PINCKNEYVILLE - Sam Robb would put the grounds used for the Perry County fair up against any other county fair location in the state in a contest of appearance.

Robb, treasurer of the Perry County Fair board, said the fairgrounds, also known as the Pinckneyville City Park , have seen several cosmetic enhancements in recent years because of state grants.

With financial support from the city and the American Thresherman's Association, the fair board has received grants for rehabilitation efforts at the park for several years. The council continued its support of the board's quest for grant money at its meeting Monday.

The city approved its annual $5,000 contribution to the grant process and authorized a $40,000 loan from the First National Bank, said Mayor Joseph Holder. The grant is structured in a way that if the fair board spends $45,000, it will be reimbursed $30,000.

Five thousand dollar contributions by the city, the Thresherman's Association and the fair board balance out the remaining $15,000, Robb said.

"The take the money and use it before they get it," Holder said explaining the loan. When the fair board receives the grant money, it will repay the city, he said.

The money from this year's grant has been earmarked, and some of it already spent, for insulation and replacement of doors on the interior of the exhibition hall, Robb said. Shingled roofs on park buildings have also been replaced after a hail storm last year damaged them.

In the past, the rehabilitation grant money has been used to air condition to the announcer's booth, add a show barn for livestock and increase parking availability, he said. Money also pays for casualty and liability insurances.

While the fair board uses the park for the county fair each year, the Thresherman's Association and other organizations use it throughout the year, Holder said.

"The City Park is pretty much the hub of outdoor activities during the seasonal weather," he said.