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The long-delayed Fairfax Community Center persisted as one of the top issues for the Fairfax community at the Fairfax Town Council’s October 16 meeting. Additionally, at the meeting, the council discussed benefits for public employees and the status of the town hall’s roof repairs.
Community Center
The long-awaited community center that has been under construction since 2019 is approaching its latest completion date, according to Art Williams, the director of the project.
At the meeting, Williams said that most of the project is completed and the final stage of the project, which includes finishing the building’s water system, is underway. Williams estimated that the building will be completed in November. The building’s completion will be met with an opening celebration, according to council member Pamela Love.
“We still have one issue that’s holding us back from having a schedule to say exactly when it is going to be completed,” Williams said. “The engineering firm had to redraw the water system plans and [it] has now gone back to the state.”
Much of the funding for the building’s construction has come from funds the town has received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a bill that was signed into law in March 2021 that gave local governments funding to use for purposes that they deemed best for their community. At the October 16 meeting, some members of the Fairfax community criticized the use of ARPA funds for completing the building, saying that those funds could have been used in other ways to benefit the community.
Across the country, local and city governments have used ARPA funds in different ways. For example, in Chicago, ARPA funds were used to cancel medical debt. In Williamsburg, Virginia, ARPA funds were used to build new parks and playgrounds. The rural town of Prinsburg, Minnesota used ARPA funds to invest in broadband infrastructure.
The People-Sentinel has received a series of documents regarding the Fairfax Community Center, including budget receipts, emails, and memos as a result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The People-Sentinel is currently investigating the timeline of the Fairfax community center’s construction, and the causes of its delayed completion.
Public Employee Benefits
The council is currently considering changes to improve the benefits for public employees of the town of Fairfax. Currently, a first-year employee can earn up to one week of paid time off, while employees working longer than one year can earn up to two weeks of paid time off. Council member Olando Spiller criticized the current way employees receive benefits.
“I don’t agree with it,” Spiller said. “I know that’s our policy, but if you only getting three hours a pay period, then it takes you almost a month and a half just to get hours to take off. I think we need to change that.”
Currently, the Town of Fairfax is experiencing a shortage of public workers and is seeking new workers in the town’s sanitation department. Council members mentioned improving paid time off benefits as a way to attract new employees.
The council said it will continue discussing the issue in committee meetings.
Town Hall Roof
At the council meeting, Fairfax community members criticized the recent completion of the town hall roof for reasons of appearance as well as the structural quality of the repairs. Concerns were raised about if the town hall roof could withstand a storm with high winds.
Council member Ken Ready said that the contractor who completed the roof repairs was not responsible for the repairs’ ability to withstand high winds.
“In order for it to be a failure, it has to come off,” Ready said. “What you see is a cosmetic issue, not a structural issue. It’s not leaking. I agree, it looks bad. We will work towards getting it fixed.”
