Blair truck, tractor pulls still in limbo

Whether or not truck and tractor pulls will be a part of this weekend’s Blair Cheese Festival celebration was still not certain as of early this week. 

As of Monday, the Cheese Festival Committee had not yet signed a waiver that the Blair city council voted to require in order for the pulls to be held. The waiver was set to be discussed at last Thursday’s council meeting, however committee members did not attend the meeting. Council members reiterated the necessity of the waiver. 

“If they don’t sign it, they can’t have it,” Mayor John Rawson said. “They’ve been told what to do.”

However, committee members argued that the waiver presented was not what was discussed during the July meeting. 

Specifically, committee members argued that they had discussed being responsible for damage to the new pavement that has been laid on Broadway St., however, the waiver would leave the committee responsible for any damage to any city property while the pulls are being held. The waiver does not specifically mention Broadway or Pearl streets, but says the committee would be responsible for any property damage, injuries or deaths “arising out of participation in the aforementioned activities on city of Blair property and/or activities incidental thereto, whenever or however they occur..” 

Committee members told the council in August that their legal counsel had advised them not to sign the waiver. 

Blair council members, however, backed the waiver drafted by the city attorney again last week. “I’m in agreement with the lawyer,” Rawson said. “It’s in the best interest of the city.”

“He’s trying to protect us,” council member Jill Anderson said.