Commissioners Raise Rental Fees At Fairgrounds Nonprofit Groups For Children To Pay Less

Spokane County commissioners approved higher rental fees for groups and promoters using the county fairgrounds.

The rates, approved Tuesday, include a hefty increase in the cost of camping at the fairgrounds, a first-ever fee for parking, and a 2 percent increase in the cost of renting the exhibition hall and other buildings.

But nonprofit groups that work with children will get the break they said they needed to continue their work. Such groups will pay 20 percent of the rental fees charged adult or for-profit groups.

In recent years, youth groups have gone from paying nearly nothing to 50 percent of the full cost. In the case of the four-day Junior Livestock show, that amounted to $18,000 a year.

Commissioners said charging 20 percent is enough to cover the county’s cost of opening the fairgrounds to such events. State law forbids the county from giving away its services.

Under the new rates, the county will charge organizers for parking, generally based on the size of the buildings they rent. Events that use a lot of space but draw few participants could pay 50 cents per attendee, instead.

During a hearing last month, some show promoters protested the parking fee, saying free parking is what sets the fairgrounds apart from other venues where they might hold events.

Commissioners said the parking fee won’t apply to 1998 shows or 1999 shows that are booked.

Campers will pay from $7 to $18 a night, depending on the services they require.

, DataTimes