CITY OF FAIRFIELD
Quarterly Development Newsletter
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City Barbeque Construction Begins
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Construction is underway on the new City Barbeque location at the corner of Route 4 and Seward Road. A former Gold Star Chili restaurant has been demolished to make way for the new restaurant. Planning Commission has approved plans for the new 3,500 square foot restaurant, which will feature a drive-thru and outdoor patio area. Construction is anticipated to be completed before the end of 2022.
City Barbeque is a fast-casual barbeque restaurant that was founded in the Columbus area in 1999. The restaurant serves beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, pulled chicken, smoked sausage, and other meats and sides.
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InnoMark Launches PACE Investment |
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InnoMark Communications is taking advantage of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing to make several improvements to its Fairfield facility located on Distribution Circle. The company has kicked-off an approximately $800,000 project to replace its roof and aging HVAC units, both of which will result in improved energy efficiency of the facility.
PACE allows InnoMark to repay the costs of the improvements through a special assessment collected through real estate taxes. This allows the debt to be carried on the building and not the company balance sheet. The energy savings will also allow the company to repay the debt over time.
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PACE can be used to finance energy efficiency improvements for both building renovation and new construction. In order to facilitate the project, the City of Fairfield joined the I-75 Energy Special Improvement District (ESID), with the City of Monroe and Liberty Township. This means that PACE financing is now accessible to any Fairfield company.
For more information on PACE financing and its benefits, visit our ESID webpage.
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Smart Water Meters Coming Soon |
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Fairfield’s Public Utilities Department recently awarded a contract for the replacement of all 13,000+ water meters in the City. Most existing meters in the City are well over 20 years old and are near the end of their useful life. All the new meters will be “smart” meters provided by Master Meter – which will give water customers access to real-time usage information.
Among other things, customers will be able to see hourly water usage rates, get alerts for possible leaks, and set alarm thresholds for high usage – all through a simple smart phone app. Meter readings will be collected automatically – twice daily – through a licensed radio transceiver system called Harmony - Allegro.
The City’s contractors for this project are Ferguson Water Works and Professional Meters Inc. (PMI). As most of the water meters in Fairfield are located inside homes or businesses – often in basements – the contractors will need inside access to perform their work. Letters, door hangers, and social media posts will be used to communicate with customers to schedule appointments so that meters can be replaced.
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Smart Meter Project FAQs:
What will this cost me? Nothing. There is no cost to the customer for the new meter.
Do I need to do anything now? No. At a later date you will receive a letter providing instructions on how and when to schedule a service appointment.
When will this happen? Contractors will start installing new water meters in May or June 2022. It is expected the project will take 10-12 months to complete.
What if my meter is inaccessible or blocked? City code requires that your water meter be accessible at all times. If your meter is obstructed, please make immediate arrangements to clear the obstructions.
How long will the service technician be in my business? A typical meter change-out takes about 20 minutes.
Can I opt out of this? No. All water meters in the City must be replaced. The existing meters will not work with the new meter reading system.
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Duke Energy Program Benefits Fairfield Property |
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A 104-acre site at 1103 Tedia Way was recently evaluated as part of Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program. Duke Energy has recognized that the timeline for companies making decisions about locating new facilities is getting tighter. In response, Duke Energy established its Site Readiness Program to help communities like Fairfield proactively assess and prepare properties for development. The goal of the evaluation is to gauge the potential for corporate investment at the property, make recommendations for development, and to gather detailed site information for the property owner and community to effectively market the property. |
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The property at 1103 Tedia Way has industrial zoning and existing utilities at the site. The evaluation identified additional positive attributes, development challenges, and ideal industry types to target. City staff, in close cooperation with the property owner, will utilize the report recommendations to evaluate next steps for development of the property. |
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Scott Timmer Named City Manager |
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Fairfield City Council appointed Scott Timmer to serve as City Manager effective February 7, 2022. City Manager Timmer is the chief executive officer, responsible for the day-to-day operations of a complex municipal organization serving a residential population of 44,500 across 20 square miles. The City organization retains a robust bond rating of Aa1, annual all funds operating budget of approximately $81.6 million, five-year capital budget of approximately $99.5 million, and full-time work-force of 280 employees.
Timmer formerly served as the Assistant City Manager, the chief operating officer role, for the City of Fairfield. In addition to the Assistant City Manager role, Mr. Timmer served more than three years as the Director of Finance, the chief financial officer role, for the city. Immediately preceding his appointment to City Manager, Mr. Timmer was the Assistant County Administrator for Butler County.
City Manager Timmer was previously employed by the United States Federal Government, spending more than six years with the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and United States Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Timmer holds a Master of Business Administration with a Public Administration Concentration from Ohio Dominican University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Dayton.
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Koch Foods Wins Growth Award |
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At its annual meeting on March 10, REDI Cincinnati recognized five local organizations with James A. Wuenker Growth Awards. Named in honor of James A. Wuenker, a respected economic developer who helped shape the future of the region, the Growth Awards are given annually to projects announced in the previous year that significantly impacted the economic vitality of the Cincinnati region.
Fairfield’s Koch Foods was recognized for construction of its second manufacturing facility in the community. The company originally committed over $200M to the new plant on an 18-acre site adjacent to its current facility, but the total capital investment in the project will exceed $300M. Combining the substantial capital investment with the addition of 400 jobs created allows Koch to dramatically increase production capacity and bolster sales while further cementing its investment in the local community.
In announcing the award, REDI Cincinnati noted Koch Foods’ rich and diverse working environment, which include staff at its Fairfield location who call eight different languages their native tongue. REDI also noted that Koch invests significantly in its employees, resulting in approximately 90% of the company’s leadership originally beginning as hourly employees.
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Representatives of Koch Foods accept the award at REDI Cincinnati's Annual Meeting |
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Fisher Park adding Spec Industrial Building |
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Last quarter’s newsletter highlighted more than $4.5 million in improvements at Fisher Park, the former General Motors Fisher Body facility at Route 4 and Symmes Road. Plymouth Industrial REIT, owner of the facility since 2019, has announced additional investment with the planned erection of a new 150,000 square foot speculative industrial building.
Earthwork is underway for the new building, which will be located along Route 4 between the main Fisher Body building and the CSX railroad tracks to the north. The building will provide modern industrial space for one or multiple companies and improve the aesthetics of the Route 4 corridor. Completion and occupancy of the building is anticipated in winter 2022-23.
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State Bill Benefits Work Based Learning |
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The Ohio General Assembly recently approved SB 166. This new law will allow businesses to better meet their employment needs. The law offers tax and workers compensation incentives to Ohio employers that create “Work Based Learning” (“WBL”) opportunities for high school students. Work-based learning is an educational strategy that provides students with real-life work experience where they can apply academic and technical skills. WBL integrates the school curriculum with the workplace to foster skill-development, the achievement of credentials, and long-term employability.
Below are some of the positive ways that it will impact your ability to hire quality employees:
Work Based Learning (WBL) Tax Credit
- SB 166 permits Ohio businesses to claim a tax credit of up to 15% of wages paid to students participating in WBL through a career-technical education (CTE) program.
- Employers may claim up to $5,000 per participating student against their overall annual state tax liability; aggregate total credits statewide under the program may not exceed $5 million per fiscal biennium.
- To obtain the credit, employers must verify the authenticity of their WBL program via an application to the Ohio Department of Education, which must subsequently award a tax certificate within 60 days of receipt.
Bureau of Workman’s Compensation (BWC) Experience Rating Protection. During the legislative discussions, Ohio employers expressed concern about potential workers compensation rate increases when hiring high school students for work-based learning. In response, and in collaboration with the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, SB 166 expressly prohibits BWC from charging any amount against an employer’s experience rating for workers’ compensation claims made as part of a WBL Program.
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Other Recent Openings & Projects Underway |
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PROPERTY HIGHLIGHT:
100 Commercial Drive
Located on Route 4 just north of I-275, the office building at 100 Commercial Drive offers 62,825 square feet. The property was constructed in 1980 and expanded and improved in 2011. Onsite parking include more than 275 spaces, a ratio of 4.4 spaces per 1,000 building square feet. CBRE has the building listed for sale or lease.
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How can we help?
The Development Services Department is here to support both new and existing businesses in the City of Fairfield. If we can be of assistance, please contact Nathaniel Kaelin, Economic Development Manager, at 513-867-5345 or [email protected].
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Follow #FairfieldOhioDevelopment
on the city's social media accounts:
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