Fairs Year-round Information                                                                  January  2K19  
 
back  In this issue of fyi:
Our trade show booth in 2018 was a popular destination spot.
   booth
Meet with CFSA at the WFA Convention & Trade Show, January 20-23 in Reno  

When attending the 2019 Western Fairs Association (WFA) Convention & Trade Show,  we encourage you to stop by CFSA's trade show booth, #527, to say hello. 

CFSA representatives will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about our programs and services, and how we can help make running your fairgrounds a little easier. If you'd like to meet in a more private setting, let us know before or during Convention and we can set up something with the CFSA staff member you'd like to speak with at a time that's convenient for you.    

CFSA is proud to be a sponsor and to participate in the 2019 Convention. You'll find Risk Control experts Lesly Wade (department supervisor) and Chandler Wright (risk control specialist) leading the sold out CPR Certification session on Sunday; * and Becky Bailey-Findley, executive director, and Rebecca Desmond, deputy executive director, at Sunday's Young Professionals Initiative  Ment-a-Minute. Rebecca will also be leading the  Customer Services is a Priority: The Personal Touch Needs to Make a Comeback presentation on Monday afternoon. Check your Convention app or schedule for times and locations.

*  If you didn't get a seat at the CPR training and would like to schedule a training/certification at your fairgrounds, please contact Lesly Wade at 916/263-6178 or  [email protected].
  

CCA will be at the trade show, too, sharing a booth with the Maintenance Mania team

Have a construction project in mind or one currently underway that you would like to discuss with the experts at the California Construction Authority (CCA, formerly known as California Fairs Financing Authority or CFFA)? You'll find them in the trade show, booth #409, along with members of the 2019 Maintenance Mania planning team.  

Speaking of Maintenance Mania: Here's your chance to get the lowdown on the event, scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday, February 26-28, at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.
Ask about the keynote speaker (she's putting YOU in the pilot's seat!), as well as about the  optional equipment operation certification day, the barter board, and hands-on training. You can even register for Maintenance Mania on the spot. 

Registration is free and training expenses may qualify for reimbursement through the 2018/2019 fair training allocation program. Check with Fairs & Expositions for details.
 

Benefits
CFSA Board of Directors Approves Employee Benefit Administration Fee Increase 

CFSA has long partnered with the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR), administering employee benefit programs for District Agricultural Association (DAA) fairs, county fairs and citrus fruit fairs. Both CFSA and CalHR assess small administration fees to cover staff time and resources spent on benefit processing.
During the December CFSA board of directors' meeting, staff proposed - and the board approved -  slight increases to CFSA's benefit administration fees. The fees, staff noted, have been the same for more than 10 years, with increases in personnel and overhead costs being absorbed by CFSA in consideration of client finances.
The fee increases, noted below, went into effect on January 1, 2019. CFSA sincerely apologizes for not alerting fairgrounds of these increases in December when they were approved. The new fees are:
1. PST (Part-time, Seasonal, Temporary) Employee Retirement Program reporting* to CalHR Savings Plus for fairs using FlexNet (CFSA's software-sharing service):

- 2019 fee: $2.45 per PST reported employee  
Previous fee: $2.00 per PST reported employee
* It is important to note that part of CFSA's reporting service is the pre-payment of PST contributions on behalf of participating fairs. The fairs are then invoiced for the amount paid to CalHR. This pre-payment ensures that participating fairs will not pay any penalties, which would be assessed if their PST totals and/or payments were not received on time.
  2. Employee Benefit Administrative Program Fees:  

2019 fee: $3.00 per employee, per program
Previous fee: $2.00 per employee, per program
 
Questions?  Please contact Raechelle Gibbons, CFSA controller, at 916/263-6143 or at  [email protected].


 general
For General Liability Pool Program Member Use Only: CFSA's General Liability Pool Accident Report Forms
 
During the past few months, Mark Stone, CFSA's General Liability claims manager, has received a number of Accident Reports (other than Motor Vehicle) being submitted to CFSA by people other than fair employees, such as law office paralegals and attorneys. 
The Accident Report was created to help fairgrounds document and submit details to CFSA about fairgrounds accidents and incidents that might  result in claims against the state and/or your fairgrounds. Because the information could be used to help determine the outcome of a claim, the report is a confidential document and Mark asks that you do not share the report or the information from a completed report with anyone except law enforcement officers, state officials or CFSA representatives.
In addition, it's important that your fairgrounds turns in any completed reports as soon as possible. It may be tempting to save a report or two until your fair or interim event is over, but if an injured party or his/her lawyer contacts us, it's essential that CFSA knows about the accident. Our Risk Control specialists also use the reports to help your fair and others from experiencing a similar accident.
 
If you have any questions about what to do in the event of an accident, please refer to your fair's CFSA Red Book (Claims & Loss Reporting Guide) binder, the Red Book online, or contact Mark at 916/263-6171,  [email protected]. 

Target

CFSA's New Year's Resolution: Help Pool-Program Member Fairs Save Money, Reduce Liability and Increase Productivity with Target Solutions Online Training 

If your fairground has yet to discover the benefits of Target Solutions online training, there's no time like right now. The training modules are available to all  pool-program participating fairgrounds at absolutely no charge! 

Target Solutions offers more than 1,000 online training courses, with topics ideal for permanent staff, temporary fairtime staff and for volunteers, too. You'll find topics on everything from Sexual Harassment Prevention, Ladder Safety, Back Injury Prevention and Ergonomics, to popular software programs such as Word, Excel, Access and even PowerPoint.    

The first step to launching  Target Solutions is to contact Tom Amberson, Risk Department manager,  916/263-6180,  [email protected] ; or Mario Castagnola, risk analyst, 916/263-6183, [email protected]. Either one can set up an account for your fairgrounds and explain the basics to taking courses, making staff assignments and to tracking staff progress.   


SpecialReminder:
New Special Events Program Rates Went into Effect on January 1, 2019   
 
By now your fair should have copies of the new Special Events Program rate cards (they are purple) and the updated Special Events Program brochures  you can hand out to vendors and event promoters interested in learning about this low cost general liability program. 

If your fair needs additional rate cards or brochures, please contact Lianne Lewellen at [email protected] or 916/263-6145, or Mario Castagnola,  at mcastagnola@cfsa, 916/263-6183.  You may also print out copies of the Rate Card  (print on purple paper if possible - makes it easier to identify)  and the brochure (folding required)  from our website. 

The new rates are effective January 1, 2019. However, if your fair has already provided an event vendor or promoter with the previous rates, CFSA will honor that coverage.

Did you know? You can fill out and submit the Special Events Receipt online. You'll find it on our website: www.cfsa.org/cms/special-events-coverage-receipt/. Your clients can also pay with a credit card! Contact Lianne or Mario for EasyPay credit card payment details. 


With the New Year comes the: 
  • Revenue Protection Program application, 
  • the Workers' Compensation reporting form and 
  • the Hazardous Events survey form

All three forms were mailed out in early January. If you didn't receive any or all of these forms and they apply to your fairgrounds, please contact Lianne at the phone number and email noted above.


 



partitionFor Sale: Best Offer -
Folding Partition Walls from the San Mateo County Event Center

Here's your opportunity to expand the versatility of your fairground's facilities. The incombustible folding partition walls, made by the Chaix Company, Model No. 3MC1A4S13, feature:
  • Two sets of bi-parting stacks (stacked depth 3'1")
  • 77'6" wide and 15'6" tall finished opening width
  • One passage door
  • Gray carpet finish
  • Acoustical panels approx. 3½thick with fibrous glass sound attenuating material
  • 16 gauge steel channel perimeter frame with 14 gauge top rail
  • Fixed flexible bottom seal
  • Concealed hardware with magnetic door seals
  • Hardware  
Originally purchased in 2004 for more than $160,000. Best offer.
 
The partition walls are available for buyer inspection; please email Rachael Bruins at [email protected] for more information or for an appointment to see the walls.
 
Purchaser is responsible for all transport, engineering, permitting and installation.


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