Letter of Concern

August 7, 2019

Dear Casi Calloway:

I can no longer, as Mayor, sit back and allow the City’s reputation to suffer while Mobile Baykeeper continues to share sensationalized “news” releases without transparent facts. Your failure to respond to my email from July 30th after the most recent news release concerning a video of a “mysterious” substance was really the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.When I ran for Mayor, I communicated the critical needs for infrastructure upgrades in all four of our utilities and the sense of urgency to address it due to the City’s unprecedented growth. The lack of strategic planning motivated me to do something about it. This is my home and I care deeply about the health of Mobile Bay, the City, our citizens and our future. I looked forward to working with Mobile Baykeeper because I believed my goals and objectives aligned with its mission.

The announcement which ultimately reported the fact there was no SSO from Fairhope or Daphne was the cause, was written in typical Baykeeper fashion – to mislead the reader and promote scare tactics. Citizens rely on responsible updates and articles that include progress and work being accomplished. However, after reading most of Baykeepers news, readers are left with misguided anger directed at the very people who are actually working on solutions. We have been inundated with emails, mail and calls which distract our hardworking City employees and take valuable time away from the work your organization is complaining about. All because all the facts are not being shared. Is this how Baykeeper believes we move forward? I have read Baykeeper’s mission featured on the website and do not see how divisive propaganda and the constant finger-pointing is effective? Why doesn’t Baykeeper hold itself to the same accountability as it does everyone else?

The City of Fairhope is doing more than ever to improve our water quality and protect our environmentally sensitive watersheds. We are taking responsibility for our role in upgrading our entire sewer system and so much more as you know. Why Baykeeper refuses to share this important information (and even take credit for it!) has become a source of great concern for the City I love. I sincerely hope you will read this entire timeline with links starting with the first day of this term. I spent a great deal of time putting this together to demonstrates the persistent focus of my administration to finally address the long-term neglect of an inherited Utility.

There was no plan in place before I took office. There was no funding in place for the massive needs. In less than three years, both are in place and work has begun. Rather than focus on “gotcha” news releases, it would be so refreshing for Baykeeper to try a positive campaign that citizens, municipalities, businesses and other organizations can really get behind, support and affect meaningful change.

I await your response, Mayor Karin Wilson City of Fairhope CC: Mobile Baykeeper Board of Directors