Council to move back into renovated chambers Monday

On the agenda

Fairfield City Council meets on Monday, July 13, at the city administration building, 5350 Pleasant Ave. Items on the agenda include:

A contract with CJ&L Construction for work at Fair Plaza Center;

A grant application with Ohio Public Works Commission for the Bypass Ohio 4 improvement project; and

A resolution for the 2010 tax budget.

Fairfield City Council will return to its home by its next meeting on Monday, July 13.

Council moved its meetings to the Fairfield Community Arts Center for the board’s Jan. 26 meeting while renovations began to the council chambers. The entire room has been re-configured, said Fairfield Assistant City Manager Dennis Stuckey.

The main objective was to increase the room’s capacity and upgrade the audio-visual equipment, Stuckey said.

“It’s going to give (residents) better access to be able to watch it on television,” he said.

Among the changes, there will be:

• 127 chairs, which is 28 additional;

• three pan-tilt-zoom cameras mounted on the walls;

• adjustable lighting;

• a handicapped accessible dais and presentation area; and

• two projectors and two screens for presentations.

There will also be monitors and more room for each council member on the dais. Also, network connections will be installed at each council seat.

“As technology changes, the need for better technology on the dais is imperative as well,” Stuckey said.

The $400,000 renovation was partially funded with a $120,000 Time Warner Cable grant. It was part of the renegotiated franchise agreement, Stuckey said.

“Hopefully, the people at home will be able to tell the difference immediately,” Stuckey said.

The project was what was left from the multi-million dollar city building renovation proposal in 2007. Council shelved that project, but later voted to improve the dated council chambers.

Stuckey said hopefully by fall, meeting videos will be on the city’s Web site.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.