The City of Lakes
About Fairmont
Fairmont is the county seat of Martin County, Minnesota — a community of 10,226 people built around a chain of five lakes.
A community built on the lakes
Fairmont sits at the heart of Martin County in southern Minnesota, surrounded by a chain of five lakes that give the City its nickname. Founded in 1857 and incorporated as a charter city in 1901, Fairmont has grown from a frontier settlement into a regional hub for agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Of the 853 cities in Minnesota, approximately 107 are charter cities. In a charter city, the City Council and government derive their powers from the Charter and can exercise any power granted under it so long as it doesn't conflict with State Law. The City of Fairmont adopted its first Charter in 1901 and remains a charter city today.
The City Council meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Downtown Plaza. Meetings are open to the public and rebroadcast on the Local Government Channel.
10,226
Residents
1857
Founded
5
Lakes in the chain
1901
Charter adopted
City Administrator Q&A
Community Center Project: status update
The City of Fairmont has contracted with 292 Design Group for architectural and engineering services, Kraus Anderson for construction manager services, and Tegra for owner's representative services. These consultants form the design team for the community center project.
The design team is currently working with a group of stakeholders from the community and the Community Center Advisory Board on conceptual designs. The team will then put together cost estimates for the concept designs. The City is also working with the Fairmont Area Community Center Foundation/YMCA and the Fairmont Youth Hockey Association to look at operating and maintenance costs.
The goal is to have this information compiled and ready to present to the public for input in mid-October, with a decision on a conceptual design occurring in November.
This column will be a place where you can learn about different things happening in the city. If you have questions on a specific topic that you would like to hear about, please let me know.
What is a city charter?
Cities in the State of Minnesota are either statutory cities or charter cities. In charter cities, the City Council and government derives its powers from the Charter and can exercise any power granted under the Charter so long as it doesn't conflict with State Law. In contrast, a Statutory City derives its powers from Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 412, and can only use those powers granted to it by the Legislature.
A city Charter deals with the fundamentals of the governmental organization of the city, leaving the council free to exercise a broad grant of authority by ordinance.
Get involved
Boards, commissions, and committees
Fairmont has more than a dozen advisory boards and commissions — from the Planning Commission to the Lakes Management Committee. Find one that matches your interests and get involved.