5 p.m. today City Hall

New Business

A. Adopt guidelines for a reduction in force.

B. Resolution authorizing the mayor to implement the reduction in force.

Orange Beach City Council Special-Called Meeting

A real estate investor who got convicted along with former Orange Beach Mayor Steve Russo on public corruption charges will not have to go back to prison, a federal judge in Mobile ruled today.

Magnolia Springs resident Ken Wall already has served the year-and-a-day sentence that U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose imposed last year. But the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to Mobile earlier this year after determining that the judge improperly dismissed a conspiracy count that the jury had found Wall guilty of.

Ken Wall does not have to go back to prison in Orange Beach corruption case

Each year the Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission calls on Baldwin’s beach cities for funding. But with budget woes that have both City Halls contemplating layoffs this winter, the marketing alliance, which is part of the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, isn’t asking for any money this year.

“I know the things you’re going through and I feel for you, I really do,” Visitor Bureau President Herb Malone told Orange Beach officials Monday. “We’re not here to ask for a dime but I do hope our discussion will lead to some reinforcement, if you will, of commitment by the city to continue with your in-kind services.”

Those “in-kind” services range from use of the city’s ball fields to the efforts of parks and recreation department employees, police officers and paramedics.

Commission: Give support but not cash

About 20 minutes into the trial of a former Orange Beach employee charged with taking a Jet Ski recovered by the city after Hurricane Ivan in 2004, a judge declared a mistrial and walked off the bench as the defense attorney continued to argue his case.

Baldwin County Circuit Court Judge Lang Floyd granted Assistant District Attorney Christopher Parker’s request for a mistrial Wednesday after defense attorney Donald Bolton mentioned the words “felony” and then “misdemeanor” to the jury during opening arguments.

Jet Ski case declared a mistrial

• Local investors paid $1.4 million for a strip center with office space, a car wash and the former Romar Beach Mini Warehouses at 25856 Canal Road in Orange Beach
• The UPS Store has opened in 1,500 square feet in Tim bercreek Village on Ala. 181 and U.S. 31 in Spanish Fort

Real Estate News

A federal judge in Mobile on Friday lopped a year off ex-Orange Beach Mayor Steve Russo’s prison sentence, deciding that a 10 percent reduction was justified, since an appeals court overturned four of the 22 fraud counts that a jury convicted him on two years ago.

The advisory sentencing guidelines did not change as a result of the July decision by the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to toss out Russo’s conviction on the counts, related to his use of campaign contributions for personal expenses.

U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose said those counts played a minor role in her original decision to sentence Russo to 10 years. But, she said, the former mayor deserved a break, so she reduced his sentence to nine years.

Year removed off Russo’s sentence

Tough economic times are taking their toll on almost everyone these days, even entire cities. Orange Beach is set to eliminate some municipal jobs.

They don’t know how many yet or when they will actually cut them. They just know a number of positions are on the line. The city says their projected income for the year is $3 million short of their $28 million budget.

Outgoing mayor Pete Blaylock says the short fall comes from a drop in sales tax revenue.

Job Cuts Coming To Orange Beach

In what will likely be its final session, the current City Council voted Monday to approve a 23-story Gulf-front condo tower on the site of the Blue Luxe resort and agreed to give the banks that own the foreclosed Mandolay Beach property until mid January to find a buyer for the project.

The Blue Luxe condo — unlike the Hotel Indigo that was approved there this summer — likely won’t be built for several years. When and if it ever is, developers will be able to construct 40 condos there

Last actions of Orange Beach council

Developers, owners still hoping to build Perdido Key condo project

Unlike the developers of many high-rise projects conceived during the recent real estate boom, the land owners and builders behind The Verandas haven’t given up on their plans to erect a pair of 34-story condominium buildings on Perdido Key.

As such, they’ve asked the City Council to consider an unprecedented extension of the approval elected officials gave the designs in late 2005.

Typically, design approval expires if no building permits have been
requested in a year. And traditionally, the City Council has granted
developers up to two one-year extensions. But the willingness of The
Verandas’ developers to stick with the project has prompted elected
officials to consider keeping plans on the shelf for longer than usual.

Orange Beach developer Ken Wall ordered to pay Wachovia $323,000 in foreclosure suit

A federal judge today ruled against Orange Beach developer Ken Wall, ordering him to pay Wachovia Bank more than $323,000 related to a foreclosed waterfront property.

Wall, who was convicted in 2006 of bribing former Mayor Steve Russo, sued the city last year in response to the foreclosure, alleging an error on a zoning map led him to overpay for the property. That case is still pending in Baldwin County Circuit Court and is scheduled to go to trial in November.

Digest: Attempted bribe is alleged - al.com

The estranged wife of former pro football player Kenny Stabler has refused to sign documents allowing the sale of her Ono Island home in order to satisfy her husband’s tax debts.

In documents filed in Mobile’s federal court last week, Kenny Stabler’s attorney, Robert Galloway, asked a judge to enforce a settlement that all of the parties — including Rose Burch Stabler — agreed to last month.

Rose Stabler said she never agreed to the terms presented to
her in writing. She said she reluctantly agreed to sell her
home and believed the only issue to be decided was whether
she would pay all or half of the auctioneer’s fee.

“The whole settlement agreement was a big farce,”
she said. “They can kiss my a—. I’ll fight them.
The law is on my side.”

Thinking about feeding a raccoon, trapping a fox that’s been wandering the neighborhood, or perhaps shooting a coyote that’s suspected of snatching up cats?

Don’t, says the City Council, which on Tuesday voted unanimously to make it illegal to feed, harass or kill wild animals.

The law, which takes effect next week, allows for a fine up to $500, said Police Chief Billy Wilkins. City officials, though, said they won’t be rushing to write tickets.

Orange Beach makes feeding, killing wild animals illegal

A man has been found guilty of murder that happened two years ago in Orange Beach.

It took a jury only 15 minutes to find James Patterson guilty of murder.

The jury’s decision means that Patterson intended to kill Renee Perez. Evidence submitted by the prosecution showed the cable he used to strangle her.

Guilty Verdict in Orange Beach Murder Trial

Some folks in our area have a new place to buy groceries. Publix is now open in Orange Beach.

This will be the third grocery store in the Orange Beach area and shoppers say they are very excited to have some choices.

The City of Fairhope is also planning to build a Publix there.

Publix Opens In Orange Beach

The charter boat captain says sand filling up Perdido Pass has made an already bad situation worse. Along shore, currents drop sand right into the channel. Hurricane season storm surges and wave action only exacerbates the problem. And there’s no plan to dredge it. The Army Corp of Engineers says even though they are federally required to keep the pass open, they don’t have the federal dollars to do so.

Dewitt says there is about 100 feet of space for boats to move in and out of the pass. That’s not a lot of wiggle room when you are captaining a yacht longer than 50 feet. So if something does go wrong it’s the rocks on one side and the sand bar on the other.

Perdido Pass in Dire Straits