ESCANABA — The Delta County Board of Commissioners authorized a request from the U.P. State Fair Authority for a $200,000 extension to its existing loan with the county Tuesday.

Delta County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vickie Micheau spoke to board members via Zoom during a board meeting held Tuesday evening.

“On May 13, the U.P. State Fair Authority’s executive committee met to talk about two items,” she said.

At that time, the committee reviewed a preliminary COVID-19 roadmap for the fair and discussed damage done to a building on the fairgrounds over the winter.

“We had structural damages to the beef barn. That’s the largest building on the fairgrounds,” Micheau said.

Construction work to repair the barn would cost an estimated $200,000.

“What we’re asking for is the consideration to renew the original loan that we had with the county, which was taken out in 2012, to bring it up to the original amount and use that as an opportunity to fund the expense of repair to the building,” Micheau said.

According to Micheau, the loan’s original amount was $433,000. Its current balance is roughly $240,000, and the fair authority has paid about $75,000 in interest.

County Administrator Emily DeSalvo said the county would be able to use its capital outlay fund to fulfill the request. However, she encouraged board members not to provide more than $200,000 to the fair authority at this time, as the fund also contains monies set aside for the construction of a car wash at the Delta County Airport and the county’s match for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant in support of improvements to Rapid River Falls Park.

A motion to approve a $200,000 loan extension was unanimously approved by the board.

In other business, the board:

– voted unanimously to allow the Delta Conservation District to re-open campgrounds at county parks to recreational campers. The vote was taken after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted Michigan’s stay-at-home order Monday. Campgrounds at the parks are tentatively set to re-open to the public Thursday.

– approved a $24,600 bid from Roy Ness Contracting & Sales Inc. of Escanaba to remodel space at the Delta County Service Center for use as a new veterans service office.

– agreed to put about $13,300 towards the purchase of a new truck for the Delta County Sheriff’s Office and the maintenance department. The remaining $32,000 needed to purchase the truck will be covered by a 2 percent grant from the Hannahville Indian Community.

– heard from Delta Conservation District Executive Director Rory Mattson about a fundraiser that will support the addition of 10 rustic cabins to Pioneer Trail Park and Fuller Park.

– merged an unfilled part-time custodian position and a part-time housekeeping position into a full-time position.

– allowed Jeffrey Hansen to purchase three years of service credit.

– instructed Board Chair Patrick Johnson to write a letter of recognition to businesses and individuals that volunteered in the construction of a garage for Delta County Search and Rescue.

– entered executive session to hear advice from the county’s attorney on the pending lawsuit “Hopkins v. Sierpien et al.” Aside from the approval of a motion to formally accept the advice, no action related to the lawsuit was taken after the board left executive session.