Amador County – Amador County Board of Supervisors last week approved $7,500 for the county’s state fair booth, and pledged to help raise more of the funds in their districts.

Amador Council of Tourism was awarded $500 from each Supervisor’s discretionary funds, and $5,000 from the budget toward its needed $11,709 for the County exhibit in the State Fair in July. ACT Executive Director Maureen Funk said $10,000 would go to the builder, Richard Bay; $620 buys fair passes and parking passes for volunteers who staff the booth; $500 goes to booth set-up and maintenance; and $589 is as an administrative fee.

She said Bay, who has built the county’s exhibit the last three years, has a good relationship with Cal-Expo, and the county’s booth this year will be a stand-alone space. Bay submitted the winning bid presentation and design for this year’s booth theme, the Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheel.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said he thought each supervisor could contribute $500 toward the fair booth, and then go to the community in their districts to get support in funding. Funk said she told Bay he may have to build the exhibit this year to include a partner.

She said a phone computer application showed a good return of investment from the fair. Amador County’s was the most downloaded phone app, with 7,500 downloads. She said Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort showed what they considered an enormous 4 percent return on their 25-point free play offer at the casino through the app. She said the downloads are largely used when people are in the county, meaning it is bringing people from the fair booth to the county. “Two-thirds of the location downloads they know, when they are downloading it, they are here.”

Supervisor John Plasse asked if the Rancheria was approachable as a partner. Funk said Jackson Rancheria is approachable, but the tribe made a huge contribution for a number of years, five years, toward the fair booth.

Funk said the Gold Country is in the top 10 U.S. travel destinations, which named the wine region and the little town of Volcano.

Supervisor Brian Oneto asked if the builder could drop the price a little bit, since it was the bulk of costs. Funk said the state fair has also reduced the prize money, which is left on the table as a bonus and incentive for builders, so that reduction already squeezes the builder.

Supervisors agreed on $500 each in discretionary fund. Forster said “I can go out and raise that money if I need to.” Forster said he would talk to the Ione Business Association and Preston Castle. Oneto said he would talk to the Vintners Association. Supervisor Ted Novelli said he would go to the Jackson Rancheria and Volcano Communications.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.