County officials reach stalemate on fair proposal

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer — A written proposal regarding how to manage a streamlined version of the 2024 Gogebic County Fair met with a dead end at last week’s meeting of the county Board of Commissioners.

The county board requested the proposal of its Fair Board because of five buildings that were lost at the Ironwood fairgrounds due to a Sept. 26, 2023, fire and prior demolition.

Fair Board member Linda Nelson presented the proposal, which included reduced fair times, confined locations of events, a list of repairs to be addressed, and work stoppage of any possible construction occurring at the time.

“The fair board feels it is imperative to continue the annual fair,” said the proposal. “Even a one-year break can result in the permanent loss of harness racing and the loss of a carnival.”

The proposal also reminded that the 2023 fair resulted in $72,750 from admission sales and $30,120 from sponsors.

“I appreciate getting the proposal, but I think more needs to be done,” said Board Chairman James Lorenson, who also is a Fair Board member but said that he had not seen the proposal prior to the Jan. 24 county board meeting.

He and Commissioners Thomas Laabs and Daniel Siirila voted to receive and place the proposal on file. “Received and placed on file is neither approval nor disapproval,” said Lorenson.

Voting against placing the proposal on file were Commissioners James Byrns, Joseph Bonovetz and Robert Orlich. Byrns also chairs the Fair Board.

The motion failed in a tie with Commissioner George Peterson absent.

“There seems to be no reason not to have a fair or partial fair,” said Bonovetz.

“Five-thousand — that’s a real nice number,” he added regarding the number of folks who attended last year’s fair. “It’s a big deal in this county.”

Commissioner Thomas Laabs said that the fair should be delayed until there is proper assurance of the ability to do it safely. Moreover, he warned that if the fair board goes ahead in holding a fair without county board approval, it must be without the Gogebic County name, without county funding or insurance, and on property other than the fairgrounds.

Lorenson said the idea of running the fair without county board approval was brought up at a fair board meeting, but no action was taken on the idea.

Commissioner Daniel Siirila also pondered whether — if commissioners decided to allow this year’s fair — there would be a need to rescind Peterson’s Oct. 11 motion to close the fair, followed by Siirila’s support of that motion and a unanimous vote.

Lorenson said rules vary from Robert’s Rules of Order versus the perspective of the county’s parliamentarian.

“I made a mistake when I voted the way that I did,” said Bonovetz in relation to his vote to close down the fair. He questioned whether county commissioners now will even support repairs to make possible a 2025 fair, let alone one for this year.

“We voted against the fair,” said Orlich, who asked whether fair board members were buckling. “I’m still not for having the fair in 2024. My vote is still ‘no’ because I’m not eating no crow.”

But Orlich also added regarding the possibility of other commissioners eventually voting to support a fair this year, “Whatever works is OK with me. I don’t have a horse in the race.”

During the public comment session, Nelson said she was “very disappointed” in the county board after the fair board “bent over backwards” to present a proposal.

“We’ve done everything you’ve asked and you’re still not satisfied,” said Nelson. “You were elected by us, and you don’t want to do what we want done.”

“I’m equally disappointed,” said Donald Martinson, a retired veterinarian from Bessemer. He referred to an online petition that has garnered thousands of signatures in support of the fair.

“The people are speaking, and they’re speaking very loud,” said Martinson.

Vicki Nelson of Ironwood Township commended Bonovetz and Byrns for having said they regret voting to shut down this year’s fair. She said the Fair Board proposal, as presented last week, should be sufficient for a reduced fair.

“I’m against the fair for certain reasons,” said Siirila, adding as one reason that repairs by volunteers before last year’s fair were not done by licensed contractors.

“I think the Fair Board is going to have to reconvene and come up with something that’s going to be palatable to this board,” said Bonovetz, who asked that its members do “the leg work” to set up more definitive plans, including assurance of eliminating liabilities associated with the fairground property.

In related news at the Jan. 24 meeting, the county board voted to approve a payment of $2,038 to the city of Wakefield for electrical repair work at the county fairgrounds. The motion included a postponement of payment for the city’s remaining work at the site until firmer details are provided.