The Fairfield City Council held an emotional meeting on Monday, January 26th, marking the first session since the tragic passing of Police Chief Dave Thomas. The meeting featured a moving tribute to the fallen chief, construction project updates, and significant progress toward downtown revitalization through two-way street restoration.
Tribute to Chief Thomas
A vest and flowers were placed at his usual seat, and they played audio from Jefferson County dispatch featuring his final 10-42 sign-off. The loss has deeply affected not only the police department and dispatch center but the entire community.
City Administrator Douglas Reinert addressed the ongoing operations of the police department in the wake of the tragedy. “The Police Department, City Administration, and others have worked to keep the city moving forward with the loss of our police chief. As painful as this is, we must stay the course,” Reinert stated in his report.
Recognizing the profound impact on those who worked most closely with Chief Thomas, Reinert requested that the council grant two bereavement days to police officers and dispatchers, to be used by February 28th. “This is an opportunity for these individuals to take some time off away from the organization and talk to someone while processing their grief,” Reinert explained. “This is a hard loss for our community but a travesty of the loss of one of their own.”
Joel Smith has recently been hired as the Interim Police Chief.
Construction Project Updates
Public Works Director Melanie Carlson provided updates on two major construction projects currently underway in Fairfield.
Sunrise Trail Project
FYE Excavating continued work on the Sunrise Trail project throughout January, installing 11 structures and 1,083 linear feet of various-sized storm sewer pipe. The contractor also completed construction of the detention basin located on the south side of the project. In February, FYE will continue installing sanitary sewer structures and pipes as weather permits.
Walton Lake Improvements
Construction on the Walton Lake Improvements project commenced on Monday, January 5th. Drish Construction has removed the bridge and cart path and relocated existing rip-rap from the north side of the dam to the south side before placing earthfill. Earthmoving operations took place between January 6th and January 14th, with approximately 90% of the earthfill now placed. Drish Construction installed an 8-foot-by-10-foot box culvert on January 15th and 16th. Work over the next month will depend heavily on weather conditions, and officials do not anticipate significant construction activity.
The council also considered a revised boat ramp location at Walton Lake during the meeting.
Downtown Two-Way Street Restoration
Mayor Pro Tem Paul Gandy, who presided over the meeting in the absence of Mayor Connie Boyer, provided an update on plans to restore two-way traffic to downtown streets—a long-discussed goal for downtown revitalization.
“If you recall last year right around this time, we had an economic development meeting where we were interested in what we can do to revitalize downtown,” Gandy said. “One of the things that’s been suggested over numerous studies over the years is to restore the two-way status of some of the streets. That’s also, as far as Main Street Fairfield, a primary goal—kind of like one of the things you do at the beginning, or as quickly as you can, to give your downtown a shot in the arm to help it revitalize.”
Gandy explained that the city has decided to move forward more aggressively with the project. “That’s something that’s very much in line with Main Street Fairfield and it’s something we’ve been talking about for some time. Now we’ve decided to take things to the next level and actually move forward, maybe a little bit more aggressively, and make sure this happens,” he said.
He announced significant progress on securing funding for the conversion. “I’m happy to say, in terms of funding—of course it costs money to convert these streets from what they’ve been for some time back to what they were, two-way—but we’ve got some of the funding already granted to us back on successful applications that Melanie sent through in excess of $200,000 from the Department of Transportation,” Gandy stated. “There’s a second part of another application that will allow us to get some additional funding that the city is going to be submitting shortly, and we’ll probably be speaking about that at the next council meeting.”
Gandy expressed optimism about the timeline. “A couple of things have to happen before we can talk to you a little bit more about it, but we feel very good about getting that funding. Our capital improvement plan allows for two-way restoration in 2027. A significant amount of the funding is there, and I think the additional funding we need has a very good chance we’re going to get it in the next fiscal year. We feel very good about that being something that we will be able to move forward with, maybe complete in 2027 if we go through these steps.”
Public Works Director Carlson clarified the funding structure: “The CIP does not include funding specifically for two-way streets; it includes funding for Main and Burlington improvements. If we get the second grant that we’ve applied for, the grant money will offset what the city would have had to contribute for the two-way streets.”
Property Committee Advances Downtown Enhancement Projects
The City of Fairfield Property Committee met on Friday, January 23rd, to discuss several downtown improvement initiatives. Committee members Matthew Rowe, Bob Ferguson, and John Morrissey addressed multiple enhancement projects that will be brought before the full council for consideration.
Heritage Alley Arch
The committee discussed a proposed arch design for Heritage Alley. During the meeting, questions arose about various aspects of the arch construction and were addressed with Deborah Williamson and Parks and Recreation staff present. The committee unanimously approved a motion to have Williamson bring a detailed proposal for the Heritage Alley arch construction to the study session prior to the February 9th Council meeting.
Beautification Commission Fountain and Howard Park Splash Pad
The committee also discussed the location for a fountain proposed by the Beautification Commission, examining both safety issues and potential benefits for the city. As an alternative option, the committee considered the construction of a splash pad at Howard Park. The motion approved by the committee directs staff to present options for both the Beautification Commission fountain and the Howard Park splash pad at the upcoming study session.
Walton Club Net Lease
The committee addressed the net lease agreement with Walton Club, including options for ensuring sanctions for late payment of taxes. This matter will be brought forward for discussion at a future council meeting, with a lease modification proposed.
Additional Business
City Administrator Reinert reported that administration continues working through budget preparations, acknowledging they are behind schedule but committed to catching up. He also provided updates on Pleasant Lake, noting that the Nady Committee is developing a plan to control and slow silt accumulation. A presentation to the council will follow as planning progresses.
Reinert mentioned speaking to the Rotary Club about the new fire station construction progress and other current and future city projects, emphasizing that the city continues planning and welcomes public input.
The council also considered letters of support for two Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant applications—one for Suddha Development and another for Green Building Supply.
Photography courtesy of the Fairfield Media Center.
