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Trustees approve paving and park fencing, accept pickleball grant while questioning signage, security and rising workers' comp costs
Summary
At the March 11 meeting trustees approved the 2025 paving contract award share and fencing at Milton Street Park, accepted an ODNR reimbursement grant for Heroes Park pickleball courts and debated proposed security cameras, electronic sign replacements, and a rising workers' compensation assessment.
The Fairfield Township Board of Trustees on March 11 voted to approve several capital items and debated other infrastructure requests as trustees pressed staff for detailed cost breakdowns and financing plans.
Paving: Trustees approved a contract award and payment to John R. Jurgensen Co. for the township's share of the 2025 paving program. The board authorized payment of $834,623.14 for Fairfield Township's portion of the multi-jurisdiction bid. The contract award follows a county-managed bidding process that combined township needs with the county and other jurisdictions.
Park projects and grants: The board approved a $6,375 purchase of commercial-grade chain-link fencing for Milton Street Park, to be paid from ARPA funds. Trustees also authorized the township administrator to sign an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) grant agreement for the Heroes Park pickleball conversion; the grant covers approximately $35,000 toward converting a tennis court to four pickleball courts, and the township will need to match the remainder of the project cost.
Security cameras and signage: Trustees reviewed a quote to replace electronic sign cabinets at three township sites and debated whether to approve sign replacements that had quotes around $42,000 per sign. One trustee urged getting multiple bids and making signs larger and readable at typical road speeds; another said the township has more pressing priorities. The board asked staff to solicit additional quotes and to present a separate cost breakdown for cameras proposed for the Veterans Memorial and the administration building, since part of that cost might be covered by the Veterans Memorial Committee.
Workers' compensation assessment and budget context: Trustees and staff discussed an unexpected workers' compensation assessment. Staff reported a supplemental assessment this year of roughly $13,000 and said the township's workers' comp payment would be about $85,000 in the current year and rise to roughly $126,000 the following year based on recent claims history. Trustees requested staff investigate causes, training remedies and whether participation in loss-control programs could reduce future costs.
Calendar and cash position: Trustees also discussed short- and long-term budgeting. One trustee said the township's general fund balance is about $8.6 million and pointed to upcoming debt retirements that will free cash in coming years; another trustee urged caution about timing any levy request and asked for multi-year financial projections that include projected economic-development revenue from local projects such as Schneider Electric.
No action was taken yet on sign replacements or the camera purchase; staff were instructed to return with additional quotes, hardware/software cost breakdowns and analysis for how the township could pay for these projects.
