Minerva West asks county for $3,000 to offset event-center rentals as fairgrounds fees are reviewed

Kathleen O’Mara, artistic director of Minerva West, told the Ouray County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 5 that the community theater group needs county support to cover venue costs and asked for a $3,000 contribution to offset event-center rentals.

Minerva West said it has produced 13 community theater productions at the Ouray County Event Center and planned a fourteenth for October. The group reported about 330 community participants (actors, crew and volunteers) involved across productions and said its performances drew 2,260 audience members over the season. For 2026, Minerva West plans five productions beginning in February and penciled 56 exclusive user days in the event center schedule, with roughly eight dark days while sets remain in place.

O’Mara said smaller grants and donations have supported youth scholarships but that general operating and venue costs for adult productions remain a funding challenge. She requested $3,000 that would be used to offset rental invoices to the fairgrounds. County staff and commissioners discussed alternatives — a flat annual rental arrangement, in‑kind offsets and a donation-credit approach — and stressed the need for transparent, consistent fees. Cassidy, the fairgrounds manager, and Minerva West representatives discussed training volunteers to help with bar service and inventory to reduce county staffing burdens during performances.

Commissioners did not authorize a payment at the work session. They said the county must finalize a consistent fairgrounds fee schedule first and directed staff to follow up with Minerva West and to include the request in budget deliberations. County leaders also noted that bar sales and concessions during events generate revenue to the county and that clear policies help avoid perceived preferential treatment among users.