DuPage postpones county fairgrounds lease extension again

DuPage County Board members have once again postponed a decision on whether to allow a group to continue operating the county fairgrounds in Wheaton.

The county board was scheduled to vote Tuesday on a proposed lease extension with the DuPage County Fair Association, the nonprofit group that plans and runs the annual five-day county fair.

But for the second time in less than a month, the board's finance committee sent the proposal back to the public works committee for review. This time, it's because additional amendments were suggested.

With the fair association's lease to use the fairgrounds expiring this year, a lease extension is seen as a stopgap measure so negotiations on a long-term lease can continue.

While a final vote on the lease extension was delayed, the finance committee did agree to reduce the proposed extension from three years to two years. Board member Brian Krajewski, a Downers Grove Republican, proposed a two-year lease extension, even though a fair association official said more time was necessary.

Jim McGuire, executive director of the fair association, said vendors and event organizers want to book contracts years in advance.

Still, the finance committee voted 11-7 to shorten the lease extension to Sept. 30, 2022.

Meanwhile, other amendments were proposed by board member Grant Eckhoff.

"My house is almost directly across the street from the fairgrounds, so I am in contact with a lot of the residents," the Wheaton Republican said after the meeting. "It was to address many of their concerns."

One amendment codifies nightly fairground operating hours and limits the number of overnight events to three per year unless permission is granted by the board. Another places restrictions on temporary or portable lighting and amplification devices after operating hours.

Eckhoff said he drafted the amendments after neighbors complained about an overnight "Chicago P.D." TV shoot where "the houses across the street were lit up like high noon at 9 p.m. at night."

All of Eckhoff's proposed amendments were sent to board members before Tuesday's meeting. But Eckhoff acknowledged they weren't shared with McGuire before the meeting.

On Tuesday, McGuire expressed his exasperation over the changes.

"These 'gotchas' keep on coming," said McGuire, stressing the fair association built and maintains the fairground buildings and that they exist to serve the needs of the county.

"We do a great job of helping community, working with community from everybody from the school districts to the park districts, to the city of Wheaton, to the county here." McGuire said. "Our facilities are made available for everything."