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some resolution at this meeting on the agreement. He added that the Fair was started in 1980 <br />at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport by Bill Tripp, a firefighter. In 1985, the City of Vero <br />Beach wanted the fair moved because it was getting too big for the airport. Then <br />Commissioner Dick Bird was instrumental in getting it moved to the ..now County <br />Fairgrounds and it was through his efforts that it was accomplished. The fair was chartered <br />through the State, the Courts, and the Legislature as the Indian River County Fair and from <br />1985 to 1998, Indian River County had run the fair, permitted it through the State, and <br />subcontracted with the Vero Beach Firefighters to operate the fair. In 1998, Commissioner <br />Adams assisted in getting the Fair more uniform with the State's guidelines and the <br />association was formed to conform with Chapter 616 FS. County fairs are regulated by the <br />State and certain events are required to show the attributes of our county. In 1998, the Indian <br />River County Fair Association was formed and was made up of those who had been involved <br />in the fair, firefighters and members of the community. He explained that the Association <br />has little money, and recounted how in 1993 there was a storm of the century which wiped <br />out the fairgrounds and they lost the $7,000 they had put up to run the fair and the County <br />forgave the $9,000 for renting the fairgrounds. After that, they came up with the idea that <br />the $9,000 rent went into the general fund and was not used for fairgrounds improvements. <br />Since 1994, most of the profits went to the County for improvements and a great job has <br />been done with those improvements. This year the association spent over $8,000 on <br />upgrading the electricity in the building. The association still owes the County about $8,000 <br />for the profits from last year's fair and they expect to pay the County before the fair opens <br />or perhaps when they execute the agreement. He advised that there are some things in the <br />contract they do not know if it is possible to do. <br />County Attorney Bangel advised that in previous agreements, the association <br />"pledged" to pay the County 1/3 of the profits for fairground improvements; in the new <br />February 13, 2001 <br />BK 1 1 7 PG 160 <br />148 <br />