NEW YEAR NEW PROBLEMS
Fairhope entered the new year hoping there would be change and cooperation among the City Council and the Mayor. The City Council has wasted an entire year trying to obstruct the newly elected Mayor and her administration. They are now faced with the city council president being sued for preventing free speech.
This is no way to run a municipal government. The city council should be encouraging public participation from all it’s citizens. It certainly reflects a lack of leadership when the public is discouraged from participation.
https://youtu.be/kDUoTFc1gOs?t=3602
Fairhope now has a new problem that also can be identified as a lack of leadership. The first city council meeting of the new year had two agenda items that were very important. First was the change of zoning for property on Greeno road.
This particular piece of property, Green Nursery, is the oldest established business in Fairhope acting in a commercial capacity before Greeno Road was 4 lane. After one year of meetings finally the council voted for the obvious.
The Mayor was absent as her grandmother is in intensive care, our prayers are with her and her family.
Councilman Brown was absent and no excuse was offered for his absence. Mr Brown had been vocal about the rezoning, however the balance of the council voted for the change of zoning.
We have 5 councilmen for a reason, so there is no tie in the voting.
The next agenda item was the entertainment district downtown. For many years people on first fridays and special occasions, have wandered all over the downtown area, carrying alcohol drinks. The entertainment district would decriminalize the present illegal activity. The vote was split 2/2, councilmen Conyers and Burrell for and Boone and Robinson against, the entertainment district failed. The council should have held the item over rather than vote on it without the Mayor’s or Councilman Brown. The council also failed to address the current situation after they acknowledged publicly that they, as well as the police, are aware of the illegality. To further complicate things the council recently adopted a motion that a failed item could not be brought before the council for 60 days.
This is a far more complicated issue them some may think. Critics say there should be no drinking period and the entertainment district will turn into New Orleans. That is total BS, There has been no problem for many years, however it is illegal and the business are now being targeted by the ABC board.
The council should not have voted on this without a lot more public participation, a full council and the Mayor, oh wait only the council knew it was on the agenda and it happen to be on the night of the Alabama Bowl game! Hello.
This is a very poor decision that best be handled immediately by a council that has no leadership.