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Fairfax council reports closed‑session direction; TRO on anti‑camping ordinance remains through Aug. 20
Summary
After closed session the council reported direction given to staff on several lawsuits and said a federal judge left in place a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing enforcement of the town’s anti‑camping ordinance until Aug. 20, 2025; council authorized up to $40,000 for a cross‑complaint in one case.
At the start of the Aug. 6 meeting the mayor reported the council’s closed‑session actions. The council said it had discussed three items in closed session and given direction to staff on each.
The mayor read a short statement about Shores v. Town of Fairfax, a federal district‑court lawsuit challenging the town’s anti‑camping ordinance. The mayor said a hearing on a temporary restraining order (TRO) occurred that day and the judge did not lift the TRO; counsel for the parties “unanimously agreed that Fairfax will abide by the court’s ruling and will not be enforcing the ordinance until allowed by law.” The mayor said the TRO will remain in place through Aug. 20, 2025, and a further hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Aug. 19.
The mayor also reported that the council discussed Town of Fairfax v. Durham and Delta Grinding Company v. Town of Fairfax in closed session. For Delta Grinding Company the council “authorized up to $40,000 for a cross complaint,” a closed‑session direction recorded in the meeting report. The mayor indicated direction had been given to staff on the Durham matter as well.
The town’s statement did not detail the legal strategies or the grounds of litigation (those are subject to attorney‑client privilege and closed‑session confidentiality), but it did notify the public of court deadlines in the Shores matter and the council’s funding authorization in Delta Grinding. The council’s public announcement emphasized the town’s intent to comply with the federal court order regarding encampment enforcement while the TRO remains in effect.
