June 27, 2008 Volume No.2 Issue No.26 |
Letters to the Editor El Paso County Commissioner Amy Lathen on RDA
I am honored to be the resident
Commissioner for the El Paso
County Fair and am doing everything
I can to work with the fine
folks who put the Fair together
and ensure another great year for
all of us.
Over the past several weeks, I
have received some inquires regarding
the activities of the Fair
and the relationship with the Resource
Development Association
(RDA). I take questions and concerns
very seriously and have
sought answers to the issues
raised.
To that end, I’d like to give a
brief report on what I have found
and just shed a little light on this
relationship with the El Paso
County Fair.
The RDA was organized in 2002
as a 501(c)(3) organization, exclusively
for charitable and educational
purposes. The RDA is a
private entity whose primary purpose
is to promote, encourage and
host local agricultural, equestrian,
cultural and similar public events
at the El Paso County Fair and
Events complex, a facility owned
by El Paso County, for the purpose
of acquainting the public
with, and educating the public
about, the rich western heritage
and culture of the Rocky Mountain
region. All net proceeds generated
by the Corporation are to be
used to support the ongoing operations
of the County Fair and Fairgrounds.
This relationship has
long been beneficial and has been
a significant factor in creating a
Fair which is self-sustaining, relying
on itself rather than on the
county for funding.
Some of the issues brought to
my attention have been personality
conflicts, questions of accounting
and concerns over the
level of return to the Fairgrounds
on the part of the RDA. As a result,
I have met with our Parks Director,
Tim Wolken, under whose
authority the El Paso County Fair
falls, and the President of the
RDA, Dan Vetrano. We have discussed
the concerns at length and
concluded that some changes will
be made.
According to the bylaws of the
RDA, there is a maximum of 9
board members allowed. Over the
past several years, there have only
been 2 individuals serving on this
board and as a result of our discussions,
it has been agreed that
this number will be increased to 5.
There will be a revision of the
RDA bylaws to include a purpose
statement. An annual income and
expense statement (line item) will
be presented to the County and
will be used for an audit performed
by the County Financial
Services Department. I asked for
this in order for all the information
to be as open and accessible as
possible as well as ensuring that
the bylaws of the RDA have been
and will continue to be followed.
As had been done for some time
in the past, there is now an agenda
item on all Fair Advisory Board
meeting agendas for a report from
the RDA and public information
regarding the efforts of the RDA
will be more readily available.
The RDA has provided all of its
bookkeeping and expenditures to
myself and our Parks Director.
Just some of the recent expenditures
by the RDA include: Assistance
with the development of the
El Paso County Speedway track
including paying for the installation
of the guardrail/jersey barriers
and financial assistance for
trucking/equipment rental costs,
purchase of a golf cart for the fairgrounds,
a freezer, 14 radios (to
save the Fairgrounds from paying
rental costs) and all materials to
renovate the announcer’s booth.
Upcoming expenditures include
committed funds for a variety of
fencing improvements (approx.
$4,500) and renovation of both
grandstand kitchens (approx.
$25,000). In addition, the RDA
has committed $17,000 for 2008
Fair programming and $10,000 to
financially support CSU Extension/
4-H through 2008. This assistance
for the CSU Extension
was significant. It was just part of
what kept the Extension from
being entirely eliminated for the
reminder of 2008, which was a
possibility that people in large
numbers did not want to see happen.
I’d like to express my deepest
thanks to Dan Vetrano for his willingness
and help in refining the
RDA and to Mr. Wolken for his
expertise and coordination. Members
of the RDA, the Fair Advisory
Board and the Fair
Association have worked tirelessly
for years to ensure that the
El Paso County Fair will continue
to open its gates to our citizens for
years to come. They are all to be
congratulated for their efforts.
There are often going to be certain
conflicts between entities and persons
who work so passionately on
such a large project. It is my goal
to make sure that all information
is on the table and that our citizens
have they answers they seek. We
are working toward a common
goal of a Fair we can be proud of;
a self-sustaining organization with
traditions that will continue for
generations to come.
Amy Lathen Letters to the Editor guidelines The High Plains View welcomes letters to the Editor on local issues. We ask that letters be limited to 200 words and that writers remain objective, refraining from personal attacks. As a community paper we want to hear your views and promote solutions. Letters may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy. Letters can be sent to: High Plains View Attn: Letters to the Editor PO Box 154 Calhan, CO 80808 Copyright High Plains View
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The El Paso County Fair has
been a part of our county since
1905. The years have given us a
rich legacy of tradition, community
and learning for all ages of attendees
and participants.