Fairhope officials plan major changes in the municipal Planning Department under a proposal approved by the City Council.
The Fairhope City Council voted unanimously on May 13 to approve the proposal to eliminate the position of planning director, hire a second planning manager and change several other positions.
Mayor Karin Wilson, who proposed the action, said the move would help the city deal with the rapid growth taking place.
“As the fastest-growing city in the state, this is one of the most important departments,” Wilson said. “We need to make sure that we not only staff well for the things that are coming in, order taking types of positions. We have to have that proactive team that is able to report all the new changes that we want to make. The comprehensive land use plan that will start this year means that this is going to take a lot of time and currently the people working on it are the same people who are very busy taking in all of the projects that are going on right now.”
Wayne Dyess resigned as planning director to take the position of Baldwin County administrator. Wilson said that rather than filling the vacancy, the city will add a second planning manager to focus on strategic long-term planning. The department would also promote an employee to the position of city planner, add another city planner and a planning technician.
She said the changes will add about $20,000 a year to the city budget.
Council President Jack Burrell said council members had looked over Wilson’s proposal and everyone agreed with the changes.
Wilson also said that the city budget is in good condition at the half-way point of the fiscal year, which began in October.
Overall, the city has spent 49 percent of the money budgeted for expenses and received 51 percent of the funds expected in revenue. As of June 1, the city debt balance will be paid in full and Fairhope will have a cash reserve of $21.7 million.
The Fairhope Utilities Department has spent 42 percent of the funds budgeted for expenses and received 51 percent of expected revenue. Utilities has a debt balance of $15.3 million and a cash balance of $27.9 million.
