Full Notification

February 23, 2021
          Over the weekend Fairfax had an incident play out that needs to be addressed.
          I received a call from the Senior Director of Public Relations for the Union Pacific Railroad.  She let me know that a train developed frozen airlines, affecting the train’s brakes.  The train became stranded across Vanderbilt Street.
          As we all know, the intersection of Prairie Avenue and Highway 151 is closed for reconstruction of the Prairie Creek bridge and the intersection.  This is part of a multimillion-dollar IDOT project in our community.  The City negotiated permission from the IDOT to construction an emergency entrance on to Prairie Avenue to be used for the Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department and the City of Fairfax in case of an emergency.  This gave us a way of protecting the 106 homes in the affected area.
          No emergencies were reported to the Linn County Sheriff’s Department during this incident’s time period.  Some residents decided, on their own, that they had an emergency and began using this emergency entrance for their own personal use.
          This required me to contact City staff to restore the barricades and Linn County Sheriff’s Department to send a car to stop this activity.  I made several phone calls and spent a couple of hours convincing the staff at the IDOT this was an isolated incident and soothing their reactions to it.
          So, let me give you the facts of what could develop if another incident occurs.
          #1 – Every person driving through the barricades is subject to a $250.00 fine plus restitution for any costs to the contractor for replacing the barricades or damage to the project.
          #2 – Since this is an IDOT project, over which they have total control, they could deny the City of Fairfax permission to use this emergency entrance.  They could force the City to remove the rock we hauled in to create the entrance and return it to the 18” drop off which was previously there.  They could also install more permanent barricades.
          Believe me, I totally understand your frustration.  I live on Linn Street where all of the highway traffic went when the Church Street intersection was closed.  I am asking you to please consider all of your neighbors and friends living in this affected area.  Ensure they will have this emergency entrance if needed during this construction project.  If you have an actual emergency, call 911 and help will come to you.
 
Mayor Bernie Frieden