The Fairfield City Council met for their regular meeting last (Tuesday) night at Fairfield City Hall. The council approved the minutes from the April 8th meeting and the executive session minutes from the March 25th meeting and also approved payment of bills. Under Routine Business; The council voted to move from holding two regular meetings per month to just one, with dates typically falling on the second Tuesday of each month. However, the November meeting was adjusted to Thursday, November 13th, due to Veterans Day. While the city’s ordinance normally schedules meetings for the day following a holiday, concerns over Wednesday night church services prompted the council to choose Thursday instead. Council members emphasized that the ability to call special meetings remains intact and that the schedule could revert back to two meetings per month if necessary. The once a month meeting of the City Council will begin with the May 13th meeting.
The council approved a resolution certifying the April 1st election results. According to the report submitted by Wayne County Clerk, Liz Ann Woodrow, the election confirmed the continued service of four aldermen, the city clerk, and the mayor. The certification passed unanimously with no abstentions.
The council also addressed compensation for law enforcement leadership. A resolution was passed granting annual pay raises to the Chief of Police and Assistant Chief of Police, aligning their increases with those approved for union members in the recent Fraternal Order of Police agreement.
Doug Skaggs from the Business District Committee for the city addressed the council. A notable item of the meeting was the approval of a $5,000 business tax development with David Legg. The agreement supports the demolition and cleanup of nine buildings at 901 West Delaware Street. The Business District Committee, after reviewing the proposal and associated costs of approximately $25,000, agreed to allocate the $5,000 funding specifically toward tipping fees. Aldermen, Bruce McKibben, Clifford Reever, Dewey Eckleberry and Cody Atteberry all voted in favor with Alderman, Terry Stahl, Cheryl Eckleberry, Allen Marsh and Eugene McGill all voting NO. With the split council vote, Mayor Gary Moore cast the tie-breaking vote in favor, citing the importance of revitalizing Delaware Street.
Additionally, the council approved a $7,000 allocation for the city band, funding performances on June 5th, June 12th, June 19th, June 26th and July 3rd. The amount will be distributed among band members after the season ends.
A discussion/approval to authorize seeking bids for the sale of property along Airport Road was tabled and will be addressed at a future meeting.
Under miscellaneous items, enforcement of noise ordinances related to loud vehicle mufflers was discussed. The Fairfield Police Department has been instructed to ticket violators as needed, following a rise in community complaints.
An update on the lake project at Lakeside Park remains pending feedback from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, expected by the end of April.
Finally, plans were confirmed for a citywide cleanup event on Saturday, May 17th. The city garage will be open from 8am to 12 noon to accept general waste. Tires will be accepted for a fee—$3 each—with different rates for recreational tires. Electronics will be collected at a separate location, the old Recycling Center behind the Police Department, in partnership with the Wayne County Health Department. Organizers aim to prioritize access for city residents due to previous events reaching capacity quickly.
Fairfield National Bank will also hold a Shred Day at the bank on May 17th.
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