MARSHALL — Lyon County Commissioners turned down a request for a discounted building rental fee for an event planned at the Lyon County fairgrounds this summer. The fee to rent two buildings for an upcoming Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association event will stay at $285, commissioners said.

Lyon County parks programming manager Brooke Kor presented the request at Tuesday’s commissioner meeting. She said the MSCA plans to bring its annual Summer Tour event to Marshall in July.

“The rental fee for the two buildings they’re using, the hoop barn and the Ralco building, is $285, and they approached us asking for a discount,” Kor said.

Commissioner Rick Anderson asked if the county was also charging a $300 setup fee and a $400 damage deposit.

“Yes, the damage deposit they get back,” Kor said. “And the setup fee, we only charge that if we have to clean out a building, or if we are actually setting up for the event.” For example, Kor said, sometimes events held at the fairgrounds, like weddings or the Environmental Fair educational program, want the portable stage or bleachers set up.

Kor said the Ralco building at the fairgrounds is also used for storage for fair equipment. “So if we have to clean that building out for an event, we charge that,” she said.

The only past discounts the county had ever given for renting fairgrounds buildings were for the Environmental Fair, and when Lyon County Relay for Life used to hold its “Feat at the Fairgrounds” event, Kor said. “The Environmental Fair (fee) is $375, and when they used to host Feat at the Fairgrounds, that was also $375,” she said.

Kor said the Environmental Fair uses most of the buildings at the fairgrounds. “It would cost them $1,260 for their two days of rental, so they get a little over $800 discount,” she said.

Kor said the only other organization with an agreement on using the fairground buildings was Lyon County 4-H, which can use buildings for free. That agreement was entered into before Kor began working for the county.

Anderson said he had concerns about setting a precedent with additional rental discounts. “I think once you open the door, you’re going to get a lot more questions,” he said.

Anderson and Commissioner Paul Graupmann said they thought the $285 rental fee seemed like a fair price, especially for an event that could bring hundreds of people to the fairgrounds.

“And as much as I’d like to give a discount, because it is nice to bring that many people to town, I can see a trickle effect going down,” said Commissioner Todd Draper.

Commissioners voted to leave the price as set by county rental fees.