Fairfield City Council Regular Meeting – November 10, 2025

The Fairfield City Council held its regular meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, November 10, 2025, at 5350 Pleasant Avenue, Fairfield, Ohio. A Council-Manager briefing on the 2026 Operating Budget preceded the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Mitch Rhodus presided. Council approved an executive session request, heard council reports, and took action on zoning code amendments, a brownfield remediation application, Town Center signage, a liquor permit motion, a water interconnection agreement, and 2025 appropriation amendments. No public comments or public hearings were held.

Consent Calendar / Approval of Minutes

• The regular meeting minutes of October 27, 2025, were approved without objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No citizen comments were offered.

Special Presentations

• Fire Chief administered the oath of office to Shawn May as the Fairfield Fire Department’s first full-time Life Safety Inspector. May has served more than 25 years with the department, most recently as lieutenant on Quint 31, and is moving into the fire prevention/community risk reduction bureau. His son Ethan pinned the badge and is expected to begin a Butler Tech internship in the coming weeks.
• The Mayor welcomed members of the Mayor’s Youth Commission who attended the meeting.

Council Reports

• Councilmembers gave updates on Veterans Day and a community blood drive scheduled for Monday, November 24, 2025, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Fire Department headquarters on Nillis Road. A public utilities update noted water main improvements on Wenton Road between John Gray and Mac, with traffic delays expected for the next couple of weeks.
• Councilmember Tim Meyers praised the completed 2026 budget review and city staff for the budget presentation. He also expressed frustration about black hazardous-waste drums at the Marathon gas station on River Road, saying they have been visible to the public through the summer and asking for the drums to be removed or covered.
• A councilmember thanked staff for hosting Sacred Heart students on tours of the water treatment and wastewater treatment plants and for a community outreach cleanup afterward.
• Council announced that ODOT had awarded up to $954,000 in federal Municipal Bridge Program funds for the Augusta Bridge between Greenbrier and Firestone, covering 80% of engineering costs and 95% of construction costs.
• Council promoted the upcoming holiday parade on November 22 at 6:00 p.m., with food trucks, raptors, and 36 organizations participating; late entries were still being accepted.

Old Business

• Planning and Zoning Code amendments: Councilmember Adam Kraft presented the second reading of an ordinance amending various sections of the Planning and Zoning Code (Ordinance No. 166-84). He noted the Planning Commission had spent about 90 minutes developing recommendations and approved them 5-0. Council approved a motion to amend the ordinance to incorporate the Planning Commission revisions.
• 2025 Emergency Operations Plan: Councilmember Dale Paullus presented the ordinance to adopt the 2025 Emergency Operations Plan as a second reading. The transcript does not record a separate vote on this ordinance before Council moved to new business.

New Business

Council first approved a motion to read all new business by title only.

• Brownfield Remediation – former Fairfield Cleaners: Council suspended second and third readings and adopted the ordinance authorizing the City Manager to apply to the Ohio Department of Development’s Brownfield Remediation Program for environmental remediation at 1099 Magie Avenue. Staff noted the program was reauthorized by Ohio House Bill 96 in the 2026–27 state biennium budget; an award would support remediation and a no-further-action letter leading to a covenant not to sue from Ohio EPA.
• Town Center signage – Tri-State Signs Inc.: Council suspended readings and adopted the ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Tri-State Signs Inc. for Town Center signage. Staff said the Town Center placemaking strategy was completed in 2024, designs were presented in May 2025, and the only change after council review was a font-orientation suggestion by Councilmember Kraft.
• Liquor permit – El Patron Bar & Grill: Council passed a motion not to request a hearing regarding the D5 liquor permit application for El Patron/Fairfield, 20 Donald Drive. The Mayor corrected an initial misstatement of the motion before the vote.
• Cincinnati water interconnection agreement: Council suspended readings and adopted the resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the City of Cincinnati for water purchases during emergency and non-emergency events through existing interconnections. Staff described interconnections as essential for system resiliency and redundancy.
• 2025 contractual appropriations amendment: Council suspended readings and adopted an ordinance appropriating $204,626 in contractual funds, including $189,626 for Town Center signage installation and $15,000 for concrete/asphalt repairs.
• 2025 non-contractual appropriations amendment: Council suspended readings and adopted an ordinance appropriating $224,460 for six projects: $48,000 for Gray Road Sewer Main engineering, $30,000 for fire hydrants, $74,900 for Harbin Park shelter replacements #9 and #11, $9,309 for Gilbert Farms Park concrete improvements, $22,251 for Fairfield Dog Park sun shade replacement, and $40,000 for a wastewater pump.

Key Outcomes

• Approved, by roll-call vote, the request to enter executive session to consider public employee compensation/negotiations and property purchase.
• Approved the October 27, 2025 meeting minutes.
• Approved the Planning and Zoning Code amendment motion.
• Adopted the Brownfield Remediation application ordinance for the former Fairfield Cleaners property.
• Adopted the Town Center signage contract ordinance with Tri-State Signs Inc.
• Passed the motion not to request a hearing for the El Patron Bar & Grill liquor permit.
• Adopted the Cincinnati water purchase agreement resolution.
• Adopted both the $204,626 contractual and $224,460 non-contractual appropriation amendments.
• No separate vote was recorded on the 2025 Emergency Operations Plan second reading.
• Moved into executive session at the end of the meeting.

Meeting Schedule

• The next Council-Manager briefing and regular meeting are scheduled for Monday, November 24, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Monday, December 8, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, December 16, 2025, for the oath of office at 5:30 p.m.