TRUTH

In response to Councilman Brown about his position on the Waterfront,

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FairhopeNow/

http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/stories/op-ed-positive-change-always-met-with-stubborn-opposition,95207

Leslie Callies Hollis

This was my comment to Robert Brown weeks ago on this subject :

Robert, you and many others may not like my comment. But I am going to say it anyway.

The public bay front has evolved and seen many changes over the course of my lifetime-
If I had time, I would lay out a timetable for you to see the changes and how they evolved for the public to enjoy.

Had the citizens then, pulled out pitchforks and torches to contest change, we would still have a rail system running from a wooden pier to the center of town. Can you imagine if Mayor Nix had not been allowed to put up the existing pier and rose garden, or tear down the old casino?

I have a few valid points I would like to say:

First, I think as leaders of our City, we should expect you and the rest of the council to behave professionally and kindly challenge and address the issues to correct those items that are obviously a miss in this working waterfront project. That is called working together for the good of the City.
There are no bulldozers there, these are preliminary plans. They can be tweaked and improved upon. There is nothing wrong with using your expertise to keep the good and make further recommendations.

But most importantly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with change if you help make it for the good.

Professionals have been hired, let’s use them to our advantage.

A 6 million dollar grant is a gift, and the balance of money that would be required to evolve and improve our City could be money well spent.

Secondly, since you brought it up, did you ask for public input to purchase and expand the soccer field? How much of taxpayer money did you allocate for that land? What were your options?

No, you probably made decisions that you thought were best. No one took the pitch forks and torches out to protest your plans. Did you find any grant money to help with this project?

Finally, don’t use your position and platform to stomp on changes just because it was Mayor Wilson’s hard work and thinking out of the box that got this grant. That is certainly how it appears.

The drama and ‘just because you said it, its wrong’ attitude has been in play the entire term of her being Mayor. You all made yourselves out to be disrespectful and cruel. It was uncalled for.

Be gracious and open minded enough to think that Mayor Wilson might have some good ideas to bring to this City. Do not sacrifice an opportunity for positive change because you fear the fruit of her hard work has come to fruition. You were seated at the same table with her have been more tuned in to bringing her down and destroying her than working with her and the City.

You might not like her, but you should be expected to be constructive in working with her. You are there to be a check and balance not a mortal enemy. You are there for the citizens of Fairhope and not to do a PR campaign of Robert Equals Good and Karin Equals Bad.

It appears that your opposition to this project and your post to point out the negatives on her project and the positives on yours is out of growing concern that she might be working to create positive changes for Fairhope. Did you give her credit for the changes she made to the marina?
Is it that, if approved, this might make her look as though she was busy working and finding resources to better the City?

I think the grant from the oil spill was supposed to be used to better the City; that money was allocated to our City and the money from that grant was awarded in a no bid contract was paid to a private contractor who was friends with the last Mayor. They didn’t even put on a robber mask go rob the City. They thought they were entitled to that money. A large portion of that could have been used for needed infrastructure. That sort of thing is unethical and unfair to taxpayers. And the complacency in accepting stealing? Why would we think anything about this should be acceptable? We live in a world of transparency now, and those sort of transactions come to light. Nothing, and I mean nothing about that was for the good of the citizens of Fairhope. Well, maybe two.

You are a good person, I knew your Mama. She used to tell me about Robert all the time. I am from the same cloth. I am honest and hardworking as well.

I think we all have a vested interest in Fairhope and that we do not allow politics of the past to continue to dictate the future of Fairhope.

Thank you for allowing me to voice my opinion.