By Josh Margolis
CHINOOK, Mont. (NMB) – Following a contentious fair board meeting on Thursday evening and an outpouring of public comments on Friday morning, the Blaine County Commissioners have voted to allow this year’s County Fair to proceed.
A resolution to cancel the fair was voted down by a 2 to 1 margin. Frank DePriest and Miles Hutton were in the majority, while Dolores Plumage cast the lone dissenting vote.
Friday’s vote came after the Commissioners office says they received more than 20 calls from residents asking for the scaled-back fair to proceed.
Prior to the board meeting on Thursday, the Fair Board had drafted a COVID-19 prevention plan, and had agreed to cancel pig wrestling and the demolition derby in order to prevent what are typically their largest crowds from congregating.
The prevention plan, which was drafted in consultation with the Blaine County Health Department, includes steps such as marking off the grandstand so that it features pods of 50 people in accordance with state guidelines, having sanitizer and hand-washing stations around the fairgrounds, and placing guidelines and warnings around the fairgrounds advising people to social distance, wear face coverings, and not enter if they are symptomatic.
However, County Commissioners Dolores Plumage and Frank DePriest expressed concerns at the meeting that even with the scaled-back fair, someone could attempt to sue the county if they believed they contracted COVID-19 at the event, and said no insurance can protect from COVID-19 liability.
The Fair Board and others in attendance at the meeting countered by arguing that someone suing would be hard-pressed to prove negligence on the part of the fair, and that they would like for the community to have some semblance of normalcy.
Nearly all local food booths have already canceled, but the fair board does have a food truck lined up.
The Fair is scheduled for August 12th-16th.
Stay tuned to New Media Broadcasters for updates.
