FAIRHOPE, Ala. - A special public hearing has been called by City Council President Lonnie Mixon for Monday, May 9, regarding the proposed Historic District and Landmark Commission Ordinance, according to city staff.

The same issue will be discussed at tomorrow’s monthly meeting of the Fairhope Historic Preservation Committee, which starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Fairhope Museum of History.

The second Monday of each month normally has a public participation meeting that starts at 5 p.m. followed by the 6 p.m. council meeting, in which citizens can discuss any issue of their choosing with the council, for up to an hour. But the special public hearing may prevent other items from coming up Monday, given the interest being shown in the proposed ordinance, both for and against it, according to staff.

The proposed ordinance was introduced at the last council meeting and is scheduled for consideration at the May 9 council meeting. Citizens can also speak about the proposed ordinance at the council meeting, but their time is more restricted and council members rarely engage them in discussion at that time, as they do at the once-a-month public participation meeting.

To speak at the 5 p.m. public participation meeting, citizens must give notice to the city clerk’s office by noon that day. To speak at the council meeting, they can sign up at the door at 6 p.m.

For citizens interested in attending what may be a large meeting Monday, they may want to come early because Fairhope police now often use a metal detector at the door, which can delay entrance to the council chambers.

For more information about the proposed ordinance, see the May 6 edition of The Fairhope Courier which will have an article about it, as well as letters to the editor.

A copy of the draft ordinance is available on the city’s website at:

http://www.cofairhope.com/meetings.php.