WATERLOO--- Normal operations on the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds have been suspended for most of May as the federal government has leased out virtually the entire facility for a training exercise, NCC general manager Doug Miller said Saturday. Miller said he could release few details. But activity on the NCC fairgrounds was apparent Saturday, as contractors installed massive generators adjacent to many buildings on the NCC fairgrounds and windows of many of the buildings were covered up, blocking views of any work going on inside. A number of large mobile home-size trailers also have taken up residence on the site in the past several weeks.
Miller said the federal government is leasing the fairgrounds through May 25 under an agreement approved by the NCC board. He and others close to NCC said no entity has leased out the entire fairgrounds for that long a period.
He said it is his understanding that access to the NCC fairgrounds will be restricted beginning Monday, except for next weekend's Cedar Falls High School prom at Electric Park Ballroom.
Miller said he has primarily been dealing with the U.S. General Services Administration on the arrangements, and that his physical facilities staff have been cooperating with federal officials on logistics and setup for the exercise.
Miller said that, other than GSA, he could not identify which agencies are involved in the exercise. But an individual on site Saturday who identified himself as an employee of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement referred inquiries to ICE officials in Minneapolis, who could not immediately be reached Saturday.
Miller also was referring inquiries to federal officials in Cedar Rapids, and NCC board member Tunis Den Hartog said it was his understanding the Federal Emergency Management Agency was involved.
ICE and FEMA are both under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. On April 24, FEMA announced it is conducting a national level exercise in May designed "to exercise national capabilities to prepare and respond to multiple incidents including both natural disasters and terrorist incidents." The exercise is to be conducted every five years.
While the exercise scenarios involved disasters or terrorist attacks on the East or West coasts, the locations where the exercises were to be conducted were not specified. Communications capabilities and interagency coordination were among the items to be tested.
Miller said while regular weekly events, such as bingo at the NCC Pavilion, have been halted, overall disruption to most NCC events had been minimal. City Council member Harold Getty, a board member for the ASPIRE Therapeutic Riding Program on the fairgrounds for disabled individuals, said that activity has temporarily relocated. Miller also said organizers of the Sunrise Exchange Club Petting Zoo will be allowed access to make preparations for the zoo's scheduled opening later in the month.
Today's performance of the Royal Lippizaner Stallions at McElroy Auditorium will be one of the last major public events prior to federal officials taking control of the fairgrounds for the exercise, which may involve up to 800 people.
Contact Pat Kinney at (319) 291-1484 or Pat.Kinney@wcfcourier.com.