Waitsburg Voters to Weigh in on Grandstands

WAITSBURG – At their regular March meeting, the Waitsburg City Council opened the floor to the public prior to adding an advisory item to the April 3 ballot seeking community input on how to progress with the grandstands at the Waitsburg fairgrounds.

"Before we can move onward, we need to move forward," said Mayor Marty Dunn.

Dunn explained that the council has been struggling with what to do with the fairgrounds grandstands and gathering information on options for years. He read a letter from an unnamed fairgrounds committee member, which explained the reason for the ballot measure. It stated that the committee was given a set amount of time to formulate recommendations, and that time has expired.

'There were varying options at the last meeting regarding public interest. That is the reason for an advisory vote on the ballot: to actually gauge public interest. Considering the relatively low historic turnout in uncontested City elections it still may not be a valid measure," the letter read.

". . . Currently the grandstands are a potential liability. Some believe they could have a future as an event venue, which would be positive for the community. However, the space could be available as an event venue without the grandstands or other permanent seating. We hope the voting public will express their opinion knowing all options will use taxpayer money, since all options concerning the grandstands have a big price tag. It is time for this topic to be decided so time and energy can be redirected," the letter continued.

The ballot proposal presented to council included three options:

Option 1 – Demolish the structure at a cost of approximately $20,000 - $25,000.

Option 2 – Repair the existing structure at a cost of $41,000 - $70,000.

Option 3 – Remove and replace the structure at a cost of approximately $500,000.

The ballot item also states that Option 2 and Option 3 could require a property tax increase to cover debt service.

Council member Kate Hockersmith expressed concern about the wording of the ballot item, which presents demolition as the one option that won't increase taxes. She said that one contractor had bid $35,000 - $40,000 to stabilize the building.

"I do feel the wording on this is pushing towards getting rid of it. I don't think property taxes are the only way to take care of this," she said.

Community member Alison Bond was concerned about the fact that there is little time to get word out about the advisory vote item before ballots come out.

"The outcome of this does not dictate anything. This is just the council's desire to gain some community feedback. We might get 36 people saying 'tear it down' or everyone choosing Option 3. That doesn't force our hand. What we're doing with this advisory vote is trying to get more input," said Council Member KC Kuykendall.

Dunn reminded those present that the council has been seeking community input on the grandstands for years. "We have to get out of the gate. We've got to move forward," he said.

Ballots for the Waitsburg election were out this week, and are due to be delivered to Waitsburg City Hall, or postmarked, by April 3.