The Yuma County Commissioners issued conditional approval for a beer garden at the 2021 Yuma County Fair & Rodeos.
The 2-1 vote came after a public hearing held during the regular board meeting last Friday at the Yuma County Courthouse in Wray. It depends on the Knights of Columbus’ plan to act as the seller, which has not yet been presented to the commissioners. Inspector Robin Wiley voted against. Trent Bushner and Scott Weaver voted for it, but with strict rules.
In addition to an agreement with the Knights of Columbus, the approval is only valid for the 2021 fair, in which the maximum capacity in the beer garden, the number of workers who cut off or do not serve the visibly drunk, the sellers who do not drink, are determined. No one under the age of 21 was allowed in the beer garden, the insurance includes Yuma County as additionally insured, no food except the buyer’s grill, no free beer and the commissioners who have the option to shut it down if any of them witnesses any Problems.
Weaver made the move.
About half a dozen people attended the public hearing, including members of the Yuma County Fair Board.
Bushner outlined the proposal previously made by the Fair Board.
It calls for a beer garden to be opened during the Junior Livestock Sale on the Monday evening of the fair. It would be in the old sheep barn next to the sales ring. It is planned to set up a facility so that those in the beer garden can still bid on animals
The other time there would be a beer garden is the Tuesday of Mass from 5pm to 11pm, including the night show concert. It would be outside the stands.
It was stated that the Knights of Columbus run the beer garden at the Logan County Fair in Sterling each year, and members of the Yuma Knights have helped there.
Public comments included representatives from the First Southern Baptist Church in Yuma, which offers free cart rides from the parking lot to the fairgrounds each year. Crystal Terrell said the church has the same attitude as it has in the past that it might decide not to make the courtesy carts available during the beer garden’s operating hours. Pastor Chris Mulder asked what measures were being taken to keep things under control. He also expressed concern about the backlash against the Church.
Bushner said everyone appreciates the free cart service and he hopes it will keep going. He said he didn’t know why someone would discriminate if the drivers didn’t bring people to the beer garden or even offer the service during beer garden hours.
Weaver noted that the carts are mostly for the elderly and hoped they wouldn’t pay the price.
Mulder noted that many of the cart drivers are older and there are concerns when a person is stubborn. He was told that if there is a beer garden there will be no tolerance for this behavior. Terrell noted that there have been such situations in the past.
Mass board member Jed Gleghorn said he would not judge the church in any way but also did not want to be judged for helping a beer garden.
Pastor Mulder and Terrell said they are not judging, they are just concerned about protecting their drivers.
Gleghorn and the other board members of the fair, Baylor Buck and Micah Seyler, explained the board’s reasons for proposing a beer garden. This would make it easier for law enforcement agencies if it were limited to one area. Drinking already takes place on the exhibition grounds, so this would help control. At the same time, revenue is generated for the exhibition and it is becoming increasingly scarce that the money for the exhibition is becoming increasingly scarce. They also found that while it was selling it would help keep buyers more motivated rather than moving elsewhere.
Cliff Leonhardt, who lives in the district, spoke out in favor of the beer garden and found that the district lacked income and that people were already walking around with cups during the fair. He also said it would help bidding during the sale and allow the youngsters to optimize their fair projects.
Inspector Wiley said he liked a cold beer as much as anyone else. However, he stated that his philosophy is that the fair is about the kids, and it has always been, and he didn’t think the fair was the place to have a beer.
“It’s hard for me to have a county-approved beer garden,” he said.
Bushner and Weaver also expressed reservations but also supported the proposal, but with many restrictions and regulations as mentioned above. Weaver noted that the fair is about youth, but also about the whole community. Bushner admitted that he owns a pub in downtown Yuma, so he understands the problems involved in serving beer. He also admitted that drinking is already taking place during the fair, but it will not be tolerated if there is a beer garden. He said he would only support it on the basis of the Knights of Columbus proposal which shows it is being done right.
“There are risks,” said Bushner, “but I hope that it can be mitigated a little by being controlled.”
The date on which the Knights of Columbus will make their presentation to the district commissioners was not known earlier this week.
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