HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-10-2018 Work Session Meeting MinutesSTATE OF ALABAMA ) (
COUNTY OF BALDWIN ) (
The City Council met in a Work Session at 4:30 p.m.,
Fairhope Municipal Complex Council Chamber,
161 North Section Street, Fairhope, Alabama 36532,
on Monday, 10 September 2018.
Present were Council President Pro Tempore Jay Robinson Councilmembers:
Jimmy Conyers, Robert Brown and Kevin Boone, Mayor Karin Wilson, City
Attorney Marcus E. McDowell, and Jennifer Olmstead. Council President Jack
Burrell was absent.
Council President Pro Tempore Jay Robinson called the meeting to order at
4:30 p.m.
The following topics were discussed:
Mayor Wilson invited Fairhope School Administrators to go over how the
Fairhope Education Advisory Committee funding impacts their schools.
• Patrice Wolfe, Principal of J. Larry Newton stated the funding provided an
instructional coach. Julie Pierce, Principal of Fairhope Elementary School stated it
provided them the resources to greatly improve their overall reading scores. Carol
Broughton, Principal of Fairhope Intermediate School stated the funding provided a
reading intervention instructor and an additional reading coach. See attached
handout. Tonya Harrelson, Assistant Principal of Fairhope Middle School stated the
funding provided additional professional development for teachers as well as a math
intervention unit. The administrators greatly appreciate the additional funding the
City of Fairhope provides its schools. Councilmember Brown stated that the
Education Advisory Committee is still discussing a possible school tax district to
provide the Fairhope Public Schools additional funding.
Mayor Wilson briefly discussed the adjustment of the Budget Presentation Schedule, the
Utilities 5-year plan. Utility Rate increases, and lack of office facilities.
• Discussion of Facilities. Richard Johnson discussed the facility buildings and how
they are used. There is a lack of office space City wide. He provided a solution of
finishing out a storage area of 555 S Section St. Also, he discussed the possibility of
refurbishing the Pecan Building; it has 10,000 square feet of heated and cooled office
space available. In its current state, the Pecan Building is unfunctional. There is
potential for unlimited growth in the Pecan Building. Richard Peterson mentioned
that the City of Fairhope currently does not have a hurricane rated facility. With
refurbishing the Pecan Building he would like to see it be a hurricane rated facility
with a "safe room". Richard Peterson stated that the refurbishing could roughly cost
two million dollars.
• Richard Peterson addressed the City Council and presented the Fairhope Utilities 5-
year Capital Spending Plan. See attached. Mr. Peterson feels there is a need in
additional personnel to keep up with the demands and regulations of our current
Water, Sewer, Gas and Electric systems. Councilmember Conyers questioned what
the surplus or profit in Utilities were for fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2018.