Washington County Commission awards fair and rodeo contracts, 3-0

The Washington County Commission voted 3-0 on Oct. 20 to award the production contracts for the Washington County Fair and the 2027 Washington County Fair Rodeo to Rope Race Ride Productions, according to the meeting video and the OpenUtah transcript of the recording. Both awards are pending a standard agreement. Chairman Adam Snow and Commissioners Victor Iverson and Gil Almquist voted on each item. ^[1][2]

County staff member Nicholle Felshaw told the commission that Rope Race Ride's proposal was the only one submitted on time for the fair, at 19 pages with four letters of support. She said it was scored on organizational capacity, a community advisory board plan, a local talent and vendor plan, a financial plan with the proposed management fee, and an event program. The company is led by Mike and Raquel Randall, a Southern Utah family business she said has more than three decades of experience producing rodeos and festivals, including the Iron County Fair, Hurricane Peach Days and Enterprise Corn Fest. Its proposal includes a 14-day local-only application window for vendors and performers and at least 75 percent of vendor spaces and talent slots reserved for local applicants. ^[2]

For the rodeo, Felshaw said many proposals were weak on the concept itself, such as what the event is, ticket pricing and how it fits with the fair. She said Rope Race Ride's itemized budget projects a modest surplus of about $6,800 after costs and its plan includes ranch, youth and special-needs rodeo events, mutton busting, roping and barrel racing, and dancing after the rodeo. She said having one team run both events would let the fair and rodeo coordinate scheduling, marketing and sponsorships. ^[2]

The commission also approved, each 3-0, Transient Room Tax funding for event marketing agreements. The amounts stated were $7,500 for the 2027 Zion Half Marathon, $25,000 for the Intermountain Cup mountain bike racing series, $40,000 for the Seven Elite International Soccer Tournament, $15,000 for Coral Peak Gymnastics' Zion Invitational, and $5,000 total for two Underground Runner races. It approved funding for Ride Southern Utah's spring and fall bicycle tours as well, and a memorandum of understanding with marketing firm Kanakawee and Luxury Escapes for an Australian television series sponsorship. The stated amounts add up to $92,500, not counting the Ride Southern Utah item or the Luxury Escapes sponsorship, for which no amounts were stated. ^[2]

Other 3-0 votes included a resolution asking federal legislators to clear regulatory hurdles so small, landlocked Bureau of Land Management parcels inside municipalities can be disposed of. The commission also approved a flood-mitigation construction contract at Legacy Park starting in November and renewal of a graphic design contract. It appointed Iverson and Snow as the county's representative and alternate for the Utah Counties Indemnity Pool annual meeting. The commission tabled consideration of 911 ambulance service contracts for Santa Clara, Ivins and surrounding areas. ^[2]

Commissioners also adopted a new mining and gravel zone chapter covering subsurface mining and letters of credit, and the first part of a comprehensive rewrite of the county's Title 10 zoning regulations, including agritourism, rural tourism and manufactured housing parks. The zoning rewrite takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. During discussion, staff described provisions meant to keep long-pending applications from lingering for years. ^[2]