City of Fairfield will enjoy the benefits of a high-end contract for retail development strategies, without shouldering all the costs.

At last week's council meeting, city councilmen and officials with Fairfield Industrial Development Corporation agreed to share the costs of a contract signed with Buxton Company. Costs to retain the company's services are $70,000, which will be paid by FIDC. Annual contract maintenance costs, estimated at about $40,000 per year, will be paid by the city.

Buxton Company provides information regarding types of businesses most likely to relocate to Fairfield, and gives the city information on how to retain those businesses.

City water bills will look a little different, and second notices for late payers will no longer be sent.

To save on the cost of producing and mailing second notices, the city voted to print late fees and cutoff information on the backs of the first water bills mailed each month.

No final payment notices will be mailed, and accounts can be disconnected for nonpayment.

National tournaments for boys and girls Little Dribblers will be held in Fairfield this year, and city councilmen voted to give each group up to $25,000 to help with expenses.

Expenses will be paid through the city up to a $25,000 limit for each tournament.

Repairs to baseball fields Sandlots I and II will be made by the city, with the stipulation that the Fairfield Baseball/Softball Association will maintain the fields once the upgrades have been made.

Marlon Cockerell of the sports group told city officials last week, "Upgrading the fields will benefit the city as a whole. We are asking to host district and state tournaments which benefit the youth, and increase revenue for the city."

Councilmen approved costs not to exceed the estimated $36,188.90.

Also at the meeting held last Tuesday evening, city officials and FIDC representatives agreed to replace board member Monte Cole, who died last month, with Will Hallmark, and agreed to "take no action" regarding the base salaries of certain water/wastewater employees.

Police department did, however, hire two new employees: Sean Allen Gore was hired as a fulltime dispatcher, and Stephanie Nichols was hired as a parttime dispatcher.