Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – With several projects underway or on the drawing board, the city of Gulf Shores is looking to add a Capital Projects Department and two new employees, according to a memo from City Administrator Jon Walker.

“The City Administrator seeks to create a new department within the city to focus on our capital improvement program (CIP) and individual projects within that program,” Walker’s memo on the Aug. 5 city council agenda states. “The city is currently managing 33 projects in the CIP with a total cost of approximately $343 million over the next four to six years. These projects are currently managed through the City Engineer’s office utilizing contract project management firms.”

These firms typically charge a management fee adding about 3 to 5 percent to the total cost of the project. Two big projects upcoming for the city are the retrofit of the old Sacred Heart Building into the new Justice Center and the pedestrian bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway at East Second Street.

“By hiring two dedicated staff, the city can save a portion of this cost and manage inspections and contractors directly,” the memo states. “Two new positions, vehicles, and equipment will have an estimated annual cost of $425,000. Hiring an independent project management firm for the new public safety building would have an estimated cost of between $880,000 and $1.1 million.”

The council will meet in a work session at 4 p.m. on Aug. 5 in council chambers at city hall. 

During the meeting, the council will also discuss:

• A $3 million loan for the airport authority to complete funding for a 17,500-square-foot terminal building at Gulf Shores International Airport. The authority received a $5 million grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the $3 million will complete the estimated cost of $7.9 million for the terminal. The authority can pay it back interest-free for the first three years and after that, the city will get 6 percent interest until the loan is paid off. The target date for completion of a terminal in fall of 2025.
• Adopting the fiscal year 2025 Gulf Shores transportation plan including the widening of State Route 59, the Waterway East Boulevard extension, the pedestrian bridge, annual streets resurfacing, East First Street sidewalk improvements and Waterway West Boulevard West phase one. The city must submit an annual plan to be eligible for approximately $100,000 from the state gas tax hike added in 2019. With the projected total for 2024, the city will have received about $450,000 since the program began.
• An ordinance prohibiting businesses from renting golf carts in Gulf Shores.
• A franchise agreement with Joshua Ryan to offer personal training for clients in Gulf Shores.
• A franchise agreement to run a taxi service in Gulf Shores for Bama Beach Shuttle.
• Recognizing the firefighter of the quarter from the fire department.
• Amending the city’s tree ordinance regarding pine trees on single-family and duplex lots.
• An assembly permit for the Bike MS: Tour de Beach bike event the weekend of Sept. 28-29 with the staging area at Lake Shelby in Gulf State Park. 
• Authorizing contracts to hire artists for the 2025 Winter Entertainment Series for $80,000.
• Signing a publication's agreement to produce a coffee table book to be sold in the city store which will be “an archive of the rich history, culture, growth and vision of Gulf Shores.”
• Signing a contract to hire Southern Sun Laundry to clean the city’s cloths, skirts and napkins used by the Parks and Recreation rental division. The contract and fee structure are for one year and can be renewed twice per contract.