Demolition of pig barn makes way for new construction

The old pig barns at the Big Horn County fairgrounds are coming down. At their April 1 meeting, the county commissioners agreed to move ahead on tearing down the barns. A new single building pig barn should be completed by fair which starts July 27. 

Joining the commissioners for the discussion were fair board members Tracy Haley and Tucker McKim. Fair manager Catherine Foss and county maintenance manager Jeremy Pouska also participated in the discussion. 

Georgia and Chris Hunt were at the meeting representing Hunt Construction.  

Foss said she had been left out of the loop regarding the pig barns. She stated she had asked questions that led to more questions. She stopped by Hunt Construction to ask the questions, like why columns in the middle of the pig barn are there. She has been working on quotes for the pens and needed to understand the layout and specifics. She understood the floor plan was wide open, so she was getting quotes for three rows of 5’ x 6’ pens. This configuration won’t work with columns. 

Chris Hunt said based on his conversation with Foss, he got another quote from the building manufacturer for an open floor plan. There would be a price increase of $4,952 minus $2178 for a footing that wouldn’t be needed. He said Hunts would donate the remaining balance. Commissioner Deb Craft thanked Chris for the offer. 

A perimeter wall was going to cost $9,132 in materials and $7,200 in labor. This wall was part of the open floorplan versus the columned floorplan.  Haley added that without the wall, the pigs would be scattered everywhere. She is also concerned about the lighter pigs getting sunburned. 

There was discussion on if the panels should stay in the barn year-round. McKim said if they don’t come out, the barn can’t be used for other things, making it a one-use building for one week of the year.  He had some suggestions on how to anchor down the pens to keep them from shifting. Other ideas were proposed as well. 

Pouska noted that the new building would have the same footprint except in length as the current barn. He gave some suggestions on how the panels could be laid out. Pouska added that when he was given measurements for the panels, there were only two walkways. There was one set of panels on each side of the barn and a middle set. That is how the electrical was bid. He suggested turning the panels so all the gates face in. There would be no need for a wall. 

McKim suggested building a continuous fence around the building made with custom panels for a retaining walls that the pens could be anchored to. 

Craft said that what she is getting from the discussion is the open floor plan is what the fair wants. There will be no side walls and McKim had a good plan on how to put the pens in. She asked if everyone was in agreement. 

Foss went over the bids that she had thus far for the panels. She thinks the pig participation could go up this year. “People will be excited to have pens again,” she said. 

Pouska noted, “I don’t mean this with any disrespect, but I wanted the building to be there and obviously have some idea of what the panels were. We can make anything work. We really can. At the end of the day, I needed to talk to the pig superintendent and whoever else is involved to see how we set it up to work properly. It is the same footprint. 

Haley pointed to the diagram that was provided by the fair board. “That diagram there. Kelli (Mercer) and I did talk about it. That works best. The perimeter where you can walk the pigs in there. You don’t have to walk them down the midway.” 

Pouska expressed concern that the diagram was not to scale. The diagram looks like there is room but there isn’t. McKim said he was wrong. He didn’t realize there some of the pens were double. The scale he was talking about wasn’t working. Pouska said the back panels are going to have to be purchased anyway. 

At the same meeting, Clerk Lori Smallwood presented the resignations of fair board members Kelli Mercer and Luke Foss. The resignations were accepted by the commission.  

Haley pointed out that the bids were based on the diagram she and Mercer made. Foss it is based on barn size of 60 feet by 120 feet with 6-foot alleyways. That is what was provided to the companies for bid. 

Craft suggested the county go ahead an order the building then have a work session with the fair board and county to figure out the panels. 

McKim addressed the commission with his concerns about the fair board and their role. “We kind of feel like we really not anything. That’s how I feel about it. Our vote, our opinions. In a meeting, we vote on it, then you guys decide what you want to do anyway.” 

 One example he gave was that the board had voted no on the new pig barn but the following day the commissioners voted to move forward on it. “If that is kind of how it is, I would probably just resign as well.” 

Craft replied, “Your board is to make decision for the fair. I don’t know where you think we make those decisions. We don’t decide if you do pig wrestling, car racing, that’s the work session you’re going to have.”

McKim followed up by asking why the fair board voted on the pig barn at a fair board meeting.  Craft said she thought the fair board had the information about the barn and had it for an entire month.  When I came to that meeting I assumed you had it all of February. If you had any questions, you would have contacted us. When I came to that meeting in March I was unaware that was your first time to see it.” 

McKim said he believes the board voted no on it because they hadn’t seen the specs. He wonders why the fair board is even around. 

Foss said where she is “getting the most headache is the fair board feels … Jeremy knew Monday the third, that you guys would have to have an answer on Tuesday. Nothing was ever said and they tabled it and said no decision was to be made because there are too many questions. I was the one that got in trouble basically, because of the fact I had those.” 

She continued that the fair board meeting for March was canceled because of weather. “But never once were we told, that I needed to reschedule that meeting for that month to go over those.” 

Craft said the commission didn’t know either that the turnaround was the following day. Pouska explained that the quick turnaround was because a tariff was suddenly imposed on steel imports, which means the price would go up. He told the commissioner that the bid needed to be accepted, or a new quote would have to be done. “It wasn’t a hurry up and push this through to spite the fair board or manager.” Jolley said the window was closing and they had to act. McKim said the board was unaware there was a deadline. 

Foss continued that the only thing she had come across was that there was $150,000 set aside for a new barn and/or to match a grant. There was no expiration date. 

Craft reiterated that the bid came to the commission in January. It was supposed to go to the fair board for the February meeting. Even though it was canceled she believed that the information along with the February agenda would have been sent to the board via mail. Foss said the board voted to stop mailing out the meeting info due to cost. Jolley asked why the meeting information was emailed to the board. 

McKim said the reason the board voted no was because of the expense that the fair couldn’t afford. Jolley reminded McKim that the fair board had been told that the county would help pay for the barn. 

McKim explained the board is frustrated. They feel like they aren’t really a board but more of an advisory committee. A lot of the members of the board feel like their time isn’t very important. 

Foss told the commissioner that she is hearing a lot of people don’t want to help with the pig barn anymore. Craft responded that the barn could be canceled. However, the commission had been told time and time again that the current barn was unsafe and no one would show pigs because of the condition of the building.  That is why the commissioners committed to putting money towards it. “From the very start of this thing, the explanation was a new pig barn was needed, even temporarily, to make it a safe place to have pigs,” said Craft. The board can raise money to build a pig barn the way they want but something had to be done until then. 

McKim asked why no bids were obtained for an addition to the multipurpose building. An addition would have expanded what could be done with a larger multipurpose building. 

McKim feels like the fair board had no input on the pig barn. Craft pointed out that is what they did today. Helped figure out the type of building, the pens, etc. McKim later added, “It’s a shame what our tax dollars are going for. Another building that is going to be used one week of the year.” That is what he hears from taxpayers. Jolley said he agrees. McKim suggested the county should have spent money on the current building’s electrical and structure instead. Jolley pointed out that the county has spent money year after year on the electrical. 

Foss expanded her comments to say that former fair managers have pitted the fair board against the commissioners.

Foss also expressed frustration with WiFi and lack of movement forward with it. Commissioner Bruce Jolley said he believed the county had told the county’s IT person to work with TCT. 

ROAD/BRIDGE/ENGINEERING 

Acting county engineer Matt Leonhardt presented the department reports. There is a small WYDOT closure on Wyoming Highway 433. County engineer Willie Bridges went on site the previous week with concerns about the detour route. Semi-trucks were driving on Lane 53 ½ and Road 32. They are “hammering the road pretty good.” stated Lenohardt. 

In regard to the Rairden bridge replacement, WYDOT has said they want to acquire new right-of-ways for the bridge ends. This is because of an alignment change for the bridge. There is not a set date yet for this bridge and the Shell Creek bridge replacements. They are hoping Rairden will be this fall. 

Leonhardt presented right-of-way permits for Big Horn REA and Deaver Irrigation District. The permits were approved by the commissioners. 

In other business:

• County Prevention Coordinator Travis Sylvester gave an update. 

• The Airports/Land Planning department reports were given by Paul Thur and Stephanie May. Bobbie Hawkins and Todd Simmons were appointed to the airport board. Charlie Cooley was reappointed.  The grand opening of the Cowley airport pilot lounge is tentatively set for July 2.