After only being in the job for a matter of days, Fairhope’s Director of Operations Scott Sligh announced his resignation, effective Friday, Jan. 20.

In his resignation letter, Sligh said he was returning to his position with Riviera Utilities, where was previously the chief engineer.

Sligh had previously served at the City of Fairhope’s electric department manager from 2008 until July 2015.

“During this time, we were able to make many changes for the better that had been needed for many, many years,” Sligh wrote in his letter. “The employees that I supervised embraced these changes, as they knew from talking to their peers what other utilities were doing and what they should be doing. One appeal of this new job to me was the fact that due to reasons outside my control, and due to the influence of others less knowledgeable in utility work, when I left in 2015 there was still a lot to be done to bring Fairhope Public Utilities into the modern age; I felt that change was still needed and the time was now to start doing it.”

According to city officials, Sligh had started in his new position just last Tuesday, leaving many surprised by his sudden exit from the job.

In his resignation letter, Sligh pointed out some issues he saw with the city’s current utility status.

“In several aspects, the utilities perform well, but in many others, they lag far behind other utilities,” Sligh wrote. “While the sewer plant upgrades were necessary and carried out in fine fashion, there exist many other large, unfunded infrastructure needs. A couple of examples are the natural gas cast iron replacement need, and the need for new substation transformers and circuits. Fairhope also lacks a strong network of employee resources and faces a real shortage of leadership in the employee ranks – possibly by prior design. Strong leaders challenge and push the leaders above them. Effective leaders don’t mind people pushing them and realize it can be healthy. Poor leaders get mad and actively work to keep people down.”

He said it would be up to Mayor Karin Wilson to find a way to complete some of those larger projects during the upcoming budgeting process.

Wilson confirmed Sligh had resigned his position last week.

“Scott Sligh was excited to join the team here at Fairhope and work with the new administration,” Wilson said. “However, since accepting the position, there has been a turn of events in his personal life that require him to spend more time at home with his family.”

Sligh indicated in his letter that a personal family matter was his main reason for vacating his position, but he took time to offer his support to Wilson.

“Mayor Wilson is energetic and has a lot of new ideas for many things; she and her staff will be infectious in this regard,” Sligh wrote. “I want to help her by fulfilling this position, but the time is just not right for me as a husband and father. She is trying to enact change by example, and she needs more good people that want to help her do so. She is obviously disappointed in my decision, but remained the consummate professional in talking with me. I know that there are those who will believe otherwise no matter what I say, but I want to stress that my decision had nothing to do with her, her ideas, her personality, or any other thing having to do with Mayor Wilson. Anyone who underestimates her resolve and determination does so at their own peril.”

Fairhope Council President Jack Burrell said he was incredibly surprised by the resignation, but said the city would move to find a replacement quickly.

“We will have to continue to search for an operations director, which is key to the city moving forward,” Burrell said. “I feel the council should consider making this an appointed position now.”

The full text of Sligh's resignation letter is as follows:

On Friday, January 20, 2017, I resigned my position as Director of Operations with the City of Fairhope to return to my position at Riviera Utilities. I felt that I owed all of you an explanation as to why, as Mayor Wilson felt very strongly (and I agree with her) that the position is badly needed.

As you are aware, I spent several years at Fairhope as the Electric Superintendent. During this time, we were able to make many changes for the better that had been needed for many, many years. The employees that I supervised embraced these changes, as they knew from talking to their peers what other utilities were doing and what they should be doing. One appeal of this new job to me was the fact that due to reasons outside my control, and due to the influence of others less knowledgeable in utility work, when I left in 2015 there was still a lot to be done to bring Fairhope Public Utilities into the modern age; I felt that change was still needed and the time was now to start doing it.

In several aspects, the utilities perform well, but in many others, they lag far behind other utilities. While the sewer plant upgrades were necessary and carried out in fine fashion, there exist many other large, unfunded infrastructure needs. A couple of examples are the natural gas cast iron replacement need, and the need for new substation transformers and circuits. Fairhope also lacks a strong network of employee resources and faces a real shortage of leadership in the employee ranks – possibly by prior design. Strong leaders challenge and push the leaders above them. Effective leaders don’t mind people pushing them and realize it can be healthy. Poor leaders get mad and actively work to keep people down. During my prior tenure, when I brought a concern forward, I was told “that’s after my time” – an indication that the individual was not interested in addressing it because it was a future problem, not a present one. Utilities cannot operate with narrow-minded thinking such as this, and it’s certainly not what the ratepayers and citizens should get in return from people whose salaries they are funding. The proverbial can has been kicked down the road, and it will be up to Mayor Wilson to find a way to complete these large projects while maintaining rates and budgets in the process.

I am confident the tree light debacle this year is just a hint of what is to come due to the “after my time” mentality. When the lights didn’t look like they did in the past many people screamed that she had not done the right things, or that because she took office, the lights went to pot. Common sense clearly indicates that someone who took office less than two weeks before the lights – which take three months to install - got turned on had absolutely nothing to do with it. Even so, she took a fair amount of criticism from people who were, at best, uninformed or worse, wished to portray her negatively. The larger utility projects that need to happen will be similar. Mayor Wilson had nothing to do with kicking the can, but she is being asked to stop and pick it up (and there are citizen-cops waiting to fine her for littering, to boot).

The time it will take to turn things around in the utilities is considerable. Mayor Wilson needs support from everyone and needs a strong leader. There isn’t one on staff already and she realizes that. It is why she reached out to me and why I accepted the position. Several of you indicated in person that you supported her choice of me, and that I would be good in this role. However, since accepting the position, there has been a turn of events in my personal life in which my family will need me at home more, not less. This includes me being here in mind, not just body. I truly would like to be the leader that Mayor Wilson and many of you indicated I could be, but my family must take top priority always.

Prior to the election in August, I knew who Karin Wilson was, having been around the downtown merchants and through her foundation work. I knew her well enough to say hello and that was it. However, over the last couple of months, I have learned more about who she really is. Mayor Wilson is energetic and has a lot of new ideas for many things; she and her staff will be infectious in this regard. I want to help her by fulfilling this position, but the time is just not right for me as a husband and father. She is trying to enact change by example, and she needs more good people that want to help her do so. She is obviously disappointed in my decision, but remained the consummate professional in talking with me. I know that there are those who will believe otherwise no matter what I say, but I want to stress that my decision had nothing to do with her, her ideas, her personality, or any other thing having to do with Mayor Wilson. Anyone who underestimates her resolve and determination does so at their own peril. Mayor Wilson is a winner, and I believe she will succeed in what she is trying to accomplish. Fairhope has so much potential and she sees it, as do I. Many employees also see it and are craving for things to improve. I trust that you all see it, too, and will all work with her to make Fairhope the best it can be.

Sincerely,

Scott H. Sligh