Lorain County commissioners unanimously agreed Aug. 25 to allow the Fair Board of Directors to request up to $30,000 to help pay for transporting people to the fairgrounds in Wellington.
Commission President Dave Moore said he attended a meeting with the fair board and toured the fairgrounds Aug. 24.
The Lorain County Fair was closed Aug. 24 due to damage from a storm that ripped down tents, displays, caused significant flooding and other damage.
While the fair board reopened the week-long event on Aug. 25, the western portion of the grounds is too saturated with floodwater, which has receded, but can’t be used to park the thousands of vehicles expected to arrive over the weekend.
“They’re working on trying to move people around, and they will have buses running, but right now, they’re kind of strapped,” Moore said.
Moore, County Administrator Jeff Armbruster and Deputy Administrator Karen Perkins brainstormed and considered using the county’s transit buses to help the fair board, but ultimately decided against the idea.
“I don’t want to jeopardize our current service routes,” Moore said. “I would like to support financially for the board up to $30,000 in order for the county administrator to review any request to transportation only for the Lorain County Fair to help move people because they are currently, as we speak, working on ways to do that.”
Moore made a motion that was supported unanimously by Commission Vice President Jeff Riddell and Commissioner Michele Hung.
“In my motion, that’s what I’d like to do — make sure it’s clear — to support any financial assistance for the fair board up to $30,000, and allow the county administrator to review those requests and its only for transportation assistance,” Moore said. “I don’t want this for lost revenue.”
“I would second that,” Riddell said.
Armbruster also supported the commissioners.
“Hopefully, we can find parking places for the fairgoers, and the fair can be a success over the next three days,” he said.
The topic was closed with no further discussion.
In other news, Moore gave a “shout out” to Wellington firefighters who happened across a stranded motorist while driving through the flooded area.
“Had they not found him, that individual would have probably died,” he said. “We’ll be hearing, I’m sure in the next few days, of these heroic activities because they’re a lot of people who are still digging out their basements right now, or should I say, pumping out their basements.”
The commission will meet again for the Cobb Ditch hearing at 4:30 p.m., Aug. 29, and resume its regular meeting schedule the following week.
