City still waiting on FEMA to determine what pier rebuild will entail; Island Fiber already has 600 customers and is adding 20 to 30 more every week

City still waiting on FEMA to determine what pier rebuild will entail; Island Fiber already has 600 customers and is adding 20 to 30 more every week
By John Mullen
If Mayor Tony Kennon and the Orange Beach City Council have their way, the pier at Waterfront Park destroyed by Sally will be built back exactly like it was before the storm. If the federal government lends a hand.
“Our goal is we would love to have it put back just like it is now,” Kennon said. “That’s our ultimate goal. But at the same time, we’ve got to be smart.”
During the June 8 council work session, Kennon and the council discussed a resolution to authorize a contract with Thompson Engineering to perform design, bid and construction administration services for repair/replacement of Waterfront Park Pier for about $44,800. Also, during the meeting, the council heard an update from Mickey Franco of Island Fiber on his company’s effort to bring fiber internet to residential neighborhoods in the city.
Until now, Kennon said, the council was waiting on FEMA to decide if they city is eligible for federal money to rebuild the pier.
“Essentially, we had to wait for FEMA to evaluate the pier and how much they would pay for it,” Kennon said. “If they’re going to pay 75 percent then the state will reimburse us another 12.5 percent then we were willing to spend $1 million to build it back exactly like it was.”
And, it’s not a done deal FEMA will help pay for the pier but Kennon said he’s seen and heard some positive things about the city’s chances.
“That’s what the holdup has been,” Kennon said. “We had to wait for them and we still don’t have the for-sure determination one way or another but we think we’re in pretty good shape to reimburse us.”
With the cost of wood, Kennon said the $1 million price tag could go even higher.
“That was a guesstimate number to give people because prices keep going up so fast,” Kennon said.
Those soaring costs could also place a higher cost on replacing the pier if FEMA doesn’t come through.
“If it wasn’t going to be covered then we had to reevaluate how much we were going to spend, how long of a pier we would be able to afford based on what we thought the usage was,” Kennon said. “It looks like FEMA would reimburse us for it and if that’s the case then we’re going to build it back like it is. It’s not cheap. It’s a very expensive pier.”
Island Fiber
Franco told the council that Island Fiber already has 600 customers wired up and plenty of infrastructure already in the ground.
“We hit 600 yesterday and that’s one of the milestones we had set for the city and I think we’re still on track to do between 20 and 30 a week as far as our staff is set right now,” Franco said.
East of State Route 161 is virtually complete as far as having the conduit in the ground but not all homes in the area have been lit up yet.
“Everything from east Canal from Shore Acres to Perdido Gates fiber is installed in the ground and active,” Franco said. “We are now connecting most customers there. We have seen the construction move to the Terry Cove area and we’re within a few weeks of getting our permit finalized for the state road along 161.”
Once he gets the state permit and can start working on Marina Road and its neighborhoods as well as Cotton Bayou Drive.
“We’re in the final days of (permitting) to extend our backbone through 161 to connect Terry Cove and these other neighborhoods,” Franco said. “The project has been going really well.”
He said the future is bright for getting everyone in the city wanting fiber to have access to it.
“My goal, once this is really completed, we will have the first city in the state, maybe in multiple states, that will have full residential fiber network available to every resident in the city,” Franco said. “We’re working hard towards that. Construction wise, we’re roughly about 50 to 55 percent complete within the city. Several neighborhoods are built out and we’re looking to go forward to go to other areas along west Canal.”
During the regular session, the council:
• Voted to change the polling place for city elections from the community center to the Orange Beach Event Center beginning in 2024. Scheduling conflicts prevented the change from happening in 2022.
• Extended the moratorium on the issuance of business licenses for charters picking up passengers and delivery of rental watercrafts at public boat launches.
• OK’d two resolutions appropriating funds to support the Orange Beach High School to fund two teaching units in an amount not to exceed $197,621 and for funds to support the Orange Beach Elementary School for one teaching unit in an amount not to exceed $80,000.
• OK’d a resolution appropriating funds to the Baldwin County Board of Education for teacher and coach salaries in an amount not to exceed $60,000.
• Postponed a resolution authorizing execution of a task order with Sawgrass Consulting to provide civil design, land surveying, construction engineering and inspection for Fire Station No. 5 in an amount not to exceed $71,500.
• OK’d a resolution rejecting all bids for the Orange Beach High School turnout onto Canal Road.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing execution of Change Order No. 5 with E-J Builders for additional electrical work for the Baseball and Softball Field Renovations in an amount not to exceed $41,910.
• Amended a resolution to authorize a change in the purchase price of two 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe four-wheel drive SUVs from state bid for the police department in the amount of $75,129 to account for $736 in shipping costs.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing the sole source purchase of a control panel located at the Ono Island Lift Station from Jim House & Associates for the utilities department in the amount of $27,591.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing the purchase of soccer/football scoreboards for the Parks and Recreation Department through Sourcewell in the amount of $30,073.
• OK’d a resolution awarding the bid for a new Boat Lift for Marine Police to Docks and Decks, in an amount not to exceed $25,818.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing a contract with McCollough Architecture to provide professional services for the renovation of the Recreation Center in an amount not to exceed $25,400.
• Ok’d a resolution authorizing execution of a task order with Sawgrass Consulting to provide land surveying, preliminary civil engineering, conceptual site planning and geotechnical soil reporting for Orange Beach High School Athletic Facilities in an amount not to exceed $8,500.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing the execution of Change Order No. 1 with Roads of NWF to add Juniper Street to the 2021 roadway resurfacing in an amount not to exceed $7,200.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing execution of Change Order No. 1 with John G. Walton Construction Company to mitigate groundwater conditions related to construction of a deceleration lane on Canal Road at Cypress Village in an amount not to exceed $7,362.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing execution of a professional services agreement with Marquise Elston for speed, strength, and agility training for the Expect Excellence program.
• Passed an ordinance amendment to allow for Caribe Seaside, a 30-story, 115-unit condominium on the site occupied by Romar Dunes prior to Hurricane Ivan in 2004. It is directly east of the Cotton Bayou Beach Access.
• Voted down a proposed change in the planned unit development for Sunset Park subdivision. At issue was the removal of heritage trees on the property.
During the work session, the council discussed:
• A resolution authorizing the execution of a deed of city property to Baldwin County for Russian Road right-of-way.
• A resolution amending the employees pay plan/job Listing to add the position of building and fire plans examiner.
• A resolution authorizing a franchise renewal for Gulf Limousine, to operate a taxi and limousine service within the city limits and police jurisdiction of the city.
• A resolution authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with Watermark Design Group for architectural services and a resolution authorizing execution of a task order with Watermark Design Group to provide design, bid, and construction administration services for roof repair and replacement for city facilities following the April 10 hailstorm in an amount not to exceed $55,434.
• A reminder of a public hearing and first reading for an ordinance amending the planned unit development for Port Washington PUD on June 15. The developer is proposing to put in 26 homes at the northeast corner of Washington Boulevard with a street down the center of the parcel.