(FAIRMONT )— The Fairmont City Council has approved a company to replace the city’s outdated website and advanced a proposal to increase cable television franchise fees. The council unanimously approved CivicPlus to replace the city’s current website, which has been in place since 2013 and does not meet accessibility requirements. The project includes an implementation cost of about 46-thousand dollars, with annual service fees of nearly 31-thousand dollars beginning in 2027. City staff and CivicPlus will work together on website updates and maintenance. The council also approved the first reading of an ordinance increasing Midco’s cable television franchise fee from one-point-five percent to four percent. Council members voted to direct the existing fee revenue to the city’s general fund and the additional two-point-five percent to the Lakes Restoration Fund. The proposal passed four-to-one, with Britney Kawecki opposed. A public hearing is scheduled for November 23rd.In other business, the council approved special assessments for the 2026 improvement program, despite a written objection from the Martin County Historical Society regarding the Blue Earth Avenue overlay project. The council also recognized Carter Simmering for saving a fellow Fairmont High School student who was choking by performing the Heimlich maneuver on October 8th.
