Fairfield City Council Regular Meeting - October 27, 2025

The Fairfield City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM, preceded by a Council-Manager Briefing on the 2026 Operating Budget at 5:30 PM. Mayor Mitch Rhodus presided. Councilmembers Adam Kraft, Tim Meyers, Gwen Brill, Dale Paullus, and Debbie Pennington were present. Councilmembers Matt Davidson and Leslie Besl were excused.

Special Presentations

• Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio (Unlisted Agenda Item): Though the published agenda listed no special presentations, Chief Advancement Officer Mike Hogan presented an overview of the organization's services, which include home-delivered meals, social services (financial management and guardianship), transportation, health and wellness programs, and a pet food program. Mr. Hogan noted the organization serves over 200 clients in Fairfield and is breaking ground on a new, larger facility in Columbia Township. The presentation was informational and did not include a request for city funding. Several council members shared personal anecdotes of the organization's positive impact.

Council Reports

• Councilmember Pennington announced the Safe Streets for All public input survey, available on the city's website and Facebook page, with a deadline of November 30, 2025. City Engineer Ben added that the project team had a booth at the recent Trunk or Treat event to gather input.

Discussion Items

• Opioid Settlement Fund Management: Mayor Rhodus initiated a discussion on the city's first opioid settlement installment of $370,000. He proposed placing $350,000 of it into an endowed fund with the Fairfield Community Foundation to generate approximately $17,000 to $22,000 annually in interest for future councils to allocate toward drug rehabilitation and related programs.
  • Councilmember Kraft expressed the desire for direct city involvement in the grant-making process and suggested having a city staff member serve on the foundation board to vet requests before bringing recommendations to Council.
  • City Manager Steve Timmer outlined the foundation's options: a Field of Interest fund (where the foundation board makes decisions) or a Donor Advised fund (where council retains final approval). He cautioned against creating a significant administrative burden for a relatively small annual sum.
  • Councilmember Paullus supported the mayor's intent for future councils to make the final allocation decisions. No formal action was taken; staff was directed to draft an agreement for future consideration.

Key Outcomes

• Image Solutions Apparel CRA Agreement (Development Services): Council adopted an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with Image Solutions Apparel, Inc.
  • The company plans to invest over $5.9 million to renovate and expand a 50,000-square-foot building on Port Union Road, relocating from West Chester Township and bringing 32 existing employees, with a commitment to hire 12 additional employees within three years.
  • The agreement provides a 100% four-year property tax abatement on the value of the improvements only. Development staff justified the 100% rate on improvements because the existing building was constructed without any abatement, making the effective abatement percentage on the total property value lower than 50%.
• 2025 Emergency Operations Plan (Public Safety): An ordinance to adopt the updated 2025 Emergency Operations Plan was held for its first reading. Councilmember Paullus inquired about specific hazard assessments for the city's rail spur; Fire Chief Lake confirmed the plan is an all-hazards document that covers scenarios such as hazardous material spills.
• Firehouse Subs Grant (Public Safety): Council adopted an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute a grant application and agreement with Firehouse Subs for approximately $7,700 to purchase a portable fire safety education prop.
• Indigent Legal Representation (Public Safety): Council adopted an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Butler County Public Defender Commission and Board of Commissioners for indigent legal representation services in Fairfield Municipal Court for 2026.
• Parking Lot Paving Appropriation (Finance & Budget): Council adopted an ordinance amending the 2025 appropriations to allocate $36,000 from non-contractual appropriations for parking lot paving repairs at the Community Arts Center.
• Zoning Code Update (Old Business): The second reading of an ordinance to amend various sections of the Planning and Zoning Code was held over pending a recommendation from the Planning Commission.

The meeting concluded with an executive session to discuss confidential economic development matters.