WHOSE AGENDA?
Fairhope’s City Council agenda, March 8th, was loaded with resolutions that should catch the eye of the voters and raise many questions about the City Council, NOT informing the public about the facts surrounding each resolution.
https://www.fairhopeal.gov/home/showdocument?id=21593
10. Resolution – That Mayor Karin Wilson or Council President Jack Burrell, on behalf of the City of Fairhope, is hereby authorized to purchase the properties owned by the Baldwin County Board of Education: known as the K-1 Center, Fairhopers Community Park, and the James P. Nix Center); and to execute and negotiate all documents necessary to complete the closing and to acquire title on behalf on the City pursuant to the executed Land Purchase Contract.
This is the second round of purchasing the K1 center, the first failed. Let’s hope the Council is willing to listen to the options they ignored last time. The Council promises public hearings, let’s pray the Council lives up to their promise and that this time they listen to all options.
11. Resolution – That the City Council hereby approves and authorizes Mayor Karin Wilson, to execute one of the Memorandum of Understandings between M&N of Alabama, LLC and The City of Fairhope for the Dredging of Main Channel of Fly Creek; and to authorize the Mayor to execute the contract for Bid No. 008-19 for same.
This is a half million dollar contract, split between the City and the Fairhope Yacht Club. The Council did not say a word about having to dredge before, nor did they say where the material they are dredging came from. When the Publix was built massive flooding caused the unstable construction site to spill tons of red fill and topsoil into the creek. Every time we have excessive rains, the creek floods and pushes the Publix fill downstream. Fairhope will have to dredge again and again in the future and the tax payer will pick up the check. The Council favored the developer over the public and ignored any accountability, on the part of the developer or the city.
12. Resolution – To Authorize the filing with the County Board of Education of Baldwin County, Alabama, of a Request for a Special 3 Mill Ad Valorem School District Tax Election.
Everyone agrees that our schools need more money. How to provide it is the question. Council President Jack Burrell “wants out of the school business." The way you accomplish that is shift the responsibility from the Council to a self imposed tax.
The Council never explained or discussed, with the public, the Mayor’s option of a more expedient and equitable solution, not involving taxes.. The Council could have provided the funds last night instead they chose the more difficult path of a referendum and tax. The Council is playing political games with our kids and is not considering the best interest of the community, when it withholds information from the public, to satisfy their agenda. The Ripp Report will support the 3 mil tax, our kids and teachers desperately need it. It is unfortunate that the Council rejected even talking about options to a tax. If the tax fails will the Council then be willing to listen to the Mayor’s options?
27. Resolution – That Mayor Karin Wilson is hereby authorized to execute Change Order No. 2 to Bid No. 005-18, Library Envelope Repairs 2019 which adds an additional 12 calendar days to the contract for miscellaneous repairs due to unforeseen conditions discovered upon demolition and affects the critical path schedule; and awards the Change Order to MW Rogers Construction Co., LLC. The Change Order will extend the contract time from 210 calendar days to 222 calendar days.
This is one of the biggest sandals in Fairhope, kept quite by politicians that have been sweeping it under the rug for years. Make no mistake former Mayor Can’t, former Public Works, Jennifer Fidler, Council President Burrell and Councilman Boone are on top the totem pole of responsibility. The library has been plagued with construction issues since day one. The then Mayor and Council never held anyone responsible, Architect, or general contractors, repairs stacked up through the years until the present administration tackled the issues. The library has been closed for weeks, yet the Council says not a word. Their should be a special investigation into the construction issues and why they were ignored. How do you build a library for millions of dollars and have no warranty’s? Again the Council explains nothing.
30. Executive Session - To discuss the consideration the City is willing to offer or accept when considering the purchase, sale, exchange, lease, or market value of real property. The discussions could have a detrimental effect upon the competitive position of the City in the negotiations if the matter was discussed in public.
This could be a legitimate issue however the history of this Council, with the aid of the City Attorney, should make everyone nervous. Not discussing things in public is their agenda.
