[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6172446,"mediaKeyId","5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5","parentId",5389320,"title","Fairhope selects consultant and awards bids for bond-funded drainage and underground conduit projects","audioSeconds",132,"startMs",1576000,"endMs",1708000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5&start=1576&end=1708","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5/thumbnail_1576000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6172446/Fairhope-City/Baldwin-County/Alabama/Fairhope-selects-consultant-and-awards-bids-for-bond-funded-drainage-and-underground-conduit-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172446-69212f0d6bedacf790d915bd98fd9e38/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148191&Signature=G-EOfWeMKC-bm1QBIH6glejsm-GJR758LyM4a-tYWHb9BNyKKiPuubRQf-pzyEUy1hIRfEr~TdPbPXASGPToKniCWm2-d73mMGuqtgvxfgCzWu9lRbzMdh9xHYGksrhbGan9PdWzlCeszVjYCR7j~qZd35UaGit8bDCw9lK58UvJULhg0dSWNrtZCSX953Cvt0vQVE~IO8Ok-4fzl06EZGL1XF53qUrYeUCXl44giTCE7h2gsUeKFm2yjJ6SMQtjXBFAfx5unTdA2IDphquhjuIP4naFfO-wwDZi1pdFxvUxcSG1hfKSUubCtsDgGDWkweWi687EkMbDYa6axe7awA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fairhope City, AL","date","2025-07-15T11:20:52Z","article","The Fairhope City Council approved selection of Sawgrass Consulting to provide professional construction engineering and inspection services for the bond-secured Grama Drainage Project and authorized the mayor to negotiate a not-to-exceed fee for later council approval.

Council members also approved a low bid award to C. Thornton Inc. for the Grama Street drainage repair project with an amount not to exceed $398,945.50 and authorized a treasury transfer from the general fund to the capital projects fund to cover the expense. In a separate but related action the council approved an award for underground conduit and boring at an unopened right-of-way associated with the bond-secured project for a not-to-exceed cost of $89,800; city staff said that job includes four 4-inch runs of about 800 feet each and that the electric department will later pull wiring and make final connections.

Council materials and staff remarks tied the three items to the same bond-secured program discussed earlier in a work session; the mayor noted that Richard and Ben had briefed the council in that work session. Each item received a motion and second on the consent agenda and passed by voice vote.

Staff said the consultant selection is subject to a negotiated fee that the council will later approve, and the two construction awards include authorization for the treasurer to transfer funds into the capital projects account to cover the contracts. Councilors did not propose amendments to the awards during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Fairhope City Council Meeting July 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved selecting Sawgrass Consulting for construction engineering and inspection services for the bond-secured Grama Drainage Project and awarded a drainage repair contract to C. Thornton Inc. for $398,945.50; a separate underground boring award for conduit work was approved for about $89,800.","taxTitle","Fairhope City, Baldwin County, Alabama","taxId",51162,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172450,"Resident presses council over steep utility-bill increases and building moratorium; mayor outlines water-capacity investments",317,2057000,2374000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5&start=2057&end=2374","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5/thumbnail_2057000.jpg","/articles/6172450/Fairhope-City/Baldwin-County/Alabama/Resident-presses-council-over-steep-utility-bill-increases-and-building-moratorium-mayor-outlines-water-capacity-investments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172450-425349d1fc5befbce35584531e49b0d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148191&Signature=UpkXPb~qmC1E6ZmE9b4ycOaOjW0sCA-oYgh7I-37NUDTMRuHgYEy-4u0HFzKsOVrEdZiNcnZAaYcrsM1XR1OkZbiykj5vNQYRGUVeRQIHgFEFC2nPTKk3hLq~mU72ntzNGNPACV5u2PQOJo1jtgMHb616OV6zVxeDFlQs3tYfDOzGO52bAy-80WZcGx6CNE7a88dgJgfVNCPNQvHXJNSVXity8k9AnrzaUR7nbeuFec4MzeTL1Im010SAXoJeQd9Y-AkjN82AB~5jZM5DYqGbiqFEtBGdFHNym5-pGH5PHWzGxY9W-OWg3N-xW1P7jb1~V7IlT85GjP8MUoFb9CTkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Fairhope resident pressed the City Council during public participation about a steep rise in her water bills and the city’s water and sewer budget. The resident said her utility bill had risen about 65 percent in four years and cited city budget figures showing a rise in the water and sewer budget from roughly $14.5 million in 2021 to about $63.2 million in 2025.

Rene Boutin, who identified her address in Fairhope, said she could not find transparent financial detail on the city utilities website and criticized the site’s referral to generic web searches for answers. “I just don't know why there isn't transparency on this,” Boutin said.

Mayor Sherry Sullivan and staff responded with operational and legal context. Sullivan said the reason for increased water-and-sewer spending is that the city “has gotta have more water,” adding that the city’s capacity will increase from about 9,000,000 gallons per day to roughly 14,000,000 gallons per day as the city drills wells and builds towers and transmission infrastructure. “It cost a lot of money to drill wells and put in water towers and pump that water miles or miles to get to the city,” she said.

Boutin also asked whether a building moratorium would be extended. Council and staff described Alabama law as allowing temporary moratoria of limited durations and said moratoria must meet statutory benchmarks; the mayor and a council member noted that moratoria are legal but not indefinite under state practice.

City staff guided Boutin to the treasury and audit reports on the municipal website for year-end financials and suggested a 2020 wastewater cost-of-service study was available under utilities. Staff acknowledged some earlier packet materials contained older studies and advised residents to contact treasury for audited financial statements.

Boutin proposed alternative approaches such as selling large parcels in smaller lots to manage growth and revenue, and council members discussed the difficulty of managing growth on county land and the limits of planning jurisdiction. No council action was taken; the resident’s remarks were taken under public comment and staff pointed residents to audit reports and the department pages for additional documents.","A resident questioned large increases in water and sewer budgets and utility bills; the mayor and staff responded that the city has invested tens of millions to increase water capacity from about 9 million to 14 million gallons per day and that moratoria are temporary and governed by state law.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172455,"Fairhope awards $54,793.74 contract to replace Well No. 8 pump after breakdown",72,1956000,2028000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5&start=1956&end=2028","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5/thumbnail_1956000.jpg","/articles/6172455/Fairhope-City/Baldwin-County/Alabama/Fairhope-awards-5479374-contract-to-replace-Well-No-8-pump-after-breakdown","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172455-5d04edd3d0a71bc43e01f7e58c715e60/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148191&Signature=KSS4zpwQHhbzukWLTvonn9D~dpvGjYuBGxxFzUNWtfgOaNojPaE3rSMjLcWWV-Gx0lbJIA1SDRZ2h~6VnJSQQEFLutUdRZbnVhhoPn2aQu2hv2YWOp6n9ZO~94yvtIKfOnW9K~OfaObwrX3jjQa7wn8Pf-0Vh6pyUU1~ro~AkG57BC~bsjtPEUliFw~OYSlCMtZlTy4cBoJ1avSF8bzS2hGuZhfJql-MCu3W1xfEAPN~zM2ZNqYyiqe98F1rTsWqryFZbIloC-DoVIwmZH46L2-th2RZzHIkar1m-JkjOA37wL1ewSnwGR4YadaCjQSfWJQXJy7OGFeIhbW-n-kygA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fairhope City Council approved an added agenda item awarding a request-for-quotes contract for labor and materials to replace the pump at Well No. 8, citing a recent pump breakdown and the need to restore water service reliability.

Mayor Sherry Sullivan read the resolution adding the item and said the water superintendent, Daryl Moorefield, recommended awarding the work to Griner Drilling Service Inc. The contract was approved for a not-to-exceed cost of $54,793.74 after council members moved and seconded the addition and then approved the award by voice vote.

Mayor Sullivan told the council that staff had solicited three quotes for the work and that the absence of a formal bid process was appropriate because the project is under the city’s $100,000 informal procurement threshold. “Just because we didn't have a formal bid process doesn't mean that we didn't get multiple quotes,” she said.

The resolution states the project will be less than $100,000 and therefore not formally bid. The motion to approve the award passed by voice vote with no recorded nays in the minutes. The city packet said the item originated from Water Superintendent Daryl Moorefield following the pump failure; the council added the item to the agenda at the start of the meeting and approved it during the consent portion of the session.

Staff will schedule the replacement work and the water department will coordinate operational impacts and notifications to affected customers as needed, the mayor said.","The council added and approved an on-agenda award to Griner Drilling Service Inc. for replacement of the pump at Well No. 8 for a not-to-exceed $54,793.74 after staff reported a pump failure and solicited three quotes.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172460,"Fairhope seeks state grant to replace senior transportation bus; city would cover roughly $32,600",356,2711000,3067000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5&start=2711&end=3067","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389320-772650e39feb8d272b9084f68ad935f5/thumbnail_2711000.jpg","/articles/6172460/Fairhope-City/Baldwin-County/Alabama/Fairhope-seeks-state-grant-to-replace-senior-transportation-bus-city-would-cover-roughly-32600","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172460-ab498396fde33863d1216acfcbff880e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148191&Signature=TILpAciNoyfuY~gdoVMhJlF9tVYW8eaHWZKqBoUDUIAH3wAJ~M~1BgS6HaWBrGvL-0yMZyAO6x~skprZxe3XaBEpJZbsXpsYhLwsXTfU7fu-BJPOfBzn1H06orDNHXjUCzjkN3qJCFiIeHO24PeW5h8kChhNOQ9WM6eEpbs2veI1j5G0Zh5mRJDL-VmtP3xEy01ANMZmlVGtL1-cHr1Udj6uCZYUJEPNrZ9WHW41Kxs8GRSQpP0vKUUqY3VJrcX8Rnm6uomolVXPwn08ejG7UHv54fc2AwNptS8Sf1wggK-ZQtt3P40aD~QJKyTTM8JpAVS7HQXgg0CD~JJR31KGyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fairhope City Council voted to file an application for a Section 53 10 transportation assistance grant to replace the city’s senior transportation bus, a staff member said during a public hearing Tuesday. If awarded, the grant would fund roughly 80 percent of a vehicle budgeted at about $160,000; the city’s share was listed in meeting materials as about $32,605.

The application is for federal or state-funded transportation assistance administered under the program identified in the council package as “section 53 10.” The city must submit the application by July 31, staff said. The council approved filing the application by voice vote after a public hearing and a motion and second.

Paige, a city staff member who presented the request, said the current bus — received through the program in 2012 and titled to the city after seven years of use — has increasing maintenance needs. “The bus is ours actually, free and clear,” she said, noting recurring repairs and the vehicle’s 2014 model year. She said the new vehicle would have a “0 entry” design that is easier for riders who have difficulty climbing steep steps.

Kim Ryland, the James P. Nix Center senior services manager, and other staff described daily use of the vehicle: scheduled trips, medical appointments, grocery runs and demand-response rides for seniors and people with disabilities. Ryland said the program provides not only transport but social contact for riders who may have limited other interaction.

Mayor Sherry Sullivan, who spoke during the hearing as well, described the program’s role in the community and said it provides important services and companionship for residents who rely on the center’s transportation. “It really provides a great service for people in Fairhope who did not have the mobility to get around or have the means of getting around,” she said.

Council members asked staff to confirm numbers and to proceed with the application. The council approved the motion to file the application; staff said the council packet included alternative vehicle options and left final budget details to the council’s later approval of the FY 2026 budget.

The city’s materials list the vehicle budget, the 80/20 cost-share structure and the application deadline; the packet does not commit the council to a specific vendor or final purchase without later council approval.","The Fairhope City Council voted to file an application for a Section 53 10 transportation assistance grant to replace the city’s senior transportation bus; the vehicle is budgeted about $160,000 with an approximate 80/20 match and a city share of about $32,605.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Fairhope selects consultant and awards bids for bond-funded drainage and underground conduit projects

Resident presses council over steep utility-bill increases and building moratorium; mayor outlines water-capacity investments

Fairhope awards $54,793.74 contract to replace Well No. 8 pump after breakdown

Fairhope seeks state grant to replace senior transportation bus; city would cover roughly $32,600