Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist and Sherrie Sprenger on Tuesday, March 16, told Randy Porter, director of the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, it is time to begin planning reopening the facility that has hosted few events in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The facility has provided space for mass vaccination clinics provided by Linn County Public Health and Samaritan Health Services two to three days per week and provides space for major cases heard in Linn County Circuit Court.
Nyquist told Porter to ramp up by the end of May and that includes hiring staff. The facility has operated with minimal staffing for the past year as Porter has kept expenses down in keeping with reduced income from events.
“By late May, anyone who wants a vaccination will likely have gotten one,” Nyquist said. “The Linn County Fair Board is planning to hold a fair in July and will need the facility for two weeks. Kids have purchased their animals and are feeding them.”
Nyquist said that even though income for the fair and Expo Center is down, the “large, clean facility” has provided an outstanding public service for the courts and vaccination clinics.
In other business the commissioners:
– Were told by Linn County Health Officer Dr. William Muth that there were 120 deaths in February. He said 18 of the deaths were linked to the use of tobacco, eight were related to alcohol use, 16 to diabetes and one to drugs. There were 59 births — 26 females and 33 males. There were 16 animal bites, down from the 5-year average of 22.
– Approved a memorandum of understanding among Linn and Benton counties and Casa Latinos Unidos, to provide outreach health services to migrant and seasonal farm workers.
– Extended an intergovernmental agreement with Community Services Consortium to coordinate emergency motel housing for medically fragile homeless persons. The agreement that was to expire on Dec. 31, 2020, was extended until June 30, 2021.
– Approved the following appointments: Darrin Lane to the Linn County Developmental Disabilities Board; reappointment of Kate Hall to Position 7 of the Linn County Mental Health Advisory Board and Austin Miller to Position 8 and Dick Knowles to Position 10; Lynn Bentson to Position 6 on the Linn County Health Advisory Council.
– Approved purchases by the Road Department for its summer chip seal program including: liquid asphalt emulsion fog seal from Sierra Santa Fe Corporation; $63,450 in oil rock from Knife River for delivery to the Truelove Pit; and $76,354 in oil rock from Knife River to Belts Drive.