By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
The Girdwood Forest Fair is awaiting a decision by the Anchorage Assembly to use Heritage Land Bank land for a campground during the three-day event held in July. That information came to light during the Girdwood Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, March 16 when two Forest Fair Committee members, Shine Herfindahl and Tom O’Malley addressed the board about this and other issues concerning the fair.
The GBOS also voted to waive additional fees for park use and vendors at this year’s fair. Instead the board opted to charge the Forest Fair Committee a flat fee of $5,000 to recoup money allocated from this year’s budget to assist in security costs.
The board also deliberated on approving a Forest Fair Site Plan.
“Is everyone happy with this plan?” asked Chairman Tim Cabana. “We’ve looked through this one. I was very impressed with the whole thing. I think this fair is going to run a lot better than it has, and I’m inclined to give you guys the benefit of the doubt, and I’m happy with the plan.”
After some discussion and public comments, the board unanimously approved the plan 5-0.
The six page plan offered details on the operation of the fair, including security issues, especially in regard to the campground on Glacier Creek, which was a trouble spot in the fair two years ago and led to the cancellation of the fair last year until the committee could tackle the security problems and safety concerns expressed by the community and public safety officials.
“The following site plan will reflect some of the major and minor changes made to Forest Fair’s normal operations,” the plan stated. “After taking a one year break to send a clear message that the ballyhoo that had become prevalent in recent years, and threatened the good will of the fair itself, could not continue, the Forest Fair Committee has made significant changes to hours of operation, camping and security.”
The hours of operation at this year’s fair will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Music will start at noon and end at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Securitas USA was hired to provide event security, and the Director of Security is Mike Olpalka, a retired State Trooper from Girdwood. Additional personnel will be hired to assist in security coverage on all permitted areas of the Forest Fair, the plan stated.
Camping will be allowed on three designated areas: the New Girdwood Campground at the Nissman Pavilion, Vendor and family camping on the recently cleared area along Karolius Drive in the “squirrel cage”, and on the island in Glacier Creek.
The island is located on Heritage Land Bank Land. However, unlike in past years, a waiver is needed for Forest Fair to use the land.
A request for a waiver was recently submitted by Forest Fair to William Mehner, Executive Director of the Heritage Land Bank. He gave the waiver to the mayor to take to the Anchorage Assembly.
O’Malley said they have received a free permit to use the land for camping the past six Forest Fairs.
“If we don’t’ get the waiver, we won’t have jurisdiction,” he told the Times after he addressed the GBOS. O’Malley wasn’t certain why the permit wasn’t granted this year, but, he said, the only way to properly secure the area is for the fair to be in control of security in the camping area.
“We’re doing what the people want,” he said. “If we don’t get that waiver, we won’t have the money for security.”
This year the nightly fee for camping on the island is $25 per person per night.
Security costs are estimated to be $30,000 for this year’s fair up from $10,000 for the previous fair. With over 2,000 campers estimated on the island in the 2007 fair, the nightly camping fees at this year’s fair should more than cover the cost of security.
The island security was going to be beefed up with 24-hour patrolling, O’Malley said. Backpacks will be checked, and the Forest Fair Committee will engage the campers with scheduled activities and a community fire from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the evenings.
There will also be an effort made to make the campground more accessible for emergency responders, something Chief Chadwick of the Girdwood Fire Department said was a serious problem in 2007.
Finally, the board approved to waive increased user and vendor fees, and charged the Forest Fair Committee the flat fee of $5,000.
Unlike past years, the municipality and parks and recreation department recommended charging a user fee for the Forest Fair Committee based on Anchorage fees, and an increased vendor fee of $200. Currently, vendors pay $250 to $350.
In the end, the GBOS voted 4-1 to waive the additional fees, Board Member John Gallup abstained.
A beer tax of 50 cents per cup of beer will be collected at this year’s fair. The board considered collecting that money and using it to cover the $5,000 they gave Forest Fair for security, but, it was decided to let the Forest Fair Committee collect the money and appropriate it.
All profits left over from the fair are donated by the Forest Fair Committee to selected local charities.