A meeting to update people on progress made in the last two months related to future changes and improvements at the Flathead County Fairgrounds is scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Expo Building at the fairgrounds.

Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell said he’ll recap previous discussions about improving the fairgrounds at Thursday’s meeting and share the comments people made during a May open house about the fairgrounds master plan.

A tour of the grounds is planned and preliminary design concepts for grounds changes will be shared.

Fairgrounds officials are working to have a master plan prepared for the grounds, Campbell said. By this fall he expects to hire a professional firm to solidify that plan.

Among the issues up for discussion are landscaping, parking, long-term growth, facilities development and connecting with communities.

Campbell is interested in community feedback about what people want the fairgrounds to offer, both from a facilities standpoint and an events standpoint.

The fairgrounds budget contains little money to pay for long-term improvements, but Campbell has begun to earmark money for the capital improvement budget as part of the master plan effort.

Once completed, the master plan will help guide development and changes at the fairgrounds for the next 20 or so years, Campbell said.

Campbell plans to have a booth set up during the Northwest Montana Fair Aug. 15-19 where people can look at the preliminary drawings and offer their comments on the future of the fairgrounds.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.