Members of the Fayette County Kiwanis Club and Fayette County officials are working to find ways the county can help develop a new fairground for the club.

County involvement will be limited, because the fairground is private property, but county commissioners recently told club leaders the county will help any way it can and still stay within the law.

Commissioners unanimously voted to pay $100,000 to extend water lines to 61 acres that the club owns at Goza and Lisban roads.

That payment is quid pro quo for Kiwanis Field, which the club donated to the county for recreational uses years ago.

County public works director Lee Hearn also is working with club members on ways the county can help move an estimated 187,000 yards of dirt to prepare the property for its annual Fayette County Fair. The fair is the club's biggest fund-raiser and one of the county's main social activities each year. This year's fair is the club's 47th.

Hearn said he will help the club re-engineer its plans to reduce the amount of dirt that has to be moved, and then the public works department may be able to move some of the dirt off site and use it to repair road shoulders throughout the county.

Kiwanis Club president Wayne Sneed said the acreage won't be used exclusively for the fair. "There have been meetings with the Kiwanis and other clubs, the recreation department, Boy Scouts and others," he said. "It's going to be used for other activities."

"This may be a joint venture that could be of useful benefit to the whole community," agreed Hearn.

Plans are to build a midway for the fair on the western portion of the 61 acres, with parking at the far end, and build a 350- by 500-foot building for exhibits, horse shows, etc.

Three smaller buildings, about 60 by 120 feet, could be set up for use as basketball courts when the fair is not in town, said Kiwanis member Ted Johnson, and plans also include an amphitheater that would seat about 1,000, he said.

In other business during last week's workshop meeting, commissioners:

Approved a set of regulations for recreational uses on county reservoirs. The ordinance sets hours of operation as 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern standard time or 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daylight saving time, whichever is applicable. Prohibited are swimming, wading or any bodily contact with the water, water skiing, scuba diving and alcoholic beverages. Boats are allowed on Horton, but not power boats, and no boats are allowed on Starr's Mill, except those put in by residents who live along the lake.

Approved a procedure for allowing temporary electrical hookups for construction sites.

Under the procedure, construction companies will be liable for any problems, and if the work is not completed in a given amount of time, the permit for temporary service is revoked.

Considered an employee committee's suggestions for increasing benefits for county workers. Commissioners asked the committee to bring back more information, including the complete pay and benefits packages of other cities and counties being used as comparison.

Tabled discussion of filling two positions on the Board of Health. Commissioners asked staff for resumes of candidates for the positions. The appointments will be considered in the commission's meeting tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Approved purchase of Fire Point software. The $6,490 purchase will help prepare the fire department's computers for the year 2000, officials said.

Agreed to support the idea of naming Ga. Highway 81 for famed Chic-fil-A founder Truett Cathy. The road runs through Fayette, Clayton and Henry counties.