Baldwin County Commission Work Session and Regular Meeting - September 2, 2025

The Baldwin County Commission met on September 2, 2025, in Bay Minette, Alabama, for a pre-meeting work session at 9:00 AM and a regular meeting at 10:00 AM. All four commissioners were present: James E. Ball, Matthew P. McKenzie, Billie Jo Underwood, and Charles F. Gruber. The work session included agenda review, an ARPA progress presentation, and an executive session. The regular meeting adopted minutes, approved a consent agenda, heard a proclamation, and also ended in executive session. No public hearings or public comments were held.

Work Session

• Commission reviewed agenda items and set the consent agenda. Item CO6 (Speed Limit Change on County Road 32 between State Highway 181 and Greeno Road) was pulled at the request of the County Engineer.
• Commissioner Underwood urged County employees and the Alabama Legislature to oppose proposed changes to the Alabama Simplified Seller Use Tax (SSUT) program.
• Brian Underwood, Grants Director, presented an ARPA Pictures of Progress update, reporting over $16 million invested in infrastructure projects across Baldwin County, including water towers, courthouse improvements, drainage projects, a pedestrian bridge, and HVAC upgrades. He noted ARPA projects are ongoing through December 2026.
• County Attorney Brad Hicks recommended an executive session for pending litigation and trade/competition matters under the Alabama Trade Secrets Act. The Commission voted 4-0 to enter executive session at 9:13 AM and did not reconvene the work session.

Presentations

• Commissioner McKenzie introduced Joshua Brown, Mayor-elect of Bay Minette, who discussed his background in business management and marketing and his upcoming start on November 3, 2025.
• Commissioner Underwood read and presented a Proclamation declaring September 2025 as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. Larry Stier, Baldwin County Veterans Service Officer, accepted the proclamation and described Operation We Remember, honoring 139 Alabama veterans who died by suicide in 2024 with 139 flags at the Foley Satellite Courthouse. The Commission unanimously adopted the proclamation and approved displaying the flags.

Consent Calendar

• Adopted minutes of the August 18, 2025 Special Meeting (Budget Deliberations) and the August 19, 2025 Regular Meeting.
• Approved payment of bills and ratified interim payments as allowed by Policy 8.1.
• Approved Resolution #2025-173 opposing legislative changes to the SSUT program.
• Adopted Resolution #2025-167 amending the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget.
• Approved an employment contract for Miles McDaniel as Baldwin County Legislative Delegation Chief of Staff, effective September 3, 2025 through September 3, 2028.
• Awarded bids: Atmore Recycling, LLC for scrap metal and white goods recycling; Star Service, Inc. for HVAC chiller preventative maintenance; Blue Arbor, Inc. for temporary clerical and labor services.
• Rejected all bids for the Live Oak Landing/Bicentennial Park Pedestrian Bridge because bid amounts exceeded the budget.
• Approved change orders for disaster repair projects and County Road 11 drainage improvements, totaling $29,837.60, $5,372.75, and $309,213.46 respectively.
• Approved rental agreements with Sharp Electronics for six copy machines across county departments.
• Authorized RFP advertisements for disaster debris monitoring and approved grant applications, including a $100,000 Operation Stonegarden request and a $20,000 Gulf Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council request.
• Approved highway items: acceptance of Foley Pointe Phase 1 roads with an $665,059.68 surety; development agreement with Core Development and Construction, LLC for County Road 65/12 intersection improvements; permission to advertise Lillian Recreation Center improvements; intergovernmental service agreement with Town of Magnolia Springs for striping (estimated $4,846.70); Highway Department work for Josephine Volunteer Fire Department parking lot (estimated $10,800 in labor); and vehicle transfers.
• Approved personnel actions: Alecia Spencer as Animal Control Technician ($15.43/hour, effective no sooner than September 8, 2025); Timothy Caraway as Landscape Technician I ($17.01/hour, effective no sooner than September 8, 2025); Probate Office reclassifications and promotion of Lynn Day to Assistant License Revenue Administrator ($26.70/hour).

Key Outcomes

• All votes were unanimous (4-0) with no dissenting votes or abstentions.
• The consent agenda was approved with Item CO6 removed; no other items were pulled.
• The Commission entered executive session at the end of the regular meeting at 10:17 AM and did not reconvene.