COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Fair administrators and Kootenai County commissioners are still working out an agreement to keep the fairgrounds at the current site for the foreseeable future.
The matter was first floated in June, amid persistent but nonspecific rumors that the fairgrounds might relocate. In July, fair leadership unveiled a $280 million master plan to rejuvenate and expand the fairgrounds over the next 30 years, while cautioning that rumors of a move have created uncertainty among the community and potential donors looking to invest in the fair’s infrastructure.
Commissioners Leslie Duncan and Bruce Mattare have said they favor a memorandum of agreement with fair administrators over a long-term lease, so as not to stymie the decision-making power of future boards.
Alexcia Jordan, general manager and CEO of the Kootenai County Fairgrounds and North Idaho State Fair, went before commissioners again Tuesday with a new draft of the memorandum. She said the draft is modeled off a similar agreement between Valley County and Valley County’s fair board.
“The previous version of the document took a turn in the last round of edits and included some termination clauses that would undermine the original intent of this agreement and, unfortunately, I think, erode the community’s trust in the agreement,” Jordan said. “I remain concerned that the agreement in front of you currently may not fully resolve the issue, either.”
The draft memorandum of agreement given to commissioners this week outlines an initial term of 20 years, with two optional 10-year extension periods.
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