The Fairfield City Council met Tuesday night at City Hall to address a range of topics, from vital child advocacy updates to key infrastructure projects and upcoming community events.
Mariah Hayes, Executive Director of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), presented to the council about CASA’s services for children in the Wayne County child welfare system. The organization currently operates in 11 counties in the 2nd and 4th judicial circuits, with Wayne County being in the second circuit. Hayes explained that CASA merged three different county programs in 2025 to better serve children through collaboration. CASA served 506 children last year—223 aged 0-5, 151 aged 6-11, and 124 teens. Hayes emphasized that 119 children received safe, permanent placement through CASA volunteers’ assistance, nearly half returning home to parents who completed necessary requirements. Their 95 active advocates contributed 6,840 hours of service, equivalent to four full-time staff positions, with 78% of volunteers working full-time jobs while dedicating 3-5 hours monthly to CASA.
The council addressed several street maintenance projects, passing a resolution to appropriate $60,000 in motor fuel tax funds for general street maintenance. Mayor, Gary Moore says the targeted streets include Rosewood Lane west to corporate city limits, Southwest 7th Street, Northwest 9th Street from Mount Vernon Road to Route 15, North 1st Street from Sluder to Darr St. including parking lanes, and North 1st Street from Lakeview to North Corporate limits, plus patching at South 1st Street and one patch at the intersection of King St.
Street project bids were awarded for Southwest 7th Street, Northwest 9th Street, and Lakeview Drive. The engineer’s projected cost was $387,452, but bids came in at $378,695.51, saving the city money. For the North First Street project, bids totaled $189,064.91, higher than the engineer’s estimate of $162,559.60, but $18,000 in COVID funds will be reimbursed for the project.
The council approved a request from Doug Anderson of the Wayne County Farm Bureau for a street closing for the Farm to Table Event on Tuesday, September 15th. The event, celebrates agriculture and raises funds for agricultural education, including FFA chapters and agriculture classrooms will be held with Fairfield Elks utilizing their outdoor bar area and food preparation services on Southeast 2nd Street from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Tickets go on sale July 1st for $50.
The council also discussed and approved a revolving loan modification for Christina Copeland of Grace and Bloom, following her business separation from her former partner. Austin Moore requested a revolving loan for Moore Graphics, his home-based embroidery and screen printing business, to buy new equipment and expand operations. The request will be reviewed by the revolving loan committee.
Recreational fund expenditures of $15,300 were approved, including $11,300 for 15 self-watering flower pots for downtown, with Fairfield Community High School FFA handling planting and maintenance, and $4,000 for new automatic door locks at Freedom Park bathrooms to address security concerns including people using the facilities as overnight accommodations. The new security locks will be installed and monitored by Security Alarms of Salem.
Financial reports showed March expenses of $1,810,893 and revenues of $2,200,954, resulting in a net income of $390,061. Year-to-date, the city has a net loss of $1,174,732, primarily due to $1.2 million spent on power plant cleanup. The general fund balance is $1,411,514. Gaming income for March was $12,051 and sales tax income was $163,098, with the city receiving its first 1% grocery tax payment of over $24,000.
Mayor Moore proposed a new policy for swimming pool water billing, suggesting sewer charge reductions for residents who pre-notify the city before filling new pools or draining and refilling existing pools. This would be limited to once per year and require advance notification to avoid sewer charges on water that doesn’t enter the sewer system.
The council discussed replacing the Municipal Court Judge after Flora Attorney, Mary Beth Welch-Collins accepted a new position in Richland County. City Attorney Darrin Rice is seeking candidates.
City Ordinance Officer, Keith Colclasure reported ongoing efforts to address ordinance violations, including tall grass, inoperable vehicles, and dilapidated properties. He hopes the municipal court judge will be appointed soon to expedite compliance.
The meeting concluded with the council entering executive session to discuss personnel and appointment considerations.