While many Gulf Coast homeowners are concerned about the increasing property taxes, Alabama Revenue Commissioner Time Russell explained last Thursday that these taxes are still much lower than other parts of the country.  Last week’s “Coffee with the Mayor” resulted in a discussion about property taxes to help Baldwin County residents understand the current situation.  Although national trends are seeing home values decreasing while property taxes are rising, Alabama homeowners are still paying considerably less than their neighboring areas.

It was also stated in this meeting that evaluations for Alabama homeowner’s property will go out the first week of December, and the following week they will be receiving the actual bill.  For more information about property taxes on Alabama’s Gulf coast visit Baldwincountynow.com.

For more information on Alabama’s Gulf Coast real estate including homes in Daphne, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Mobile, and West Mobile Alabama, contact your neighborhood realtor Barbara Reeves via email or by clicking on the “Talk Live” button on the top right of this blog page.

Earlier this month, Daphne Alabama officials discussed some options for making the city’s trash and recycling pick up programs more cost effective.  The city has lost money in the past on recycling efforts, as reported in Baldwin County Now online, and officials discussed in a recent meeting how they could make money in order to purchase new equipment for more efficiency; Mayor Small suggested that the program should be handled and run more like a business to solve some of the problems faced.  Other suggestions included saving money by a one day a week pick up schedule, and a small increase in the monthly charge for trash and recycling pick up.

Other Daphne Alabama business discussed in this meeting include an increase in city employee health care costs, and possibly conducting a traffic engineering study to alleviate congestion at the intersection of U.S. Highways 64 and 98.  For more information on these matters visit baldwincountynow.com.

For more information on available Daphne Alabama homes or other Gulf Coast area homes including West Mobile, Mobile, Fairhope, and Spanish Fort contact local agent Barbara Reeves via email.

Foley Alabama’s latest crime rating report revealed that their effort to increase police presence has caused crime rates to decrease.  The report compared the crime rates for the area last year during the first half of 2007 to the first half of this year for 2008, which reflected a 31 percent drop.

Foley Alabama officials attribute this 31 percent decline in crime rates for their city to be due to an increase in police coverage, police officers on the streets, police strategy, and patrol strategies.  Also adding to the safer environment are residents and other authorities that keep a close eye on their areas to help reduce crime rates.  

To continue their record of a safer city, Foley Alabama’s Police department has recently hired a fourth group of new officers to aid in the work.

Hurricane Gustav skimmed by Baldwin County Alabama without doing major damage to the area, but Foley Alabama city council members are looking to help property owners in the meantime.  The City Council hopes to pass an ordinance before their regularly scheduled September 15^th meeting to allow property owners to make temporary repairs on their homes due to storm damage; currently property owners would have to wait for an approval of a building permit to make changes, but this obviously does not help in emergency situations. 

Alabama’s Gulf Coast residents remained safe during the effects of hurricane Gustav as the Baldwin County Coliseum in Robertsdale was put to use housing 300 residents and over 150 people took shelter at the Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette Alabama. Although they avoided major damage from this hurricane, Foley Alabama Mayor John Koniar enforced the need for residents to stay on guard about the latest storm developments as Gustav isn’t the last of them. 

The IDC Development LLC company is requesting help from the City Council with their proposed hotel and conference center on Alabama 59 at the northern edge of Gulf Shores Alabama. The project would consist of an 87-unit Suite hotel with 14,000 square feet of meeting space and approximately 30,000 square feet of retail space. The developers want to partner up with the city council which would require the city to share about half of the 3 percent municipal sales and lodging taxes that would be generated by the project for 20 years; they have also requested the ability to charge an extra 3 percent sales tax and 5 percent lodgings tax on the property. The City council is presently considering the request as the developers expect to move forward with the project as soon as possible.

For more information on the progress of this conference center and hotel in the Gulf Shores of Alabama visit al.com.

Earlier this month, councilmen Robert Craft and Steve Jones presented a video on Creative Outdoor Advertising at the Gulf City Council work session; the video explained how this advertising would help to offset the costs of placing recycling bins throughout the area and the costs of collecting the materials at the drop off locations. 

Craft and Jones believe that through advertising they can also reach the vendors that should be involved with recycling programs and make it more appealing for them to take the financial ‘risk’ it would entail. Having a working recycling system in place in the Gulf Shore cities would make residents more aware of the need to help the environment and lessen litter on the streets. In a recent survey, the city council found that 87 percent of those surveyed expressed the desire that the city continue to provide recycling. Being in the works for almost six months, efforts to improve the recycling system in order to make it more comprehensive are underway.

Alabama’s Department of Transportation recently felt it time to add another ferry boat to the mix to travel the Gulf Coast. The Marissa Mae Nicole was added to support the current Fort Morgan ferry in transporting people and vehicles from Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island and back, or to then continue to Mobile on Dauphin Island Parkway. This will speed up waiting time between rides for those seeking to travel by ferry from an hour or more to about 30 minutes; it also offers a back up for those times when either ferry would need repairs.

Residents and visitors alike will enjoy the vacation time these ferry boats will allow as well as a chance to view the Mobile Bay’s rich history since this is the site of the great 1864 naval battle of Mobile Bay.

Related Links:

View the Ferry Schedules

More on the Marissa Mae Nicole Ferry in operation

On July 7^th, Spanish Fort Alabama residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on amending the height of cell phone towers within the city. Spanish Fort City council made the recommendation last week during a meeting which would change the current law that states cell phone towers can be 180 ft., to be about half that. For the past three years, a temporary truck-based tower has been located on the Causeway near a gas station and the new tower would replace this one in the same location; the city council may also rezone all or a part of this property to the T-1 zoning district, but any portion that is rezoned must be within the original parcel of land for the wireless communications facility to conform to setback requirements.

The public hearing will be held at 6pm on July 7^th, and more information can be found at Baldwin County Now news online.

Related Links:

Realty Times Keeps you up-to-date on the latest Market Conditions on Alabama’s Gulf Coast

More information on Spanish Fort Alabama homes

A recent citizen survey conducted by the University of South Alabama’s polling group revealed that residents enjoy living on the Gulf Shores of Alabama. Commissioned by the City of Gulf Shores, this phone survey included 410 Gulf Shore residents in participation, with about 91 percent of them reporting that they feel the city’s quality of life is at least good, with some reporting it to be excellent.

The survey also revealed that the top issues of importance to those who participated included insuring government accountability, controlling traffic, and protecting the environment.  When residents were asked if they agreed with statements concerning life in the Gulf Shores the highest level of agreement, being 91 percent, was for the statement that the Gulf Shores should be family oriented and its unique character should be protected; also in agreement at 89 percent was the statement that the public beach is attractive and maintained well.

The City of Gulf Shores is pleased with the results of the survey and will utilize the information in addressing issues that were of concern.

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More Gulf Coast Alabama news at Baldwin County Now