DAPHNE, Ala.—The City Council Monday voted 5-1 to support a coordinated partnership with Fairhope and Spanish Fort in an effort to receive federal stimulus funds for area projects.

Councilman Ron Scott cast the lone ‘nay’ vote.

Scott suggested past differences between the cities will stand in the way of its leaders working together.

“All three mayors will not sign it,” he said. “There’s still some work to be done here.”

“There’s been a history of the three cities not working together,” Daphne Utilities general manager Rob McElroy said. “There have been issues in the past about boundary lines and where taxes go.”

A public meeting is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Daphne Civic Center. The meeting will cover the environmental and traffic infrastructure improvements expected to be built using the stimulus money.

McElroy said the three-city territory is an escape corridor for lower Baldwin County and that improvements to traffic flow during emergencies are necessary.

He added that traffic infrastructure upgrades will open up new roads for commercial business development.

“If the roads are planned out well, we’ll all benefit,” McElroy said. “It’s about regionalism. We have been told by state, federal and county (officials) that regionalization is the way to go moving forward.”

State leaders have said the only way the Gulf Coast will receive the funding it needs is if the cities work together, he said.

“You have to show them this is an effort that touches more than one city. They want to see us working together,” McElroy said.

“This is above local politics,” Councilman August Palumbo said. “We’re the Eastern Shore. We’re basically one community. We shop each other’s stores. We even go to each other’s schools.”

“We all share Mobile Bay and we all love the environment,” McElroy said.

In other business, the council:

The proposed change would result in a $21 increase in rates but would be comparable to what neighboring cities charge for the same services.

“We researched all the surrounding cities and found what they charge for pickup,” Councilman Bailey Yelding said. “Every city around us is charging more for one-day-a-week service than what we’re charging for twice-weekly service.”

“That’s to help three or four World War II veterans to go,” he said. “I’m paying my own way.”

Honor Flight is a charitable service that flies war veterans round-trip to Washington, D.C. to tour the memorials at no charge.

Scott said the city already has a similar contract in place with the engineering firm.

Palumbo said the affirmation could be useful in emergency situations when immediate reconstruction efforts are necessary.

Council President John Lake questioned the legality of designating one engineering firm to build all city projects, thereby excluding competitors.

“I’m not sure we need to limit ourselves,” Scott said.

Palumbo said the resolution is not an exclusive contract.

“It doesn’t exclude anyone,” he said.

Scott disagreed, citing the resolution, which reads, “Hutchinson, Moore and Rauch would be the ‘sole’ engineer for ‘all’ projects within city limits.”

The area requires corrections to its drainage system after being impacted by recent storms.