News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Aleksi Williams plays in a large wooden tractor in the playground at the Alpena County Fairgrounds.

ALPENA — Individuals in Alpena County have questioned why state grants haven’t been used to remedy the repairs needed at the Alpena County Fairgrounds. Since the Alpena County Fair Society voted on Tuesday to cease negotiations with Blackwarters NE, the future of the fairgrounds and a path towards repairs remain uncertain.

At Tuesday’s fair society meeting, Fair Board President Courtney Tauriainen told attendees that the financial challenges the fair society has faced in the last decade are not disputed.

“It is no secret the fair board has struggled with financial burdens in the last decade,” she said. “But even then, this community stood beside us.”

Tauriainen added that the fair society has invested $300,000 into the fairgrounds in the last five years through fundraising events.

The News has not been able to substantiate these investments at the time of publication.

Tauriainen told The News on Friday that the focus of the fair board recently has been to make the fairgrounds ADA compliant.

Tauriainen and County Administrator Jesse Osmer said that state grants have been pursued but not without challenges preventing successful applications.

Tauriainen said that since the Alpena County Fair Society established its 501c3 status in 2022, and had to show financial records from 2022 to 2025 among other documentation to be considered for certain grants. Those grant opportunities were beyond the fair society’s reach until this year.

Grants that the fair society pursued included a grant cycle with Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Congressionally Directed Spending grant through Senator Slotkin’s office, and grants through the Youth and Recreation committee, Tauriainen said.

Tauriainen explained that the fair board had not submitted these grants within the deadline period. She added the Youth and Recreation grant was never submitted because the project with Blackwaters NE was “up in the air.”

She also said that the MDARD grants require significant financial documentation to be considered eligible.

“MDARD requires quite a bit of other fair financial records,” she said. “There is a lot of information that is required for the MDARD grant.”

Osmer said that the MDARD grants are not something that the county will “chase” because of the 50% match required. He added that he is aware of the MDARD grant opportunities and has investigated them with the assistance of the Northeast Michigan Council of Government (NEMCOG).

The MDARD grant considered maxes out at $100,000, so the county would have to contribute $50,000 if it was awarded the full amount. It would also have to spend the $100,000 up front and the state would pay the county back.

Osmer said that the grants are not within the budget for the county since it just overcame a $1.6 million budget deficit this past budget cycle. He said that the county is not in a fiscally responsible position to start investing until three to five years from now.

Tauriainen said that the fair board is in a financial position to assist the county with the match.

Criticism of county investment came at the heels of the controversial Blackwater on the Water entertainment complex project that could have upgraded the Alpena County Fairgrounds.

Though select individuals in the community have expressed concern with the buyback provisions in the county contract with the company, Osmer says that they would have a five year period to pay back for the investments from Blackwaters NE.

“This is why I spoke so highly of the Blackwaters contract,” he said. “We wouldn’t have to pay it back for five years.”

It is also possible the county wouldn’t have to pay Blackwaters back any money if Blackwater walks away or doesn’t comply with the terms of its contract with the county.

Osmer noted how the county’s contract with Ameresco is up in 2028 which would free up those funds by the time when and if the buyback came due. Ameresco, a company which claims to improve energy efficiency in facilities, was paid with bonds by the county to increase savings for the municipality in 2012.

Osmer noted that if the county were to walk out of the contract with Blackwaters NE within the first phase of the project, the amount owed would not be $1.5 million some cite but rather in the $100,000s range.

Concerning the necessary repairs at the fairgrounds, Osmer stated that the fairgrounds are not the only property in need of upgrading. He said that the District Health Department No. 4 building, Alpena County courthouse, and Plaza Pool all need repairs, as well.

“We appreciate the work that needs to be done at the fair,” he said. “But, no family would dig themselves out of a million dollar hole just to take out $1 million … everything can’t happen at once … it is not realistic.”

Tauriainen said that she believes that the county should start investing more into the fairgrounds.

“It’s time for the fairgrounds to receive funding from the county,” she said. “The effort has not been made at the fairgrounds.”

Osmer stated that the county pays for year-round insurance on the property, ground maintenance, and other improvement projects.

The News has not been able to substantiate these investments at the time of publication.

On Thursday, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced the awardees of its most recent grant cycle which aims to fund infrastructure improvements at county fairground facilities and to support livestock and commodity expositions across Michigan.

Fairs are also only eligible if they did not receive a competitive capital improvement grant in the previous grant cycle.

According to the press release, MDARD awarded $507,000 in total to support only eight entities to invest in grandstands, livestock housing, electrical improvements, and other projects.

Tauriainen said that she believes that the fair society would be good candidates for this grant. She added that a provision excluding prior awardees from re-appling every year narrows down the playing field.

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