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.
Rauf Bolden: Bridge2NoWhere in Orange Beach
Joe Emerson is a man of action. He made an activist’s move over three years ago, establishing a Facebook Group, presently having 2660+ members called: End The Bridge2Nowhere. The group opposes an $87 million state-funded flyover bridge (Diagram 1 below) west of the Foley Beach Express in Orange Beach. The flyover bridge (Diagram 1) is scheduled for 2019, ostensibly alleviating tourist traffic, and providing a hurricane-evacuation route from Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. The Wolf Bay Bridge (Diagram 2) is another proposed project next to Doc’s, but funded by the City of Orange Beach not the State of Alabama. The two bridges have different funding. It is easy to confuse the two, being only a few miles apart on Canal Road. This piece is concerned with opposition to the flyover bridge. Although the Wolf Bay Bridge is mentioned, it is not the focus of any opposition in Orange Beach. Joe’s Facebook Group argues the taxpayer-funded flyover bridge is a misuse of the State of Alabama’s infrastructure money. According to a report by Apryl Marie Fogel at Alabama Today, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) cannot explain how the decision was made; funding the ALDOT approved flyover bridge in Orange Beach with state taxpayer dollars. Mayor Tony Kennon of Orange Beach thinks Joe’s group does not have all the facts, “…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,” posted Mayor Tony Kennon on Facebook. Public Meeting Notice: The City of Gulf Shores is hosting a comments meeting, as required by the Corps of Engineers, discussing the flyover bridge on November 15, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m., in the Gulf Shores Activity Center, 260 Club House Drive, Gulf Shores, Ala.. This meeting should clarify any doubts regarding the actual location of the proposed flyover bridge, allowing citizens to submit letters for or against the project. Send your email to: swinfo@dot.state.al.us. “Right now, there is a proposal to take that damn flyover [bridge] out of our backyard [in Craft Farms]. Supposedly they are going to move the road further east closer to the Foley Beach Express. I don’t have anything set in stone they’re going to totally do away with the flyover,” said Mike Powell in a report by the Lagniappe. “This [flyover] bridge and roadway will be built,” said Gulf Shores Mayor Craft at a Council Meeting, reported in the Mullet Wrapper. The Mayor’s comments carry weight, summarizing the public hearing on November 15 as simply a formality by the Corps of Engineers. His comments essentially galvanize opponents of the flyover bridge with a mix of alarm and apathy. It seems the cities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores have already decided to endorse the project. Residents care about how their tax dollars are spent. “I think a [flyover] bridge west of the toll bridge would be a redundant idea, east of the bridge would be a better idea,” said Jonathan Christie, an eight year resident of Orange Beach. “Living in the Josephine community, I am afraid of the growth and everything that goes with that [Wolf Bay Bridge],” explained Deputy Chief Greg Duck (retired), a veteran of the Orange Beach Police Department. “Neither [bridge] makes sense to me,” Karen Clark, a 39-year resident of Orange Beach said. “It seems to me that [flyover] bridge [will only be another place that cars will be dumped on to Canal Road — they’ll then either have to go east or west just like they do coming off of the Foley Beach Express. That won’t help the traffic problem on Canal. What I think is really needed is another road south to beach highway,” added a resident of over 20 years, requesting anonymity. The Facebook Group argues the flyover bridge is not needed, but others disagree. “If we give them [tourists] another option [flyover bridge], a free option and potentially a quicker option than Highway 59, you’re removing 20 percent of the traffic off of Highway 59. The largest pinch point on this island is that bridge [on Hwy 59],” said Blake Phelps, Gulf Shores Director of Economic Development, in a report by the Mullet Wrapper. One wonders if the sole motivation of the flyover bridge is to put the privately owned toll bridge (Foley Beach Express) out of business. Perhaps the Orange Beach City Council is planning to acquire the Toll Plaza in receivership for pennies on the dollar, giving residents a healthy return on their public-private partnership. ••• 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: Lodging tax and the building boom
Houses and condos are being built in Orange Beach at an incredible rate. Biking down the beach road always turns up signs of new construction, but there is a cost. A lodging tax increase is proposed, raising the rate from 11 percent to 13 percent, financing the infrastructure needed to create more building. “We have five or six condominiums coming online at some point in the near future on the beach. We have a record number of building permits being filed for,” said Mayor Tony Kennon in a Facebook video. “We cannot continue to invite people here, have additional growth and not deal with the infrastructure needs to handle the traffic that we have and the traffic we’re going to have in the future.” Let’s look at this lodging-tax increase from another perspective. An increase from 11 percent to 13 percent is 2 percent in real terms, but relative to 11 percent it is an increase of 18 percent. Illustrating the point, 11 percent lodgings tax times 0.18 (18 percent) = 1.98 percent or a 2 percent increase. Thinking of it as an 18 percent increase will not change the mindset of the people affected by the tax. Europe has an 18 percent tax in real terms and people still go to St. Tropez on vacation, but it makes one pause and reflect, considering this type of tax increase is a trend across Alabama, according to John Sharp of AL.com. Lodgings tax is not the critical-decision point for vacationers, because people are going to go on vacation no matter what the lodgings tax is, provided they have room on their cards. Too much building is a critical-decision point for local residents. The overview is about understanding 40 percent of private sector jobs were created in the housing-construction industry from 2001-2005 (pre-recession), according to John Richmond of the Federal Reserve in Richmond. We now have a glimpse of just how vital construction jobs are to economic growth, evidenced in 2016 by the number of building permits issued in Orange Beach according to Community Development: 2011: 745 2012: 910 2013: 1129 2014: 1283 2015: 1312 2016: 1599 Revenue from permits mirrors the number of permits issued: 2011: $200,245 2012: $215,207 2013: $541,710 2014: $592,402 2015: $1,603,006 2016: $1,704,583. The data supports Mayor Kennon’s claim of record increases in residential and business construction, perhaps even a bellwether of confidence in the local economy, as if one feeds off of the other. If economic prosperity feeds off of new construction, planning the lodging tax expenditure is crucial. “The City is proposing a 2 percent lodging tax increase resulting in an estimated $5,000,000 per year. These additional funds will help with the maintenance of the beaches, maintaining and investing in new infrastructure, and addressing traffic issues,” said Ford Handley, Finance Director for the City of Orange Beach. “Moving the intersection of Alabama 180 or Canal Road, and Alabama 161 a few hundred yards south (by McDonald’s) is a remedy officials here believe will improve traffic — and cost a bundle,” wrote John Mullen in the Lagniappe. I submitted a Public Records Request for a copy of any Master-Plan Documents, detailing how the new lodging-tax revenue would be spent. Renee Eberly, Orange Beach City Clerk responded, “No internal ‘draft master plan’ has been created as the issue is still being publicly discussed.” One assumes the additional tax dollars will be used to support co-pays for infrastructure grants. “Federal and State monies (Grants) are getting harder to come by and they require matching funds,” said Mayor Kennon in a Facebook video. The key issue is we, the people, do not know what the master plan is for spending the additional $5 million in tax revenue generated each year. Having a grasp of the balance between costs, efficiencies and investing for growth is a technique espoused by the Harvard Business Review, but can only be achieved by working with constituents, discussing parameters of the plan like we did with Horizon 20/20 (2006). Otherwise we are going to have to trust our elected officials, letting them make the right decision at the right time. Not everyone agrees with the tenant of trusting government officials with minimal oversight. Unrestricted development is not what local residents want, trusting elected officials to modify zoning laws to respect their wishes for less development has not happened. Some argue zoning-regulation amendments are the only way to control growth in Orange Beach. Less growth means less demand for more growth, meaning less demand for more taxes. Limiting growth also puts upward supply-and-demand pressure on property values, being a positive result, generating wealth for residents. Others hold that wealth and happiness are two different things. It would make the locals happy if the City of Orange Beach spent this revenue to finance a public beach for residents, accessed with a card like the Recreation Center, used by families, children and grandchildren, as opposed to being seen to be chasing the creation of wealth. Lodgings tax as a function of infrastructure spending, including beach re-nourishment and traffic solutions is supportable, solving our traffic problems today, but we cannot seem to balance this equation with the please-restrict-development desire of our residents. This is the cost. ••• 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: Building retail spaces as an economic driver in Orange Beach
“Economic dislocations and limited upward social mobility are eroding communities and fueling resurgent nationalism,” reported Maura Reynolds in POLITICO. Political fragmentation is not something we have to worry about in Orange Beach, being small (approx. 290 city employees) with a wealthy-revenue base (approx. $40 Million per year), having $40 Million in reserves for a resident population of 5,000 people, according to documents on the city’s old website. Furthermore, City Council is in step with Mayor Tony Kennon’s Agenda, growing the local economy through infrastructure spending, and condo construction. Attracting commercial developers, building dedicated retail spaces is an economic driver that immediately helps businesses. Supporting it through tax cuts requires a-leap-of-faith. The dysfunction we see in government at the national level is disappointing, motivating our local municipality to be independent through a huge omnibus spending package. They are negotiating a new Middle School and High School, initiating road construction, spending $242,000 of taxpayer money for a study to span Wolf Bay with a bridge, projected to cost north of $40 Million. This reflects Council’s desire for scale and manifest ambitions, charting its own destiny, sharpening its edge in Baldwin County without any opinion polling. In 2016 Orange Beach issued: 10,291 Business Licenses, generating $2,307,902 in revenue, according to Finance Director, Ford Handley. Ma and Pa stores are the core businesses in Orange Beach, mostly found in strip malls or in retail centers like SanRoc Cay and The Wharf, but we need more. The inventory of available spaces varies in cost from $12 per square foot per year to $27 per square foot per year at the Wharf, according to the City Fleet Database Search. Small family-run shops are ideal tenants, but not all small businesses are welcome. Tattoo Parlors, Lap-Dancers, and Payday Loan shops may find it difficult to get a business license, depending on zoning restrictions. National chains like Chick-Fil-A are an illusive target, demanding a 50,000 population base; 15,000 workers; 1 acre of land; 10 year lease; 65 dedicated parking spaces; co-tenants like Target or department stores; growing upper middle class neighborhoods; high percentage of homes owned by their occupants; 30%+ occupants with children; 30-50% of worker base executive or managerial professionals, according to the Hudson Retail Academy. Municipal design happens before infrastructure is laid in, and developments are built. The process in Orange Beach gives residents a chance to help shape the administration’s thinking and playbook for what type of retailers to approve. Petitions are heard in a Public Hearing, valuing consistency, transparency and evidence, allowing residents to express their doubts or support for specific projects, influencing City Council to vote them up or down. One pre-design talking point is property tax. When a decision maker sits down with his or her financial officer, calculating their course through the costly architectural, impact fee, and permitting process, paying property tax is going to come up. Luring these business dollars away from competing venues is achievable with a sweetener like eliminating property tax in Orange Beach. Today, the 4-mil property tax raises approx. $3.4 Million per year, according to Handley. In a small-wealthy community like Orange Beach a tax cut’s upside potential for growth is greater than its downside risk for lost revenue, possibly starting a local-property boom. In certain sectors the ground is shifting. “There is a consensus among leading economists that a reduction in the tax rate would not raise annual total tax revenue,” according to the Laffer curve in Wikipedia. The biggest case against tax cuts is it increases a city’s debt, decreasing a municipality’s ability to fund projects already earmarked, according to the Brookings Institute. Knowing all politicians exaggerate their policies. “Debt limits your options,” said Mayor Kennon, making a case for having the city debt free in a few years, which one cannot do by cutting taxes. The moment for innovation is upon us. Tax cuts are not growth fairies, creating unicorns and magical spells; they will add value to our community. The Business Class is judging Council on broader criteria than eliminating indebtedness, suffering from accumulated promise fatigue over years of traffic complaints. Attracting commercial developers, building dedicated retail spaces is an economic driver that immediately helps businesses. Supporting it through tax cuts requires a-leap-of-faith. ••• 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: Call for establishing an Ethics Commission in Orange Beach
People rub their eyes at the prospect, having $87 Million on the table for one bridge and $60 Million on the table for another, having $4 Million on the table for a performing arts center and $4 Million on the table for ball fields at the new school, perhaps forming our own Ethics Commission is the least bad option for local oversight, restraining ourselves from an embarrassing scandal, protecting our officials from unwise inclinations, protecting another politician from legal jeopardy. I propose a local ethics commission composed of five volunteers, perhaps lawyers or paralegals from the community, meeting once every three months, providing ethical guidance for officials and employees about their roles interacting with vendors and bidders, accepting gifts like tuna dip at restaurants, VIP tickets for concerts or fishing trips in the Gulf, understanding how lobbying influences the psychology of the Council Chambers. This body would be responsible for opinions from the Alabama Ethics Commission before irreversible mistakes are made. “There isn’t a place in Alabama that contributes more tourism revenue than the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach,” wrote the Mayors in a letter to Lagniappe Mobile, published on 5/16. Their argument is true, bolstering my reasoning for better ethical oversight at the local level, because a lot of money is on the table. Orange Beach took in over $40 Million in revenue last year, according to Mayor Tony Kennon’s State of the City slideshow, given a Lulu’s. “Check our state budgets for the revenue we contribute. Check the studies performed to assess our economic impact to the state,” both Mayors espoused in the Lagniappe. These arguments are meant to convince Montgomery to acquiesce, funding the $87 Million bridge west of the Foley Beach Express, but this bridge will still empty out onto two lanes on Canal Road, perhaps not alleviating traffic, raising the question of motivation for the bridge. Is the Baldwin Bridge meant to put the Foley Beach Express out of business, buying it later for pennies on the dollar? This is an ethical question about the long-term plan, centered on why taxpayer monies should be spent for the bridge, having a local commission responsible for ethical guidance would provide scrupulous professionalism, having leadership, finance and ethics on the same page, because human nature is fickle, seeing an opportunity to peddle a little influence can be irresistible. Financial action is usually based on factual data, but the Mayors hold, “There is no need for additional studies. We’ve listened to the travelers and our residents who must navigate our congested roads,” according to their letter in Lagniappe Mobile. This argues the electorate should have faith in the Mayors’ gut instincts, over well documented studies and due diligence. For me the key solution is obvious, but The Alabama Ethics Commission has not replied to my email for an opinion, outlining how a local municipality would found their own ethics commission. “It’s always amazing how some people can misinterpret the facts,” wrote Mayors Kennon and Robert Craft in a joint letter to Lagniappe Mobile, assuming this was their opening premise. The Mayors also argue, “Those few who oppose it [the new bridge} say there haven’t been enough studies and that it hasn’t been proven to be in the public interest.” Yet not one single piece of factual data or traffic study was offered to the public, causing Mr. Jim Ziegler, the State’s Auditor to write a letter to ALDOT’s Director John Cooper, seeking clarification. “I have more questions than I do answers about the proposed additional bridge. I hope to solve that with my specific requests for public records,” Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler explained on Twitter. Pillow fights on social media and in the local newspapers underline the need for supervision, ensuring an impartial referee, giving rulings on the bridge-selection process, ensuring lobbyists are coloring between the lines, keeping the ethical interests of the residents in balance with the political aspirations of our leaders. I call for additional oversight, during a period when so much money is on the table, assuming the opposition will not replace the incumbents, lacking the scar tissue of office, simply cutting the cards before the deal is dealt may be enough to sustain an ethical balance. ••• 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: Vanishing property rights in Orange Beach
Power corrupts goes the old saying. Taking away residents’ property rights is the new infatuation, firstly with short-term rentals in residential areas, lastly with property condemnations, acquiring land for the proposed bridge west of the Foley Beach Express. “Eminent domain is a necessary evil,” said Mayor Tony Kennon, referring to three families who will lose their home-based businesses on property needed for the bridge, quoted in the Islander, April 25, 2018, pg. 29. The problem is not one single piece of data or traffic study was offered to the public, supporting the necessity of eminent domain condemnations for the $87 Million second bridge, causing Mr. Jim Ziegler, the State’s Auditor to write a letter to ALDOT’s Director John Cooper, seeking clarification. “I have more questions than I do answers about the proposed additional bridge. I hope to solve that with my specific requests for public records,” Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler explained on Twitter. Elected Officials acquiescing on the side of property condemnation is like airing a television campaign against property rights, watching our representatives watching a reality show. In a market system, well-defined property rights are important because they increase economic activity, bolstering standards of living, quality-of-life, and a strong tax base that is inextricably linked to property rights. Using a hammer instead of a scalpel to regulate short-term rentals, prescribing condemnation and eminent domain instead of negotiation to obtain property for the second bridge is scandalously inconsistent with Alabamians’ hatred of government intervention, rewriting the playbook on property rights. Local politicians prefer circling the wagons when residents disagree, appearing to have lost the ability to dissent. Perhaps we should exhale, taking a look at what has grown from the seedling of property rights since Orange Beach was founded in 1984 to the latest Ordinance 2018-1282, limiting vacation rentals. Mayor Tony Kennon said in a Council Meeting, “I want to know who my neighbors are,” commenting on short-term rentals, giving everyone in the room a glimpse into the plan. This rental legislation is like gating the residential community by Ordinance instead of by Referendum or HOA vote, wondering how elected officials will explain themselves for not minimizing government’s role in the economy, for not restoring liberty from government interference, essentially abandoning pre-eminent conservative ideals. By legislating for government restrictions on private property this Council transformed from conservative incumbent right before our eyes. It’s troubling not knowing what other instruments of economic disenfranchisement are on the agenda. What happens east and west of Docs Seafood when the Wolf Bay Bridge is put out for Bid, needing more land for a construction site, parking and a lay-down yard? One must assume properties will be condemned and then confiscated for pennies on the dollar, imitating the greater vanity of eminent domain. “We have to be able to move traffic. We’ve got to be able to evacuate and we have to be able to grow,” said Mayor Tony Kennon to AL.com. I agree that some short-term rental owners have been naughty, insufficiently policing their renters. Residents should call the authorities when renters misbehave, applying laws already on the books, perhaps implementing a three-strikes and you lose your license policy, ensuring Council has the last word. Tarring all residential-rental owners with the same brush is energetic but disillusioned. The Baldwin County Association of REALTORS® (BCAR), representing 2000 Realtors did not endorse candidates who voted for the Orange Beach residential rental ordinance, according to the BCAR web site. “REALTORS® care about communities and candidates who support private property rights,” said Sheila Dodson, CEO of BCAR. “This is just another platform to show the involvement of REALTORS® in their community.” A short-term rental ban, and eminent domain sit on the plate before us, cleverly salted to kneecap the opposition. How we chew and digest these morsels is up to us. ••• 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.
Orange Beach breaks ground on new high school
Over 200 city, county, school officials and members of the community attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Orange Beach Middle/High school on Friday. The public was encouraged to attend the event which kicked-off at 11:30 a.m. The new school site is located off Williams Silvers Parkway near the entrance of the Orange Beach Sportsplex. “This is a game changer, in my humble opinion, for the city of Orange Beach,” said Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon. “We have always been a wonderful community and a place to find family values, tradition, safety, protection but with this school, in my humble opinion, it completes us. It makes us that multi-generational community that I think we’re lacking in some ways.” Architectural renderings were also revealed at the ceremony; the proposed building will consist of 101,000 square feet of education space, and will cost approximately $16.1 million. The City of Orange Beach itself contributed greatly to the new site, donating the 40 acres of land that the school will sit on, and will also be funding the performing arts center and future athletic fields at the campus. The new schools mascot will be the Mako Sharks, or Makos for short “This is a true cultural game changer for the City of Orange Beach,” said Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler. “People come here because they know all about you – the sun, the fun, the beach – all of those things. And what I like, you keep it family oriented and that’s hard to do sometimes. But you will be getting a state-of-the-art school … and it’s because of a partnership.” Preparation work for the new school’s site will begin within the next month with construction set to begin in July.
New Orange Beach School groundbreaking set for May 11
Orange Beach mayor Tony Kennon and Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler have announced the groundbreaking ceremony for Orange Beach’s new middle school and high school campus taking place Friday May 11. “We are ecstatic to reveal the artist renderings and to break ground,” Tyler said. “This is a historic, exciting moment for Baldwin County Public Schools.” “There is no doubt our quality of life will improve along with the sense of community by the creation of Orange Beach High School and Orange Beach Middle School at the same time,” said Kennon. “The city’s overall goal in working with the Baldwin County Board of Education is to have the best performing and safest schools in the State of Alabama, mirroring the success at Orange Beach Elementary School.” The public has been encouraged to attend the event which takes place at 11:30. The new school site is located off Williams Silvers Parkway near the entrance of the Orange Beach Sportsplex. City officials ask that attendees park at 23908 Canal Road . Architectural renderings will be revealed at the ceremony, the proposed building will consist of 101,000 square feet of education space, and will cost approximately $16.1 million. The City of Orange Beach itself contributed greatly to the new site, donating the 40 acres of land that the school will sit on, and will also be funding the performing arts center and future athletic fields at the campus. The new schools mascot will be the Mako Sharks, or Makos for short. “We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Friday, May 11 groundbreaking and hope they’ll share our enthusiasm,” added Tyler. “We greatly appreciate Mayor Kennon and the Orange Beach City Council ‘s vision and partnership.”
Mayor proclaims May 12 Lemonade Day, encourages mini-entrepreneurs in Orange Beach
During the city council meeting last Tuesday, Orange Beach, Ala. Mayor Tony Kennon proclaimed this Saturday, May 12, Lemonade Day Coastal Alabama. The event is part of a national program called lemonadeday.org, whose, “foremost objective is to help today’s youth become the business leaders, social advocates, community volunteers and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow.” Over 80 children are expected to participate in the event in Orange Beach. Each child will start on Saturday by, owning and operating their very own business using the model of a lemonade stand. Then Sunday, May 6, a taste-test competition will take place at The Wharf. The winner of Lemonade Day will then be named Entrepreneur of the Year. “They will earn a yellow beach cruiser bike and also be entered into the National Entrepreneur of the Year contest with lemonadeday.org. That winner will get a week’s vacation with their family to Disney World. We’re really excited,” said Coastal Alabama Business Chamber Chairman Nick Wilmott. “We are always looking to connect our business members to the community,” Wilmott said. “We sponsor our academies at the high school. We sponsor Dolphin Tank at the middle school but we really didn’t have anything to really teach our children from kindergarten through sixth grade the business skills in entrepreneurship that we live in everyday.” “This island is full of entrepreneurs. It’s what makes this island go every single day and these kids grow up in it not really understanding it so we found Lemonade Day. Orange Beach will be one of 60 cities in the United States; second in Alabama. Tuscaloosa is the only other Alabama city doing this. And we’re doing this and it’s free to every child that wants to do it. Over 80 children have registered already to do this and we’re really excited.” Read the full proclamation below: Whereas, Lemonade Day is a free, community-wide educational event providing children with the opportunity to learn and apply entrepreneurial thinking and create a foundation for success in the global economy; and Whereas, Lemonade Day exists to infuse today’s youth with the spirit of enterprise, teaching the basic business and entrepreneurial skills necessary to become successful, contributing members of their communities; and Whereas, Lemonade Day has a core philosophy of Spend, Save, and Share that is implemented by teaching children how to start, own and operate a business, learn goal-setting, develop a business plan, establish a budget, seek investors, provide customer service, and give back to the community; and Whereas, Lemonade Day offers opportunities for families, businesses, schools, youth organizations, faith-based communities, neighborhoods, institutes of higher learning, and government agencies to unite for a common purpose – to train the next generation of entrepreneurs; and Whereas, Lemonade Day is an event that demonstrates to young people of Orange Beach that they are important, and citizens care about their future; and Whereas, the City of Orange Beach salutes and commends organizers, volunteers, and participants of Lemonade Day, a program that advances life skills, character, and entrepreneurship, and extends best wishes for a successful and rewarding observance. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Orange Beach City Council and Mayor that the second Saturday in May, is LEMONADE DAY COASTAL ALABAMA and all Orange Beach residents are encouraged to participate and have a role in either selling or buying lemonade on May 12, 2018. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Seal of the City of Orange Beach, Alabama, this 1st day of May, 2018. Tony Kennon, Mayor
