ROBERTSDALE, Alabama --- With Isaac tracking further and further to the west as it approached land, Baldwin County officials were, for the most part, breathing a sigh of relief at an emergency special meeting held Monday in the Baldwin County Emergency Operations Center conference room in Robertsdale.

Baldwin County Commissioners met with EMA Director Mitchell Sims, Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack, Baldwin Rural Area Transportation Director Taylor Rider, along with other local, county and state officials following a declaration of a state of emergency, which went into effect at noon, to assess the situation with the impending storm.

Also on hand for Monday’s meeting were Congressman Jo Bonner and Judge of Probate Tim Russell, along with a liaison with the governor’s office.

“I was at the press conference with the governor this morning, along with your EMA director and the EMA director in Mobile,” Bonner said. “Baldwin County was well represented at that meeting and we are just here to support you in any way necessary.”

Shortly after the opening of the meeting, it was announced that Gov. Robert Bentley planned to keep in place mandatory evacuation plans for Zone 1 of Baldwin County, which includes all of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, but mandatory evacuation plans for Zone 2, which includes outlying areas around Seminole, Lillian and the Eastern Shore, were relaxed to include only low-lying areas and areas prone to flooding.

Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon, who arrived shortly after the start of the meeting, said he respected the decision made by the governor and local officials, but there were no plans to enforce mandatory evacuations in Orange Beach.

“There’s just no way to enforce it,” he said.

Commissioners also stated Monday that there were no immediate plans to close county offices or to postpone meetings scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

A work session had been scheduled for Tuesday morning in Bay Minette and an emergency meeting was called during Monday’s meeting for 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Commission Chambers in Bay Minette.

Updates on the storm’s track and deteriorating weather conditions would be reviewed, Commissioners said, and any further necessary action could be taken at that time.

Commissioners also stated that plans for debris removal and sand removal operations were in place and could be further evaluated at Tuesday’s meeting.

Mack told Commissioners that there were no current plans on Monday to close any roads in Baldwin County.

“We are currently monitoring the roads around Fort Morgan and County Road 1,” he said, “but we will only close roads for weather-related reasons.”

Mack said evacuation traffic in Baldwin County had been light and so far no problems were reported. He also said as of Monday there was no need to enforce a curfew in Baldwin County.

Kennon also told Commissioners that plans were discussed to close the Intercoastal Canal Road, but as of Monday, those plans had been suspended.

Sims also said that plans remained in place to open two emergency shelters in Baldwin County at 4 p.m. Monday, the Baldwin County Coliseum as a special needs shelter, and Daphne Elementary School as a general needs shelter.

Rider also said the Association for Retarded Citizens had opened its special needs shelter in Robertsdale on Monday with plans to house about 150 residents.

The facility can house up to 375 special needs residents.

Rider said BRATS busses had transported 92 residents to the special needs shelters and that 28 scheduled trips for the week on BRATS busses had been canceled as of Monday. Less than five calls asking for transportation to the Coliseum shelter had been received, he said.

The Commission also voted unanimously on Monday to move campers at Camp Wilderness in Bay Minette until the storm had passed. The campers would be housed at a temporary facility until Wednesday or Thursday.

Russell told County Commissioners on Monday that all but three of Baldwin County’s municipal elections, which were scheduled to take place on Tuesday, have been moved to Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The cities of Fairhope, Daphne and Spanish Fort moved forward with plans to hold their elections on Tuesday, said Mayor Tim Kant, who was present at Monday’s meeting.

“I think this was a good exercise for us,” said Commissioner Frank Bert, “and with the Lord’s help, a cool north wind will come in and cut the top of this storm off and nobody will be in harm’s way.”

With the storm still churning in the Gulf on Monday, Commissioner Tucker Dorsey asked that the public be reminded to remain cautious.

“We don’t need to forget that there’s still a storm out there and anything can still happen,” he said. “We need to keep an eye on the storm and be ready to act if anything changes.”