay, but the
main entrance is always, it’s so close to Route 9, that it’s actually traffic
hazard. So, if we’re going to put in a new building and if we’re going to make
some of these improvements, try, and get other things there, I think DOT will
already support me on it. So, if you guys support me on it and we would just do
a part of that, part of that little piece of parking that we’re talking about
in front of the existing building, tie all that stuff together.
HOLZER: So, if we did
something like that and we placed our new sign, where would something like this
sign fit into your schematic?
DOUGAN: Right now, I’m
not sure. I think we could look at the spot up by the nutrition or we could look
at this new green space that’s being created on Sisco Street. I’m not sure, but
I think we could look at the overall drawing.
PROVOST: But, wouldn’t
that give them too many signs in one spot?
DOUGAN: Why don’t we just
look at the drawing to consider it?
PROVOST: Okay, would that
change like how we would have fencing, as well, to block people out? If you
change where the entrance is going.
DOUGAN: Well, right now
there isn’t really fencing along that stretch.
PROVOST: No, it’s just a
building blocking the whole thing.
DOUGAN: Yeah, we’re
talking two different things; okay. the Cornell Building’s still, the existing
building is still going to be there.
PROVOST: Oh
DOUGAN: But, the fencing
stops, it doesn’t come all the way to the corner of Sisco Street.
PROVOST: Right
DOUGAN: It stops. I’m
talking about the new entrance, being at the end of the fence directly on the
end of Route 9 and 22.
PROVOST: Oh, okay
HOLZER: Let’s wait for
the drawings to come back.
STANLEY: I am just saying
that if, one, it might be easier to get something through Westport Zoning or
whatever, if you put a new sign there, they’re going to say, the new sign
already looks good enough, why do you guys need electronic? So, by having a
crappy looking sign, it may help. Honestly, it maybe a little bit more, hey,
you’re making it look better. But, if you do go with a new sign, I mean being
on a piece of plywood, you could move that wherever.
HOLZER: Well and see that
was my point on, because the sign that they’re showing us, right now, is part
of the history of the Fair. I see those graphics on all your press releases,
all your posters, so I think that it’s important to have that somewhere, but
I’m not so sure it needs to be on the actual road. But, we can, I’m open minded
about it.
AQUINO: I think if we do
go with a digital sign, it’s probably going to take a little while and I think
even after approval it’s going to take a while, because of getting parts. The
last time we spoke to the sign company, way back when, they were having
problems getting the components and it was taking months getting a digital sign
even in stock.
MASCARENAS: It’s highly
unlikely it will be there for 2023.
AQUINO: Right, so if we
do want to do the existing sign and just redo that, maybe that’s the way to go
and then if we do need to move it, you can move it later.
HOLZER: What do you guys
think about that idea?
PROVOST: I think it’s a
great idea, but I like Matt’s idea. Only because, if you can approval from
Westport before we get this finished, when this isn’t going to matter when we
put it up.
WESTOVER: We don’t really
need approval for this one. We’re just replacing.
HOLZER: Well, it’s
already there.
PROVOST: Right
AQUINO: But, it may
affect their decision on the digital sign.
WESTOVER: I think they’re
all good ideas.
AQUINO: So, maybe we
should try and see if we can get the decision to be a yes on the digital sign
and then you can redo that, as well.
WESTOVER; Well, she
hasn’t even started this yet.
AQUINO: Right
PROVOST: And that
wouldn’t be up until right before Fair, probably.
HOLZER: Okay, because
realistically I don’t think we have our new sign up before the Fair, anyways.
PROVOST: Right, we want
that up before.
AQUINO: How about
actually maybe getting a banner that size to just put over the sign, if we
don’t get this completed.
PROVOST: Well
WESTOVER: We’ll see
AQUINO: Just a temporary
PROVOST: And it can be
moved.
WESTOVER: It can become
portable.
PROVOST: Yeah, so that’s
not a problem.
DOUGAN: I think it’s
great that we’re even trying to get our recognition out there. That sign does
need to be approved, again, like you said, it’s plywood. We can put it up and
we can move it down.
PROVOST: Because what
would it be attached to, 4x4?
WESTOVER: Sometimes like
that. And to go along with the signs, another member of our Fair Board has, she
was donating the plywood for this sign and she’s going to donate two pieces of
plywood for a sponsorship sign. We really fail when it comes to thanking our
sponsors. So, she drew up a sketch and Becky can probably show you the sketch
that she drew up, of something rustic, you know wrapped in cedar logs. Where
it’s going to be two 4x8 sheets of plywood with everyone’s name.
DOUGAN: Somewhere in the
fairgrounds?
WESTOVER: Yup, in the
water garden area.
PROVOST: The top one is
what other fairs have and then the bottom one is more rustic of what we want,
like cedar logs and then have…
DOUGAN: Can you maybe…
PROVOST: Send that to
you?
DOUGAN: Send that and
we’ll send it to the whole Board.
PROVOST: Absolutely
WESTOVER: So, the rain
garden area, behind the Cornell Cooperative, because everybody parks on the infield,
then they walk across the track, right by the Cornell Building, and then they
start and go down by the midway. So, that rain garden area’s been kind of an
eyesore.
DOUGAN: That proposed new
building has that area, actually becoming some parking, right there. Not taking
into the stage and other things, but so, if this is approved by this committee
or the Board then we would want to coordinate with that, as well.
WESTOVER: Okay
DOUGAN: But, that’s
understandable, to me it’s understandable.
WESTOVER: Somewhere in
that area we could get permission to put a sign up thanking, so everybody has
to walk by it.
DOUGAN: I have no
authority to give you permission for anything.
HOLZER: Just get the
diagram and a written description of what you’re thinking.
PROVOST: I can,
absolutely.
MASCARENAS: One thing
we’ve got to be careful of, because it is a government owned facility is,
during the Fair that’s not an issue. When it becomes a problem is when the
Fair’s over and we can’t support any one group over another. We frequently get
complaints about signage and those types of things that remain up from other
vendors that are saying, well, you got this sign up all year long and that kind
of thing.
WESTOVER: Yeah, we know
exactly what you’re talking about.
PROVOST: Yeah, we know,
exactly.
WESTOVER: That’s been…
PROVOST: An ongoing issue
all the time, but, see if this was a sign that we put up and it’s got the cedar
logs and everything, there’s no reason why someone couldn’t put a banner over
it to announce the next event or whatever, as you’re coming in.
MASCARENAS: I am just
saying as, after the events are over.
PROVOST: We know the
banner issue with like the grandstands and I am one that usually goes up and
the big one I can’t get down. But, the ones of the back of the grandstands, I
can get those up, the little banners, but the ones that are up high, that’s
when you guys got to come with big equipment and come up there.
HOLZER: How much do you,
the signs and banners that we put up during the fair, how much does your
organization reap in profits?
PROVOST: Benefits?
HOLZER: Yeah
PROVOST: One vendor
alone, the Gordon Oil one is like a $1,500.00.
HOLZER: Okay, so it’s
substantial.
PROVOST: Yeah and then
the other banners, only people that donate over $500.00 can leave their banners
up all week. That’s one of our stipulations.
HOLZER: Okay, anything
else before we wrap up?
WESTOVER: Jim, maybe you
can answer this question. Does the County have any extra desks? Do you have
like a storage of unused office items?
DOUGAN: There is some
desks that are actually, currently our only real storage area is the old
Cornell Building, right now. There are some things in there that have basically
been surplused that we’re, really don’t have much use for.
HOLZER: Do you need a
desk?
WESTOVER: We were looking
to get a desk for our new treasurer’s office.
HOLZER: What do we have
to do to get them a desk?
DOUGAN: Let’s just see
what’s there and what will work for them.
HOLZER: And we can just
loan it to them.
DOUGAN: Unless it’s, you
know, generally unless…
MASCARENAS: Surplus it to
them.
DOUGAN: We’ll just
surplus it to them, unless it’s something that came from the Court System that
I put over there to get out of the way, which I have to, it still remains their
property. I am sure that this is a simple thing to do.
HOLZER: Okay, how soon
were you looking to get a desk?
PROVOST: By Fair time.
WESTOVER: When warm
weather comes.
HOLZER: We’ll definitely
make that happen.
DOUGAN: If you stop in
and see Glen. He can take you in there and you can see what’s in there. Unless
the door’s left unlocked, like Ike found it, a week ago.
HOLZER: Alright, thank
you. We’re adjourned.
AS
THERE WAS NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, THIS FAIRGROUNDS TASK FORCE WAS ADJOURNED AT 9:10
AM.
Respectively Submitted,
Dina Garvey, Deputy Clerk
Board of Supervisors