By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
The Good Sams organization enjoyed their June stay at the
Juab County Fairgrounds so much that they want to enter a
long-term contract with the county commission to return to
the site each year.
Bill Orr, the state president of the group, his wife
Elaine; Eldon and Shirley Nye; Gary and Linda Bridges; Lynn
and Maretta Koyle; and Bill Lofgran all attended county
commission meeting on Monday to make the request.
"We want to tell you that our experience here was
beyond our expectations," said Orr. "We would like to come
back and we would like to talk about a long-term agreement,
perhaps for five years with an option for 10 years."
The group would like to use the fairgrounds each
June&emdash;either the second or third week of the
month.
"I think it would be a good idea to make the long-term
contract for four years," said Robert Steele, commissioner.
"We could tie the present price to that contract with the
option to re-new and re-negotiate at the end of that
time."
Steele said that was the best plan because it would
not tie another commission to the decisions made by the
present commission.
The contract would allow the staff to have access to
the fairgrounds on Monday of the week the Samboree is held.
Then most of the campers would enter the fairgrounds on
Wednesday. Most of the group leaves early on Sunday.
"We expected that 300 rigs this year," said Orr.
"Instead, we had in excess of 350 rigs."
There was some impact on the Nephi City Police
Department as that many campers tried to negotiate city
streets to get to the fairgrounds. The extra 50 or so rigs
had made it so that extra police were needed.
"Our members like how well there were treated," said
Koyle. He said members also appreciated the way they could
drive around the community without being in traffic
jams.
"Some of us traveled over the Nebo Loop to the top,"
said Koyle. Orr said he had the Good Sams keep the receipts
of money they spent in Nephi. So far, he said, those records
indicated members of the organization had spent more than
$50,000.
"A lot of that money went to local restaurants and
local businesses," he said. "And as far as we were
concerned, the price was right for our staying at the
fairgrounds."
The group paid $2,000 for facility which was used for
the Good Sams Jamboree this year. In addition, the
organization donated $1,000, or approximately one-third the
cost, of installing six permanent electrical pads at the
fairgrounds.
"We are not adverse to helping with projects in the
future, if we receive some of the benefit of having them
located at the fairgrounds," said Orr.
He said the group would also be willing to hand-out
literature for the Ute Stampede, which is always the second
week of July. "We do goodie bags for our members and could
put a brochure featuring the Stampede inside each bag."
He also suggested that the Ute Stampede Committee
might consider offering a few free tickets to the Stampede
to be used as door prizes in the Good Sams drawing.
Wm. Boyd Howarth, commission chair, said he thought
Orr should work closely with David Leavitt, county attorney,
on working out the terms of a long-time use agreement.
Orr was also asked to form a tentative four-year
calendar for the Samboree so that other events could be
planned around the dates the Good Sams would be at the
fairgrounds.
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