<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0u0dBX_1GqBvlqb00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0u0dBX_1GqBvlqb00" width="696" height="467" ></figure>BROOKSVILLE – On Tuesday, the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners held a regular meeting where they heard a presentation from Hernando County Fairgrounds Operations Manager Richard Klimas.The commissioners were looking to turn over a new leaf with Klimas and company but were cautious considering past dealings that seemed “shady,” as Commissioner Steve Champion called it.“This is a vast improvement from the past,” Commissioner Champion continued. “Much more professional. Still got a ways to go. You have got to renew the confidence in the public that it is not family-run … one hands washing the other. … It just looks shady.”The board agreed that Klimas’ presentation on Tuesday was the first step in gradually mending trust between the county and the fairgrounds.Commissioner Champion suggested that Klimas and company hire accountants, lobbyists or other professionals to make sure all profits are properly disclosed and that everything is above board.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4SJosO_1GqBvlqb00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4SJosO_1GqBvlqb00" width="1280" height="960" ><figcaption>Richard Klimas speaks at the Hernando Board of County Commission meeting on Oct. 27, 2026. [Photo by Austyn Szempruch]</figcaption></figure>Ideally, with Commissioners Ryan Amsler and John Allocco on the fairgrounds board, that issue should be ameliorated to some degree. Klimas said he will also submit a report to Administrator Rogers disclosing that information.With Representative (and incoming county commissioner) Jeff Holcomb set to be sworn in in the coming months, it might behoove Klimas’ crew to put extra effort into ameliorating his concerns. These include addressing the not-so-timely reimbursement of those who sell their livestock at the fairgrounds.“I think that it is a good opportunity to hit a reset button,” said County Chair Jerry Campbell. “It is a good opportunity [for] everybody [to] come together. There is nothing more that we want than for that fair association to be successful, because it benefits everybody.”Though Klimas’ proposal was not a master plan, it was more of the fairgrounds’ “first thoughts on how a master plan might be developed,” attorney Joseph Mason said. Klimas and the fairgrounds team will be working to establish a more concrete master plan over the next nine months.Klimas, also an associate member of the Florida Federation of Fairs, has been attending conferences and workshops to help secure grant money for the fairgrounds’ revitalization. The existing plan, prepared in September 2009, is the “starting point” for their new plan.The local fairgrounds have implemented various improvements and enhancements over the better part of two decades, including:• moving the arena to expand the fairgrounds in 2009• rebuilding auditorium restrooms in 2010• retiling auditorium flooring in 2010• fencing for bridge in 2010• clearing the northeast back parking lot and improving parking overflow in 2011• adding a covered porch to the east auditorium in 2017• remodeling the auditorium with new drywall, trim, and baseboards in 2019• installing a pair of bridges at Magnolia Creek• electricians checking wiringKlimas has known the intended consultant, the St. Petersburg- and Tampa-based Schere Construction, “for a long time,” he said. “They are very competent.”According to Klimas, Schere’s proposed role would be to: • Review the existing master plan and the current list of proposed revisions• Assess existing building, site conditions, parking, utilities and operational needs.• Evaluate feasibility, preliminary scope, cost implications, and potential phasing.• Identify priorities and recommendations for an updated master planOne of the fairgrounds’ biggest asks for funding comes in the form of a 40,000-square-foot arena.“One of the things that we want to do — I have got a lot of support from the horse community — is a new indoor arena that would complement our area of a 50-mile radius, which would bring in … I do have some emails… that show these people are willing to come if we have the facility.”With other places such as Manatee County having recently built similar structures that can also double as hurricane shelters, Klimas and his team are open to developing their potential arena that way, if needed.There would be ample opportunity for events throughout the year and it could even be rented out for other types of activities while supporting youth, agricultural, and community programs. Because members of the equestrian community are often more affluent, they could be a boon to the local economy if the structure is completed.Klimas added that several other structures on the property also need work, including the snack shack, the FHP building, the North parking lot restrooms, the Jackson building, and the former county storage building.The auditorium has various needs that must be addressed as well, from upgrading the air conditioning units to renovating the kitchen and the backstage areas, among others.Their funding strategy includes grant funding through the Federation of Fairs, the Department of Agriculture and “quite a few people who are willing to come on board once we actually get started,” he said. County Administrator Jeff Rogers would be willing to help the fairgrounds bid for state funding, but a grant will have to wait for city approval.“I’m not going to move forward with a grant partnership until the city says that they are interested in working with you also … but I’m definitely willing … [to] help get state dollars,” said Rogers.With Klimas and company hoping to court more equestrian competitors, Administrator Rogers suggested the fairgrounds change their name to something like the “Brooksville Equestrian Fairgrounds” for branding purposes. Klimas’ next step is to present his proposal before the city of Brooksville in the coming weeks.The fairgrounds are looking “… to make this a place that is just not the fairgrounds, but it is the community part,” said Klimas.</div></body>

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BROOKSVILLE – On Tuesday, the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners held a regular meeting where they heard a presentation from Hernando County Fairgrounds Operations Manager Richard Klimas. The commissioners were looking to turn over a new leaf with Klimas and company but were cautious considering past dealings that...

Klimas Presents “First Step” in Fairground Master Plan Revisions

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BROOKSVILLE – On Tuesday, the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners held a regular meeting where they heard a presentation from Hernando County Fai

Klimas Presents “First Step” in Fairground Master Plan Revisions

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