SAFFORD — Work continues at a brisk pace to improve Graham County Fairgrounds.
During the most recent Board of Supervisors meeting, County Manager Dustin Welker gave an update on the improvements happening at the Fairgrounds.
He said waterline and landscaping improvement plans are moving forward, and the City of Safford is helping install a new pipe in the recently deepened pond. The pond will serve as the intake of treated effluent from Safford and the county will pump out for irrigation.
The county was awarded a $1.2 million federal appropriation, spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., for the irrigation waterlines. Welker said the funding will come through the Environmental Protection Agency and the county will have to conduct an environmental analysis before obtaining the funds and starting the work.
“We’re also working on our CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) grant project, which takes sidewalks all around the pond and the lower south area, to the future park area. We’re hoping to get that done by Fourth of July,” Welker said.
The Ag Building will receive two new fans and insulation. The fans will be installed by April 18 just as the insulation work begins. And the county will soon solicit bids to paint the exhibit buildings.
Meanwhile, Fairgrounds staff is working with Southwest Gas to install new heaters in Building 4.
And to get ready for Little League season, Welker said the county has rebuilt in-house a few of the dugouts, and county staff has fabricated mobile soft-toss targets for Little Leaguers to use instead of tossing at the fences.
