Baldwin County Commission Work Session and Regular Meeting – April 21, 2026

The Baldwin County Commission met at the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse, 1100 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope, Alabama, on April 21, 2026, for a 9:00 a.m. work session and a regular meeting that was called to order at 10:03 a.m. All four commissioners were present: James E. Ball (Chairman, District 1), Matthew P. McKenzie (District 2), Billie Jo Underwood (District 3), and Charles F. Gruber (District 4). Also present were County Administrator Roger Rendleman, County Engineer Frank Lundy, and County Attorney Brad Hicks. The work session reviewed the agenda and set the consent agenda; the regular meeting adopted minutes, approved routine items, heard presentations and a solar-moratorium request, and conducted three zoning public hearings.

Consent Calendar and Routine Approvals

• Adopted the April 7, 2026 regular meeting minutes by a 4-0 vote.
• Approved payment of bills: 639 invoices totaling $13,341,896.08; ratified interim payments as allowed by Policy 8.1: 788 invoices/distribution totaling $4,968,728.76; both 4-0.
• Approved the consent agenda as a single 4-0 vote, including:
  • Administrative: absentee election duties for the June 30, 2026 Planning District 3 Zoning Election at the Baldwin County Courthouse (Bay Minette) in the Circuit Clerk's office; annexation notifications from Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Loxley, and Perdido Beach; recognition of Southern Star Search & Rescue, Inc. as a county search and rescue unit.
  • Archives/History: Baldwin County Historic Development Commission reappointments and appointments, including filling seats vacated by William Underwood, Alan Samry, and Claudia Campbell.
  • BRATS: FY 2026 Federal Transit Administration certifications/assurances; donation of one bus for 10.0 hours at $949.00 for the City of Spanish Fort's 16th Annual Delta Woods and Waters Expo on April 25, 2026.
  • Budget/Purchasing: extension of Bid #WG25-12A with Harris and Company, LLC through May 6, 2027; award of Bid #WG26-26 to Ennis-Flint, Inc., and Gulf Material Sales, LLC; sally port Allowance Authorization No. 4 for $127,695.86 paid from contingency; Surfside Drive Drainage Change Order #3 for $38,200.00; Sherman Road Drainage Change Order #2 for $15,452.66; GovOS, Inc. historical marriage record conversion for $7,000.00; substantial completion of Robertsdale Central Annex Probate and Revenue Office renovations.
  • CIS/EMA: ESRI Site Scan for ArcGIS Operator annual subscription; Veoci, Inc. emergency management software contract.
  • Finance/Grants: Resolution #2026-079 for the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday (July 17-19, 2026); adoption of Grants Policy 8.25 and abolition of Policy 3.6; JAG grant application for $17,323.00 for Grand Jury Room furniture; CDBG-DR LGRIP application guidance; Resolution #2026-060 Affirmatively Further Fair Housing, repealing Resolution #2014-035.
  • Highway: Belfair subdivision road acceptance with a $470,736.34 surety from Atlantic Specialty Insurance Company; FY 2027 Transportation Alternatives Program application for the Eastern Shore Trail extension along County Road 1; standard on-call engineering and related services contracts.
  • Parks/Personnel/Planning: North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Dragon Boat Race at Live Oak Landing on October 17, 2026 (fees waived; boat launch closed 6:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.); personnel hires, promotions, and reclassifications; Planning District 3 (Stockton) election order placed on the record.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Work session public comment: Deb Surgi, representing the Idlewilde Subdivision HOA in Fairhope, requested enforcement of a noise ordinance to address noise from Rich's Car Wash at State Route 181 and Fairhope Avenue, which she described as constant, seven days a week and comparable to an idling jet plane. Chairman Ball said staff would look into it.
• Regular meeting public comment: Meagan Fowler, on behalf of Friends of the Tensaw River (FTR), thanked the Commission for terminating the Jacobs Engineering contract, which she described as a conflict of interest. She requested a temporary moratorium on new utility-scale solar development until ordinances and research are completed, stating that FTR had identified sites totaling approximately 11,000 acres of proposed industrial solar north of I-65 in North Baldwin County. County Attorney Brad Hicks said the request and submitted research are being evaluated, and the Commission decided he would draft a resolution to seek an Attorney General opinion on the moratorium.

Discussion Items

• During the work session, Commissioner McKenzie asked whether there was a safety issue with newly installed glass partitions at the Robertsdale Central Annex facility; County Engineer Frank Lundy said he would contact Jessica Stonesifer, Director of Facilities and Maintenance, to investigate.
• During the rezoning hearings, planners noted inconsistencies between some requests and the Future Land Use Map; Commissioner Underwood acknowledged the map has been found inconsistent in some areas and said updates are being made to the growth guide. Public commenter Tracey Gambill said the smart growth scorecard weights categories unfairly.
• In response to a press question from Grant McLaughlin of Lagniappe Daily, Commissioner Underwood said a moratorium must have a reason and a specific time period, and Chairman Ball said he is following legal advice and exploring what is available through the Attorney General's Office.

Presentations and Proclamations

• National Correctional Officers Week (May 3-9, 2026): Sheriff Anthony Lowery accepted the proclamation and noted the Sheriff's Office employs approximately 190 correctional officers overseeing approximately 600 inmates daily and processing approximately 13,600 inmate bookings annually.
• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Week (May 10-16, 2026): The proclamation recognized the 15 Baldwin County law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty and encouraged attendance at the May 12, 2026 memorial in Robertsdale.
• Resolution #2026-071 honored Catherine "Kitty" Jordan Barksdale on her retirement after more than 30 years with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office; Sheriff Lowery praised her service.
• 2026 Environmental Stewardship Awards were presented, with recipients including Neil Underwood Farms, Alabama Forestry Commission, Gulf Coast Eco-Center, Justice Manning, Town of Magnolia Springs, Dr. William E. Puckett, Lisa Mason-Sanders, Hydro LLC, The Nature Conservancy and City of Orange Beach for the Lower Perdido Islands Restoration, and Roberta Swann.
• Fair Housing Month (April 2026) was proclaimed; Kate Irvine, President of Baldwin Realtors, thanked the Commission and noted the upcoming housing assistance program grant.

Public Hearings

• Case Z26-05 (Smith Property Rezoning): Public hearing opened at 11:29 a.m. and closed at 11:30 a.m. The rezoning of 0.98 acres in Planning District 12 from B-2/RA to B-4 was approved by Resolution #2026-061 (4-0). One public commenter, Tracey Gambill, spoke about Future Land Use Map and scorecard concerns.
• Case Z26-06 (Buckley Property Rezoning): Public hearing opened and closed at 11:35 a.m. The rezoning of 6.5 acres in Planning District 37 from RSF-1 to RA was approved by Resolution #2026-062 (4-0). Staff noted an opposition email concerning a private drive and agricultural use/traffic in a residential area.
• Case Z26-07 (Roberts Property Rezoning): Public hearing opened and closed at 11:39 a.m. The rezoning of 9.5 acres in Planning District 37 from RSF-E to RA was approved by Resolution #2026-063 (4-0).

Key Outcomes

• All motions passed unanimously 4-0 with no nays, absences, or abstentions.
• Directed staff to investigate the Rich's Car Wash noise complaint.
• Directed County Attorney Brad Hicks to draft a resolution authorizing a request for an Alabama Attorney General opinion on a temporary utility-scale solar moratorium, for consideration at the May 5, 2026 meeting.
• The work session adjourned at 9:12 a.m.; the regular meeting recessed from 11:08 a.m. to 11:17 a.m. and adjourned at 11:46 a.m.