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Orange Beach to Discuss Ending Beach Express Bridge Agreement
John Mullen • May 07, 2024
Also Under Consideration is a Proposal to Rezone Bama Bayou Development
Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – The city will discuss formally ending its relationship with the Baldwin County Bridge Company at a joint regular/work session of Orange Beach City Council at 5 p.m. on May 7 at city hall in council chambers.
The state announced in April it was buying the bridge from BCBC and ending toll collections sometime in May. This concludes the agreement where the city would receive a per car fee from the company that began in March of 2004.
For the first 10 years of operating the bridge, the city paid the bridge company $1.2 million and received the per-car fee to help offset the loan. In each of the 10 years except one, 2007, the city incurred a deficit, the highest being $774,466 in 2010.
Beginning in 2014, the city’s yearly obligation ended and the per-car fee went directly into city coffers. The city collected a total of $19.1 million through 2023 and subtracting the original $12 million, the city has netted about $7.1 million in revenue from the toll bridge. In the first two months of 2024, the city has collected $209,699.
During the regular session, the council will also discuss:
- Approving $3.5 million paid to vendors for goods and services April 18 through May 8.
- Declaring May as Mental Health Awareness Month in the city.
- A second reading and public hearing of an ordinance to revert the failed Bama Bayou planned unit development to its original zoning of general business.
- Approving 2022 audited financials.
- Approving a contract with Wilde Design for Wildlife Center for $9,000 to design outdoor enclosures. The new center is on city property west of Fire Station No. 3 and adjacent to Gulf State Park.
- Authorizing Orange Beach to join the state and other local governments as a participant in settlements with opioid settlements.
- Reducing the rental fee by 25 percent for use of the Orange Beach Event Center at The Wharf for the 2024 high school sports officials training session.
- Declaring a 2002 Dodge van as surplus and authorizing the donation of it to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
- Authorizing a taxi franchise for Ryan Ahearn to operate Perdido Key Party Bus shuttle service in the city limits and police jurisdiction.
- A resolution approving a wetland permit for the CoastAL employee parking lot behind Walgreens.
- Declaring exercise equipment owned by the city as surplus and donating it to city schools. The equipment includes seven treadmills and four elliptical machines.
- Awarding the bide for two message boards for the police department to C&H Construction Services for $35,800.
- Authorizing a subaward grant from Restore Act money to pay for a stormwater master plan for the city for $250,000.
- Approving the submission of the 2023 water pollution prevention annual report to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
- An ordinance change and public hearing regarding water recreational rentals.
- A public hearing for an ordinance amendment regarding charter boat home occupations.
- A public hearing for an ordinance amendment on highway frontage requirements on the north side of State Route 180 from Oak Street to William Silvers Parkway.
During the work session, the council will discuss:
- Hiring Human Resource Management to do an HR assessment for the city as well as conduct an executive search for a Human Resources Director.
- Authorizing a rental agreement with Sharp Electronics Corp. for a copier for the Human Resources division. The three-year contract will cost $185 a month or a total of $6,670.
- Authorizing a performance contract with Joan Hill for water aerobics instruction at the Aquatics Center.
- Awarding a bid for replacing the roof and the fascia at the Justice Center and a second bid for two message boards for the police department. The bid opening date has been changed to May 16.
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Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – The East Canal Road widening project in Orange Beach has been completed. The project, stretching from Highway 161 to Wilson Boulevard, expanded much of the 1.4-mile section of the road to three lanes. This includes a middle turn lane east of the roundabout. The roundabout was added near the public library, along with a 10-foot multi-use path on the north side of the road.
Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – The 28th annual Orange Beach Billfish Classic, the first big game tournament of the season on the Gulf Coast, rescheduled its fishing days due to unfavorable weather conditions originally planned for this week.
Tournament organizers announced last Wednesday that the tournament will now take place starting tomorrow, Monday, May 20th and run through Wednesday, May 22nd. Fishing hours will be continuous beginning at noon on the 20th, with all boats required to clear the Perdido Bridge or Sailboat Bay in Bon Secour by 7 p.m. on the 22nd to qualify for the weigh-in.
Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores has welcomed a new culinary genre to the area! The Galway Irish Public House has opened and locals are already enjoying a pint and some Shepherd's Pie.
If you have been looking for classic Irish fare and an excursion from the typical beach cuisine, this new hideaway is the answer. Stepping into Galway's will instantly transport you to that historic island in the north Atlantic. You will immediately feel the comfort from the soothing dark wood, pub style setting and even an English phone booth.
Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – National Beach Safety Week, sponsored annually by the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). Its purpose is to raise awareness about the importance of beach and water safety as the beach season begins. This year, the event runs from May 20 to May 27, coinciding with the week leading up to Memorial Day.
Two more of the area’s most outstanding trees are being recognized by the city of Foley.
The Foley Revitalization and Beautification Advisory Board and city officials presented a Century Tree plaque to Margaret Krupinski and her family on Tuesday, May 7. The plaque recognizes a live oak on the property of Krupinski Farm on Charolais Road.
Promoting safe streets is one of the top goals of the patrol division of the Gulf Shores Police Department, Deputy Chief Dan Netemeyer said.
“The ultimate goal and our main priority, and it’s a large umbrella, is for us to create a safe environment for the residents and guests to the city,” Netemeyer said. “There are several ways we have to do that, but one of the main ways we do that is to enhance our traffic enforcement to reduce accidents. Nobody wants to go on vacation and their primary memory of their vacation here in Gulf Shores is a vehicle accident where sometimes, unfortunately, people get hurt.”
Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – Those flinging the fish the farthest aren’t the only winners annually at the Flora-Bama’s Interstate Mullet Toss & Greatest Beach Party. In a longstanding tradition, several local charities and youth sports groups have been winners on the fundraising front for most of the years the toss has happened on the sugar-white sands adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico.
National Safe Boating Week is observed from May 18-24, 2024, as announced by the National Safe Boating Council. This annual campaign aims to promote safe and responsible boating practices, emphasizing the importance of wearing life jackets and adhering to safety guidelines.
Perdido Key, Fla. – (OBA) – A mix of green and loggerhead sea turtles, ranging from juveniles to adults, were released Wednesday morning into the Gulf of Mexico after being rehabilitated. The turtles had been accidentally hooked by fishermen off local fishing piers and were treated at the Gulfarium's CARE Center in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – Two requests before the Orange Beach Planning Commission for housing developments near Sam’s store and northwest of Caswell received unfavorable recommendations from the panel. But that doesn’t mean the developments won’t proceed.
