BUSHWHACKED & HIJACKED – FAIRHOPE STYLE | THE RIPP REPORT / BALDWIN COUNTY LEGAL EAGLE

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PLEASE ATTEND FAIRHOPE CITY COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 11, SUPPORT THE MAYOR If you live in Fairhope, BEWARE, your government is being hijacked by past employees that have been fired, quit or retired, since…

PARADISE LOST | THE RIPP REPORT / BALDWIN COUNTY LEGAL EAGLE

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Submitted by: Chris Warner Dear Editor: The citizens of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Destin, Florida were bushwhacked. They never saw it coming. Or did they? Ongoing costs of residential growth…

CATALYST HELD BACK | THE RIPP REPORT / BALDWIN COUNTY LEGAL EAGLE

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Of 150,104 registered voters, in Baldwin County, only 36,073 voted, that is only 24% of the voters. Election Results Election Results Source: www.fox10tv.com/category/298869/election-results Catalyst…

Mayor Karin Wilson of Fairhope, Alabama

A mayor’s foremost responsibility, second to none, is the safety and security of the citizens. As mayor, I have taken this responsibility to heart and I will continue to do so.

No police department, and no police chief, are perfect. Certainly, I recognize this is equally true with regard to the office of mayor. Nevertheless, my job as mayor is to initiate changes intended to improve public safety where it can and should be improved, including supervising the chief and recommending to him needed improvements. Though I have carried out this task and attempted to provide Chief honest feedback, in no manner does it diminish my appreciation and respect for the many years of service Chief Petties has devoted to the city. Nor does it diminish my continuing commitment to working with him in a constructive fashion in the future.

My sole intent in exercising my obligation of supervising the Chief has been to improve public safety for the betterment of the city. I am mandated by state law to perform this function and that same state law would have allowed me to temporarily remove the Chief if I had deemed it appropriate. But it has never been my intent to do so nor cause him to resign.

It is unfortunate that, in the heat of things, facts get lost and emotions take over. The special called meeting on Monday was specifically to address the procedure the council and our HR department would use for establishing an interim chief of police and, eventually with a specific timeline, the selection of a new chief.

Yesterday, during the council meeting, Chief has conditionally recalled that signed letter. I support whatever decision he ultimately makes and will continue to work for additional personnel and appropriate resources to meet the department’s needs as they continue their work in safeguarding the citizens of Fairhope. For example, I will once again request the funding for a Captain position as we have had in the past when our population was much smaller.

Early in my term, Chief told me he had intended to retire at the end of the previous term. But, he said, he decided to stay on for another two years to help with the transition of the new administration. For that I am grateful.

This year all city employees were requested to submit a written self-evaluation; each supervisor gave a written and verbal evaluation of his/her employees. Evaluations are one of the best tools we have to assist employees in attaining their greatest potential and are based on known facts backed by specific examples. I will not disclose any conversation from any city employee’s evaluation as it is confidential information and remains so for all our employees for their protection.

I made a conscious decision to run for mayor and serve because of my conviction that the city needed forward thinking guidance to meet its growth and future. Employees should play key roles in administering the steps to take us there. Working together we will fulfill that future vision that exists in the 21st century and still holds its history and traditions.