City Council - Regular Meeting

Okay, it's five 5:15. It's March 2nd, 2026, and we're at the committee of the whole meeting. Uh, in compliance with the open meetings act, a current copy of the act is available at this meeting. Madame clerk, please call roll. Allone here. Bar here. He here. Jablonsky here. Lopez here. Pinsky. Roth here. Schilling. Council President Heamer, the role has been called. Thank you. Uh, our first and only item on the agenda tonight is presentation by the Plat County Fair Foundation. Who may we have speak? Might be all of us.

I think there's a bigger poster board. So, I'm I'm Jeff Johnson. This is Dennis Granon. Uh, appreciate you listening to our story. Uh, first first want to uh thank for the 840 funds. That's what really got us started probably about a year ago. Uh, we got a $25,000 loan from the the city. Uh, at the same time, we applied for a grant from the visitors bureau. We got 25,000 from the visitors bureau. the Plat County A society then donated 25,000 to the foundation because we haven't done anything to raise money yet uh except those three things with that then we hired Stone Stone Planning out of Chicago to do a feasibility study. So about a year ago is about a year ago in February he spent time and we probably met with 10 or 12 different special interest groups. We went with the city, with the county, uh, extension 4 to say, "Okay, what what do we want to do with these fairgrounds?" They're, if you've been to the fairgrounds, they're they're they probably need some repair. There's some deferred maintenance out there, and it's probably time that it it it gets uh improved, and that's why we formed the foundation. It's a 501c3 so we can get uh donations that people might be able to get tax deductions from. So he spent oh probably four days with us here in Columbus interviewing people. He then went back and then started his process of looking at other fairgrounds he's worked on. He worked on the Astral project down in Pilion I believe and some other projects that that he's worked on. Uh he then he had a 10step plan that he's going to write us the

report and I think I gave I gave you the report full report. Uh and with that we got to item number seven and and we got stopped because it was the feasibility study economic impact of the of the area. So we we then with cost. So then we had to employ HDR out of Omaha. Uh they came out at the fair and started did a complete analysis of the fairgrounds. Looked at from top to bottom looked at the buildings etc. We then charged them with developing two site plans for us. One was move it off site another location. Other one was to do it on the existing fairgrounds. There's about 97 acres there. Uh they then gave us two plans. Then our board of which we have three of three sitting back there. Yeah. Three sitting board members. We have nine total board members. Three permanent seats from the A society. six others that are that are elected. We then studied these plans and determined the best best use of the for the fair would to be builded on site. That's what you see is is what we came up with as as the new plan. And and with that, I'll just I'll just kind of go over a little of it. What we're uh thinking uh about doing is the we have we're going to go with naming rights and try to name the fairgrounds. We're going to try to name the large buildings, uh the event center, the multi-purpose livestock building, the show arena, the amphitheater is a 5,000 seat amphitheater. Uh we would be moving uh and relocating the quote campgrounds. If you know, the campgrounds are laying along uh uh 12th

Avenue. I think it's tw 10th Avenue. 10th I can't read that. I think 10th Avenue. Yeah. We're moving it into the center of the property. That that entire uh uh development then the renovated horse barn. The horse barn is essentially about the only thing that would uh stay on the ground. Everything else would be uh leveled. Uh once that's all done, we have about 37 acres left, I think, plus or minus that we could do future development with. You know, we're not we know it's it sits in the county and we know that, but we what we're asking for is a uh dispel any rumors that you guys may have heard about this the fairgrounds, what we're going to do, who owns it, etc. It's owned by the Plat County Fair Foundation. It's a 501c3. Our only function of that foundation is to support the Plat County A society and the fair. That's our only function. There's no other there's nothing else that we're going to do with it. So that's our our function. Uh so I'm I'm just going, you know, in the full study, if you look at the economics of it, we think it's going to take maybe five or six years to build this if we can raise the money to build. But it when you get to year six and you start looking in the full presentation, we we're estimating out of the 365 days that we can use the there'll be 244 events out there that we estimate that it'll be 149,000 people will go through the fairgrounds in a year. Uh it'll generate 6,310 nights uh and of grooming. This isn't counting everything that's going to be here when they're constructing it. The 250 people that will be working on construction, the number of nights they'll stay, what they'll spend in the

city and the county. Uh and then we have we always want to look at taxes. The city over this in a year would generate about 124,000 in taxes. We estimate the county would get 76,000 in lodging taxes and the state would get about 234,000 in lodging and taxes. Uh we really feel that doing the fairgrounds and making this fairgrounds what it can be which you can see down there is a little better rendition is transformational for for Plat County and for the city of Columbus that it's uh what was done in 1940 when people put the fairgrounds together and now it's time that we uh we step forward to uh put a new fairgrounds together. Uh we're really excited about this. Uh obviously we haven't started fundraising. We're going to have a kind of the kickoff will be at the businessmen's breakfast at the fair at the chamber, but between uh now and then we'll be meeting with potential donors. We've contracted with a firm out of Omaha that's going to help us apply for grants to try to get grants and we'll uh we'll see if we can get this done. my partner in crime here. Do you have anything you'd like to add?

Maybe uh maybe just a couple things. Uh, you know, the whole whole process Jeff described working with stone uh kind of took us from uh the the initial question of can we build it on the current grounds or do we do we have to move to a new site in order to get it late in order to get the facilities that we really want to put on on the site to have a really not a good fair, but we need to have events year round because that's the only way this cash flows is you got to have events going on year round. So, you got to have facilities to support those events. So, so we worked with Stone. We looked at uh actually three uh three other fairgrounds in particular, Carney, Makook, and then another one in Ohio, similar size communities uh to see what kind of facilities they had. Uh people from our board particularly have been to those facilities and have seen them. So, so we kind of used that as our goby and came up with the size of the event center that we want to have to support uh gatherings up to a thousand people. Uh the livestock arena which really needs to be first class to get those first class events. I'm learning as we go here about the horse shows and the livestock events that can come if you have a first class event and and what people expect when they get there, including campgrounds and including the right kind of dirt on the floor. So, you know, it takes all of that uh combined. So, working with stone uh that's when we came up with this initial layout and then with HDR to say, will it fit with where we're at? And we think we've got a really pretty good pretty good layout as far as people coming into the fair or coming in for an event uh other than the fair uh having places to park, the outdoors events, the amphitheater and so

forth and where how that all fits together. So really excited about the the initial layout. It's fairly conceptual at this point. Uh we are going to use some of the buildings that are out there. uh the horse I guess it's called it's on the south side the the newer facility uh a little renovation we can use that some of the other buildings that we can use uh the grandstand no uh it goes away and the associated building with the grandstand it just uh unfortunately is going to take too much to rem uh redo it and it just doesn't fit with our needs anymore. So, so a lot of a lot of things do get torn down. That's figured into the initial cost that you can see in the summary. So, uh uh pretty excited about uh fitting it here. We did uh get the analysis that looked at the alternative site and u by the time you pay for infrastructure, roads, water, sewer, all that sort of stuff, electricity, it adds about 15 to20 million to what what we can build. We think we can do it right here and we like this location better anyway. It's closer to other facilities and what people will expect when they come to Plaque County and Columbus and want to spend the night. So, uh yeah, we're really excited about what it's starting to look like. Uh once once you kind of see it, you go, "Yeah, this this fits pretty well." It's going to take a lot of work, but we can get I think we can get it done. The ample theater hold about 5,000 people and and the the event center a thousand maybe up to 1500 dependence how it's configured. So there's a lot of uh there's a lot of opportunity to put a lot of people through this new fairgrounds. Uh we do need the fairgrounds. We need the fairgrounds for

the 2,000 plus kids that are in 4 and that use the fairgrounds and and the fair every year. There's a whole and the extension service. Uh, a lot of kids and and as we all know, youth are the future of the community. We want to be able to provide them a great experience and hopefully they remember to come back to Columbus and and start their families and live here and grow. Uh, great great analysis. Columbus is a fast growing community. It's young. Uh, we we're growing faster than the entire state. Uh, Platt County is growing faster than the entire state. So, a lot of there's just a lot of positive things. Uh, it's just a question of uh whether we can do it or not. So, we're not asking for any financial support yet. Yeah. But, but we just want to dispel any rumors

of of what you have heard out there because it's been all over the board. So, I'll we'll take any questions you have and I mean, we've told you exactly what it is, but I it'd be interesting to know if you've heard rumors and we can dispel them. Uh, just a question. Uh obviously parking you're talking about a $5,000 5,000 seat amphitheater and a thousand plus uh what happens when you have your midway during the fair. Where where does all that parking go?

It goes to the number three to the resurface parking area. We also then have the ability on number 10 that we can park cars out there if if so need to. There'll be two entrances, actually three entrances into this property. And we'd have from Third Avenue, we have an entrance and we could put potential on numbers on 10 and 10 if it's not real wet because that's a little wet area. We could park cars there. Okay. Kind of like you were doing now. Yep. Yeah. Yep. Okay. Because when you move the campground over, that was the old parking spot, would it? Or is that is that actually the racetrack? There's just no there's just a lot of potential. There's a lot of ground to park cars on out here. Okay.

Uh the resurfaced gravel parking area would be concreted. Okay. And for events other than the fair, the uh number one area, uh the concrete parking area that's still there. So, okay. Uh it is used for the carnival during the fair. We're still planning to set it up there in number one.

Yes. Okay. Uh uh we've had questions about construction. You know, what's going to happen when we start construction, start tearing things down. If we get to that point, where's the fair going to go? Where are things going to go? Uh I think the cattleman's uh proved that you can have a a great event in tents. And so we could we could move to the to the east and put up tents. So, we have we've tried to think through a lot of alternatives, but until we really get going, it's hard to know what it's all going to turn out to be. That was going to be my question, how you guys transition through in through everything over the the six years through construction, everything. But,

so we have a phasing plan uh of which we'd build, what we'd build first. First, it' be fix the parking lots. Uh second would be uh the new event exhibition hall. Uh third would be to tear down the the existing grandstand and put up the new multilivestock. The amphitheater would be also right away one of the first things we do to get because that would be uh uh moved and the amphitheater could be expanded uh where the food trucks are uh the bars and that we could maybe expand to six or 7,000 people. But right now it's it's I guess sized is the right word. Have 5,000 people. That's a lot of people. And we know phasing this project is important because funding is probably going to be in phases. So we're going to have to match that as we get more detail there, but also around we're going to have events as we go forward, particularly the fair. So we're thinking about that. We don't have all those details in place yet, but we know we got to we do eventually. And the grand stand won't be torn down until we had the event center built because there's still going to be events planned out there. And we're not going to tell somebody, well, you can't have your wedding, can't host your event there because we're tearing it down. No, we'll build that first and then tear it down. So, there'll always be a place to have events. I mean, I think that's that's the key to making this work. The amphitheater as it's envisioned, is it an open air amphitheater or enclosed? Is it conditioned? The stage would we I don't seen the final thing on the stage. The stage would be concrete elevated so people can see. It might have a top over it for protection, but everything else is going

to be open. Yeah, that that was one of the areas uh as we looked at the other fairgrounds and really other areas that have been built here in Nebraska, outdoor theaters with standing and then bring lawn chairs in uh rather than build a a bunch of permanent bleachers just really don't seem to work anymore. So, uh, so it is outdoor and it's mostly open except for the stage as Jeff mentioned and, uh, we laid it out with enough area that, uh, uh, based on, you know, design standards, you can get about 5,000 people in there.

So, it' be usable 50% of the year, 60% of the year. Yeah. Yeah. Depending on the weather. And uh uh we did uh again working with our design people. The location of that amphitheater is so you have the sun to your back. Sounds like kind of a small detail, but it's it's kind of a big deal when you start putting on shows. Have the sun behind the stage. So So the entertainers aren't looking into the sun. Uh it's not too big of a problem in our current location with the tall grandstand, but it's a little bit. So, uh, anyway, well, so we did get into that level of detail when we were talking about it. So,

just a question for clarity. Uh, you've covered it, you've said it, but you know, people never hear what you say, so I'm going to ask you to say it again. Uh, this this is not a city project. No, this is strictly Black County Fair Foundation project. This is not city ground. It's in the county. It is not city ground. You are not asking for any money today. We're not asking for any money today.

We can like the concept, but that's all it is right now is a concept. It's a concept, but I think more importantly what we're asking for is you get around to the various people that you talk to, your your spears of influence for lack of something, and they start jabbering, whether it be a coffee group or a pickle card, pickle uh group, whomever, bowling, whatever you do, you know, it's you can tell them the truth. And the truth is that's what we just what we just said is the truth. We're very transparent. We told everybody the same. Everybody has the same questions. Well, we heard it. You know, we've heard we've heard everything. No, it's

Well, I think I think everybody up here probably has heard a rumor or two. So, I mean, it's good. I mean, it's very good to have it out and have it there and I'm not I'm trying to I'm being a little sarcastic, but in our world today, you can't get these questions answered enough. No,

it's very valid point, Mr. mayor because we have talked about we put together a communications plan which we just listed out all the different groups we want to get in front of and do this very same presentation same information and uh we're starting we went to the county supervisors last week we're here this week and we're going to the chamber and just different groups that we've laid out. A lot of them are involved with the fair. We want those folks involved uh so they know what's being thought about and planned, provide chances for input. We don't have all the answers at this point. So, we got a lot of communications to do just to make sure people are on the same page.

Right. Your uh improved storm water, is that open ditch? Will that be open? I couldn't hear you, Rich. Excuse me. The uh improved uh storm water, is that open ditch? don't know at this point. Uh we wanted to identify it so we everybody knows that's there right now. It is right now it's an open ditch. Okay. Uh depending on the parking lot and if something else is done on the other side of the parking lot, it could be underground. Part part of it's underground coming from the west, but uh right now it's open ditch.

Okay. It's probably proportionality is maybe a little big this blue than what it is. If if you remember when we had all that rain last summer and where those campers were along the avenue, there was a lot of water standing and I think what uh Tyler has told us who's on the a board, the storm drains were covered up. So they found the storm drains were able to take the debris off it drained it. But we uh managing the water in this location is is uh something we have to pay very attention to, especially to the east. That's all in a a flood plane. I think it's in a flood plane. Yeah, it is. It is.

The only thing that isn't is the loop uh substation they built. That's really elevated. But all this if that flooded, then I think a lot of Columbus is probably underwater. It's a new water park. Add it to add it to the schematic. I'll make a note. Okay. Anything else you'd like to ask us? Is the new event center exhibition hall sufficiently big to hold an ice rink? We haven't even We haven't even talked about the ice rink.

I don't know. It's about It's about uh 44,000 square feet. So, with the present layout, uh I don't know. That's a good question. Okay. Don't know. Any other questions? Add about $6 million to our project

because then we'd have to figure out how to cover the ice to have an event. Will it be cold for the people there? How do you do that? Uh, do you drain it and then refill it with water with the piping? And we would probably opt to maybe there's better places for an indoor skating rink, but we don't know. If somebody wants to donate the money and do it, we'll name it the Brent Roth skating rink. Yeah, Roth. There we go. There you go. Right. Right next to the Jim Bowley waterpark. Yeah, it works. Okay. Anything else? Any other questions from council members?

So, your time go over your timetable again. You're you're talking about really bringing it out at the businessman the breakfast which is in July fair week. Um, so between now and then is just have more meetings similar to this to get it in front of the general public and then

really kick it in gear this summer. And we're going to have uh we'll probably meet with uh we've we've identified maybe five to 10 potential lead don naming rights donors that we'll try to get in front of and talk to because it would be great at the fair to announce uh that we have raised x amount of money and we're we're kind of on our way. But it's uh these are there's going to have to be some big we need some big checks written right out of the gate. And to make a project work, you need uh what I always call the bellcow to kind of lead the way. We can't make it, as I've told every group, we can't make it selling $500 bricks.

We need we'll need significant that'll come later in our process,

right? As far as actually doing something, the next uh big piece of it is, you know, your detailed engineering you got to get into to do your site engineering or your storm drainage and just on and on and on. So, uh that's a pretty good expenditure. So, we got to have some money in the bank before we can do that. So, so uh yeah, we got we got communications to do here in the next few months. We got our fundraising folks to we got to get to work on and and if we can get get that initial funding in place, then I think we're ready to start actually uh serious engineering on what it's going to take to get this built, refine your cost and all that sort of thing. So, you got a real project you can go forward with.

And you would seriously see no interruption with this year the 26 county fair. you know, it could be something you're addressing come 27 or you know, but but for anybody with questions, there's, you know, right, nothing different this year and what's going on in the past and it might be even nothing for 27 because we don't know how long the engineering is is going to take to to engineer this project because it's a it's a large project. It's not just there's just a lot. We don't know what it's going to find when we start digging up out there. boy. Don't There'll be something we won't like. Yeah.

Once it's once we put that in the ground. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure we'll find it. Certainly, as you get into your detailed engineering, part of that's your schedule and uh not only your uh getting it built, but then how how are you going to phase it from there on. So, hopefully in the next couple years, we got uh got things kind of figured out here. Well, that's a great vision. Appreciate your efforts and your time you put in it so far and bringing it to us to let us be a part of what you need to help move it forward. Okay.

I appreciate because you guys got it started with that 840 that was if we would have got that uh we probably you know wouldn't be doing this because we had had to find other funding sources. So very appreciative of that. Well, and and Jeeoff, just in case somebody happens to be listening to this or will listen to it later on, LB840, which you're referring to, is economic development money that that our halfsent sales tax or our 1-centent sales tax helps fund. And this was deemed to be an economic development potential that qualified for that. So, I just just a clarification for any general public that might say, "Well, what are you talking about?" But anyway,

and I've gotten a lot of phone calls about selling this property. Uh, and I, you know, I've actually been yelled at on the phone why we won't sell it. And I tell them the same thing. Nothing that we're not doing anything with this property until that fair ground is built out completely. And, and they don't, no one believes me. They don't know what a hard-headed person I am, but I'm telling the truth. We're we're it'd be foolish for us to sell any of that property until we get this fairgrounds built. Thank you all. Any other further questions? Thank you, gentlemen. Good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.