Donna Wade - Fairmont City Council District 5

06/10/2026

Please take a minute to support one of our local Fairmont businesses, Loving WV.

If you have shopped with them, love their shirts, or have had a great experience with their friendly staff, consider leaving them a 5-star review.

To leave a Google review:

1. Click their Google review link.
2. Sign into your Google account if prompted.
3. Choose your star rating.
4. Write a short comment about your experience.
5. Click “Post.”

It only takes a minute, but it means a lot to a local business!

Soooo….. We left ourselves a review. Is that ok? I mean we are super biased but we still think we are worth 5 ⭐️’s. We only have 11 reviews on Google does anyone else out there wanna give us one? We think you should! If you wanna give us less than 5 stars we are always looking for ways to make our brand better but please just send us an email or DM, that is the cool thing to do! If you wanna help out a small business here is the link - https://share.google/po6ZnJWzAGEtWJyUp

06/10/2026

Last nights work session update regarding Fairmont Sign Ordinance

During last night’s City Council work session, we reviewed proposed changes to the City’s sign ordinance. No vote was taken, but I wanted to share a simple breakdown of what was discussed.

The goal of the proposed changes is to make the sign regulations easier to understand and easier for businesses to navigate.

Some of the highlights discussed include:

🔹 Reducing the sign ordinance from 20 sections down to 12 sections.

🔸Making the rules easier for business owners and city staff to understand and apply.

🔹 This would help with speeding up the approval process for signs and permits.

🔸 Eliminating some permit requirements that many business owners find cumbersome, including certain window sign requirements.

🔹 Updating regulations that were originally written more for suburban-style developments and shopping plazas.

🔸 Creating standards that better fit Fairmont’s downtown businesses, neighborhood businesses, and unique commercial areas.

🔹 Providing businesses with clearer guidance on what is allowed and what requires approval.

🔸 Reducing confusion and helping businesses avoid spending hours trying to interpret the code.

▪️What does this mean for business owners?▪️

The intent is to create a more user-friendly process that allows businesses to understand signage requirements quickly while still maintaining standards that support the appearance and safety of our community.

No action was taken during the work session. The proposed ordinance is expected to come before Council in the coming weeks, where it will go through the normal public review and voting process.

As always, I welcome feedback and would be happy to hear any concerns or thoughts from residents and business owners. Based on what was presented during the work session, I believe these proposed changes are a positive step toward modernizing our processes and helping move Fairmont forward while continuing to support local businesses.

06/09/2026

The Council of the City of Fairmont will meet this evening for a work session at 5 p.m. and a regular meeting at 7 p.m.

The work session will review and discuss proposed changes to the City's sign code. The work session will be livestreamed on the City's YouTube channel. The full presentation can be viewed here: https://www.fairmontwv.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4673/Sign-Text-Amendment-Presentation

The regular meeting will also be livestreamed. Council has two items of buisness to consider. First is the introduction of an ordinance to correct a mistake in the name of an organization. The second item is an appointment to the Fairmont/Morgantown Housing Authority.

The full agenda packet can be viewed here: https://www.fairmontwv.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06092026-913

06/03/2026

A grassroots community effort has officially saved and reopened the Fairmont Farmers Market at its new Merchant Street location!

See the new market hours and details in the comments.

06/02/2026

Had the opportunity to attend the official ribbon cutting for the first Fairmont Farmers Market of the season today!

Mayor Anne Bolyard and I had the chance to walk around, visit with many of the local vendors, and see firsthand all the great products and talent our community has to offer. Of course, I couldn’t leave empty-handed and picked up a few goodies along the way!

A lot of hard work goes into making the Farmers Market happen. From the organizers and volunteers to the vendors who spend countless hours preparing for market day, there are a lot of people working behind the scenes to make it a success.

It’s always great to see people out supporting local businesses and enjoying everything Fairmont has to offer. Be sure to stop by this season, shop local, and support the folks who help make our community such a great place to call home!

06/01/2026

This is exciting for Fairmont! A lot of hard work has gone into keeping the Farmers Market alive, and it’s great to see it returning for another season.

Join us this Tuesday, June 2, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Merchant Street, directly across from Hermosilla’s Deli Market. Grab a sandwich from Hermosilla’s, shop local vendors, and enjoy everything our downtown has to offer. Yoga at Palatine Park will follow at 7:00 p.m.

The market is also located within Fairmont’s PODA (Private Outdoor Designated Area) District, which allows visitors to purchase a beverage from participating businesses and enjoy it while walking throughout the designated downtown area. Stop by Stumptown, grab a drink if you’d like, and stroll through the market while supporting local vendors.

Events like this support local businesses, strengthen our community, and help make downtown Fairmont a destination. Hope to see you there!

05/29/2026

After months of planning, fundraising, meetings, field work, recruiting sponsors, building teams, and countless hours behind the scenes, all the hard work finally came together as we kicked off our Lower Division season tonight.

Seeing these girls take the field, smiling, competing, learning, and having fun reminded us exactly why we started this league. What began as an idea has grown into an incredible community effort, and tonight was just the beginning.

A huge thank you to our players, parents, coaches, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who helped make this possible. We couldn’t have done it without you.

The future is bright for The 304 Girls Softball League, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings. 💙💛🥎

05/27/2026

Last night, Fairmont City Council received a presentation on the recently completed Housing Needs Assessment for our city. This study takes a detailed look at housing availability, affordability, workforce housing, senior housing, redevelopment opportunities, blight, and future growth within Fairmont and Marion County. 

One thing I want people to understand is this does not mean the City is ignoring other very real concerns. We all know Fairmont has needs across the board. Infrastructure, roads, utilities, public safety, and neighborhood improvements are absolutely on our radar and continue to be priorities.

At the same time, if we want Fairmont to continue growing and moving forward, we also have to be open to discussing long-term ideas and opportunities for our city’s future. Housing plays a major role in that future. It impacts economic development, attracting businesses and workers, retaining young families, supporting seniors who want to age in place, and helping strengthen neighborhoods throughout our city. 

The report highlighted several important findings, including limited housing inventory, rising housing costs, aging homes, and a growing need for affordable and workforce housing options. It identified opportunities for redevelopment and future residential growth within Fairmont. 

Most importantly, it was simply the beginning of the conversation. Nothing is changing overnight, and no large-scale projects suddenly appear tomorrow.

Real progress happens through planning, partnerships, funding opportunities, and small steps over time. Studies like this help give us a clearer understanding of where we are today and what challenges and opportunities we may face in the years ahead.

I believe it is important that we continue balancing today’s immediate needs while also planning responsibly for Fairmont’s future. Both matter.

05/27/2026

A new housing needs assessment presented to the Fairmont City Council highlights a critical shortage of affordable rental and purchase options for the local workforce.

Read the full story at the link in the comments! 👇