Building new

The fairgrounds will have a new restroom facility.

Jay County Council on Wednesday gave its approval for the final piece of funding needed to construct a new north restroom and shower at Jay County Fairgrounds.

Jay County Commissioners on Feb. 24 approved $25,000 in economic development funds from Bluff Point Wind Energy Center and suggested that fair board members ask council for the remaining $45,000 from the infrastructure fund.

Ten Jay County Fair Board members visited Wednesday’s council meeting, with president Brian Aker and vice president Trent Paxson presenting the organization’s plans and request.

The current north restroom, located east of the livestock barns and south of the horse barns near East Arena, is about 50 years old, Aker said. The board plans to construct a new restroom just to the east, allowing the current restroom to stay in use until the new one is complete. The current restroom would then be torn down.

Describing the current facility, Paxson said it has mostly original fixtures and minimal ventilation. It is also not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The new restroom will be modeled after the restrooms in the Bubp Building, which have wider stalls and baby changing tables.

Paxson noted that the new restroom is part of a years-long effort to improve the fairgrounds, including the construction of the Bubp Building, renovation of the grandstand and replacement of the Farmer’s Building, ahead of the 150th Jay County Fair in 2022.

“In two more years, we want to make sure that is going to be the culmination, the climax, a big celebration of 150 years,” said Paxson. “We want it to be good to go for a lot more years after that. … We’re hoping we can do this now to leave it to future board members coming along.”

Council members Jeanne Houchins, Gary Theurer, Cindy Newton, Mike Rockwell, Amy Runyon-Barrett and Faron Parr, absent Ted Champ, voted unanimously in favor of using $45,000 from the county’s infrastructure fund for the project. In addition to the other $25,000 approved in economic development funds from the wind farm, the fair board got a $40,000 grant from The Portland Foundation. The fair board also plans to provide “sweat equity” in the form of labor for the estimated $143,850 project.

Construction will begin as soon as possible, with a goal completion date of July 1. This year’s Jay County Fair begins July 10.

Future plans call for reconstruction of the south restroom — near the grandstand and east of the food court.

In other business, the board:

•Additional appropriations of $8,500 in the county plat book line item for rebinding records and $2,500 in prosecutor deferral funds for Dunkirk Police Department drug investigations. Auditor Anna Culy also told council that final approval for disbursements of funding for Arts Place and the Farmer’s Building will be on the agenda next month, as well as $10,000 in connection with the 2020 census and $970 from an insurance payment the sheriff’s department received for a damaged vehicle.

•Also, Sheriff Dwane Ford talked to council about a request he will bring at the next meeting to have one of his new officers start a couple of weeks early in order to help with staffing levels.