News Photo by Steve Schuwitz Alpena Convention and Visitor's Bureau President Mary Beth Stutzman puts on her glasses before making public comment in opposition for a proposed project at the Alpena County Fairgrounds during Tuesday’s Alpena County Board of Commissioners meeting.

ALPENA — Alpena County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday for its monthly meeting, though a main topic of discussion was the pending Blackwater on the Water entertainment complex proposal. After a lengthy public comment period, Board Vice-Chair Brenda Fournier attempted a motion to terminate the county’s contract with the fair board.

Ending the contract with the fair board could open the door to having the fairgrounds project move forward, should the fair board vote against a proposed contract on May 5. The contract the commissioners voted to approve to sign with Blackwaters NE on April 17 would likely need to be amended if the fair board contract with the county is terminated.

County Administrator Jesse Osmer informed Fournier that the county’s contract with the Alpena County Fair Society is valid for 10 years until 2033. Osmer explained that commissioners can vote to terminate the contract with a 90 day notice.

Fournier never made the full motion at the meeting.

She stated her concern about the contract falling through if the fair society drags out contract negotiations longer.

“I don’t want to lose Blackwater,” she said. “For the simple reason being, we don’t have the money to fix that fairgrounds.”

She told The News that she will wait until the fair society meeting on May 5 to decide whether or not she’d pursue a motion to terminate the county’s contract with the fair society.

Courtney Tauriainen, Alpena County Fair Board president, told The News on Monday that the fair society’s Board of Directors have no intention of voting on the contract.

Rather, it is an opportunity for the fair society to voice its concerns through voting which will “provide direction” as to how the Board of Directors will proceed, according to Tauriainen.

She reaffirmed this at the first public comment opportunity at Tuesday’s county meeting.

Osmer started the meeting by giving a timeline as to how the Blackwater on the Water proposal came to be in regards to the county’s cooperation. The timeline as Osmer described it on Tuesday is as follows:

– March 19 was Osmer’s first meeting with Mike Romanowski, CEO Blackwater NE, and Jason Atwell, Blackwater NE head of production and events.

– March 24 was Romanowski and Atwell’s first presentation to the board of commissioners in closed session.

– March 26, Blackwater NE leadership met with the fair board to discuss plans and to answer questions.

– March 27, Osmer met with grounds maintenance supervisor, fairgrounds manager, and Tauriainen to discuss the property and “expectations.”

– April 14, Blackwaters NE gave a public presentation at a finance, ways, and means meeting. After that meeting, Osmer said himself and Commissioner Travis Konarzewski, Lucille Bray, Dan Ludlow, and Todd Britton met with 4-H at its office to discuss the plans further.

– April 17, Konarzewski and Osmer met with the fair board at the fair office prior to a special meeting held that afternoon. During the special meeting, commissioners voted to approve the county’s contract with Blackwaters NE.

– April 21, Board Chair John Kozlowski, Fournier, Britton, and Konarzewski, along with Osmer, met with the fair board and 4-H leadership for “approximately 3 hours” to discuss details and tour the barns and buildings.

– April 26, Osmer met with Konarzewski and “with members of the 4-H community” to discuss the proposal and answer questions. Osmer noted that the fair board was present at the first meeting with Blackwaters NE.

“The fair board leadership was in the room at that time and able to ask questions,” he said.

Osmer also noted that the initial meetings with Blackwater NE leadership were held in closed session due to Blackwater NE wishing to keep their proposal away from competition.

During board discussion, Bray took time to apologize to Romanowski and Atwell regarding “the treatment they have received during this process.”

“I don’t believe that this community is capable of this,” she added. “It’s uncalled for, and I would like to apologize.”

Both public comment portions of the meeting were overwhelmed by those speaking in regards to the Blackwaters NE LLC proposal to upgrade fairgrounds property and construct additions for the complex.

Some in the audience interrupted others giving public comments or commissioners while they were speaking, including the developers who represent Blackwaters NE. Kozlowski had to gavel at least twice to regain decorum.

Alpena Building Official Don Gilmet spoke during the first public comment portion noting Osmer’s inquiries regarding the safety and condition of infrastructure at the fairgrounds.

He said, citing his experience as county commissioner, that the fairgrounds have been deteriorating for years.

He noted the status of the grandstands and said that “we’ve been putting Band-Aids on that forever.”

He said that deterioration was a result of a lack of money.

Gilmet said that even if the project “goes south,” there is a potential for the county fairgrounds to receive needed improvements without costing the taxpayers substantially. He noted that if the county pulls out within the partial year lease term, Blackwarters NE will not likely have $3 million invested at that point.

He added that he believes that the project has potential to be a positive addition to the community.

“If we could get that kind of people coming to Alpena, get the fairgrounds fixed up, make it a state-of-the-art facility as opposed to what it is right now without costing taxpayers an arm and a leg,” he said.

President and CEO of the Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Mary Beth Stutzman also spoke during the first comment portion of the meeting on Tuesday noting concerns regarding sustainability and capacity.

“This proposal concentrates demand at a scale Alpena citizens have never managed,” she said.

She asked the commissions about parking, how Alpena’s public safety personnel will be supported, water and sewer capacity, and more.

She claimed that visitors “come here for natural assets, silent sport activities, and history.”

“Not necessarily for large scale, heightened frequency, entertainment venues,” she added.

Romanowski also spoke during public comment noting how the project progressed. He said that the project has moved quickly because his company has already signed on for contingent contractual agreements.

“The reason why this timeline seems so fast is we have been boots on the ground since last year, every single day in Alpena,” he said. “We looked at every other possible avenue for other places, privately.”

“We have stuff planned,” Romanowski added. “And that’s the part that makes it go so fast because we already signed on the dotted line for them.”

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.