Baldwin County Commission Work Session and Regular Meeting - June 4, 2024

The Baldwin County Commission met on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in the County Commission Meeting Chambers at 322 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette, Alabama. The pre-meeting work session was called to order at 8:35 a.m. and the regular meeting at 10:01 a.m.; the regular meeting adjourned at 10:10 a.m. All four commissioners were present: James E. Ball, Matthew P. McKenzie, Chair Billie Jo Underwood, and Charles F. Gruber. County Administrator Roger Rendleman, County Engineer Frank Lundy, and County Attorney Brad Hicks also attended. No public hearings, public comments, or press questions were held.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent agenda unanimously (4-0). The Commission moved Item CA2 (Board of Human Resources appointment) to Other Staff Recommendations for a separate vote and added Addenda GA1 and GA2 to the consent agenda.
• Administration: Acknowledged City of Fairhope Ordinance No. 1798 annexing property; approved the employment contract for Baldwin County Legislative Delegation Full-time Clerk Allison Marlow, from June 6, 2024 to February 2, 2027.
• BRATS: Authorized the FY 2024 Section 5311 Addendum Application with ALDOT at a reduced local match ratio of 10%; approved purchase of six mid-size buses and sixteen transit vans at a local cost of $302,577 with total federal and state funding of $2,723,191; authorized a $34,880 payment to ALDOT representing the federal share of insurance proceeds for a totaled 2017 Ford E450 transit vehicle.
• Budget/Purchasing: Awarded pre-event debris removal and disposal services (Bid #WG24-23) to CrowderGulf, LLC for a 24-month term with an optional 12-month extension; awarded Group 4 of ERPR-9072 permanent storm repair work to McElhenney Construction Company, LLC for $976,676.85 (210 working days); awarded Montrose drainage improvements (Main Street south of Forest Park Drive) to McElhenney Construction Co., LLC for $185,588.02 (30 working days); and approved specifications to bid HVAC equipment replacement at the Baldwin County Board of Education and the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse.
• EMA: Approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission Area Agency on Aging for disaster preparedness.
• Highway: Approved license agreements for a living shoreline/riprap on Bay Road S and for a 271-foot water main on Lescali Drive by the City of Loxley; amended the Loxley Transit Shelter intergovernmental agreement; approved a maintenance agreement with Loxley for Truck Trail 17 (3.45 miles) and Old Brady Road (0.60 miles) for 24 months; adopted revised Policy #9.17 on residential driveway/turnout permits; and authorized The Launch at CR6 dredging agreement with ADCNR, including an interim check of $15,732.48.
• Personnel: Approved promotions, new hires, an updated Permit Engineer position description, and a Revenue Commission position reclassification. These included Daniel Catlin as Government Relations Director at $95,000 annually.
• Addenda: Approved extension of the Bay Minette Land Company lease for the Board of Registrars building through November 30, 2024; approved Resolution #2024-124 dissolving the Baldwin County Library Board, an Intergovernmental Agreement making the County Commission the facilitator of joint municipal library services, and authorization to dissolve the Baldwin County Library Cooperative, Inc. and transfer/recover its assets and contracts.

Discussion Items

• CDBG-DR Local Recovery Plan: Grants Director Brian Underwood and consultants from Civix and JJPR described the plan process for Hurricane Sally and Zeta recovery. A planning charrette is scheduled for June 5, 2024; the draft plan will be posted for public comment on July 18, 2024; the final plan will be presented to the Commission on September 3, 2024 and submitted to ADECA by September 18, 2024. Programs will address infrastructure, housing, and economic development and must benefit low- and moderate-income residents, tie to the disasters, and meet HUD/ADECA eligibility rules. Chairman Underwood expressed appreciation for the progress and said no complaints had been received about the process.
• Red Hill Road Intersection: Assistant County Engineer Mark Acreman said the Highway Department will add a three-way stop condition and northbound yield at Red Hill Road/Red Hill Road Extension to address near misses and accidents. The work is scheduled during summer school break to minimize neighborhood impacts. County Engineer Frank Lundy reported positive community feedback; Commissioner Gruber praised the project.
• Emergency Management: EMA Director Tom Tyler reported on a $50,000 hazardous materials performance grant used to plan a tabletop and full-scale exercise to evaluate the county's ability to respond to a large-scale hazmat incident and to coordinate mutual aid. He also previewed an upcoming hurricane tabletop exercise.
• Summer Interns: Frank Lundy introduced summer interns Jade Dickson (University of West Florida, Planning and Zoning Department) and Jeb Bathrick (St. Michael Catholic High School, Highway Department).
• Customer Service Program: Chairman Underwood proposed exploring a tailored ACCMA/Auburn outreach customer service program for up to 30 county employees at a cost of $15,000, citing a strong presentation by Shannon Spivey and interest from other local governments. Commissioners asked for more information about scope before deciding.
• Board of Human Resources: During the work session, Commissioner Ball recommended retired Maj. Gen. Michael Sumrall for the Baldwin County Board of Human Resources; Chairman Underwood noted the other candidate's childcare and child-welfare background. Both were seen as qualified, and the item was moved to a separate vote.
• Library Cooperative: The Commission discussed the dissolution of the Baldwin County Library Cooperative and the new intergovernmental support system for municipal libraries. Chairman Underwood and County Administrator Rendleman stressed the Commission had no prior knowledge of the Library Board's May 22 decision to terminate all cooperative employees, and said the county had been unfairly blamed. Rendleman said the courier service missed only one day and that municipal library directors had rallied to keep services going. Commissioner Gruber expressed disappointment that the Library Board did not consult the Commission before acting, and emphasized the county remains committed to joint library services.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted the May 21, 2024 regular meeting minutes by a 4-0 vote.
• Approved payment of bills by a 4-0 vote; the interim payments notification (BA2) required no action.
• Approved the consent agenda by a 4-0 vote.
• Appointed Mike Sumrall to the Baldwin County Board of Human Resources for a pro-rata reduced six-year term filling the unexpired term of Keith Cardwell, June 4, 2024 through September 1, 2027, by a 4-0 vote.
• Voted 4-0 to enter executive session at 9:24 a.m. for approximately 35 minutes under Code of Alabama Section 36-25A-7 to discuss personnel matters and legal issues related to pending or imminent litigation; the work session was not reconvened.
• Commissioners gave closing comments on rip-current safety after recent drowning incidents at Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores, a tour of the Juvenile Detention Center, and appreciation for staff and highway crews responding to recent heavy rain and flooding.