Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fairfield trustees pledge up to $2 million to Princeton Road as part of North Hamilton Crossing support
Summary
Trustees voted to pledge support for Hamilton’s North Hamilton Crossing project and commit up to $2,000,000 toward a Princeton Road widening project if the Butler County TID proceeds; board members flagged timing, funding trade-offs with the firehouse and uncertainty about the crossing’s final alignment.
Fairfield Township Trustees voted March 10 to pledge support for the City of Hamilton’s North Hamilton Crossing project and commit funds not to exceed $2,000,000 toward a Princeton Road widening project if the Butler County Transit Improvement District proceeds with ODOT grant applications.
Trustee Berging moved to add the pledge resolution to the agenda and the board approved the amendment on roll call. The full resolution (26-37) was adopted later in the meeting; the roll calls recorded unanimous “yes” votes by the trustees present.
Staff told trustees that the TID will not submit an ODOT planning application on Fairfield’s behalf without a letter of support. One draft resolution circulated to trustees would have been a plain letter of support; the other included conditions and a commitment of $2,000,000 as the township’s 20% match for an estimated $5.5 million Princeton Road widening project that would add a third lane, sidewalks on the north side, and curb-and-gutter.
Trustees raised multiple fiscal concerns before voting. Trustee Maccabee (functional label: Trustee) and others flagged that township TIF funds had been previously discussed for a new fire station and that committing TIF money to Princeton Road could force choices between capital projects. Trustee McAfee said the township could consider borrowing to repair the fire station if residents approve a May ballot measure, but emphasized staffing priorities if costs force a trade-off.
Several trustees also voiced reservations about the crossing’s timing and alignment. Trustee McAfee said the board has been unwilling to support the crossing in prior rounds because of potential impacts to the bottom farm and uncertainty about the project’s eastern termination. Staff reported the ODOT planning application is due March 20 and that planning grants typically require a local match and make applicants effectively committed to follow-through.
The board’s action authorizes the administrative step of pledging support and committing funds not to exceed $2,000,000; the resolution does not itself appropriate or transfer TIF dollars. Trustees said subsequent budget decisions, bonding or allocation of TIF revenue would require later votes and public discussion.
What’s next: the TID may submit an ODOT planning application; if planning funds are awarded, trustees said the township would need to decide whether to set aside or borrow funds to satisfy a future local match and how that choice affects other priorities such as a proposed fire station project.
