Fairfield City Council Regular Meeting - January 12, 2026

The Fairfield City Council met on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 7:00 PM at 5350 Pleasant Avenue, Fairfield, OH. Mayor Steve Miller presided. There was no pre-meeting Council-Manager Briefing. Councilmember Matt Davidson was excused by a 6-0 vote, leaving six members present for the meeting. No agenda modifications or executive session requests were made. The meeting included a special presentation, two citizen comments, council reports, and a series of old and new business votes, and adjourned at 7:35 PM.

Special Presentations

• John Wagner, CEO/founder of Be The Change Ohio, thanked the City and community for supporting the 'Feeding 500' Thanksgiving drive. The drive collected 700 bags against a goal of 500 and provided 481 families with a frozen turkey and meal fixings. Wagner highlighted partnerships with police, Shared Harvest, Parks and Recreation, and local businesses, and said he hopes to grow programs benefiting youth. Mayor Miller thanked him and offered the City's support.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Robert Kramer, 5690 Genevieve Place, introduced himself as a Mensa member, Case Western Reserve graduate, and author of three books, saying he wanted to establish credibility before future appearances. He expressed support for Fairfield and said he would promote positive directions and push back against negative trends. Mayor Miller said he had known him for 30 years.
• Michelle Sparto, 5500 Southgate Blvd, a lifelong resident, raised concerns about the income tax division. She said her family received letters saying prior-year taxes were not filed, that she was assured the issue would be corrected but it was not, and that more than 200 people responded to her social media post with similar problems. She asked how many residents accidentally paid twice, expressed concern for elderly and disabled residents, and asked whether the city needs an audit. She also said tax errors could affect her and her husband's careers if reported on credit. Mayor Miller acknowledged the problem, promised a review after tax season, and committed to a plan by the second Monday in June.

Council Reports

• Councilmember Paullus recognized January 9 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and thanked Fairfield law enforcement.
• Councilmember Pennington reported Public Works was finishing leaf pickup and making another pass for piles missed due to December snow and cold.
• Councilmember Meyers reported that Public Utilities broke ground on a solar field that will power the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the city's highest electricity user.
• Councilmember Brill read a letter from Marris LLC (formerly Al Neyer) thanking the City for more than $2.5 million in Seward Road improvements supporting the Fairfield Logistics Park, Schneider Electric BTS development, and public transportation.

Old Business

• Patterson Place Planned Unit Development ordinance (second reading): Council voted 6-0 to amend the ordinance per the Planning Commission recommendation and additional attached conditions. Council then took up the second reading; no adoption vote was taken.

New Business

Council voted 6-0 to read all new business by title only. All final votes below were 6-0.

Community & Public Relations

• Simple Motion No. 1-26: Approved Council assignments and appointments dated January 1, 2026, including Tim Meyers as Vice Mayor and committee and board liaison appointments. Approved 6-0.
• Simple Motion No. 2-26: Appointed the Clerk of Council as designee for House Bill 9 Public Records Act training. Approved 6-0.
• Ordinance No. 1-26: Amended the City Manager's employment agreement, including a base pay adjustment effective February 1, 2026, and the agreed 2025 incentive payment; emergency declared. The City Manager has served since February 7, 2022. Suspended readings and adopted 6-0.

Development Services

• Ordinance No. 2-26: Authorized a two-year professional services contract with the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce for 2026-2027, continuing the City's Platinum Sustaining Sponsorship and business retention surveys. The Chamber has completed approximately 1,550 business retention surveys over the past 15 years. Chamber President/CEO Peggy Emerson thanked the City for the partnership and noted the Chamber's 70th annual meeting on February 12. Approved 6-0.
• Ordinance No. 3-26: Authorized the City Manager to apply for and accept a $450,000 Residential Economic Development District (REDD) grant from the Ohio Department of Development for John Gray Road/Pleasant Avenue improvements tied to a 104-unit condominium development by Schnicke Development Group. REDD grants support workforce housing near major economic development projects; eligible projects must create at least 100 new housing units. Emergency declared. Approved 6-0. (The minutes list the application deadline as January 16, 2025, apparently a typo for 2026.)
• Resolution No. 1-26: Appointed Economic Development Manager Nathaniel Kaelin to the West Chester Township Joint Economic Development District Board for a four-year term (2026-2029). Approved 6-0.
• Resolution No. 2-26: Reappointed James Mitchell and Peggy Jo Emerson to the Fairfield Community Improvement Corporation board. Approved 6-0.

Public Safety (liquor permits)

• Simple Motion No. 3-26: Did not request a hearing for Wawa Midwest LLC dba Wawa 7208, 7075 Dixie Highway (Class C1). Approved 6-0.
• Simple Motion No. 4-26: Did not request a hearing for QuikTrip Corp dba QuikTrip 7091, 7330 Dixie Highway (Class C2 & D6). Approved 6-0.
• Simple Motion No. 5-26: Did not request a hearing for MSM Pleasant Inc. dba Grab N Go of Fairfield, 6330 Pleasant Avenue (Class C1 & C2). Approved 6-0.
• Simple Motion No. 6-26: Requested a hearing for S & JSS International LLC dba Smokers Planet, 6600 Dixie Highway, St. D (Class C1 & C2). Approved 6-0.

Public Works

• Ordinance No. 4-26: Authorized a contract with WG Stang LLC for a sidewalk on the east side of Route 4 between Symmes and Corwin, completing an ADA-compliant continuous path from Nilles to the Hamilton corporation limit. A December 15, 2025 bid opening received five bids; WG Stang was the lowest and best. Approved 6-0.
• Sidewalk repair necessity resolution: Presented as a first reading only. The citywide sidewalk inspection program, in place since 1994 and operating on a four-year rotating cycle, marked approximately 457 property locations for repair/replacement, including about 8,100 sq ft of 4-inch sidewalk, 9,200 sq ft of 7-inch driveway aprons, and 1,200 sq ft of 9-inch commercial driveway aprons, plus 297 locations for cutting-method repairs. Notices give owners at least 60 days to complete work or have the city contractor do it with payment via invoice or property tax duplicate. No adoption vote was taken.
• Ordinance No. 5-26: Adopted new Chapter 926 and amended Section 925.07, updating the storm water management plan and prohibiting illicit discharges/connections to comply with Ohio EPA MS-4 general permit requirements. Approved 6-0.

Finance & Budget

• Ordinance No. 6-26: Amended 2026 appropriations with $1,376,789 in contractual appropriations, including $255,000 for sidewalk construction (Public Works), $243,564 restored contingency for Public Utilities projects, and $878,225 restored for Marsh Park Master Plan Phase 1. Approved 6-0.
• Ordinance No. 7-26: Amended 2026 appropriations with $327,050 in non-contractual appropriations, including $50,000 for Grounds, Entryways & Landscaping; $100,000 for the Annual Drainage Program; and water/wastewater safety, electrical, engineering, and maintenance items. Approved 6-0.

Approval of Minutes

• The Regular Meeting Minutes of December 8, 2025, were approved as written.

Key Outcomes

• Every item that received a final vote passed 6-0.
• The Patterson Place PUD ordinance remains on second reading; the sidewalk repair necessity resolution remains on first reading.
• Mayor Miller committed to reporting on income tax division improvements by the second Monday in June.
• No public hearings or executive sessions were held.
• The next regular meetings are scheduled for January 26, February 9, and February 23, 2026, each preceded by a 6:00 PM Council-Manager Briefing.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.