Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-08-1977 Regular MeetingSTATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF BALDWIN The City Council of the City of Fairhope, Alabama, met regular--sess`ion on ,�INiondays,, August 8, 1977, at 7 :00 pm, the City Administration Building, 387 Fairhope Avenue, Alabama with the following members present: t t Mayor James P. Nix, Councilmen'Henry G.Bishop, David E. Billy D . ,Wiggins , Sam E ."Box, and Jack A. Stipes. F In at ' Fairhope Bishop, The minutes of 'the Julyy;20th, 1977 meeting were approved. The minutes of the special meeting of July 25th, 1977 were approved. The first item on the agenda was Dr. John Borom's request for a letter from the Mayor and City Council supporting his plan to re-establish grass beds along the Eastern Shore Bay. Councilmen David E. Bishop and Henry Bishop question the 'safety of re -planting grass beds on beach area frequented by swimmers. Dr. Borom stated that the areas he had chosen for the grass beds were not located in the most populate areas of swimming and that each area would be marked by a sign stating the nature of the experiment. Don Wiggins moved, seconded by David Bishop to grant Dr'. Borom's request on the condition that he does not plant grass beds in the more populated swimming areas. Motion carried.(Proposal attached) ,Councilman Jack Stipes proposed to admend the Harbor Board Regulations giving preference.to the commerical fishermen over the pleasure boats, and raised the sum per foot of the width of the boat from 75� to $1.00 with a minumun of $100.00 per stall. Sam E. Box moved to suspend the rules, seconded by David E. Bishop. Motion carried. Jack A. Stipes moved, seconded by David Bishop to accept the proposed admendent. %lotion carried. Councilman Sam E. Box moved, seconded by David E.. Bishop to send twu men to water school. Motion carried. Geoff Cain stated he only wanted`to see what action was taken on the drainage situation. A Coucilman Jack A Stipes introduced an admendment to the Street Improvement Program, tabled until August 22, 1977 meeting. David E. Bishop moved, seconded by Henry G Bishop to adopt the Citizen Participation Plan. Lotion Carried. (Plan is attached; Mr Leslie Bung, representing the Fire Department came before the Council, requesting an appropriation to help fill their need for six more radios. He stated that the Volunteer Fire Department had raised $700.00 towards the funding of the radios but that the estimated cost of the radios would be approximately $1800.00. Councilman Henry G Bishop moved, seconded by Don Wiggins, that the city provide the remaining balance needed for six radios in the Fire Department. L. .1 Z., r tit a 1 ( Page 2, August 8, 1977CityCouncil Meeting) Councilman=Henry G Bi&shop introduced`Reverend H.B. Shephe as a nominatee' -for appeiintment as a trustee to the Librai °board. Sam E. Box moved to close the appointment, seconded Jack Stipes. Motion"carried., the, Councilman Jack A. Stipes introduced an Ordinance On Hiring which was tabled until August 22, 1977 meeting. I� The next item on the agenda was the appointments to the Personnel Board. The appointments are as follows: Councilman Jack A. Stipes nominated Vincent Valer_tim for a term one year. Councilman Henry G. Bishop nominated Robert Berglin for a term of two years. Councilman Sam E. Box nominated Jean White for a term of three years. Councilman David E. Bishop nominated Charles E. Nelson III for a term of four years. 'Councilman Don'Wiggins stated that he was not able to to make his nomination for the five year term but would present it at the next meeting. Councilman Jack A Stipes moved, seconded by Don Wiggins that the four nominations be accepted with Don Wiggins presenting the fifth appointment at the August 22, 1977 meeting. Motion carried. This being the date set for the opening of bids on a 1978 truck ,.the following bid was received: l._Bill Steber Chevrolet 1-1978 Chevrolet Short Wheel Base Step ide without trade in 4374.05 with 1970 Ford 3900.00 Rear bumper is not standard Please add $31.98 for STD bumper or $52.26 for H.D. Rear bumper Councilman Sam Box moved, seconded Henry Bishop that the City accept Bill Steber's bid of $3931.98 with the 1970 Ford trade in and standard bumper. Motion carried. The next item on the agenda concerned the culvert for School Street. Councilman Jack A Stipes moved, seconded by Don Wiggins, that the culvert for School Street be installed as recommended by the City Engineer.Motion carried. Councilman Jack Stipes stated that the Police Department has all -supervisiors (Chief, Assisstant to Chief and Lieutenant) on the same shift and stated that he felt like their< schedules should be arranged so that each shift had proper supervision.He stated -that ne had discussed this matter with the Mayor and the Chief of rolice and no action had been taken. Mayor Nix stated that he felt that the Chief of Police knew where his men were need most and those type of decisions should be left up to him. r," (Page 3," Augu( tstj8, 1977.City Council Meeting) f h G Mayor Nix suggested that the Council could ask the Chief to come before them with his scheduled shifts but the suggestion died from lack of motion. Counci•l.Stipes stated that he wanted to inform the Council of his plan to request that the Street Sweeper come in two hours earlier in the mornings and leave two hours�l.in the evening (5a.m. to 2 p.m.) in order to do a more thorr8ugh job. The next item on the agenda concerned the new rest room at the beach.. This item was tabled until the August 22, 1977 meeting due to the problem of elevation. Councilman Sam E. Box moved, seconded by Jack Stipes that the city advertise for a public hearing on rezoning of Edst-of- the- Sun from R-3 to R-4. The plans are to be shown at the August 22, 1977 meeting. Motion carried. Leona Newman, representing the Planning and Zoning questioned the competence and qualifications of our,pr-es,ent Building Inspector. Dicussion followed including architects, A. Winn Howell, and Willian-Labon Richmond, both stating that in their professional opinions the present Building Inspector was not enforcing the Standard Building Codes. Councilman Jack A. Stipes presented the council with an application from A."t-'nn Howell, a registered architect from California now living in Fairhope, meeting the job specifications for Building Inspector, and accepting a salary of $12,000.00,. Council stated that it would take all views and applications under advisement and act on this matter at a future meeting or call for a special meeting for that purpose. Mayor Nix informed the council of a meeting between Alabama Power Company officials and City representatives to discuss the recent outage of Electrical Power at the Silverhill plant. Alabama Power Company Officials stated that this was very unlikely to happen again and they intend to back up their sub- station with a KV line to Fairhope in the near future. The possibility of our men working in the Silverhill sub -station was discussed and was. decided against. John S. Parker is to present more information to the Council at a later date. Mayor Nix congradulated the City employees upon receiving a letter of recommendation from the State Workmens Compenstion stating that the 'City of-Fairhope had a clean record in the state so far this year. Bills were approved for payment with the question of one Audio Visual and Electromic services bill of 1,104.00. Jack Stipes moved that there be a study conducted to report on the year, model and condition of our radios to see if the cost of continual repair merits the purchase of new radios, seconded by Henry Bishop. Motion carried. There being no further business, on a motion duly made, recorded and carried, the meeti SAP Y. E � . ATTEST: Ac hg City Cl(,,r 4 11 'GENERAL FUND (additionall bills) Busy Bee Garage 4.00't;, Klumpp's Farm_,and Gardent" ;s '17.00 'R Unijak 134.80 Fairhope Auto Parts 472.57 Certified Laboratories 301.00 Baldwin Materials 282.65 Fuel Oil Supply 52.00 F. $1,264.02 +13.090.79 $14,354.81 i 'J WATER AND SEWER FUND (Additional Bills) Fairhope Auto Parts Fuel Oil Supply i 9- ry • 1b i' ��' y 31.04 7.00 $38.04 $19,741.59 $19.779.63 GAS FUND (Additional Bills) t Jack Cocke and Sons, Inc. sFairhope•Auto Parts t r a ryk t' 0 1 18.00 152.82 $170.82 +20,909.48 $21,080.30 MPF a ELECTRIC FUND (Additional Bills) Fairhope Auto Parts Certified Laboratories Fuel Oil Supply Y I 14.98 49.00 12.50 +228,720.21 $228,796.71 I F \ I I � I . I " I t O1tD11WXL NO. AN ORDINMICE TO REGULATE THE USE OF THE PAIRimOpE MUt:ICIPAL FISHING WHARF, THE RENTAL or BOAT SLIPS, CONDUCT OF LESSEES FOR BOAT SLIPS, A14D RELATED NATTER8 THEREOF. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF FAIRHOPL, Fairhopei, Alabama as follows: SECTION ONE; That in order to insure that all users of the Fairhope Municipal Finhing Wharf shall be on an equal basis, the docking facilities shall be rented an follows: (a) The sum of $ per foot of the width of the boat, per month, and shall be leaned on an annual basin by and through the Harbor Board and shall be leased on a first come -first served basis for Ic=.nercial fishermen only. preference for residents of the City of Fairhopec will come firsts then police Jurisdiction, then, Baldwin County, Alabama. (b) Only one boat slip will be leased per person unless ' otherwise authorised by the harbor Board. (c) Lessees of boat slips can not rent or sub--leaso the ' N 'goat slip to other boats. He may not lend his boat,slip unless prior written consent of the harbor Board is obtained by the lesasee. The Leasee can be requested to move to another slip if doemed necessary by the Harbor Board. I SECTION TWO: All boats using the Municipal,Loading;R shall be responsible for its cleanliness, and all Emits shall be removed L=ediately after off-loading cargo or taking on fuel and I ice. I I SECTION THRSE s The Boat rentals as hereinaabovm nest, out shall be paid on as annual basis beginning on August 15,1of each year and boat owners shall be notified by the City on or, bafose Jul 15 of y each ysatr, that the resi>!t shell be due and payable on or before August let. of oach year. Rentals not received by I I August 1 of each year will mean that the boat owner , forfeaite his , I slip and the Harbor Board shall re -rent according to th©'Harbor Board's Waiting List on the first come -first served basis. The I boat stall must be vacated on or before August 15. If they boat owner fails to do so after notification by the Harbor Board, _ 1 i the boat will be removed by the Harbor Loard and all charges incurred will be paid by the boat owner. SECTION FOURS Any boat owner using a boat Blip,without a lease or parmiation from the Harbor Eoard shall, on conviction, I 1 be fined by not more than $25.00 for tho first offense and not exceeding 5100.00 for any subsequent offences, at the discretion of the trial judge. SUCTION FIVES All boat operators without rental.-borthe shall, be allowed to off --load *catches and cargo at the Municipal Loading ramp but shall be charged therefor $1.00 per 1,000 pounds of fish off-loaded or any part thereof, and $1.00 per 500 pounds of shrimp off-loaded or any part thereof. All off-loading must b© at do- signated areas. SECTION SIXi Boat owners or lessees shall not allow nets or other gear to be left on the docks, but are to be on -boarded on the respective boats as soon as fish or other cargo has been off-loaded. SECTION SIbMs Any person, firm or corporation, or any agent, servant or employee thereof, found disposing of fish, garbage, littering, etc. the waters or within the Municipal Fishing Dock Compound Shall, on conviction, be fined not lean than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 at the discretion of the trial judge. SECTION SIGHT: Ordinance No. 430 be, and the same is hereby SECTION NINIS& Any and all other Ordinances in conflict I herewith be, ant! the same are hereby RUBALBO. SECTION TENS This Ordinance shall take effect peon.ita due adoption and publication as -►required by law. ADOPTED on this the day of ATTEST a CITY CLLW- CITY OF FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM In compliance with Section 570-900 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1974, the City of Fairhope, Alabama has formulated and adopted the following plan and policy for citizen participation in the Community Development Block Grant Program. 1. Information regarding the Community Development Block Grant Program, any eligible activities, the amount of funds available, etc. will be made available to the public through published and/or posted notices and public hearings. 2. When planning to apply for Community Development funds two public hearings will be held to obtain the views and needs of citizens in the community. Notice of the time, date and place ft of these hearings will be published in the local newspaper. 3. There will be public notice of any application for funds which has been accepted by HUD for processing and copies of the plan will be available for examination. 4. Technical assistance will be provided to help citizens to understand program requirements, new Federal regulations, etc. Qualified professional consultants will be obtained as needed. 5. There will be public notices, posted and/or published, to inform citizens of any changes or revisions in a program. All citizens will be given the opportunity to voice their needs and views during the waiting periods required by HUD. Active citizen participation will be solicited in all phases of any project e.g. early planning, environmental review, relocation, etc. Information relating to the Community Development Program will be periodically released to the local media in order to keep the public informed and to solicit comments and views from citizens. 6. There will be active solicitation of citizens' opinions regarding the effectiveness of the program. These opinions will be incorporated in the completion of the Annual Performance Report. There will be published public notice when the report has been completed, notifying citizens that the report is available for examination, and that copies are available. 7. Copies of all public notices, minutes of public hearings, reports, letters, etc. regarding the program will be kept on file and available f:orr, examination on request. The above Citizen Participation by the Fairhope City Council on psoted in the appropriate places to comments. Iti rY DATE Plan was formally adopted 1977, and ordered infirm citizens and solicit GENERAL FUND BILLS BANK BALANCE: $ 64,621.69 f iI Audio Visual and'Electrbn4c!Services 154.00 Airport Salvage Company? 228.00 Certified Laboratories, 59.00 Cocai Cola' 40.4.0 Commun,tronics ' F' t ?'° 25.84 Coastal Concrete Company 7.00 Casey Enterprises x 12.77 Baldwin Computer Services •e 80.10 Don's Shoe Store 171.07 Dixon's Car Care Center 363.24 Eastern Shore Courier 221.10 Eastern Shore Glass Co., Inc. .15.00 Foley Tractor Company 85.85 act-o-Bake 139.95 Fairhope Tire and Retread 27.00 Fairhope Hardware 6.74 Fairhope Laundry and Cleaners 205.67 Goodyear Service Stores, Inc. 258.30 Gaston Motor Company 227.15 Lift Parts Service 98.00 Leary and Owens Equipment Company 255.51 Material Sales Co., Inc. 236.19 Mobile Electric Garage 134.41 Mobile Power Brake and Equipment Co., Inc. 9.30 Moore Engineering- Land Fill(Office Work) 214.00 Moore Engineering- Drainage Morphy & School 474.00 Moore Engineering- Easement on Young Street 90.00 Musico 25.00 Nix & Bennett Supply Company, Inc. 54.90 National Linen Service 28.24 Quality Printing and Supply ( 368.50 Beach Tkts. ) 596.94 Fairhope Single Tax Corporation 1,379.05 Al Trovinger Ford 54.80 Underwood Builders and Supply Company 388.80 White Swan 30.24 Harold Weston 13.25 Xerox Corporation 169.56 Bond Fund Payment 6,510.42 TOTAL: 13,090.79 i _ •ak 4J r 1 ELECTRIC FUND BILLS: BANK BALANCE: ALABAMA POWER COMPANY AUDIO VISUAL AND ELECTRONIC SERVICES BALDWIN COMPUTER SERVICES JOHN R. GREER FLORIDA TRANSFORMER, INC. GASTON MOTOR COMPANY HATFIELD AND COMPANY STUART C. IRBY MACK ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO., INC. NIX AND BENNETT SUPPLY CO., INC. RADIO SHACK R011AC COMPANY G.O. ELECTRIC WARRANTS BOND FUND PAYMENT SOUTHEAST POWER ADMINISTRATION GENERAL FUND G.O. REF. WTS. PAYMENT TRANSFER OF FUNDS 'TO GENERAL -FUND TOTAL: $ 130,794.87 188,700.72 227.00 364.70 85.00 2,370.24 6.94 4,253.98 5,263.87 1, 48-0.00 140.39 43.90 9.64 3,971.67 4,453.22 2,348.96 15,000.00 228,720.23 �� 1 GAS FUND BILLS: BANK BALANCE: $ 154,738.85 Audio Visual and Electronic Services 394.00 Baldwin Computer Services 326.55 William E. Bright 825.00 Wallace C. Beard 96..00 Di -Chem y 123.16 Dixon's Car Care Center 48.90 Fairhope Paint and Body Shop 4.00 Gaston Motor Company 14.10 Wyatt Safety Supply Co., Inc. 41.31 Bond Fund Payment 5,650.00 General Fund Payment G.O. Ref. Wts. 469.79 Transfer of Funds to General Fund 12,916.67 TOTAL: 20,909.48 AS OF 8-5-77 BILL FROM UNITED GAS NOT RECEIVED P r 4 a � b► v f � -• . 1 WATER AND SEWER FUND BILLS: IBANK BALANCE Audio Visual and Electronic Services Charles A. Born, Co., Inc. Dixon's Car Care Center - City of Fairhope ( Utilities ) Empire Pipe and Supply Co., Inc. Wallace and Tiernan Wholesale Supply Co., Inc. Fairhope Laundry and Cleaners Material Sales Company Marine Specialty Company Bond Fund Payments 1 $ 48,434.25 154.00 1,947.14 88.52 6,095.83 108.90 931.77 254.50 147.80 12.13 232.26 9,768.74 TOTAL: $ 19,741.59 all _ Proposal Title: Reintroduction of Vallisneria. americana into selected areas in / Mobile Bay, Alabama Applicants: John L. Borom, Ph.D (FSJC) Social Security Number 424-52-8398 John W. Carter, M.S. (FSJC) Social Security Number 462-84-0988 Duration of Project: Two years Total Project Budget: Background and Need: 1. Abstract of Proposal Specimens of tape grass, Vallisneria americana, will be removed from the extreme upper portion of Mobile Bay and the lower Mobile Bay Delta where it is presently abundant. Healthy plants will be placed in portable containers and transported to selected areas in Mobile Bay where the species formerly occurred in abundance, but has now disappeared. The plants will be transplanted along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay at different seasons of the year, in an attempt to reestablish the submerged grassbeds to their former abundance. Monthly measurements will be taken to determine growth rates and expansion of the transplanted submerged grassbeds. Data wi_11 be analized to determine if reintroduction is practical.and feasible,'and to find out which season of the year is the best time to transplant. The project will last two years. 2. Statement of the problem It is wellknown that submerged plants have several functions in aquatic env4ronmcnts. Among these are the following tHurmn, 1973). (1) They serve as a sediment trap and stabilize bottom sediments. (2) Through photosynthesis they carry on basic productivity probably exceeding that of the overlying phytoplankton. (3) They serve as a food source for herbivorous animals such as sea turtles, ducks, and some species of fish. (4) They serve as a place of refuge and a source of food organisms for juveniles of many.seafood species such as crabs, shrimp, and fishu. i (5) They provide a substance for the attachment of algae and small invertebrates. In addition, the annual cycle of growth and decay of submerged aquatic vegetation, furnishes microscopic organisms with nutrients on a seasonal basis. Baldwin (1957) estimated there were about 5,000acres of submerged plants in Mobile Bay and 7,500 acres of submerged plants in the lower Mobile Bay Delta. The second most abundant species was Vallisneria americana, Leuth (1963) conducted a study of the -flora of the Mobile Bay Delta and found V. americana to be an abundant species. Small to large patches of V. americana occurred in -every bay of the delta, and extensive beds extended southward in Mobile Bay to Fairhope. Rather'extensive submerged grassbeds occur in the shallow upper reaches of Mobile Bay and extend down the western shore to.a point south of Fowl River. Submerged grassbeds also occur in scattered shallow areas on the eastern shore. According to local residents, the submerged grassbed were once much more extensive along the eastern shore than they are at present. Today the submerged grassbeds along the eastern shore occur as small isolated patches. Extensive patches of V americana once grew from Point Clear to Battleship Parkway (U.S. Highway 98), however, between Point Clear.and Daphne the submerged grassbeds have almost completely disappeared. -Extensive patches of V. americana were very abundant in the Fairhope area in the nineteen forties, fifties, and sixties. This is verified by personal communication with residents of the eastern shore and previous personal observation. These submerged grassbeds were much reduced in .the sixties and almost completely gone in the early seventies. Today in the Fairhope area and along most of the eastern shore the once extensive patches of V. americana are completely gone. The reason(s) for the complete disappearance of these submerged grassbeds is unknown to the writer, However, the coastal area between Daphne and Point Clear has been the site of extensive real estate development and the construction and maintenance of four marinas. In addition, the dredging of dead reef oyster shells in Alabama waters has occurred since 1946 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1973). It is ,ery possible that dredging combined with real estate development and construction have caused an adverse affect on the shallow submerged grassbeds in the area. A major factor in the productivity of Mobile Bay is the amount of submerged vegetation that can be used by aquatic organisms. The problem and objective of this study is three -fold: (1) To determine if reintroduction of shallow, submerged grassbeds is practical and feasible along selected areas in Mobile Bay; (2) To evaluate which season of the year is the best time to transplant shallow, submerged grassbeds; (3) To establish a method of reintroduction of shallov, submerged grassbeds in Mobile Bay that can be applicable to other bays along the northern Gulf coast. Tf the shallow, submerged grassbeds can be reestablished to their former abundance, the productivity of the bay can be increased. 3. Justificati f the Project Knowledge of the submerged plants in estua ,ine waters is limited and more work is needed to determine the extent of the beds and their role in the ecosystem (chermock, 1974) Borom (1975) identified the species of submerged spermatophytes in Mobile Bay and studied the seasonal growth cycle of the vegetation as well as the seasonal occurrence of the associated macrosopic fauna. A characteristic seasonal pattern was found for the majority of the collected species as well as for the growth of the submerged grassbeds. These grassbeds were found to provide protective habitats for a large number of aquatic organisms and are probably essential for certain species. The sample stations with the thickest growth of submerged vegetation produced more specimens than the sample stations with sparsely scattered submerged vegetation. The fewest specimens were encountered at the sample stations where submerged vegetation was absent. More specimens were collected when the submerged grassbeds were at their peak of growth. When the vegetation showed reduced growth, the number of collected animals decreased. These data suggest that the shallow, -.submerged grassbeds in Mobile Bay are very productive. The obvious occurrence of very productive fishing and shellfishing grounds at or -near the regions of extensive tidal wetlands is indicative of the importance of marshes, swamps, and shallow submerged vegetation in the fertility of coastal waters. The biological mechanises maintainging the high productivity of salt marsh estuaries were pointed out by E.P. Odun (1961). It is well,known by local fishermen that some of the best fishing is located around shallow, submerged grassbeds. Sport fish such as the spottc sea trout, Cynoscion nebul.osus, sand sea trout, C. arenarius, red drum Sciaenops ocellata, Atlantic croaker, Micropogon undulatus, and sheepshead, 5 Archosargus probatocephalus often feed around submerged vegetation. When the submerged grassbeds along the eastern shore disappeared, some of the prime sport fishing areas were adversely affected. Shallow, submerged grassbeds provide protection for young brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, young white shrimp, P. setiferus,and young blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus. These species are extremely valuable to the seafood industry in Alabama. The shallow, submerged grassbeds probably represent a significant factor in the life histories of these species in Mobile Bay. Shallow, submerged grassbeds that consisted mostly of tape grass, V. americana were once abundant and widely distributed along the eastern shore'of Mobile Bay. Today between Yancy Branch and Point Clear, a distance of approximately nine miles,the grassbeds have completely disappeared except for one very small patch approximately ten meters in diameter near the mouth of Rock Creek. The productivity of the area has undoubtedly been adversely affected by this disappearance of available habitat. It*should be possible to restore shallow, submerged grassbeds which deserve a high preservation priority where necessary construction such as causeways, industrial parks, and the development of marinas can take place. Recognizing that pressures to alter or destroy marshland and submerged aquatic vegetation for development purposes have prevailed in the past and are likely to do so in the future, the question then becomes, "Can specific areas of shallow, submerged grassbeds be managed in some manner to maintair or increase the ecological value to replace the ecological value lost by alteration or destruction of other shallow, submersed grassbeds"? The coastal zone of Alabama is expected to show a dramatic increase in population in the future. This will undoubtedly put an increased amount I of pressure on Alabama's limited and important estuaries. The construction of bulkheads and dredging destroys vegetation, but if the submerged vegetation can be -restored by transplanting, then the productivity of the estuaries will not necessarily be reduced. If the shallow, submerged grassbeds can be reintroduced alon9the eastern shore to the selected areas. where they were formerly abundant, this would be an important step toward increasing -the productivity of Mobile Bay. In addition, if this proposal is funded and it is found that the transplanting of shallow, submerged vegetation is feasible and practical, these data can be used as a pilot study for the possible reestablishment of shallow, submerged vegetation in other areas of coastal Alabama. Areas of Investigation: Efforts during the first year of study will be directed toward the reestablishment of experimental plots of V. ameicana at each of six locations along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. These locations are: Daphne Public Beach, Montrose, north side of Fly Creek, south side of Fly e,,,1 Fn;dvo /L`t c geac4 s&i4i Creek, Fairhope Public Beach north of municipal Pier, Four experimental P 'rYN plots, each me square meters in size, will be established at each locatior on a seasonal basis. A sum total of 24 experimental plots will be established. The Blakeley River -Bar and the lower Mobile Bay Delta will bE the sources pf the V. americana that is to be transplanted. Work Schedule This project will span two calender years from the date of funding (January 1978-December 1979). The first year of the study will form the core of the project for the two years. The second year will primarily be used to gather data as to the amount of growth of the transplated vegetatic Needed equipment and supplies will be assembled in January and February of the first year. The first experimental plots will be established in the taihter., (December 21 ch 19) . The winter planting; will moi kely be in early March. Th econd experimental plots will be establ.,.shed in the spring (March 20-June 20). The third experimental plots will be established in the summer (June 21-September 20). The fourth experimental plots will be established in the fall (September 22-December 20). Annual progress reports will be provided and will accompany program ammendments, and revisions for continuation over the second year. Significance of the. Project Although the objectives of this project are in terms of scientific results to be achieved, the significance lies in the applicability of .these results to current pressing demands and needs of coastal planners and resource managers. With pressures increasing for many types of developments and increasing demands for natural resources in coastal areas, criteria must be developed so that educated and forward looking decisions can be made concerning the types and locations of activities to be conducted. Though the shallow submerged grassbeds in Mobile Bay have been mapped and their importance has been established, the answers to planners questions are not available in terms of scientific data. No data are available concerning the best ways and the best seasons of the year to reintroduce V. americana into selected areas in Mobile Bay. The thrust and significance of this project is therefore aimed at providing data for answering questions such as:, (1) Can V. americana be reestablished into an area once it has completely disappeared? (2) Is it practical to try and reestablish shallow submerged grassbeds? (3) Which season of the year is the best time to reintroduce V. americana in Mobile Bay? (4) Can shallow submerged grassbeds be lost to development and •4MWb Tees ished to continue to sustain the ecoloL,.ca1 value of our coastal marine resources? (5) Who should pay for the.loss of shallow submerged vegetation caused by development. (6) Who should pay for the reestablishment of shallow submerged vegetation? / These and other valid questions need,to be answered by members of the coastal planning agencies of both Alabama and Miss4.ss=ppi. In addition, accomplishment of all project objectives should provide data for future management of the shallow submerged grassbeds in northern Gulf estuaries kr Literature Cited Baldwin, W.P., 195 , n inspection of waterfowl habitats in e Mobile Bay area: Montgomery, Alabama, Alabama Department Conservation, Game,and Fish Div. Spec. Rept. 2, 41 p. Borom, J..L., 1975, A descriptive study of seasonal fluctuations of macroscopic fauna in the submerged grassbeds in Mobile Bay, Alabama: Univ. Southern Mississippi, Ph.D.*dissert., 248 p. Chermock, R.L., 1974, The environment of offshore and estuaries Alabama: University, Alabama, Geological Survey of Alabama, Information Series 51, 135 p. Humm, H.J., 1973a, Seagrasses, in'Jones, J.I., and others, eds., A Summary of knowledge of the eastern Gulf of Mexico 1973: Florida State 'Univ. Inst. Oceanography, 10 p. Lueth, F.X., 1963, Mobile Delta waterfowl and muskrat research: Montgomery, Alabama, Alabama Dept. Conserve, Pittman -Robinson Project 7-R, Final Rept., 86 p. Odum, E.P., 1961, The role of tidal marshes in estuarine production. N.Y. State Conservationist, Jun -Jul. 1961. 12-16 p. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1973, Final Environmental statement permit application by Radcliff Materials, Inc., Dredging of dead -reef shells Mobile Bay, Alabama, U.S. Army Engineer Distr;ct, Mobile, Alabama r i CITY OF FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM In compliance with Section 570-900 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1974, the City of Fairhope, Alabama has formulated and adopted the following plan and policy for citizen participation in the Community Development Block Grant Program. 1. Information regarding the Community Development Block Grant Program, any eligible activities, the amount of funds available, etc. will be made available to the public through published and/or posted notices and public hearings. 2. When planning to apply for Community Development funds two public hearings will be held to obtain the views and needs of citizens in the community. Notice of the time, date and place of these hearings will be published in the local newspaper. 3. There will be public notice of any application for funds which has been accepted by HUD for processing and copies of the plan will be available for examination. 4. Technical assistance will be provided to help citizens to understand program requirements, new Federal regulations, etc. Qualified professional consultants will be obtained as needed. 5. There will be public notices, posted and/or published, to inform citizens of any changes or revisions in a program. All citizens will be given the opportunity to voice their needs and views during the waiting periods required by HUD. Active citizen participation will be solicited in all phases of any project e.g. early planning, environmental review, relocation, etc. Information relating to the Community Development Program will be periodically released to the local media in order to keep the public informed and to solicit comments and views from citizens. 6. There will be active solicitation of citizens' opinions regarding the effectiveness of the program. These opinions will be incorporated in the completion of the Annual Performance Report. There will be published public notice when the report has been completed, notifying citizens that the report is available for examination, and that copies are available. I. 7. Copies of all public notices, minutes of public hearings, reports, letters, etc. regarding the program will be kept on file and available f:os examination on request. The above Citizen Participate n Plan was formally adopted by the Fairhope City Council on �1977, and ordered pooted in the appropriate places to in orm citizens and solicit comments. _ r DATE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION In the past, -the City of Fairhope has adhered to an informal equal opportunity employment policy. Currently, the City has undertaken an affirmative action program establishing a policy prohibiting recruitment and/or hiring discrimination based on: 1. Political or religious persuasion 2. Race, color or national origin 3. Sex 4. Handicap 5. Age and, further, will insure non-discriminatory practices involving promotion and/or benefits, for City employees. The Departmental Superintendents, with the consent of the Mayor are responsible for hiring of employees for the City. For this term of office, Mayor and Councilmen are white. There are currently 76 City employees, including five (5) white females and one (1) black female, and fifteen (15) black males. Specific duties and job descriptions are determined by the Mayor, Council and Superintendents. Individual initiative and personal responsibility are stressed. Improvements and expansion of City -supplied services is on a non-discriminatory basis. An active program is underway to upgrade services to minority and low income families. Although, the work for this program is done on a bid contract basis, the contracts are awarded on the basis of cost and professional competence, with- out discrimination or prejudice for contractors with minority group representation. The employment of local personnel, whenever possible, is actively encouraged. ow, �'- '0� - Inj DATE ASSURANCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE VIII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1968 The City of Fairhope, Alabama will comply with Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, and will administer the approved programs and activities supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in an affirmative manner. Date O.4A- IV-, CITY OF FAIRHOPE Fairhope, Alabama BY • J S P. NIX, MAYO