Mayor disputes fair board vote, comments

“Unfortunately, for everyone, the numbers are trending in the wrong direction. Positive case numbers are up and our county is at a Level 3. There is no such thing as a safe fair anymore.” — Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider

Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider is disputing comments made by Lorain County Fair Board President Kim Meyers regarding his deep concerns over the health and safety of those who attend the fair.

On July 17, Schneider posted an open letter on his official mayoral Facebook page calling on the Lorain County Fair Board to cancel this year’s fair to protect residents from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Meyers said on July 17, the Fair board was caught off guard by Schneider’s letter and questioned why he waited to express his concerns about the safety of the Lorain County Fair.

He said the open letter was the first time Schneider expressed any reservations to the board.

Meyers said he was disappointed that Schneider did not come to one of the monthly Fair board meetings or request an in-person visit to address concerns.

In an email to The Morning Journal, Schneider said the suggestion that he had not reached out was inaccurate, stating he met with Meyers prior to the June 11 vote by the Fair board.

“The fact is that I talked to Kim on June 11 at 2:19 p.m. regarding my concerns and that the village manager and I felt it was in the best interest of public health and safety that the fair be cancelled,” Schneider wrote. “That if given a vote, ours would be a no vote. I asked that he share those concerns with the board, and he promised he would.

“I also expressed that we recognized that they were a private organization and they were well within their right to hold a fair. Also, if the board decided to move forward, that we would do what we could on our end to help ensure a safe fair.”

Given the current state of the pandemic, Schneider said he felt it was necessary to reach out to the Fair board through social media.

In the letter, Schneider appealed to the Fair board to do the “right thing.”

“You are all good, passionate and dedicated people,” he wrote. “Your hearts were in the right place when you decided to move forward with one of the great traditions of this county.

“Even my heart wants the Fair to go on, but my head tells me otherwise. The numbers have changed, the threat has increased and it’s simply not worth the risk.”

Schneider said while he recognizes the Fair board has good intentions, the risks to community health are not worth it.

“When you made the decision to move forward with the Fair, you did so with the best intentions in mind,” he wrote. “You looked at the COVID-19 numbers, you consulted the health department, you held open meetings asking for opinions and you believed you could put on a safe fair.

“Unfortunately, for everyone, the numbers are trending in the wrong direction. Positive case numbers are up and our county is at a Level 3. There is no such thing as a safe fair anymore.”

Schneider