South DaCola

Still a lot of unanswered questions about the sale of the Fairgrounds

When are politicians going to realize we might start trusting them if they start being transparent?

Minnehaha County commissioners could move forward soon on the question of what to do with the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds, including the prospect of selling the land and moving the Sioux Empire Fair to a new location.

“I think it will be soon,” Commissioner Dick Kelly said. “It’s been an information-gathering process. Now we’ve got all the facts, or opinions.”

Kelly said he hopes all the questions are settled before officials begin work on the next budget, which starts next month. The fairgrounds, he added, have an effect on both the county’s short- and mid-term budget outlook.

Sanford already has submitted two reports to the county, including one that analyzes the legal issues as to whether the county can sell the land. Kelly characterized them as “draft reports,” meaning they are not available to the public.

And there isn’t many answers in the rest of the story either.

Sweetman Construction, which operates a nearby quarry, has been mentioned as a possible buyer for the site, but Sanford said there has been no talk of selling the land and no negotiations.

Yeah, sure, you betcha. If that is true, let’s see the reports.

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