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extended family - siblings and parents and grandparents ... all become involved in 4-H by <br />default. Without 4-H Youth Development Programs, the Kittitas County Fair becomes <br />just some rides and food without a celebration of the agricultural heritage of our <br />community. The impact and community pride - really the reason for having a fair at all <br />(by charter they are to focus on agriculture) - goes away. As the popular TV show Parks <br />and Recreation says of fair "it's where fun meets awesome... meets agriculture." <br />Without understanding the big picture it is difficult to plan for the continuation of the <br />Event Center as a community resource. Currently, the Event Center accesses funding <br />from the County general fund that could otherwise be used for essential community <br />facilities (roads and bridges), public health funding, sheriff and safety services, and other <br />critical county functions. <br />The Event Center is not a critical county function - it is a benefit and an amenity to living <br />here - but other than serving as an evacuation facility in the event of a mass emergency, <br />the Event Center serves as a `quality of life' facility. Kittitas County Government structure <br />is not designed to provide quality of life facilities - it is designed to support critical <br />functions and public safety requirements. Financially, there are few ways for the County <br />Government to support a venue like the Event Center unless taxes (sales and property) <br />are raised and dedicated to the Event Center. That is not palatable with current <br />leadership nor with the voters. <br />The economic generation that the Event Center creates from hosting events - local sales <br />taxes, lodging tax and direct spending - all directly benefit the City of Ellensburg. Very <br />little of the sales or lodging taxes support the County and none of the revenue generated <br />replenishes the general fund (the exception being revenues from the Kittitas County Fair <br />go directly to the general fund). The City of Ellensburg does not currently support any <br />operational functions of the Event Center - a relationship that needs to evolve and <br />change, moving forward. <br />331 -- 9 <br />