FAIRBORN — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Fairborn has made an emergency declaration. All city buildings are closed and all public meetings are canceled while the city remains under a state of emergency until at least Monday, April 6. At that time, Fairborn City Council will evaluate how things are concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and make a decision moving forward.
“The emergency declaration means that the city manager has some latitude within our operations and can react more quickly to what is happening,” Fairborn Communications Manager Meghan Howard said. “The declaration also opens us up to potential funding if that becomes necessary.”
Individuals who have a need to do business within Fairborn city buildings, such as pay bills or file a permit, are encouraged to do so online. Fairborn employees are also being encouraged to work from home.
File permits at http://bit.ly/fairbornpermits
– Pay water bill at http://bit.ly/fairbornwaterbill
– Pay income tax at http://bit.ly/fairbornincometax
– Water shut-offs have been suspended; to re-activate water that has been shut-off, contact the utilities department at 937-754-3007. Individuals are still encouraged to pay their water bill.
“We can always be right or do what is right, and in this case we are going to do what is right,” City Manager Rob Anderson said. “So we are going to make sure we protect our citizens and ourselves so that we minimize the exposures that we have and do what is best for our people.”
The Fairborn Police and Fire Departments are still operational, although the Fairborn Police Department lobby is closed to the public. Safety personnel will begin wearing personal protective gear, and if individuals call dispatch for police or fire assistance and are experiencing flu-like symptoms, they are asked to communicate that during the call.
City parks remain open although the parks office is currently closed, and the Fairborn Municipal Court is also open.
Howard emphasized that it is important that citizens stay informed about the COVID-19 pandemic by the information provided by the State of Ohio, which can be found at www.coronavirus.ohio.gov. She also encouraged individuals to check on loved ones in a safe manner, practice personal hygiene, stay home when ill, engage in social distancing and support small businesses if able.
Fairborn officials will keep citizens updated via its social media channels including Facebook and Twitter. Citizens can also contact the government center directly at 937-754-3016, or the city manager’s office at 937-754-3030.
“Health, safety and welfare of the public is paramount and we want that to be the number one priority for the city,” Anderson said.
