0726 courier

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Ongoing and Upcoming Events, PAGE 5

Meet the Kilborn Clinic’s first patient

The Courier

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INSIDE

JULY 26, 2017 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com |

Blakeley Park combines boat cruise with seafood buffet lunch July 27

Additional claim filed with city of Fairhope Former public works director seeks $100,000 in damages for mayor’s actions against her

Historic Blakeley State Park Thursday July 27 combines a two hour nature cruise of the TensawMobile River Delta by its Delta Explorer with a private seafood buffet lunch at a popular Causeway restaurant. For more, see page 37.

Painting with police at the Eastern Shore Art Center Second graders from the Rotary Youth Club painted the Blue Dog at the Eastern Shore Art Center with Nancy Raia while also getting a K9 visit from our very own “dog in blue”.For more, see page 36.

Truland Homes shows off their design center Truland Homes is showing off their new Design Center.For more, see page 39.

DEATHS

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Helen Ann Dorman Davis Richard Alan Jensen Larry Earl Johns Lillian Evans Robertson Morgan Ouida Mosley Dianne Word Neibling Karen Marie Norris Jessica Lynne Shomin Harold Timothy Smith Ronnie Gene Tart Charles Woodson Van Trease Sandra E. Willingham

By CLIFF McCOLLUM cliff@gulfcoastmedia.com

Former Fairhope Public Works Director Jennifer Fidler has filed a $100,000 damages claim with the city stemming from her February firing which includes references to the alleged assault made by Mayor Karin Wilson on Fairhope Human Resources Manager Pandora Heathcoe which she witnessed. The Courier submitted a public records request for the claim on July 12, but was denied the records by city officials. A confidential source has supplied The Courier with the notice of claim filed with the city on July 7. The notice of claim redacted the name of a civilian volunteer serving the city on its Personnel Board who was present at some referenced events.

The notice of claim In the claim, Fidler wrote about a January 11 meeting that took place with her, Wilson, Heath-

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coe and a member of the city’s Personnel Board whose name was redacted. “Mayor Wilson immediately confronted me with information that she had been advised of statements that had been made to others regarding an event that occurred between the Mayor and Ms. Heathcoe during a meeting in December 2016,” Fidler wrote. “She went on to state that the rumors were that she had placed her hands on Ms. Heathcoe’s upper body and physically shaken her. The Mayor inquired if I knew about these statements. She instructed me that it was inappropriate for me as a city employee to share any information regarding what had taken place and went further to direct me to make no further comment to anyone about what occurred.” Fidler then wrote she was then addressed by the personnel board member. “City Personnel Board member (name redacted) follow the Mayor’s comments with his own, adSEE CLAIM, PAGE

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Spanish Fort council questions potential athletic facilities spending

Former Fairhope IT employee disputes mayor’s claims

By CLIFF McCOLLUM

By CLIFF McCOLLUM

cliff@gulfcoastmedia.com

cliff@gulfcoastmedia.com

Spanish Fort city leaders have put a hold on potential new construction involving Spanish Fort High’s athletic facilities after council members said they had several questions about what the project completely entailed. The contract before the council was for $1,950 for geotechnical exploration for the potential new concession building, restrooms and girls’ field house. Councilwoman Mary Brabner said she had concerns about the city always being the source of funding for improvements like this. “I question the need for it,” Brabner said. “I don’t know that this should necessarily be a city expense. I’m not saying that it’s not needed, I’m not saying that it wouldn’t make life easier - I’m just saying at some point in time we have to ask them to do their own fundraising and do their own thing without coming to us to be the financial wing for everything that they want to do.” Brabner said she had spoken to several parents and female athletes and said they preferred the field house to be on the main property.

Former City of Fairhope IT Technician Tanner Bonner received a letter from one of Fairhope’s attorneys July 18 after Bonner made comments critical of the city and Mayor Karin Wilson on social media posts. Bonner’s comments on his own Facebook page, as well as his comments regarding stories posted on Gulf Coast Media’s Facebook page, involved stories reported in The Courier, including key logger software placed on seven city employees’ computers at the direction of Wilson and hard drive and phone searches performed on the city-owned equipment of former city employees Sherry Sullivan and Jennifer Fidler at the request of Wilson.

SEE SPENDING, PAGE

Receives letter asking him to be silent on city matters

Bonner’s Facebook comments On a story posted earlier this week on Gulf Coast Media’s Facebook page and on his own Facebook page, Bonner posted comments about some of his work with the city and how it applied to a story involving invoices sent to the city by Elias Technologies. Two invoices from Elias Technologies to the City of Fairhope were recently given to The Courier appearing to show work equipment used by former city employees Sherry Sullivan and Jennifer Fidler was sent to be examined SEE DISPUTE, PAGE

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INDE X

Daphne picks firm for independent school study By CLIFF McCOLLUM cliff@gulfcoastmedia.com

Daphne is moving forward with its study for a potential independent school system, after city council members voted last week to select the firm to conduct the study. Councilman Robin LeJeune made the motion to select K-12 Criterion Group as the council’s choice of firm to conduct the study. “I motion we accept the proposal from K-12 Criterion Group, especially in light of their willingness to work with the city to give us the financial data upfront,” LeJeune said. “I think that’s a great way to work with us.” K-12 Criterion will conduct the financial study for the city’s possible independent school system first, which would allow the city to halt the rest of the study if the numbers didn’t come back in a positive way for the city. “They came up with a unique opportunity to phase this study to do a majority of the financial study in a time period of eight to ten weeks,” Daphne Mayor Dane Haygood said. “This would give the council an opportunity to stop and not expend further funds if they so desired. In absence of the council turning down the rest of the study, they would continue on for the full sum of $68,500.”

Mayoral veto At the meeting’s start, Haygood announced to the council that he had issued a mayoral veto against a recent ordinance passed by the council that had amended and slightly increased the city’s garbage collection fees. Haygood said there was some ambiguity in the language of the ordinance that caused him to exercise the veto. “There was some discussion about the date when it would become effective,” Haygood said. “Out of an abundance of caution and willingness to protect the public, I vetoed it so it could be reconsidered.”

Possible Johnson Road development During the public comments SEE STUDY, PAGE

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Gulf Coast Media

BALDWIN LIVING, 6-8

OUT & ABOUT, 25

CLASSIFIED, 10-11

PUZZLES, 9

HEALTH, 23-24

SPORTS, 14-16

VOLUME 123 • ISSUE 52

LEGALS, 29-35

TV LISTINGS, 17-20

1 SECTION • 40 PAGES

OPINION, 12-13

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