Lebanon proposes to buy fairgrounds, offers 25‑year lease to Ag Society; residents press for transparency

City Manager Scott Barunka told attendees the city is negotiating to purchase the 94-acre county fairgrounds and has developed a public master plan to preserve core 4‑H facilities while opening some parcels for private investment to fund repairs. "We are offering, essentially a 20 year lease with a 5 year renewal," Barunka said the city proposes as the lease structure for the Ag Society.

Barunka said the proposal divides the site into three areas: area A (core 4‑H fair facilities), area B (leased to harness horsemen under an approximately 8‑year agreement for 11 barns) and area C (open for development so private investment can help improve overall facilities). He emphasized the city’s goal is to preserve agricultural heritage and provide a stable home for fair programming while leveraging grants and other non‑tax revenue sources for capital work.

Resident concerns and city responses
Multiple residents pressed for clarity on who would pay for improvements, questioned past Ag Society financial management, and urged transparency. One attendee asked whether county residents (beyond city voters) have input; another referenced the Ohio Revised Code (cited in the meeting as "ORC 17 11") and asked what regulatory authority the city would have if it owned the property. Barunka replied that the property lies within Lebanon’s corporation limits and therefore falls under city zoning and services; he acknowledged state law does not explicitly contemplate city ownership of fairgrounds and said leases would define operational responsibilities and require annual financial review clauses.

Process and next steps
Barunka said negotiations with the harness horsemen on a lease were close to completion and that a transparent master‑planning process has included a roughly 20‑member stakeholder committee and a consultant. He invited the public to an open house on February 12 at 6 p.m. at the Events Center to review the draft master plan and give feedback. No legislative sale has been finalized; the city and county continue discussions about funding and lease terms.