fairhope-waterfront

Only in Fairhope can someone with a high school education become the utility director with absolutely no experience at the job. Mayor Sullivan gets a $25,000 utility salary as well as her second check as Mayor. No other job classification among Fairhope employees exists where “No Experience” is needed. Mayor Wilson refused the dual salary and position of utility director for the much more prudent decision to hire a qualified utility engineer, with education and experience.

I am reluctantly back from a three week vacation and trying to get back on the Ripp Report horse. Let’s review a few subjects that have been in the news in my absence. First the Fairhope Waterfront project has been getting progressively worse. What started out as a citizen driven grant has turned into a political hot potato. The project has been whittled down to a stub. The council and Mayor are on different pages and some concerned citizens are beginning to see the true colors of Council President Burrell.

Fairhope is seeing the results of a Council and Mayor more dedicated to special interests than the majority of their constitutes. It is an absolute shame the Fairhope Waterfront Project became such a divisive tool, used by elected officials, to distort the project and lie to the public. The vast majority of Fairhope citizens have no idea what the original plan was and the opportunity they have lost. https://rippreport.com/redneck-renovations/ Fairhope’s, $6.

Fairhope City Council President Jack Burrell said he heard birds, and the sky was blue, that he felt Fairhope was going to have peace and calm in the next 4 years. CSB, Catalyst Scott/Boone, owns Fairhope, the council, the municipal judge, the city attorney and the Mayor. Complete total control, everyone is in bed with one another. They will make the decisions not the citizens of Fairhope. Just watch and see.

After living in Fairhope for 25 years and spending 16 years of close observation of local politics, nothing surprises me. The corruption and white collar crime in Baldwin County is far worse than most people can comprehend. The political status quo resembles a criminal enterprise. Just for the record I personally think Fairhope is a fantastic community. The location is perfect and Fairhope has transportation hubs abound. Birmingham Atlanta and New Orleans can be reached with a 4 or 5 hour car ride.

The Fairhope Waterfront project started off with, City Council approval, of $500,000.00 for engineering and conceptual plans based on community input. Now the Council is saying this is the Mayor’s plan. Nothing could be further from the truth, 493 people filled out the questionnaire and dozens attended numerous meetings, this is the citizens plan. The latest article in Lagniappe has the Mayor “citing concerns from citizens who were unfamiliar with the two year old proposal, until recently”.

Fairhope Mayor Wilson is inviting the citizens of Fairhope, again, to participate in the next upcoming presentation of the Waterfront project. “Wilson told citizens on June 18, ‘We are going back to the drawing board and urging those who did not take part in the three month engagement process earlier this year to please participate.’” https://lagniappemobile.com/fairhope-reopening-public-participation-on-proposed-park-project/ {Lagniappe has a paywall on this article, you can get a free copy at newsstands}

Fairhope is closing in on another municipal election so get ready for CATALYST and the ill informed to try and convince voters that they know best. The latest issue is the plan for the waterfront, pier and parks at the bay. The funding comes from the BP oil spill in 2010. The cycle for funding and approval took years and grants were very specific outlining the scope of work. The last three years the waterfront project has been on the table.