Fairfield City Council Regular Meeting Summary – April 13, 2026

The Fairfield City Council held its Regular Meeting on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Fairfield Municipal Building. A Council-Manager Briefing was held at 6:00 PM to discuss the Fairfield Helping Neighbors and Commercial Revitalization Programs. Councilmembers present were Leslie Besl, Debbie Pennington, Adam Kraft, Tim Meyers, Gwen Brill, and Matt Davidson. Councilmember Dale Paullus was excused. The agenda included a Joint Public Hearing, approval of multiple ordinances, and extensive public comment regarding the Marsh Park Improvements Project.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Carol Fry (6110 Primrose Lane): Sought clarification on the status of the Marsh Lake project and expressed concern that the city was moving forward without a broader public vote. She stated that a citizen petition and potential referendum effort were being organized. Mayor Miller and Councilmember Tim Meyers affirmed the project's strong public support, citing over 30 years of planning and a public survey with over 800 responses indicating majority favorability. City Manager Scott Timmer offered to meet with Ms. Fry to review the plans in detail. The Legal Director outlined the formal charter process for a referendum.
• Marc Conter (5772 Gray Road): Expressed strong concerns regarding the Marsh Park project timeline and the proposed commercial building. He questioned whether a feasibility study or return-on-investment analysis had been conducted for the restaurant component, noting that similar restaurants at Summit Park are struggling. He requested the council delay the project by several months to conduct further community outreach and studies. Councilmember Adam Kraft stated the suggestions would be taken under advisement. Mr. Conter also confirmed with the City Manager that no Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) had been signed for the project. He indicated that yard signs and a petition against the development would be circulated.

Council Reports

• Councilmember Pennington reported the Route 4 sidewalk project is in progress and will wrap up in early May.
• Councilmember Kraft announced the Huffman garden refresh is nearly complete (expanding from 16 to 34 gardens), summer camp registration is open, a honeysuckle removal event is planned along the Great Miami Trail, and new shelters and paving are being completed at Harbin Park.
• Councilmember Meyers announced overnight water utility work on Winton Road scheduled for April 15–17, with road closures and detours in place.
• Councilmember Davidson commended the Optimist Club and Fairfield Police Department for the successful MASC basketball tournament, noting it had the highest participation on record with greatly improved traffic management.

Discussion Items

Old Business / Development Services (Zoning Map): Councilmember Brill held the second reading of the ordinance amending the City's Zoning Map (Section 1130.01(B)(2)) pending a recommendation from the Planning Commission.

New Business / Boards & Commissions: Council unanimously approved the appointments of Gayle Willis (Planning Commission), Dan Murray, Marie Wiegand, and Andy Barlow (Sustainability Commission) effective April 13, 2026.

Joint Public Hearing – Dixie Highway Rezoning: A hearing was held jointly with the Planning Commission regarding the rezoning of 6638 and 6660 Dixie Highway from M-2 General Industrial to C-3A General Business Modified. Planning Manager Erin Lynn presented the request, which aligns with the Fairfield Forward Comprehensive Plan. Councilmember Meyers expressed concern that the change would allow additional gas stations, citing 108 existing gas pumps in the corridor, and questioned whether C-1 would be more appropriate. No public comments were offered. The case will be reviewed by the Planning Commission on April 22.

Economic Development – G&W Products Expansion: Council approved a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) agreement for G&W Products, Inc. and E&Z, LLC. Economic Development Manager Eva Joseph presented the project: a $2.45 million building expansion of 17,000 square feet on Seward Road, $700,000 in new machinery, retention of 194 employees, and creation of at least 10 new jobs with a total future payroll expected to exceed $15.2 million annually (the adopted minutes reflect this figure; the agenda listed $14.75 million). Gary Johns, Owner and CEO of G&W, spoke in support of the project, highlighting the company's growth. The 5-year, 70% tax abatement includes a School Compensation Agreement approved by the Fairfield City School District on April 9. Ordinance 42-26 passed unanimously.

Parks & Recreation:

• Tree Inventory (Ordinance 43-26): Unanimously approved a contract with Davey Resource Group for a citywide tree inventory and risk assessment, funded by a $100,000 reimbursable ODNR grant.
• Marsh Park Improvements (First Reading): Received the first reading of an ordinance for a $122,700 pre-construction services contract with Prus Construction Co. as Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMR). The total project construction cost is estimated at $12 million. The ordinance was declared an emergency to meet the project timeline. No vote was taken on adoption. The final Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) is expected in Fall 2026 and will require separate Council approval.

Public Utilities: Unanimously approved the sale of Tract A in Stockton Heights Subdivision to Kimberly Kigar for $3,500 in exchange for a permanent water main easement (Ordinance 44-26).

Public Works:

• Storm Sewer Repair (Ordinance 45-26): Unanimously approved an emergency contract with Proshot Concrete, Inc. for invert lining of a failing 60-inch corrugated metal pipe under Crestview Drive.
• Police Vehicles (Ordinance 46-26): Unanimously approved the purchase of four Chevrolet Tahoes ($55,416 each) from Tim Lally Chevrolet. The replaced 2018 Ford Explorers will be repurposed for School Resource Officers, traffic reconstruction, and recruitment.

Finance & Budget: Council unanimously adopted two budget appropriation amendments: Contractual Appropriations (Ordinance 47-26) for $2,119,064 covering the tree inventory, Marsh Park CMR, police vehicles, and storm sewer repair; and Non-Contractual Appropriations (Ordinance 48-26) for $370,034 covering pedestrian crossings, sidewalk connections, park improvements, and fire equipment.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously Approved (6-0): Meeting minutes, Board/Commission appointments (Simple Motion 14-26), G&W Products CRA (Ordinance 42-26), Tree Inventory (Ordinance 43-26), Stockton Heights easement (Ordinance 44-26), Storm Sewer Repair (Ordinance 45-26), Police Vehicle Purchase (Ordinance 46-26), Contractual Appropriations (Ordinance 47-26), and Non-Contractual Appropriations (Ordinance 48-26).
• First Reading Held: Marsh Park pre-construction CMR contract. Final adoption vote is pending.
• Item Held: Zoning Map second reading held pending Planning Commission input.
• Next Steps:
  • Dixie Highway rezoning to be reviewed by Planning Commission on April 22, with subsequent Council readings on April 27 and May 11.
  • Marsh Park project to return to Council for final Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) approval, anticipated in Fall 2026.
  • Executive Session was held following adjournment of the public meeting.