Missoula County Fairgrounds Director Resigns, Fair Changes Still in the Works

Missoula County Fairgrounds Director Todd Garrett announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down from his position for personal reasons.

"The fair takes on an incredible amount of energy and time to put on. Starting way back early in January when we begin planning for it, then getting everything ready usually takes several weeks in July and most of August to put together and pull off," Missoula County COO Chris Lounsbury said. "He's just wanting to take more time with his family in the summer now that his kids are getting older and just kind of maximize his availability with them as well."

Resignation aside, Lounsbury said the fair is wrapping up a public comment period next Wednesday on proposed changes including a new livestock building and a new exhibit building.

"Then a couple of weeks after that, after they've had a chance to go through all of the public comments, they'll meet with the architects and potentially propose any changes that they would like to see in the plan, and then that plan will come back to them once the architects have had a chance to work on it," Lounsbury said. "Then hopefully they'll vote to adopt that plan and then we'll begin the process of implementing it."

If everything is approved, construction could take several years to complete.

Lounsbury said Garrett will remain in his position until Aug. 19, providing assistance during the week of the Western Montana Fair.