Commissioners urge clearer communication after Fair Board branding workshop with Kemper

County staff briefed the commissioners on a branding and marketing workshop conducted with CenterPoint and the Fair Board and said the session produced design concepts staff will bring back for selection. Commissioners noted that at least one Fair Board member said he "didn't hear about the process," and staff urged clearer communication and more proactive outreach to ensure buy‑in from all board members.

The meeting included robust discussion about the role of the contractor Kemper. Staff observed that Kemper typically drives marketing and operations at comparable facilities and said some fair‑board members have not adjusted their expectations: "...they didn't seem to have switched the mindset," staff said. Commissioners and staff emphasized that an operational agreement still must be finalized to clarify responsibilities and reduce confusion.

Speakers said the county has been backing the project financially and that the Fair Board has not borne financial consequences for the decisions noted in the workshop. Commissioners asked staff to continue outreach and to present a narrowed set of design options for the board to review at an upcoming meeting.