BROWNSTOWN — The Jackson County Council members recently threw their support behind a $1.7 million project to reconstruct the 75-year-old grandstand at Jackson County Fairgrounds.

That supports consists of $500,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funds for the reconstruction of grandstand, built in 1949, at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

Arann Banks, executive director of the Jackson County Visitor Center and a member of the fair board, told council members during their meeting Wednesday morning at the courthouse, that the total cost of reconstruction will be an estimated $1.7 million.

Banks said the fair board also is hoping to receive $650,000 in funds from the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI 2.0) for the project and are in the process of submitting documents to that initiative.

“158,000 people went to the fairgrounds in the last 12 months including the fair and the races, [and] the economic impact from that extrapolates out and ends up in the millions,” Banks said. “If those grandstands are not completed. If we don’t get something done about them, there’s going to be an economic problem.”

In late 1947, the Jackson County Fair Association received a $10,000 gift (half from John E. Kieffer and Kieffer Paper Mills, Brownstown) for erection of a permanent grandstand at the natural amphitheater at the fairgrounds. Due to the scarcity of construction materials after the end of World War II, it was thought the funds might not be used until 1949, according to an Dec. 5, 1947, article in The Tribune.

Construction of the grandstand started in the summer of 1949, and it was partially ready for that year’s fair, which was held Aug. 14-20. The racetrack, which now serves as the Brownstown Speedway, also was added at that time.

Councilman Brett Turner asked Banks to elaborate on what economic problems will arise from the fairgrounds continuing to have the grandstand in disrepair.

Banks said the fair board has a formula for economic impact/tourism and the presence of crowds at the fairgrounds generates revenue for local businesses.

“The crowd there is mostly regional during the races, but we do get a lot out of state from the south, some from Cincinnati,” Banks said. “They will spend money all the way … They stay in our hotels and our hotels are economically impacted by that. We extrapolate out how much [they spend], where they go, what they do.”

Councilman Brady Riley asked fellow council members whether they would like to table Banks’ request and take it under advisement.

“I think it’s a no-brainer for the county,” Turner said. “We need to make a move on this just so the fair board can know we’re behind them. I’m not against tabling it for more discussion, but I’m not really sure what more needs to be said at this point.”

Riley asked County Attorney Susan Bevers how many people have been hurt due to disrepair of the grandstand. Bevers said while the county is still liable for injuries, the county hasn’t had a claim in years because small changes have been made.

Councilman John Nolting encouraged fellow council members to vote favorably for Banks’ request.

“During the fair, I walked out through those grandstands one morning and they are in really bad repair,” Nolting said. “I agree that something needs to be done.”

In an unrelated matter, with all public meetings being required by the state of Indiana to be live-streamed by July 2025, council members discussed using ARPA funds to pay for a N-I-Tech two-camera system costing $35,484. County commissioners approved of this use at their meeting Tuesday morning.

A motion raised by Riley to approve the use of ARPA funds for the camera system passed.

“If it’s a mandate, we have to do it, unfortunately — it is what it is,” Councilman Michael Davidson said.

Council members also discussed the use of ARPA funds to address the needs of the 10 volunteer fire departments in the county.

“They are taking a tremendous amount of time out of their day to respond, not only if there’s a fire, but many of them, if not most, respond to medical emergencies,” Turner said.

Turner proposed to allocate $250,000 in ARPA funds to volunteer fire departments, with each department receiving up to $25,000 after an application process.

The council passed Turner’s motion to approve his proposal.

In an unrelated matter, the council approved sums of money appropriated out of the correctional fund, county general fund and supplemental public defender fund.

These additional appropriations will be used for the following purposes: inmate medical services ($27,000), special auditor’s office projects ($28,148), a county salary study ($28,519) and N-I-Tech’s camera system ($10,000 transfer).

Branden Robbins with Reedy Financial Group — a certified public accounting firm in Seymour that serves local units of government in Indiana — presented adopted budgets totaling $32,878,131 for Jackson County and binding units. A binding unit is a civil taxing unit whose budget is subject to review by a fiscal body (the county council is in this case). These budgets also are reviewed for certification by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance later in the year.

Council members approved of ordinances and resolutions to appropriations and tax rates in regard to adopted budgets presented by Robbins.

These ordinances included adopted budgets for the following fire protection districts: Vernon Township ($503,450), Driftwood Township ($133,766), Brownstown ($531,534), Redding Township ($164,032), Owen-Salt Creek ($205,908), Hamilton Township ($286,500), Jackson-Washington Fire Protection District ($347,500), Grassy Fork Township ($72,650) and Pershing Township ($309,500).

Ordinances approved also included adopted budgets for Brownstown Central Community School Corp. ($20,231,719), Pershing Township (with an unknown budget total).

The county council meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Meetings are open to the public and the press.