Supervisors say no to inquiry about proposed beer garden at county fair

GREENFIELD — The Adair County Board of Supervisors unanimously withheld support from the Adair County Fair Board on their inquiry about the fair board having an area where alcohol may be sold on the fairgrounds during the fair.

Joe Herr, a fair board member, came to the supervisors during their April 7 meeting asking them what they thought about the idea.

According to Herr, selling alcohol on the fairgrounds would be nightly during the fair, in conjunction with grandstand events, and start about an hour before those events begin, ending 30 minutes after.

Herr said the fair board has discussed the risks involved in selling alcohol at the fair, which includes over-serving people, drunk driving, etc. He said that fair board members would have to go through an online course for licensing purposes if they were to go through with alcohol on the premises. They see selling alcohol as a way of potentially bringing about a financial boost to the event and possibly lure age groups who currently aren’t attending the fair as much.

“As far as people over drinking, Union County is a very successful place that [sells alcohol at their fair]. They’ve got a fenced in bar area, and that is what we’d be looking at,” Herr said, adding that the area the fair board is considering would be near the old ball field on the fairgrounds.

Herr said that in the case of any fenced in area designated for alcohol sales, drinks would not be allowed in or out. They would be sold using tickets and identification would be checked thoroughly.

Herr said that in his estimation, people aren’t coming to the fair to “get drunk,” they would be more looking to enjoy a few drinks during events there.

“At the end of the day, we want people to come and enjoy the fair and have a good time at the fair,” Herr said.

Herr said that feedback gained prior to the supervisors meeting from people around the county reflect the feeling that if the fair board responsibly manages it, alcohol sales during the fair would be fine.

Supervisor Matt Wedemeyer asked Herr if the fenced in area would connect to the south bleachers usually set up along the grandstand, and Herr said a few of those bleachers would likely rather be moved into the fenced in area. A question was raised about children entering the fenced in area. Herr reiterated that those who enter the fenced in area would be highly monitored, and that parents would likely go into the fenced in area and keep their children within eyesight outside the fence.

Supervisor Chairman Steve Shelley said that he was “not one iota in favor of this” due to the fact that the grounds are owned by the county and despite liability insurance, he doesn’t want to put the county in a bad position legally.

Shelley pointed out that the fair should be for the kids, in his opinion, and that an estimated $8,000 the fair board would make off of such a measure could be made in many other ways. Shelley said that the supervisors are planning to give toward a new grandstand someday, and if alcohol is permitted on the fairgrounds during the fair, he is not in favor of the board supporting the fair as much financially in the future in general.

Supervisor Jodie Hoadley said that she reached out to the younger generation of the county in the 24 hours leading up to the supervisors meeting. The idea she arrived at after those conversations was that the fair should mostly be for kids and families. She also noted that alcohol is on the fairgrounds every year during the fair and that officially permitting alcohol sales on the grounds would intensify issues that are already there to some degree.

In response to a question from Supervisor Jerry Walker, Herr said the campgrounds are hard to regulate because that’s where people are living during the week of the fair, however drinking in the pits at grandstand events the fair board thinks may need to be better regulated.

Shelley said he isn’t sure where the fair board should go from here, however he wanted it on public record that the supervisors disapprove of alcohol being available on the fairgrounds.

“I do want to go down to Union County and observe their situation. To me, education is something I like to do. I will try this summer to get down and see what they do down there,” Shelley said.

In other county business, the board:

• Acknowledged receipt of a manure management plan update

• Signed a Grove Cemetery mowing contract.

• Revised the mask policy for county employees to say mask use is up to department heads.

• Heard from Sheriff Jeff Vandewater about a new vehicle purchase to replace one of the department’s current Chevy Tahoes.