OPEN QUESTIONS to the city of fairmont
Questions that the City needs to answer before signing a Grant Agreement.
At the City Council meeting on Monday, July 28, 2025, citizens were informed that the agreement granting $12,000,000.00 in local option sales tax funds to the Fairmont Area Community Center Foundation (“FACC”) was in the process of being redrafted. Two points of information were important.
- The draft would be held under attorney-client privilege and would not be available to citizens submitting a data request.
- When the draft became available, citizens would have 10 days to review it and make comments.
Questions for the City of Fairmont:
- How will the public be notified that the draft agreement is ready for citizen review?
- Why a ten day review and not thirty? Why the rush now? The building of the proposed community center has been a dangling issue since 2016.
- What is the process for citizens to submit questions and comments?
- Will the citizens’ comments be taken into consideration or will their input be disregarded in the same way that the survey of the citizens’ input on the Blue Earth Avenue improvement is now in danger of being disregarded.
- Who is going to explain the grant agreement to the city council and the citizens?
- What is the clause in the freedom of information act that allows the City to refuse to provide the draft to those submitting data requests? What is attorney-client privileged about the redraft of an agreement that is already in public circulation?
Call your City Council member and ask them these questions.
C4ASF.com -- In favor of an affordable, sustainable community center.