Rauf Bolden: Solutionism in Orange Beach
Solutionists believe their way is the only way, fighting against the tide of possibilities, reasoning they have thought the problem through, analyzed all the facts, and concluded their vision is completely correct. Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon is a solutionist. He espouses the fix to the traffic problem in Orange Beach is more roads and bridges to move the tourists, ignoring the evidence that unbridled development on the beach road caused the problem, and it happened over the last ten years on his watch. We are past the point of limiting development, but not past the point of asking ourselves if this government is governed by council’s addiction to the wealth from tourism, or if the notion of maintaining our small town quality of life means more to us than supporting council’s devotion to increasing the city’s tax yield on revenues. The unfolding rests with voting for council seats in 2020, possibly giving birth to a group of neomillennial politicians. Solutionism is singularly focused on the distillation of one person’s ideas, letting them implement every policy of government in a democracy. This requires the collective surrender of all the levers of power, believing the strong individual understands the big picture better than anyone else in the community. The mayor and council are not co-equal branches of government as defined by the founders. Mayor Kennon is the person we elected to lead us through the very difficult recession of 2008, recovering from the post-Ivan devastation of 2005. In 2018 our town sits with cash reserves of more than $40 million, according to documents on the city’s web site. This is commendable, and I am thankful for the city’s fiscal solvency, providing job security for municipal employees. Perhaps it is time to plan for a change away from solutionism. The Alabama Constitution Section 2 provides guidance, “That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and that, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to change their form of government in such manner as they may deem expedient,” according to a report on Justia. Districting Council Seats is one alternative, forcing each council member to support the concerns of their constituents, not the vision of the strong mayor. Mayor Tony Kennon went on a lobbying tour in January of this year, visiting Rotary Clubs and Chambers across the state, arguing for a transportation solution through the State Park (Powerline Road), even though the BP Agreement prohibited such an environmentally destructive project for two decades. “A federal lawsuit that was settled last year, and which enabled a new beachside conference center and hotel complex to move forward, bluntly declares that no north-south connecting road [Powerline Road] can be built through a popular coastal Alabama state park for the next 20 years,” according to a report by John Sharp at al.com. The solutionist in Kennon rails against this part of the settlement. According to a report by John Mullen in the Lagniappe, “I really want to start educating these folks to just how simple the fix is, and that is the road down Powerline Road [north-south corridor] to the beach,” Kennon said. “It could solve so many of our traffic problems during the summer. I’m going to start beating that drum now all over the state as we need help getting that done.” Kennon continues, “These are Alabama’s beaches, we’re the stewards of them and you guys need to help us build the infrastructure and maintain the infrastructure that we need to move all these tourists. You’re not doing Orange Beach a favor by helping us out, you’re doing the state of Alabama a service because there’s so much money generated down here and a good bit of it goes to Montgomery. Orange Beach generates about 15 percent of all lodging tax in the state. This is significant.” Solutionism reflected in Mayor Tony Kennon’s words speaks volumes. This key issue neglects to mention who will get the bill for breaking the BP Agreement, building a road across the state park. Alabama should not entertain paying for nonsense in Orange Beach, including the proposed Flyover Bridge west of the Foley Beach Express. Confiscating properties through eminent domain to build this bridge rails against conservative values. Nothing says socialism quite like seizing private lands. Orange Beach boasts overflowing coffers, enthusiastically campaigning against preserving the environmental integrity of the state park, but still grabbing their portion of the BP settlement, “We were very pleased with $40 million, with $275 million on the table, I’ve seen knifing’s and shootings for a whole lot less but it was fairly distributed and very equitable,” Kennon said, according to a report on Fox10 News. Solutionism is driving the conversation in Orange Beach. We see diametrically opposing forces at work here, simultaneously wanting to kill the BP Settlement, proposing a road across the state park, and concurrently blessing the BP Settlement monies the city has yet to receive. Perhaps it is time to reflect. ••• Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached by email: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
Rauf Bolden: Is the new school in Orange Beach leading to another split?
It may seem obvious to those who look. Orange Beach is perfectly positioned to have an independent school system, divorced from the constraints of the Baldwin County Board of Education (BCBE). In a stroke of negotiated genius, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon closed a deal with BCBE, ensuring they take on millions of dollars worth of construction debt, providing a new High School/Middle School for students in Orange Beach with no increase in local-property taxes. The city did transfer land to BCBE, giving them clear title to the property the school will sit on. This new campus is the final catalyst for a school split in Orange Beach. As with all politicians, there is a hidden cost to partnering with the City of Orange Beach. The Baldwin County Board of Education is expected to make administrative concession, accommodating Mayor Kennon’s vision. He will be disappointed, leading to a split of irreconcilable differences. Kennon said, “I expect to be treated differently, I expect them [Baldwin County Board of Education] to listen to our community [me]. The school [Middle School/High School] that we’re building is a gem for them to show off,” according to a report by John Mullen on the OBA Website. BCBE is not going to let Orange Beach tell them how to do their job, providing the excuse for Orange Beach to file for separation, severing ties with Baldwin County, and forming an independent school system. Orange Beach tried twice before to found a school system. Once in 2007 and once in 2014, but both failed massively. This time the initiative will succeed. Mayor Kennon will have more influence over the school board in an independent school system, finally getting what council has always wanted for Orange Beach, tattooing their guidance on the lives of future generations through a finely tuned curriculum of academics, sports and after-school programs. This will take the worry off the shoulders of working parents, because their kids will be in supervised care from sunup to sundown. Prayer and The Pledge in standalone after-school programs are elements local parents will not oppose; having independent after-school programs is the only way this works. “Organized prayer in the public school setting, whether in the classroom or at a school-sponsored event, is unconstitutional. The only type of prayer that is constitutionally permissible is private, voluntary student prayer that does not interfere with the school’s educational mission,” according to adl.org. By example Gulf Shores City Schools will show how effective independent-minded programs can be, allowing Orange Beach parents to see how they can improve alternative education. Administrative differences will be pointed out, underlining the idea for independence. Perhaps more home-schooled children will come back, because of Orange Beach’s after-school model. Orange Beach must first demonstrate the short comings of the Baldwin County Schools, pointing again to how well an independent school system like Gulf Shores targets the unique needs of local children in a way generic, county-wide education never can, like marine biology, oceanography, or religious studies. Political interests will start to align, pointing out the discrepancies, and shortcomings of the county system. A groundswell of concern will rise, pleading for help, leading to discussions, therapy and divorce. “I would hope Gulf Shores would go ahead and help us [Orange Beach] move forward so both city and county schools can move forward,” said Mayor Tony Kennon. “We [BCBE] need to hire administrators, coaches, and … it’s frustrating and unfair to the parents who are in limbo.” according to a report in al.com (https://www.al.com/news/2018/12/orange-beach-families-to-state-where-are-we-going-to-school-next-year.html). The Baldwin County Board of Education and the Gulf Shores City School Board could not find common ground, negotiating the school separation, requiring the Alabama State Superintendent of Education to step in, settling the dispute. “Gulf Shores High School students living outside of the city going into grades 11 and 12 will remain at the school. Next year’s 10th graders will have the choice to stay at Gulf Shores High School or to attend class in Orange Beach,” said Dr. Eric Mackey, Alabama’s State Superintendent of Education. The possibility exists that students attending Gulf Shores City Schools from Orange Beach and Ono Island will be required to pay tuition, “Gulf Shores City Schools shall retain the right to formulate an Out of District Policy at their discretion,” said Mackey, according to a report in mynbc15.com. This Out of District Policy ruling is leverage for Gulf Shores City Schools. Precedent already exists for student applications, vetting, and tuition payments in Satsuma, an independent school system, according to a report on Satsuma City Schools web site. Kennon will be very disappointed if Orange Beach is saddled with a large tuition bill for its students, but you cannot expect Gulf Shores’ taxpayers to foot the bill for Orange Beach’s students. The Orange Beach City Council could volunteer to subsidize tuition, providing financial assistance to local parents, during the transition period. The Orange Beach separation whispers have already begun, based on the premise that we can do it better. “I am not comparing Orange Beach schools to the county,” Kennon said. “I’m comparing Orange Beach schools to the best in the state. If we can’t be the best in the state, then we have underachieved. We have the ability, the financial wherewithal to be the best in the state. No one can hold us back. We have to as a community expect excellence, hold our kids to it and hold other parents to it. If we don’t demand excellence, if we don’t demand that we are the best in the state then we’re not going to get it.” Obviously Mayor Kennon wants to put his stamp on the way things are done. This will be impossible with the reins of power in the hands of the Baldwin County Board of Education. Sooner rather than later Kennon will announce Orange Beach is going their own way. Orange Beach can afford to go it alone. In 2017 the city generated $41.8 million in revenue, having $25.1 million in expenses, leaving $16.7
Rauf Bolden: Council districting in Orange Beach
“I want to know who the [elected] representative for my area is,” said Brett Holk, a 50-year resident of Orange Beach. “I went to school in Foley, riding the school bus from Orange Beach. I learned to swim on Terry Cove, and water ski on Cotton Bayou. Then I lived 30 years in this one house as an adult.” He still does not know who is the elected official for his area. Chairman of the Baldwin County Commission, Charles Gruber said a change of government to districting might depend on population. Can we achieve more effective neighborhood governance by proposing districted council seats? Originally founded in 1984 the city’s council members serve at-large in Orange Beach, meaning each elected official is responsible for the whole city. This inefficiency is easy to see. Imagine your congressman representing all the people in the United States at the same time, instead of just his or her home district. Districting is more practical. When a constituent has a problem he or she contacts their elected representative, not someone who is responsible for the whole city. The beach road has a much different set of problems than the back bays. Elected officials chosen by district can propose legislative solutions for a geo-specific set of problems, like flood drainage in Bear Point, or beach erosion on the Gulf. When officials serve at-large problems are deflected to the department heads. The downside is employees cannot bring bills to the floor. Districting council seats gives council members more legislative muscle, initiating effective options about expenditures to resolve problems like flood drainage. Orange Beach is a municipality, defined by law, designating the Mayor as its chief election official. The city council must decide if they want a change to the city’s form of government, enacting ordinances, and districting the city. The change of government from at-large to districts can only happen with the consent of the sitting council, according to David Brewer, Chief of Staff for the Alabama Secretary of State. “The laws regulating the governance of municipalities can be found in Alabama Code Title 11, Section 11-43-63 addresses changes in government. The City of Orange Beach is a Class 8 municipality with a population of under 12,000 that operates under a mayor-council form of government,” said Renee Eberly, Orange Beach’s City Clerk in an email. The statute is clear. “Any city or town council of this state not currently electing its members from single-member districts pursuant to state law may, not less than six months prior to the regular general municipal election, by ordinance adopted by a majority of the membership of the council, divide the municipality into single-member districts (wards) of not less than five nor more than seven districts (wards),” according to a report on the Justia US Law web site. Poor geo-specific problem solving is the reason for petitioning council, changing our form of government. This idea will encounter headwinds from Mayor Tony Kennon, but doing our how-to homework helps. “I would recommend that the City hire an outside consultant or have their city attorney guide them through the step.The districting proposal must satisfy federal civil rights statutes, which will likely require population breakdowns by race in the various proposed districts. This will likely require detailed studies of the city’s current demographics. While the statutes are fairly easy to comply with, it can take a great deal of time to gather the correct information needed to develop a valid districting proposal,” said Ken Smith, Executive Director of the Alabama League of Municipalities in an email. AL Code § 11-43-63 (2013) describes the process, ”The ordinance establishing the districts shall describe the territory composing the district by metes and counts, or census tracts, and the municipal clerk, within five days after the adoption of the ordinance, shall file with the judge of probate of the county or counties in which the municipality lies a certified copy of such ordinance accompanied, by a map or plat of the city or town, showing the boundaries of all such districts,” according to a report on the Justia US Law web site. Council must be very careful drawing the district maps. An ethics violation would occur if redistricting were done for profit. “That issue [districting] involves laws outside the Ethics Act which is concerned with use of office for personal gain,” said Thomas Albritton, Executive Director, Alabama Ethics Commission in an email. The key issue is the will of the council. Obviously, petitioning for a referendum to change the form of government with a thousand signatures is paramount. Even then the chance of winning the day is very small. “At the local level, citizens certainly have the right to make requests of the governing body, and the number of signatures on a petition has a practical political effect. In most cases, however, a council may deny a petitioner’s request,” said Renee Eberly, Orange Beach’s City Clerk in an email. “The City of Fairhope’s vote for change in government failed. The way it was done and after an Attorney General’s Opinion, it was for districts,” said Lisa Hanks MMC, City Clerk for the City of Fairhope in an email. Mayor Kennon will fight against a vote changing the form of government with hammer and tongs, maintaining control over the policy and legislative apparatus he has built over the past ten years. You will see the strange case of a political machine, moving the goalposts to maintain the status quo, blocking the change that is needed to make government better for local people. He will counter that we have done things at-large since 1984, and we are doing fine without the change. That’s the thing about power. People who have it don’t want to share. A petition for districting would require council members to live in their districts, serving their constituents, not the body politic. “The ordinance [districting] shall provide that candidates for election for a place on the council, where the council has been divided into districts, shall reside within
Rauf Bolden: Political styles in Orange Beach
Political styles are unlikely heroes. Orange Beach’s Mayor Tony Kennon is serving his third term, occupying the office longer than any other political leader since the town was incorporated in 1984. We can look at his past actions and today’s legislative agenda, perhaps seeing where on the political totem his ideology has been, and where his political style is leading the City of Orange Beach. Mayor Kennon’s political style is syncretic or a fusion of hard-knocks learned and commander-in-business beliefs, having developed his craft over time, making it hard for residents to inject innovative and untried ideas, putting forward new ways of doing things, “Not once but twice, my character was attacked [in Council Chambers] because I refuse to just go with the flow [bend the knee],” said Joe Emerson . As the fifth mayor since incorporation in 1984, Mayor Kennon likes consensus in his City Council. A 6-0 vote is the usual result, perhaps 99% of the time over the last two years. Absolute agreement on every issue brought to the floor is a signature of his political style. It aggravates Mayor Kennon when residents dissent. For example the proposed Flyover Bridge in Orange Beach two miles west of the Foley Beach Express, elicited this response from him on Facebook, “i have been following with much interest the comments on this site [Facebook]. my suggestion is that everyone who is in disagreement with this bridge, in favor of the bridge, in favor of the road thru the park , those who r against the road thru the park and everyone who wishes to blow up the bridges so no one else can make it across the canal now that u have ur piece of the island, load up and come to a council meeting so that u can get the facts, the real truth and stop being educated into further ignorance by following this site. i welcome all of u. in the end we may agree to disagree but at least u have the true facts to base ur decision on. let me know of a date and i will make sure we accommodate the request,” he wrote in the End The #Bridge2Nowhere group on, June 18, 2018. Some residents do go to City Hall, voicing their dissenting opinions, but have a humbling experience in the Council Chambers, as reported by Emerson, founder of the Facebook Group: End The #Bridge2Nowhere (Flyover Bridge) ”I would like to say that I took Mayor Kennon’s advice and went to 2 City Council meetings ‘to get the facts’ [about the flyover bridge]. Not once, but twice I was denied access to public information about the project (after being assured that my request for the white papers was approved). Not once but twice, I left the Orange Beach City Council Chambers with more incentive to get to the bottom of this [flyover bridge funding].” Winning over detractors is what Mayor Kennon likes to do using various tactics, but in the case of Joe Emerson the strong arm failed, and Mayor Kennon lost the advantage of a negotiated compromise. This inability to nail down negotiations also carried over to losing CenturyLink’s fiber-to-the-home initiative. Not all of Mayor Kennon’s plans focus on the opposition, or on lost opportunities. He is actively moving forward, building consensus with parents whose children will attend the proposed Baldwin County Middle School/High School on Canal Road in 2020. The City of Orange Beach is contributing at least eight million dollars to the school, possibly more in the future. The school opening was delayed for one year from 2019 to 2020, citing unrealistic construction bids as the reason, forcing students into portables while the school is under construction. The mayor commented on the new school, Kennon said. “The kids who are Gulf Shores next year will finish at Gulf Shores. The kids who are at the middle school [Gulf Shores] from Orange Beach will be here [Orange Beach] next year [in portables for 2019],” according to a report by John Mullen in The Lagniappe. Infrastructure spending is a cornerstone of conservative ideology, and Mayor Kennon understands that building the school and Wolf Bay Bridge will create jobs in the community, providing scholastic excellence for the children, enticing more condo developments, while infusing lots of extra cash into the local economy. “He [Mayor Kennon] is doing a good job,” said Roy Scott an eight-year resident and building contractor in Orange Beach. Mayor Kennon’s innovative skills work from the top down. The City of Orange Beach does not have a citizen-suggestion format or citizens’ advisory committee, allowing constituents a formal process through a committee, submitting vetted suggestions to the City Council. An example is building a Trauma Center, or improving drainage in Bear Point. There is also no method for petitioning the Council, essentially asking for a hearing against any project Mayor Kennon has his heart set on, like backing the Flyover Bridge west of the Foley Beach Express. Mayor Kennon is the undisputed face of the city, controlling all legislative proposals, and budgets from inception to passage, making it difficult for the ordinary citizen to submit a formal objection without the expense of going to law. Offering a Referendum to voters would heighten transparency before allocating $60 million of taxpayer funds, building the mile and a half long Wolf Bay Bridge from Docs to the North Shore, but the Referendum will never happen. Perhaps a bad taste still lingers in Mayor Kennon’s mouth from the 2014 Referendum, trying to establish an independent school system. The mandate was defeated by a wide margin, according to a report by Marc D. Anderson in AL.com. In that vote Mayor Kennon trusted the constituents to reaffirm his vision, but they let him down, so he will never ask them again. Some people say Mayor Kennon sees the city’s general fund as his own treasury, legislating his vision as the guiding light for City Council’s decisions, seeing his path as a calling. He has often said, just
Rauf Bolden: Orange Beach is the municipal leader providing free Wi-Fi
Orange Beach has Free Wi-Fi at every city building, obviously excluding Police and Fire. This high-bandwidth service is free of charge for the public to use, and is available on a 24/7 basis. How did this happen? In 2005 during reconstruction after Hurricane Ivan, former Mayor Steve Russo asked me if we could build a Wi-Fi blanket over the entire City of Orange Beach. Technologically it was not possible at that time. Three years later, I met with Finance Committee Chairman Al Bradley, discussing IT budgets. He asked about innovation.I told him about the old mayor’s idea of Wi-Fi as a public service.He liked the concept, but suggested the city provide free Wi-Fi at all city buildings instead of competing with the local providers for home service. I knew we could make this happen, and increase employee productivity at the same time, but we needed to upgrade the city’s technology infrastructure from copper to fiber-optic. As a lawyer and CPA Bradley understood. He retired as CEO of a company that used fiber optics, and he was able to get the funding a Chairman of the Finance Committee. Al and City Attorney Wanda Cochran founded the Telecommunications Committee. We started work, monitoring Franchise Agreements for utility vendors digging up the city’s rights-of-way. This tactic allowed us to strategically place the city’s fiber-optic infrastructure.In the early days there were only three of us, but our brief quickly expanded to membership from almost every department in the city. Projects of this size need to be done in multi-year steps. This is how it started. We sought a fiber-optic partner with experience providing reliable high-speed service. I wrote a Request For Proposal (RFP), detailing the specifications, including four strands of dark fiber (dedicated for city use), owned by the City of Orange Beach. We also required sufficient bandwidth that would carry the city well into the future. Harbor Communications LLC of Mobile won the bid, providing the infrastructure and the bandwidth. Phase One: City Hall Finance Fire Admin and Fire Station One Police and Municipal Court Library Phase Two: Senior Center Art Center Fire Station Two Recreation Center Tennis Center Community Center Aquatic Center Phase Three: Golf Center Sportsplex Event Center Sail Camp Fire Station Five Phase Four: Public Works Public Works Shop Sewer Maintenance Shop Sewer Plant Planning for security was important.We resolved the public/private network issue, requiring each building have a physical separation (by external IP), rather than logical separation (by internal IP), segregating the networks from each other. This is more expensive, requiring additional hardware, but isolates each network on its own external IP address, eliminating the possibility of cross talk or network jumping. Funding any municipal project is always a key issue. Al Bradley secured funding for the fiber-optic project as Chairman of the Finance Committee, and as Chairman of the Telecommunications Committee. We presented a persuasive argument, stating fiber-optic connections also increased productivity for city workers.Image you are on a slow connection, spending ten minutes per day on DSL, drinking coffee, waiting for files to upload or download. This translates to 50 minutes per week, times 52 weeks per year, equals 2,600 minutes, or 43 hours (approx. one week) of productivity lost per year, per employee at each workstation. What business can afford that? Some council members resisted, holding we do not need technological expansion, during a recession, combined with city-employee layoffs. With 20/20 hindsight, looking back to 2008 Chairman Al Bradley was a visionary, fighting to give all city offices the high-speed functionality needed for payment processing, jail bookings, event registrations, fire reporting, webinars, cameras, and online training, with the added amenity of Free Wi-Fi for the public to use. By leveraging the technology, we were able to demonstrate our solution; doing more with fewer employees is possible. Orange Beach can thank one man for setting the bar so high for fiber-optic connectivity, allowing our city workers to be more efficient, simultaneously giving the public free access to high-speed Internet at city facilities. This public service is invaluable, allowing residents to stream music as they work out in the gym, or for baseball parents to stream movies, waiting at the Sportsplex for their game to start. You can easily pull presentation files from your cloud account in the city’s various meeting rooms, or download homework assignments after school. Orange Beach also provides the SEC and NAIA with bandwidth for broadcasting Women’s Soccer Tournaments. Al Bradley established the Free Wi-Fi standard in Orange Beach. This is a guiding light for other municipalities to follow. Al Lawton Bradley, Jr. (1950-2014) ••• Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road.He can be reached by email: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
Rauf Bolden: Policy making in Orange Beach
“I am the CEO,” said Mayor Tony Kennon in the council chambers. It is true the mayor has vast power, setting the agenda for taxation, budgets and employee benefits. Orange Beach does not have the three separations of powers we learned about in civics class. The executive branch controls legislation and policy in Orange Beach, voting on ordinances and resolutions brought to the floor. This is defined as a strong mayor and weak council system, having been the city’s form of government since founding in 1984, surviving intact through hurricanes and oil spills. It is a system local constituents understand. You have a problem; just call Mayor Kennon, because he is the only one allowed to make any ad hoc policy decisions. Some residents feel the power versus accountability equation is balanced in favor of Mayor Kennon. Others feel there are expenditures on the table that are so large constituents need to be included in the decision making process. For example the $60 million Wolf Bay Bridge, being paid for exclusively with taxpayer dollars, but no Referendum is offered. Understandably people care about this decision. “We are very concerned about the economic risk involved in building of this 1.2 mile bridge [Wolf Bay Bridge]. In addition to the astronomical expense for the taxpayers, there is the safety and liability risk of toxic spills [benzene] from barge accidents on extremely busy interstate waterway. The intention to build up the north shore to bring more traffic to Orange Beach seems irrational at this point,” said Lucy Hazebrook, a 28-year resident of Orange Beach in an email. Taxes are the life’s blood of a city, paying wages, financing projects, and servicing debt. According to documents on the city’s web site Orange Beach is a wealthy community, taking in more revenue than expenses. This surplus is multiplied year in and year out, providing an enviable reserve against disasters both natural and man-made. Creating a financial return for residents, as if they were stakeholders in the municipal business, is something Mayor Kennon has overlooked. He will not lead the council in eliminating the four-mil property tax in Orange Beach, providing a dividend for his constituents. The property tax generates less than $4 million per year, and the city has ten times that amount in reserves. Perhaps offsetting this tax cut with sin taxes on tobacco products, alcohol and sugary drinks is an equitable solution. Republican orthodoxy is tagged to tax cuts, paying for them is the key, but our Republican Council prefers lodging tax increases on tourists to tax cuts for property owners. The 2020 candidates for mayor and council should use property tax cuts as a conservative battle cry, growing his or her base. Budgets are the planners goal-setting tool, controlling capital, investments and debt. Even though the city council tried twice to found their own school system with property tax increases in 2007 and 2014, producing failed referendums both times, Mayor Kennon is still pushing ahead, allocating city funds, subsidizing the newly conceived Orange Beach Middle School/High School on Canal Road. “Kennon said the city of Orange Beach is invested in the new school [built and run by the Baldwin County Board of Education], estimating the value of a land donation to the school system costs around $6 million to $7 million. Another $8 million for a performing arts center and $4 million to $5 million for new athletic facilities rounds out the city’s expenses for the new school [approx. $18 million],” according to a report on al.com . Going against residents’ wishes is dangerous for an elected official, unless they are not going to run again, assuming Tony will wish to have the school named after him as a legacy, but naming grants are traditionally carried out with private donations, not taxpayer funds. An example comes to mind where Antonin Scalia left $20 million to a Virginia law school in a naming grant, changing George Mason to the Antonin Scalia Law School . Employee benefits are a key issue, getting more expensive for employees every year. The deductibles and co-pays reflect the management style of the executive. Mayor Kennon is the fifth person to hold the office since the city was founded in 1984, having initiated draconian increases to family insurance premiums, compared to his predecessors. I understand Mayor Kennon wants to run the city like a business, but municipal businesses are tax-free. Perhaps considering this fact when revising insurance premium increases, deductibles and co-pays will help improve employee morale. The difference in employee insurance benefits now versus earlier administrations is enormous. Other mayors offered their employees health insurance that was fully funded by the city, because wages are lower in the public sector, previously making the City of Orange Beach the most desirable place to work for people with families. Our mayor is intelligent, god fearing, and passionate about his vision for the city. He enacts what he perceives are the best policies for employees, residents and school children. At this juncture his vision is at odds with several factions, opposing the flyover bridge west of the Foley Beach Express, opposing the Wolf Bay Bridge by Doc’s, and those seeking a better benefits package for employees. Kennon does not like to lose or be challenged; fighting all comers, charging up the hill even if no one else is behind him. These are admirable traits, battling for your beliefs, but local government in a small town needs more consensus than conflict, more compassion than autocracy, more dialogue than fear of reprisals. Mayor Kennon voices his policies publicly with persuasive vigor, trying to get you to buy into his side of the argument, possibly offending some people with his oratorical style; consequently $192 million in BP funds (Deep-water Horizon oil spill) was dispersed by the US Treasury and the State of Alabama, but Orange Beach did not have one project directly approved. It must be pointed out that funds were granted to Orange Beach indirectly through the State’s request. According to John Mullen
Rauf Bolden: Proposed bridge project will fail in Orange Beach
Last month, Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Director John Cooper went on the record with John Sharp of al.com. Cooper said, “People just hesitate to pay that toll,” justifying his decision to approve spending $60-65 million on a taxpayer funded Flyover Bridge that will be toll free (End The #Bridge2Nowhere). Construction is slated to start as soon as the permit is approved by the Army Corps of Engineers. National Marine Fisheries Service, a division of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) wrote a letter dated May 10, 2018 to the Corps of Engineers, authored by Virginia Fay, Southeast Assistant Regional Administrator with the Habitat Conservation Division, “Alternative alignments to avoid wetlands and utilize existing roads should be further explored.” According to AL.com, Fay wrote, “There are two bridge crossings within three miles of the project site and expansion of these existing structures should be explored.” NOAA has legitimate wetlands and fisheries concerns for blocking bridge construction in Orange Beach. The idea of the Flyover Bridge germinated and grew from complaints about traffic congestion on Canal Road during the tourist season. Basically ALDOT Director Cooper says the congestion is caused by traffic moving toward the Holmes Bridge on Hwy 59, avoiding the Foley Beach Express because of “toll avoidance.” Assuming Director Cooper’s instincts are correct, and “toll avoidance” is the problem, lets look for a solution. I suggest marketing toll passes to vacation rental agencies, combining the benefit of pre-paid tolls, bundled with renting from a premier company like Brett-Robinson. When a reservation is confirmed, the customers are emailed bridge passes for their vacation rental, or the passes are downloaded from the toll-bridge app onto their phones, or the passes are validated by license plate recognition when the customer’s vehicle passes through the toll booth. Either method increases bridge capacity, and customer satisfaction. Bundling has several key issues, primarily legal agreements between The Foley Beach Express (American Roads) and the vacation rental companies. Finding an innovative way to increase traffic across the Foley Beach Express Bridge, and minimize “toll avoidance” requires trust from both parties. Creating an alternative like bundling to minimize “toll avoidance” satisfies Director Cooper’s explanation, pushing more traffic to the Foley Beach Express while minimizing the need for a third bridge on the island, but there is still a lot of work to do before summer. Some residents like Joe Emerson do not support the State of Alabama spending $60-$65 million on a Flyover Bridge in Orange Beach, arguing the bridge is not needed. He holds the state should prioritize these funds for other projects where the need is fully documented. Director Cooper cites statistics, but his assertions are not tied to any formal traffic studies ALDOT has released to the public, supporting the concept of a third bridge. According to a report by John Mullen on the OBA Website, residents and elected officials in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are in favor of a Flyover Bridge, but no Referendum is planned, verifying constituent opinions. This rendering is looking south, going over the bridge, exiting onto Canal Road. Cheering for the bridge, and getting approval from the Corps of Engineers are two different things. The Corps must listen to multiple sides of the story, weighing special interests’ voices, politicians’ desires, environmental concerns, traffic studies, and residents’ blowback. Once ALDOT Director Cooper’s reasoning about “toll avoidance” is fully explained, bundling the toll pass with vacation rentals becomes a viable alternative to new construction. The Flyover Bridge project is presently on hold, waiting for the Corps of Engineers. It must be argued, spending $60-$65 million for a third bridge on an island that is eight miles long produces one of those neck-snapping moments of cognitive reality. A common sense solution like bundling toll passes with vacation rentals, eliminating “toll avoidance” makes sense, defeating the dark arts of bridge politics. Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached at: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
Rauf Bolden: How to run for Mayor and Council in Orange Beach
Getting elected Mayor or to the City Council in 2020 is simple. Campaign on a platform to eliminate the 4-mil property tax, giving residents a real return for putting up with the traffic, and propose we pay for the tax cut with sin taxes on tobacco products, alcohol, and sugary drinks, offsetting the money lost on the tax cut. This oversimplification sounds easy, but it’s not. Orange Beach has competent council members, being skilled politicians, representing their community on an at-large basis, not districts. Jeff Silvers and Joni Blalock have served the longest since 2004; Jerry Johnson and Jeff Boyd have served since 2012; Annette Mitchell was appointed to serve out the term of the late Al Bradley, being elected to her first term in 2016. Mayor Tony Kennon started out as a Councilman, being first elected on August 24, 2004, but resigned on June 7, 2005. Three years later, on August 26, 2008 he was elected Mayor, presently serving his third consecutive term, ending in 2020. To qualify for the ballot you have to meet a few minimum requirements. The candidate “must be 18 years old; must be a resident of the city for 90 days prior to the election [rent or own]; must be a US citizen for one day; and must be a registered voter,” according to the Alabama Secretary of State’s website. Planning your run for the 2020 election cycle takes time and hard work, beginning in 2019. Start building up a war chest of donor lists, appropriate technology and talented volunteers. How do you go about getting elected to public office? Here are a few pointers. Know your electorate: talk with people across the entire economic spectrum, finding out what matters to them; connect with bellwethers, getting the right people backing you; kick off fundraising by contacting past candidates; build your team, knowing volunteers will do the bulk of the work; design campaign material, concentrating on poster and yard sign design, newsletters, and social media. Raise candidate’s profile, reaching out to voters through common acquaintances. Create a campaign plan for messaging and build a dedicated voter database, tracking communication through websites, social media and telephone calls, according to a report on CallHub, a political website (https://callhub.io/run-local-political-campaign/). Offending one person with your campaign style in a small town may mean offending their entire voting family. Note that council members are sometimes elected with as little as 400 votes. In 2008, Kennon had around 1,200 votes, being elected mayor in a town of 5,000 people. The margin for offending is large, but the margin for winning is small, adding to that, the responsibility for winning is enormous, putting you on-call 24/7 for a low-paying job. “I know when my Dad [Councilman Jerry Davidson] was on council [2000-2004] he spent an enormous amount time in many many more meetings [council planning] than the public meetings held and people took any and all opportunities anytime he was anywhere to discuss their thoughts,” said Kristy Doggett a twenty-year resident in an email. Some people cannot be bothered with public service, saying it is too much trouble, putting up with all the politics for a beggar’s wage: $13,401.18 per year for each council member; $16,557.36 per year for the Mayor Pro-Tem (vice-mayor); and $42,000.00 per year for Mayor. Then there is the question of getting along with Mayor Kennon (if re-elected), having a very unique style of coordinating policy. Potential candidates muse about the fringe benefit of being embarrassed and humiliated in the Council Chambers for disagreeing with him. Baldwin County District Representative Daniel Catlin, who was standing in for Congressman Bradley Byrne at his congressional town hall, watched as Kennon attempted to demean, disgrace and shame Congressman Byrne’s supporters in the Council Chambers. “They [residents] are ignorant by choice,” said Kennon, as evidenced in this video report from Cliff McCollum of Gulf Coast News Today. The video speaks volumes. We need a hefty selection of good candidates in 2020, offering a salary commensurate with the job’s responsibilities, specifically large enough to compensate professionals for managing a $40 million budget. I suggest $160,000 per year for Mayor, and $50,000 per year for each of the five council members, as outlined in my previous op-ed. People in Orange Beach can do better than having their Mayor and City Council stand unopposed for municipal elections because of the low pay. Let’s improve the compensation package for our elected officials, simultaneously attracting a large pool of candidates, showing the world democracy, and competitive elections have a strong tradition in Orange Beach. ••• Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached at: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
Rauf Bolden: Local government blocking solar development in Orange Beach?
History shows us an innovative mind, creating a glimpse of what is possible in the future, founding the basis of solar technology, salting the earth with monikers like climate change is real, prompting reactions ranging from exasperation to outright dismay. “In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered that certain materials produced small amounts of electric current when exposed to light,” according to a report in Course Hero. Fast-forward to 2018, and we find ourselves with thriving solar industries, producing everything from panels for your roof to driveway lights, being both efficient and affordable. Alternative energy enthusiasts in the western part of the United States have dedicated their lives to using solar power in their homes, and passing on this knowledge to their friends, and their communities, but not in Orange Beach. “As a solar power proponent for the last thirty five years on land and sea, I am baffled by the reluctance of people to avail themselves of the opportunity to engage something as dependable as the sunrise each day. Even my fellow Electricians and Instrument Technicians have lost hard earned money every day they put off this common sense means of saving for their own futures. The simplest grid tie systems I have developed in California and Utah have long since paid for themselves in utility savings, as well as through the Federal Tax Credits and rebates that are available for the asking. The cost of panels per watt has dropped to 1/3 of the prices in 2001, and though sales of panels have been surging, it appears from my Western States observation point that it is The Utility Companies [sic] that are buying them up,” said Rick Gustavson in an email from St. George, Utah, having built two solar homes with his wife Jean. The dilemma for solar homeowners in Orange Beach is unfettered regulation, because our local-electrical supplier Baldwin EMC (Electricity Membership Cooperative) is an electricity re-seller, making them beholding to their upstream vendor. According to documentation obtained in an email from Greg Gipson, Manager of Business Development, Energy Services, and Advanced Metering at Baldwin EMC, the electrical provider requires liability insurance and upgrade-payment guarantees from EMC’s solar customers. This procedure insulates their suppliers from financial exposure by pushing additional expenses for solar connectivity down onto the solar homeowner (EMC’s “Members Guide to Interconnected Distributed Resource”, pg. 8-9). The City of Orange Beach also has specific building codes about installing solar panels on your roof. ”Probably a Miscellaneous Application (from the Building Department) with wind rating info on [the] panels,” said Howard Stuart, Plans Examiner at Community Development in an email. Then there is insurance. Depending on the underwriter, they may or may not require re-certification, ensuring your roof is up to city standards. “Currently [our] carrier does not require a new certificate if you install solar panels in [the] roof. The credit for fortified gold would not be removed. However, for any reason other than insurance purposes, you would need to consult with IBHS [Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety],” said Cindy Vines, Account Executive, South Shore Insurance Agency, in Daphne, Alabama in an email. Minimizing buyer’s remorse from complicated permitting and regulations is offset by tax credits, rebates and solar reliability, strengthening financial arguments for using alternative energy in your home. “The federal solar tax credit, also known as the investment tax credit (ITC), allows you to deduct 30 percent of the cost of installing a solar energy system from your federal taxes,” according to Energy Sage. Although Orange Beach does not provide tax incentives for solar a full-tax credit is available from the Federal Government. “To receive the full tax credit, you must have federal income tax liability that’s at least equal to the value of the tax credit. This credit may be carried over to future tax years,” according to Tesla Solar Roofs. Building a solar-powered home in Orange Beach is burdened with man-in-the-middle profit margins, encumbering the project with provider-imposed regulations; possibly arguing the added trouble is not worth the effort. Do not think Baldwin EMC is overly bureaucratic, demanding so much extra cash from solar-energy homebuilders. Their primary-power supplier is the real puppeteer, hamstringing potential-solar customers. “The Member (read: EMC customer) may be compensated for the power [on solar projects] that flows onto the distribution system,” according to EMC’s “Members Guide to Interconnected Distribution”, pg. 7, being conspicuously vague as to how much credit is given for each watt of solar generated, and the City of Orange Beach looks on as if at a passing summer cloud. Our city leaders made a definitive choice about climate change. Instead of insisting the new school (2017) run on solar, as an example to the rest of the state, the Council decided to pay $4 million for ball fields, and $4 million for a performing-arts center, powered in the traditional way, perhaps by coal-fired power plants. It is an opportunity lost, demonstrating the unintended consequence of uninformed decisions, affecting generations to come. ••• Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached at: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
Rauf Bolden: Reflecting upon the midterm results in Orange Beach
Midterm reflects the election cycle. The middle of Mayor Tony Kennon’s term (2016-2018) saw one-third of the Orange Beach City Council try to leave, seeking higher office. Councilman Jeff Boyd ran for Alabama State Senate, and Councilman Jerry Johnson ran for Baldwin County Commissioner. Both failed by a wide margin. Their campaigns were underfunded and untested, returning to the Council Chambers in Orange Beach richer for their experience, perhaps launching a retry in 2022, or mounting a run for Mayor in 2020. Some people feel Orange Beach’s Ordinance banning short-term rentals (Ordinance 2018-1282) cost the council members’ their election bid, seeing the ban as stepping on a person’s property rights, limiting what a family can do with their home, making houses in residential areas harder to sell. “BCAR [Baldwin County Association of Realtors] represents over 2,000 REALTORS® across Baldwin and Mobile counties, and advocates for homeownership, private property rights, and vibrant communities. BCAR supports candidates who share the vision of the association,” according to a report on the BCAR website. Obviously the ban is an infringement on property rights, for not minimizing government’s role in the local economy, for not restoring liberty from government interference, essentially abandoning pre-eminent conservative ideals in Republican Alabama. Espousing conservatism, the Council’s legislative calendar from 2016-2018 saw no cuts in property taxes for residents; big increases in deductibles for city employees’ health care; and a short term rental ban on residential properties. The proposed projects over the next two years (2018-2020) are more ambitious, bolstering economic stimulus, including a new Middle School/High School on Canal Road (Diagram 1); widening of Canal Road (Diagram 2); and starting the Wolf Bay Bridge (Diagram 3). These are economic-stimulus projects costing tens of million of dollars, creating jobs, and helping the local economy prior to the next election cycle. Council started the revenue ball rolling in the first two years of this term (2016-2018), generating additional revenue with a 2% increase in lodging tax from 11 percent to 13 percent, supposedly underwriting the cost of the Wolf Bay Bridge. The rest of the infrastructure money is coming from tax revenue saved up over Mayor Kennon’s previous two terms. Spending these monies on infrastructure is a good idea, because moving traffic keeps the tourists happy and a happy tourist is the city’s cash cow. They provide a revenue stream, paying sales taxes on groceries, fueling their boats, buying water toys and so on. Another possibility for more revenue exists as the city approved 65 liquor licenses, including special events, in the two years prior to the midterm, according to an email from Renee Eberly, City Clerk in Orange Beach. Perhaps a sin tax on alcohol, tobacco products, and sugary drinks, generating extra cash, helping pay for infrastructure projects or school amenities is an alternative source of funding. “[A new] High School is a great idea. There are new families coming to the area and they are going to need a good school. The only problem is the traffic. It is already bad enough. I don’t know how they are going to fix it,” said Margie Soto a 24-year resident of the island. “I would like to see Canal Road [Hwy 180] widened, and I would like to see the Wolf Bay Bridge built,” said Steve Russo an Orange Beach resident of 38 years. Keeping City Council in step is the key issue if Mayor Kennon wants to push his post-midterm agenda forward. Orange Beach’s Elected Officials serve at-large not by districts. They represent all the constituents at once. Even though the elected officials represent all the registered voters, Council members voted with Mayor Kennon 99 percent of the time, showing Kennon’s iron-grip on the process. Joe Emerson commented on the gravity of his experience in the Council Chambers at City Hall, making inquiries about how the Flyover Bridge (diagram below) west of the Foley Beach Express was funded. ”I would like to say that I took Mayor Kennon’s advice and went to two City Council meetings ‘to get the facts’ [about the flyover bridge]. Not once, but twice I was denied access to public information about the project (after being assured that my request for the white papers was approved). Not once but twice, my character was attacked because I refuse to just go with the flow [bend the knee]. Not once but twice, I left the Orange Beach City Council Chambers with more incentive to get to the bottom of this [flyover bridge funding],” Emerson wrote in a Facebook post. A State Official is also seeking answers. “ALDOT has managed to side-step Jim Zeigler’s [State Auditor’s] requests [about funding] for well over six months, and thus, for the third time, Zeigler is asking for further information [from ALDOT] about an $87 million state-funded bridge [flyover bridge] project in Baldwin County [Orange Beach],” reported Alabama Today. “I learned there’s no logical and reasonable opposition [to this flyover bridge],” Kennon told Yellowhammer News, during ALDOT’s Public Hearing in Gulf Shores on Nov. 15. Some residents fear City Council may float a neck-snapping bond issue never seen before in Baldwin County, financing the Wolf Bay Bridge, hiring a bond issuer, perhaps negotiating reimbursements for expenses. The worry is what it will cost to pay down this debt, and how many years the residents are indebted, probably long after the present council retires. Opponents of the Wolf Bay Bridge are motivated, campaigning vigorously against more infrastructures (indebtedness), demanding a Referendum, letting the constituents vote before spending $50 million on the Wolf Bay Bridge. “We are very concerned about the economic risk involved in building of this 1.2 mile bridge [Wolf Bay Bridge]. In addition to the astronomical expense for the taxpayers, there is the safety and liability risk of toxic spills [benzene] from barge accidents on extremely busy interstate waterway. The intention to build up the north shore to bring more traffic to Orange Beach seems irrational at this point,” wrote Lucy Hazebrook in an email. Lucy is a 28-year resident of
Rauf Bolden: Call for purchasing a public beach in Orange Beach
Buying beachfront property for the greater good of Orange Beach residents is not in sync with local government’s views of spending money without a verifiable return-on-investment. A gated beach with ample parking and bathroom facilities for the residents is obviously frivolous compared to Council’s aggressive investment criteria, but it does meet the criteria of local voters, caring very much to have a place in the sun for their families to enjoy. It is as if elected officials are undervaluing their electoral alliances. They are not seeing the happiness they could generate with the local voters through this simple act of community good, giving residents something constituent families can actually touch besides a bridge. The problem of providing public access to beaches baffles policy experts across the country. “An increase in the population of coastal counties and popularity of coastal beaches as tourism destinations create difficulties for management agencies responsible for providing public beach access,” according to a report in Science Direct. Orange Beach has three public beaches, owned and maintained by the State of Alabama, according to Gulf Shores & Alabama Tourism. The city does not own a beach, compared to Gulf Shores with expansive public beach, being large enough to hold the Hangout Music Festival. Mayor Tony Kennon heralds the natural beauty of our privately owned beaches, but is loathe to endorse the purchase of dedicated-beach access for local residents, having kept a controlling hand on the treasury for the past decade. “While you [tourists] are here, you will come to understand what we mean by this [‘Life is better here’] as you soak in the spectacular beauty of our sunrises, sunsets and enjoy walking along our sandy white beaches [property of hotels or condos],” said Kennon on the city’s web site. Imagine a gated beach with membership card access, scanning in like we do at the Recreation Center. Even planning a presentation of this idea is made difficult, because Orange Beach does not have a finance committee that is open to the public, allowing citizens to sign-up, submitting spending ideas to the Mayor for consideration during his budget process. Suggesting government and residents have a shared political consciousness is mistaken; coordinated planning is easier said than done. Some argue beaches should not be owned at all. “Beach access is a universal right and necessary for the public’s enjoyment of the beach,” explains Beachapedia. “The public should be afforded full and fair access to beaches, which are public trust resources, by minimizing the possibility of impediment; including development, subdivision or land use zoning change; or deterring obstacles, including gates, fences, hired security, misleading signage, rock walls, shrubbery or other blockades, being placed upon public rights of way to beach access,” according to a report on the environmental website Surfrider. Orange Beach has a responsibility to its citizens for safety, and protection, certainly providing beach access does not fall under these parameters. The idea of providing beach access for future generations to enjoy is nice since Orange Beach can afford it, but it does not fall under the umbrella of public safety. That is the problem, convincing Mayor Kennon that an important element in life is sharing with your neighbors, increasing the quality of life for the residents, foregoing running the city like a business, because the city is a tax-free entity as it is. If the $50 million Orange Beach has in reserves were taxed it would only be $25 million, so use $25 million to better the quality of life for the people who live here by purchasing a stretch of beach for residents to use. I have heard employees say, it is easier to get the truth out of the White House than it is to get lunch money out of Mayor Kennon. Our mayor’s fiscal policies are rewriting the laws of political frugality, but unlike conservatives who are constantly conscience of their cheering base, our mayor is greeted with cautious, measured skepticism from the opposition and shrugged shoulders from those on the fence. Admittedly our mayor’s supporters stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his brand of fiscal conservatism, concerning a beach for residents. “I want to know the cost before making any decision,” said Bill Jeffries, Planning Commissioner, and 12 resident of Orange Beach. “Not needed [beach access]! I’m working toward another bridge for Orange Beach,” said Alan McElroy, retired businessman, and long time resident. “Cut out the dang foolishness and build a boat launch at the pass. We already have three beaches, owned by the State,” purred Cecil Young, Board-of-Adjustment member, and lifetime resident of Orange Beach. Arguing a double standard exists, because of the beach mouse habitat that ostensibly blocked the proposed boat launch near the pass Cecil Young added, “It didn’t worry them about the beach mouse when they built the condos, so why should they worry about it when they’re building a boat ramp?” Obviously the choir does not lack voices, singing for disbursement of the same pot of money. Residents who get up and go to work in the morning feel trapped in a cut-throat economy of food service jobs and stagnant wages, wanting to have a sanctuary, experiencing a little sun, having a few laughs by going to an uncrowded beach with their families. Once done a residents’ beach is forever. ••• Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached at: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
Rauf Bolden: School delay in Orange Beach begs question – should taxes be on the table?
Leaving people clutching their pearls, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon announced another delay. The cost of building the new school was bid $20 million over budget, postponing the opening of the Middle School/High School on Canal Road. Baldwin County School Board Superintendent Eddie Tyler said the delay could affect the possible timeline for opening the new school, probably until August 2020, according to a report in Gulf Coast News Today. “Coming in $20 million over the projected estimates for this project is just not something I can support, nor do I think this board [of education] could support,” said David Tarwater, Baldwin County School Board Member and Chairman of the Finance Committee to Gulf Coast News Today. The Orange Beach City Council tried twice before to establish their own independent school system, funded by increased property taxes (ad valorem) in 2007 and again in 2014, only to have both referendums fail by a wide margin. This time the school’s funding is not tied to additional property taxes, because the Baldwin County Board of Education is paying for the project. Hurricane Michael’s cleanup in Mexico City severely reduced the availability of construction crews. The impact of tariffs on construction materials has driven up demand for resources well beyond the projected cost estimates. The community wants a school, and the constituents are behind the Council, but the funding shortfall is so enormous that Council may have to innovate, possibly imposing more taxes on the tourists. I respectfully suggest a sin tax on alcohol, tobacco products and sugary drinks. Orange Beach residents understand the cost of education, but baby boomers do not want the expense of increased ad valorem taxes, educating someone else’s child. That is not why they invested in retirement property on the island. School Board Superintendent Tyler’s school proposal to build a Middle School/High School in Orange Beach is welcome, triggered by Gulf Shores’ successful establishment of their own independent school system. Tyler’s proposal is self funded, imposing no additional taxes on Orange Beach residents. “We are not only building this school but negotiating the separation from GS [Gulf Shores]. We know that the project [school build] will go out for bid again with a different completion date [2020],” said Norma Hoots Lynch, School Board Member for Orange Beach in an email. “Our staff who handle building and bidding believe the high price and single bid were due to an extremely accelerated timeframe in a difficult location due to tourist traffic combined with a shortage of labor due to rebuilding in Florida,” said David B. Cox, Baldwin County School Board Member in an email. As an onlooker the plan going forward is like a fork in the road. Kill the school, because future construction bids will not come in under budget, or the City of Orange Beach can use their reserves to subsidize the short fall. In either case the residents are not burdened with additional ad valorem taxes. “We’re looking at various options and the superintendent will be making a recommendation soon,” said Shannon Cauley, Baldwin County School Board Member in an email. “There was just no way,” Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon, responding to the $42 million bid by Mississippi-based Thrash Contractors told AL.com. The key issue is patience. Millennials with children attending local schools must believe in the dream of their own Middle School/High School, accepting that their kids will be in portables or bussed to Gulf Shores for a year or more (2019-2020) while the new school is built. The reality is this. The bid process will take longer than anyone anticipates, especially given the rising cost of steel and building materials, caused by tariffs. Thus pushing the Baldwin County Board of Education and the City of Orange Beach into lengthy negotiations, deciding how to make ends meet. The Alabama State Board of Education insists the financial complexities be resolved at the local level. “The state department doesn’t take an active role in construction or bids,” wrote Eric G. Mackey, State Superintendent, Alabama State Department of Education in an email. “I am the State Board rep for District 1 [Baldwin County]. It [the bid overage] is a local issue, not state,” said Jackie Zeigler, Alabama State School Board Member, in an email. Shovel ready projects are not as simple as the language suggests. Would it be cheaper to drop the entire Middle School/High School project, opting to pay tuition for each Orange Beach child to attend Gulf Shores’ independent schools, freeing up millions for curriculum in the county? Thinking out loud, every community wants excellent schools. Deciding what is most important requires bipartisan consensus of the City Council, dedicating significant wealth to the prosperity of the next generation of Orange Beach graduates, or building the Wolf Bay Bridge. We cannot do both. ••• Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached at: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
