Ag Society: We never said never to State Fair
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BY JEAN ORTIZ / Lincoln Journal Star
Lancaster County Agricultural Society officials came out on the defense this week, saying their stance on sharing county fairgrounds with the State Fair has been misconstrued.
On Monday, fair executive director Barney Cosner said the plan to move the fair to Grand Island had gained traction when fair officials learned the Lancaster Event Center officials did not want to stable horses during the horse-racing season now hosted at State Fair Park.
Cosner characterized Event Center officials as saying they needed the space for their horse shows.
But that’s not the whole story, said Alan Wood, the attorney representing the Ag Society, which manages the Event Center.
“We weren’t saying this can’t happen, take us off the list.”
Cosner said Thursday the stabling issue was one of many problems with the Event Center site near 84th Street and Havelock Avenue.
The land sits in a floodway, he said, and issues related to a proposed horse track only complicated matters.
“When you put those combinations together, it makes it very difficult to get excited about that site,” he said.
Ag Society officials say they were willing to find a solution.
Cosner said he visited the Event Center three times in the past year, and Fair Board members also went during the fall and winter.
Wood and Ron Snover, Event Center manager, can confirm only one meeting with Cosner and Assistant Executive Director Joe McDermott on Feb. 11.
Wood did acknowledge that board members could have visited the public complex at any time.
The horse stabling issue was one of a handful that came up during that meeting.
“All we were saying is we would probably have to add stalls,” Snover said.
The complex has 750 to 800 stalls but is adding more as part of an $8 million expansion project. The complex should have 1,000 stalls by the fall, he said.
Snover said he is negotiating contracts for shows that would use all 1,000.
As for the racetrack, Ag Society officials said it could not be on the Lancaster County Fairgrounds because that would compromise the society’s ability to obtain tourism grants, Wood said.
Funds collected through lodging tax dollars are directed back toward tourism efforts through the oversight of the county’s Visitors Promotion Committee.
The County Board, which takes the committee’s recommendations and allocates the money, in July approved a $500,000 grant to the Ag Society to add parking at the Event Center as part of the expansion project.
State law prevents the use of those funds at facilities that allow parimutuel betting, a common form of betting at horse races.
Kerry Eagan, the county’s administrative officer, said the law is vague in defining whether a track on county fairgrounds would account for a single “facility.”
During testimony before the ag committee Feb. 26, Wood said the “ultimate location of the racetrack will most assuredly work itself out,” and that the society pledged to make the relocation of the State Fair to the 84th and Havelock site a success.
Wood said he took umbrage at Cosner’s comments this week. He doesn’t believe the horse issue was what ultimately gave the Grand Island plan momentum.
“This is a reason they picked up — I just don’t think it is a legitimate reason,” he said.
The Event Center had drawbacks, Cosner said, and Grand Island showed great enthusiasm.
And he acknowledged he’s known for some time where plans were headed.
“After Dec. 15, it was obvious who wanted it and who didn’t,” Cosner said.
Reach Jean Ortiz at 473-7107 or jortiz@journalstar.com.
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They continue to refuse to be responsible to the taxpayers of Lancaster County -- you know, those hard working one's who support the Lancaster Event Center's and Ag Society's ventures --- with hard earned tax dollars -- that the Lancaster County Board of Commissioner's seem to give away to the LAC whenever they want some --without consulting the "people."
The ag Society seems to think that just because they have a sucessful operation (that's what they say anyway), they don't have to be responsible.
Responsible organizations and boards, who use taxpayers $$$ for their existence, should be proactive in making board minutes and financial statements available to those same taxpayers, whether that is required by law or not.
So what do you think about that Mr Snover, Mr Dowding, and Mr Woods!
The "friends of whatever" got what they deserved in this State Fair issue -- an issue that is not yet over. Aggression and demands is what the "friends" had as a game plan. And then Grand Island came in with the "honey." Talk about getting out coached! So who had the better plan, huh?
Oh, by the way LAC, your offense stinks too!
Dan Reisdorff
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Terry wrote on April 6, 2008 8:33 am:
J wrote on April 8, 2008 12:05 pm: