Beer sales approved for county fair
Commissioners clear way for fair board to seek liquor license
Fair Board member Bob Toth explains the plan to sell beer at this year’s Medina County Fair. Photo by GLENN WOJCIAK
MEDINA – The Medina County Agricultural Society is planning to offer visitors to this year’s Medina County Fair an attraction they’ve never seen there before – beer.
County Commissioners passed a resolution May 23 that authorizes the fair board to apply for a license from the state’s Division of Liquor Control to sell beer at the fair. County commissioners were required to authorize the application since they own the fairgrounds the fair board manages on their behalf.
Selling beer at the family-oriented fair is not a decision the fair board arrived at overnight.
“We’ve been talking about this for years,” said Bob Toth, a member of the fair board. “We’ve done a lot of research into the matter and decided it was something we should do because we could use the money beer sales will generate.”
According to Toth, 35 other county fairs around the state allow the sale of beer. Toth said the fair board was also told by its insurance carrier that selling beer at the fair would not adversely affect their insurance premiums.
Toth also said the fair board looked, but could find no record of any lawsuits filed that were related to the sale of beer at other county fairs.
Toth also said the Medina County Sheriff’s Office, which provides security at the fair, has signed off on the idea of beer sales at the fair.
“We’re only going to sell beer in an area that’s segregated from the rest of activities,” Toth said. He described a fenced-in area near the grandstands which will have a security guard posted at each of the two entrances into the area.
This year’s Medina County Fair is scheduled from July 31 to Aug. 6. The proposed beer garden is expected to be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day except Sunday. Gary Allen and the Osborne Brothers will headline the entertainment for the week. They are scheduled to perform Aug. 3.
License plate fee
Commissioners scheduled two public meetings on a proposal for the Medina County Highway Engineer to increase the annual fee on license plates by $5 for residents of some unincorporated areas. The hearings are planned at 9 a.m. June 13 and 7 p.m. June 19 in Room 201 of the County Administration Building.
Appointees
Commissioners reappointed David Lofy and Loretta Myers to three-year terms on the Medina County Home Advisory Council and appointed Deborah Boehmke, Cheryl Mason and Brian Nowak to new three-year terms on the same advisory council.
Personnel expenses
County commissioners authorized the expenses for several county employees to attend a series of out-of-town meetings and training seminars. Among those expenses was $13,000 for 16 members of the Adult Probation Department to attend four different conferences in Columbus and Pittsburgh, $850 for three employees of the Juvenile Court to attend a two-conference in Columbus, $585 for three employees of the Public Defenders Office to attend a seminar on driving under the influence; and $500 for a sheriff’s deputy to attend a five-day tactical weapons course.
County Commissioners passed a resolution May 23 that authorizes the fair board to apply for a license from the state’s Division of Liquor Control to sell beer at the fair. County commissioners were required to authorize the application since they own the fairgrounds the fair board manages on their behalf.
Selling beer at the family-oriented fair is not a decision the fair board arrived at overnight.
“We’ve been talking about this for years,” said Bob Toth, a member of the fair board. “We’ve done a lot of research into the matter and decided it was something we should do because we could use the money beer sales will generate.”
According to Toth, 35 other county fairs around the state allow the sale of beer. Toth said the fair board was also told by its insurance carrier that selling beer at the fair would not adversely affect their insurance premiums.
Toth also said the fair board looked, but could find no record of any lawsuits filed that were related to the sale of beer at other county fairs.
Toth also said the Medina County Sheriff’s Office, which provides security at the fair, has signed off on the idea of beer sales at the fair.
“We’re only going to sell beer in an area that’s segregated from the rest of activities,” Toth said. He described a fenced-in area near the grandstands which will have a security guard posted at each of the two entrances into the area.
This year’s Medina County Fair is scheduled from July 31 to Aug. 6. The proposed beer garden is expected to be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day except Sunday. Gary Allen and the Osborne Brothers will headline the entertainment for the week. They are scheduled to perform Aug. 3.
License plate fee
Commissioners scheduled two public meetings on a proposal for the Medina County Highway Engineer to increase the annual fee on license plates by $5 for residents of some unincorporated areas. The hearings are planned at 9 a.m. June 13 and 7 p.m. June 19 in Room 201 of the County Administration Building.
Appointees
Commissioners reappointed David Lofy and Loretta Myers to three-year terms on the Medina County Home Advisory Council and appointed Deborah Boehmke, Cheryl Mason and Brian Nowak to new three-year terms on the same advisory council.
Personnel expenses
County commissioners authorized the expenses for several county employees to attend a series of out-of-town meetings and training seminars. Among those expenses was $13,000 for 16 members of the Adult Probation Department to attend four different conferences in Columbus and Pittsburgh, $850 for three employees of the Juvenile Court to attend a two-conference in Columbus, $585 for three employees of the Public Defenders Office to attend a seminar on driving under the influence; and $500 for a sheriff’s deputy to attend a five-day tactical weapons course.