Earlier this month, Fairfield Council approved the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the Fire Department and Police Department to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the life and safety of firefighters when responding to calls that have high patient contact.
Thirty sets of TECGEN-51 Multipurpose Gear, at the cost of $29,440.10, will be used by Fairfield VFD.
Fourteen licenses of eForce Mobile e-Citation Software, and necessary services for contract fulfillment, at the cost of $15,495.00, will be used by Fairfield Police Department.
These are both non-budgeted purchases that will be expended from the City of Fairfield’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.
City Administrator Nate Smith explained during the October 13, 2020 meeting that this relief fund is part of the C.A.R.E.S. Act that was signed into law back in March.
There are three basic qualifications for spending these funds:
1) are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19);
2) were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and
3) were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020.
“Monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund can only be spent on particular items used for protecting life and safety,” said City Administrator Smith.
This includes such things as PPE Equipment, Sanitizing Products, Expenses related to Public Safety Measures (including payroll), and Expenses proving paid sick leave for employees impacted by COVID-19.
Also included in eligible expenditures for the Coronavirus Relief Fund are expenses to facilitate distance learning.
Smith relates that Fairfield ISD contacted the City of Fairfield last month to request the possibility of sharing some of their Relief Fund to offset expenses for remote learning. “For every local agency that will do this, the State will match that amount,” said the City Administrator.
Council approved allocating $10,000 of the City’s Coronavirus Relief Fund to Fairfield ISD, in keeping with the matching grant requirements set forth by the Texas Education Agency.
It is important to note that these monies will come directly from the Relief Fund. “We are not writing a check,” said City Administrator Smith. “We are signing a form that gives [Fairfield ISD] some of our allocation.”
Fairfield City Council met this Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. for a Regular Session. Location was moved to the Freestone County Courthouse , 118 E. Commerce Street, on the third floor.
