TIPTON – The competency of the Tipton County Fairgrounds board was brought into question at Monday’s Tipton County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Jim Woolf, Tipton County extension educator, and contractor Trevor Scoles approached the board on behalf of the fairgrounds to relay some issues with a repair job.
Scoles said a leak on the roof of the office building has caused a soft spot. The roofing is part of a $77,000 repair project for the entire fairgrounds.
Woolf and Scoles told the commissioners they were wanting advice, not money.
After they finished speaking to the commissioners, Tipton County Councilman Scott Friend addressed the board with concerns he had about how the fairgrounds board was spending tax money.
“It is my opinion that [the fairgrounds board’s] ability to manage these facilities is less than adequate,” Friend told the commissioners.
The councilman passed out a seven-page letter he sent in November to the then-commissioners, current commissioners and county council.
The letter highlights fairgrounds funding since 1995, which totals to $818,000.
Friend wrote the fairgrounds board is spending the money on unneeded areas and not focusing on its purpose to “maintain and operate the grounds and buildings ...”
“It appears to me that the Fair Board has lost sight of its primary role of maintenance and has put beautification first,” he wrote.
Friend’s letter also mentions the fairgrounds restrooms do not comply with the American Disabilities Act of 1990.
Friend told the council the Fair Board has been taking the “lion’s share” of taxes, but it has not been doing enough to raise money on its own.
Woolf declined to comment on Friend’s remarks after Monday’s meeting.
After Friend spoke, Ken Ziegler, president of the Board of Commissioners, said the Fair Board has been seeking outside grants, but the commissioners would address some of the concerns.
• Daniel Human is a Kokomo Tribune staff writer. He can be reached at (765) 454-8570 or at daniel.human@kokomotribune.com.
Local News
Councilman brings up concerns about fairgrounds
Scott Friend worried about board spending too much tax money on aesthetics
- Local News
-
-
Entire U.S. 31 corridor now under contract
Every segment of the 13.1-mile, U.S. 31 Kokomo Corridor is now officially under construction.
-
Northwestern to graduate 130 seniors
Peyton Hite ended her last day in high school by going home and washing sheep.
“It’s part of living on a farm,” she said, with a laugh.
-
Drugs, cash seized, four arrested
Police from four agencies seized heroin, pills, syringes and cash, and arrested four people this week after a raid on a house on East Street, according to police reports.
-
Lafayette job fair expects Kokomo hopefuls
Organizers of a Lafayette job fair next week are reaching out to Kokomo residents looking for work.
-
Deputy prosecutor facing two charges
A Howard County deputy prosecutor will face two drunken-driving charges in connection with a traffic stop in Cicero.
-
Governor honors student
A Northwestern High School senior achieved a milestone Thursday when he became the first Indiana student ever to win both of the state’s top science awards.
-
Taylor considering staff reductions
A decline in enrollment has forced Taylor School Corp. to consider staff reductions, but the board won’t vote on the issue until next week, officials said Thursday.
-
Schools among top 20 in Indiana
Three area schools were ranked among the top 20 in Indiana this year by U.S. News and World Report.
Tri-Central Middle/High School, Eastern Junior-Senior High School and Tipton High School all made the list, which was an evaluation of 379 high schools across the state.
-
Library starts iPad rental program
Apple can’t make enough iPads to satisfy demand, but the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library now owns 15 iPad2 units.
Thursday, social media-conscious library patrons scrambled to borrow the tablet computers, on the first official day of the library’s iPad lending program.
-
Gov. names NW student 'Mr. Science' for 2012
Tyler Barnes becomes first Indiana student to be named Indiana's Top Young Scientist and Mr. Science.
- More Local News Headlines
-
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
