FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Until this year, local citizens had a hard time finding a copy of the current Fairhope City Code, the ordinances that determine the powers and procedures of local government.

Some public officials had current copies, but the copy in the public library had not been updated in decades.

That changed recently during the library’s improvements to its research section, and now there is one current copy available.

Making city laws easily available to the public will be enhanced by a current city project to make the city’s code online.

“(Putting) the City Code online is a desire that Mayor Kant and myself would like to see come to pass to help better serve the citizens and others of the city of Fairhope and surrounding areas,” City Clerk Geniece Johnson said this week. “The project is still in its first phase, in that many of our old ordinances were not in computer format.”

Johnson said that means her office is having to enter much of that information by hand on the computer.

She explained how the project would progress.

“(During the) second phase, each supervisor (will) review the ordinances that pertain to their department and make necessary changes or recommendations for changes,” she said. “During the third phase, the City Attorney (will) review all changes. We (will) check to see that all changes follow the guidelines of all government agencies involved to ensure that all changes are constitutional.”

Johnson said she was hesitant to give a timeline for completing the project because “this is a big undertaking, involving many staff members, attorneys and extensive research time.”

She said the mayor and City Council will determine if and where else he new City Code will be posted, in addition to the city’s Web site.

“I cannot imagine a better way for the city to use its Web presence to serve the goals of open government,” said Lucy Daglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “I wish more cities would do this. It is a great thing.”