(Mayor, Gary Moore presenting retiring city employee, Jim Pope with a plaque in appreciation of his 38 years of service)
The Fairfield City Council meeting began Tuesday night with a public meeting regarding the sale of property on Southwest 10th Street. Developer, Mitchell Budds submitted the only bid of $10,000 for an acre lot along Southwest 10th Street, During the regular meeting, the council approved the minutes from the December 9, 2025 meeting and reviewed bills submitted since that date without any questions or objections.
A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to recognizing Jim Pope’s retirement. Jim Pope started his career with the city of Fairfield on March 29th, 1988, in the Street and Bridge Department and transferred to the Gas Department on August 21st, 2006, where he remained for the rest of his career. He also served with the Board of Health for approximately 30 years, handling mosquito control. His official retirement date is tomorrow (January 15th and he was presented with a plaque in appreciation of his 38 years of service by Mayor, Gary Moore
Nikki Roethe presented a business tax request for Uniquely Rustique, seeking assistance with window repair. She explained that their building has three panes of glass on the east side, with the middle pane cracked clear across. Mount Vernon Glass quoted $849.49 for the repair, including cutting the glass to size and reglazing without replacing much framing. Roethe emphasized that this was their first request for city assistance in almost 18 years. The council directed her to work with Doug Skaggs, the committee chairman, who was absent due to a death in the family.
The council addressed the authorization of property sale to Mitchell Budds for $10,000 on Southwest 10th Street. The ordinance included provisions for first right of refusal if others wanted to build in the area, as Budds plans to build a subdivision of eight to ten houses for the community. The city would build roads incrementally as houses are constructed, extending infrastructure as each new house is built. The ordinance passed unanimously. A major discussion centered on implementing new tax structures. The council approved an ordinance implementing a non-home rule municipal retailers occupation tax and service occupation tax of 3/4%. This additional tax, effective April 1st, 2026, through December 31st, 2031, will generate revenue for the general fund to address financial strains caused by the power plant issues. The tax applies citywide, beyond the current business tax district boundaries, and can be used for infrastructure improvements, sidewalk replacements, and building reserves.
Simultaneously, the council approved reducing the existing business tax district rate from 1% to 1/4%, which will still generate approximately $200,000 annually for the business tax district that currently holds $2 million in reserves. Mayor Moore clarified that this restructuring doesn’t involve improperly moving money from the business tax district but creates a separate revenue stream for general city operations.
The council approved a resolution for a business tax redevelopment agreement with Samantha Baker doing business as 6 Juan 8 Bakery. Alderman Cody Atteberry reported that the committee recommended $1,000 toward their $3,200 sign project, which involved adding a larger, more visible sign to the front of their building.
A comprehensive storm siren discussion was led by Mayor, Gary Moore explaining the city’s six storm sirens located at the golf course, Frontier Community College, Police Department, Illinois Avenue, and East King Street. The sirens serve the entire city and are intended primarily for people outdoors during severe weather. Activation requirements include radar confirmation, trained weather spotters, or multiple public reports. The trigger area extends from Highway 161 north, Ditch Bank Road east, Harmony-Marlow Road west, and Piopolis Road south in Hamilton County.
Mayor Moore addressed recent confusion about siren activation, explaining that when the National Weather Service issues county-wide tornado warnings, the city only activates sirens when Fairfield is in the storm’s path. The 23-24 year old system cost $175,000 initially and requires about $5,000 annually in maintenance. The city transitioned from Nixle to Hyper-Reach for emergency alerts, with Hyper-Reach calling all landlines automatically while cell phone users must opt in by texting “Alert” to 618-516-8464.
The council received notice of a grant award up to $1 million for water line replacements on Leininger Road and around Sheffield Apartments. Work is anticipated to begin in September or October after completing required government paperwork.
The finance report revealed December expenses of $1,650,877 against revenues of $1,725,740, showing a positive monthly income of $51,663. However, year-to-date figures showed expenses of $14,734,447 versus revenues of $13,418,360, creating a deficit of $1,316,087. The power plant cleanup cost approximately $1.1 million, significantly impacting the budget. An upcoming meeting with the environmental agency within 60 days will develop a remediation plan.
Cash flow details included year-to-date negative flow of $871,738, payroll at $3.5 million annually, gaming income of $110,337 year-to-date, and sales tax income of $1.2 million year-to-date. The General Fund maintained $1,305,000 in cash flow, down from $2,176,000 at year start, plus $1,118,305 in interest-bearing CDs.
Mayor Moore highlighted year-end reports for Fire and Police Departments, noting the Police Department handled 32,000 phone calls, demonstrating their significant workload. Under miscellaneous items, the council discussed nuisance properties, including ongoing issues with the former El Mexicano Restaurant building. The building had a deteriorating wall on the west side off the alley between Nate’s Billiards which has since been repaired by the owners, but still remain off limits to foot traffic. Mayor Moore expressed concerns about tearing down buildings with common walls in the downtown area that could create disasters for adjacent structures and plans to have the area surveyed for other options.
The council then entered into an executive session with no further meeting actions taken.