GULF SHORES, Ala. — Gulf Shores City Council held a special called meeting Friday afternoon to inform the public of the oil spill issue and what is currently being done, and also to pass a resolution authorizing a contract amendment with IED Disaster and Construction Specialist.

Although no questions were asked, Mayor Robert Craft took time to address the public, only to say that there was still a lot of unknown regarding the situation.

“We are expecting that we will have some level of oil or oil product, like a sheen, by either Monday or Tuesday. How deep and thick it will be remains to be seen,” Craft said.

Craft said that efforts were underway to make certain that the contaminant did not get into sensitive areas.

“It has been concluded that a long boom along the beach is probably not an effective way to use our assets because the wave action would cause the oil to wash over the booms. The focus then becomes how do you protect the back bay and pristine areas where, if oil gets in there, would be very damaging to the ecosystem.”

Craft said that BP would be delivering booms to place in the pass to protect the lagoon area.

“This will hopefully allow us to stop, contain, and pump out any oil.”

The biggest question, according to officials, is how long the oil may continue to come ashore, a question that Craft said cannot be answered at this point.

“We will deal with it as long as we have to.”

Mayor Craft said that he had talked to Governor Bob Riley and informed him that if the state was expecting the city to fund dollars, such as during hurricane situations, in anticipation of repayment, they would not be able to do it.

“We don’t have the cash resources and in this environment we don’t have the borrowing ability, and I have made that clear.”