Special Town Council Meeting | Friday, April 17, 2026
Fairfax Town Council Minutes
Special Meeting
Fairfax Women’s Club, 46 Park Road, Fairfax, CA
and via teleconference Friday, April 17, 2026
Call to Order/Roll Call:
Mayor Hellman called the Special Meeting to order at 12:30 p.m.
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Stephanie Hellman, Mayor
Frank Egger, Vice Mayor
Barbara Coler
Lisel Blash
COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: Michael Ghiringhelli
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Heather Abrams, Town Manager
Michael Vivrette, Finance Director
Janet Coleson, Town Attorney, Public Agency Law
Janabai Owens Deputy Town Clerk
Michael Vivrette, Finance Director
Kristin Arnold, Director of Public Works
Jeff Beiswenger, Planning Director
Special Meeting at 12:30 p.m.
Hybrid meeting at the Fairfax Women’s Club and via Zoom.
Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor Hellman led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Agenda
M/S: Coler/Blash
AYES: Blash, Coler, Egger, Hellman
NOES: None
ABSENT: Ghiringhelli
Land Acknowledgement
Mayor Hellman read the land acknowledgement.
Meeting Protocol
Mayor Hellman read the meeting protocol.
Special Agenda
1. Public Hearing: Urgency Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Formula Businesses
Special Town Council Meeting | Friday, April 17, 2026
Mayor Hellman opened the public hearing to consider extending the interim ordinance on temporary moratorium on the issuance of entitlements for new formula businesses pursuant to Government Code § 65858.
Jeff Beiswenger, Planning and Building Services Director, presented the report, explaining that the current moratorium, established March 4, is expiring April 18. The extension would be for 10 months and 15 days, until March 3, 2027, allowing additional time to develop regulations.
A 10-day report was done on April 8 summarizing progress, with plans to bring the ordinance to the planning commission for further study sessions.
Councilmembers discussed adding language clarifying the ordinance expiration date in section 5 (terms).
Mayor Hellman opened public comment.
• Mimi Newton, downtown Fairfax resident, supported the moratorium and suggested reviewing Sebastopol's ordinance as a model.
• Todd Greenberg commented on the scope of the ordinance. • Mark Bell supported the moratorium and asked the council to consult another attorney. • A renter and Fairfax Market employee, supported extending the moratorium and asked to protect the local market.
Mayor Hellman closed public comment and the public hearing.
Council members clarified that today’s decision is to extend the moratorium to allow time for further discussion, not to finalize ordinance content.
Councilmember Coler moved to introduce, waive reading, and adopt the interim ordinance extending the moratorium until March 3, 2027, incorporating the term clarification.
M/S: Coler/Egger
AYES: Blash, Coler, Egger, Hellman
NOES: None
ABSENT: Ghiringhelli
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:58 p.m. in memory of Pauline Coler.