FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Fairhope City Council has scheduled a K-1 Center special meeting for 4 p.m. today, Tuesday, Sept. 4, to consider a resolution authorizing Council President Jack Burrell to sign a real estate purchase agreement for property owned by the Baldwin County Board of Education.
The Meeting Notice
The public notice was emailed from the city clerk’s office at 5:05 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31, ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend. The special meeting is to be held in the Council Chambers at 161 North Section Street, before a council work session and budget meeting scheduled for 4:30 p.m. the same day.
The purchase concerns the K-1 Center property.
Mayor’s Statement
Mayor Karin Wilson said in a statement on social media that she had communicated with Burrell about the K-1 Center purchase and about other Board of Education property in the city, including the Nix Center land, the K-1 “Fairhoper’s” Park and the alternative school.
Wilson said she stressed to Burrell the importance of transparency about the best use of the K-1 property, said its future use should be discussed with all stakeholders and called for a feasibility study.
“These decisions have long lasting effects on our City and should not be rushed,” Wilson said. “We should not repeat past mistakes.”
Wilson said she was surprised to receive the notice late on the Friday before the holiday weekend. “Rushing the city into real estate deals without public participation and input by stakeholders is an inappropriate way to conduct business,” she said.
The mayor called on the council to cancel the meeting and present all of the facts in a public forum before moving forward on spending millions of tax dollars.
Budget Session Canceled
Wilson also said she was canceling the specially called 4:30 p.m. budget work session because of weather expected from Tropical Storm Gordon.
