The Fairfield City Council met last (Tuesday) night. A public hearing was held at 5:50pm for the rezoning of property. No members of the public came forward during the public comment period.
Mayor, Gary Moore presented a rezoning request for 306 Southeast 8th Street, seeking a change from R2 to R3 zoning to permit placement of a brand new two-bedroom, one-bath modular home. The existing structure is to be demolished. Mayor Moore noted the presence of other mobile homes in the area and confirmed the zoning board had approved the request without objections. The council approved the rezoning unanimously.
Mayor Moore introduced a rezoning ordinance for 609 West Delaware, currently the Ellen Moore Church. Pastor, Donna Blythe spoke to the council and explained that the church retains ownership but will designate a large portion of the buildings for a K-through-8 grade private school, to be known as EMbraced Christian Academy with an operational goal of 2027. The zoning committee had no objections. The ordinance was approved by the council.
Mayor Moore reported on a bid opening for a waterline project near Leininger Road and Sheffield Apartments, fully funded by a $1 million city grant. Two bids were received: Kiefer Brothers Construction (Mount Carmel, IL) at $975,990.80 (low bid) and Haier Plumbing and Heating (Okawville, IL) at $1,047,297. The council awarded the contract to Kiefer Brothers Construction. The contractor has a 10-month completion window from the official start date, with daily financial penalties for delays. The award was approved via roll call vote.
Linda Greenwalt, president of The Clothesline (a 41-year-old community thrift store), requested Business Tax District assistance for storefront repairs and beautification. Needed work includes painting, trim reattachment, soffit and gutter repair, rear drop-off area repair, and installation of protective bollards. A bid of $3,050 was obtained. Doug Skaggs from the TIF comittee noted eligibility for up to 80% funding under the Business Tax District program. The request was referred to the TIF/Business Tax District committee for recommendation.
Representatives of CC Nails Company presented their new nail salon located in the strip mall next to the Verizon store near Walmart. The business identified Fairfield as an underserved market with only one existing small nail shop. Total project investment is approximately $175,000, with roughly $75,000 spent to date. The salon emphasizes high sanitation standards and technology-driven appointment management. Operating hours are Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m., closed Sundays. The business plans to create five to seven jobs. Mayor Moore raised a question about the tax classification of nail services relative to Business Tax District funding eligibility. The request was referred to the committee.
Jason Robinson presented his new laundromat business to the council. TIF committee spokesman, Doug Skaggs noted the construction cost (excluding the building) was approximately $500,000. Robinson says the facility features 10 washers, 10 dryers, hybrid coin/credit card payment systems, vending machines, and soap/product sales. A new wash-dry-fold pickup and delivery service was recently announced. The facility is monitored via cameras and is staffed most of the time. Mayor Moore commended the business as meeting a genuine community need. The request was referred to the committee.
Mayor Moore acknowledged a clerical error from the prior council meeting in which the wrong bid document was distributed, resulting in approval of a 2026 truck price of $56,463 instead of the correct 2027 truck price of $63,365.63—an increase of approximately $6,000. The council approved the corrected price adjustment via roll call vote.
The Mayor presented two street closing resolutions. The first was for the annual Fall Fun Fest on September 15, with streets closed from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. on September 20. The second was for the Downtown Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 30, from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mayor Moore noted the Trunk or Treat was a major success in its first year, with strong vendor and business participation. Both resolutions were approved.
Mayor Moore presented two supplemental motor fuel tax appropriation resolutions. North First Street project required an additional $72,000 beyond the originally approved $160,000 budget due to crosswalk and road work at the school. Southwest 7th Street and other roads came in under budget at $55,000 versus the original estimate of $71,000. Both resolutions were approved via roll call vote.
Mayor Moore led an extensive discussion on animal control, focusing on stray and feral cats. He identified 15 active feeding locations in the city, with resident complaints including flea infestations, property damage, allergies, and wildlife predation. Moore referenced ordinances from Wheaton, Stockton, and Bethany, Illinois, as models. Three animal control service options were discussed: maintaining the current $2,000/month Humane Society contract, increasing to $4,400/month ($52,800/year) as proposed by the Humane Society. The Critter Fixtures TNR program was discussed; it has trapped approximately 70 cats over two years at a cost of $10,000–$12,000. Moore suggested the ordinance include a TNR feeding exception. Mary Murphy from Critter Fixers noted the primary TNR veterinarian had relocated to Scotland, creating a service gap. The council directed City Attorney Darrin Rice to draft an ordinance prohibiting feeding on city or private property without written permission, with feeder liability provisions, to be ready for the next meeting.
Mayor Moore presented the July financial report. Monthly expenses were $1,721,556 against revenues of $1,511,144, a net loss of $210,412. Year-to-date expenses were $4,950,489 versus revenues of $4,813,180, a net year-to-date loss of $137,309. Cash flow for the month was negative $250,734, largely due to a $619,000 utility power bill for approximately 6 million kilowatt hours. Payroll was $385,007; gaming income tax was $11,990; grocery sales income was $27,207; sales tax income was $131,056. The general fund balance at end of July was $1,483,923, with a CD valued at $1,143,186. Moore flagged the water filtration/distribution department as $189,000 in the negative year-to-date, compared to a $330,000 loss the prior year, and called for strategic attention to utility revenue generation.
Mayor Moore provided a hotel development update, noting the owner and a construction company are scheduled to visit the site that Thursday, with financing obstacles acknowledged but confidence expressed in the project’s eventual completion. Regarding the light plant site, Moore explained that EPA agreement items are largely complete, but demolition is pending due to asbestos in window caulking (estimated $100,000 removal cost) and EPA concerns about contaminated bricks. An upcoming conference related to the Edison Contamination Fund was mentioned as a potential funding avenue. Moore also briefly discussed the old El Mexicano building in downtown Fairfield, which is still condemned, expressing concern about shared walls and potential city liability if demolition proceeds, with City Attorney Rice continuing negotiations with the property owner.