DAPHNE, Ala.—The Daphne Planning Commission at its work session Wednesday asked representatives from the Baldwin County Board of Education to include the city on all future construction projects.

“All of the mayors have a concern that in building a new school, or any kind of construction, that the Planning Commission never gets to see it,” Mayor Fred Small said.

Small cited a recurring drainage problem at W.J. Carroll Intermediate School that overflows after heavy showers. A March 28 incident caused an overflow of water; on Feb. 17, the ditch was impacted by loads of sediment and onsite erosion.

Small contended these problems could have been prevented had the school board and the city of Daphne planned the project together.

School system assistant superintendent Eddie Tyler said said the drainage incidents at W.J. Carroll and Daphne Elementary School are due to a perceived lack of communication.

“We want to assume our responsibility,” Tyler said, indicating he advocated increased communication between the two entities; but he expressed concern that the school board would be viewed as a scapegoat.

“The high school and middle school both came to the commission and we have no drainage problems there,” Small said.

“With the elementary and intermediate schools, we’ve got older drainage in place.”

Small added that the drainage problem at the elementary school could have been avoided by utilizing an idle ditch located on the west side of the property.

“We’re not trying to put you on the hot seat,” Small said to school-board representatives. “We’re trying to work together. We want to see these projects come before the commission.”

Planning Department Director Bill Eady said open communication would allow the commission to provide input on drainage issues during early phases of construction.

“It should be part of the procedure so we can know what we’re dealing with,” he said.

“It would allow us to work together as a team,” city site containment inspector Ashley Campbell said.

She added that a more cohesive partnership would let the city address pre-construction drainage and traffic issues. The city could assist contractors with their understanding of city requirements.

The partnership also would give the city stop-work and enforcement capabilities, allowing for immediate attention toward affected city streets and drainage areas around school-board construction sites.

Commissioner Larry Chason said every municipality operates differently.

“There’s going to be more attention paid to drainage in Daphne,” he said. “You’re going to have difficulty working this out with 14 different municipalities because each has their own rules and regulations. Every municipality has its own set of facts.”

The fact is, in Daphne, that the city’s creeks and streams are suffering.

“Storm water is just a tremendous problem all over this area,” Small said.

“Conditions of our local streams are horrible,” Campbell said, referring to creeks like Tiawasee and D’Olive, which have been affected by erosion and sedimentation.

The city recently instituted a watershed maintenance plan to address critical areas.

“They’re not in good shape,” Campbell said. “When a new school is going to be built, we just want you to know what’s going on in our streams.”

In other business:

“We want to take the road in so we can extend fire (emergency) coverage,” Jones said. “We want to make it where the city provides services to that area.”

Jones then requested the commission make a favorable recommendation to the City Council. The Planning Commission does not vote on items during work sessions.

The property owners requested the .44-acre split—located in the Bay Branch subdivision—be deeded as a right-of-way.

“Our purpose is to deed that portion of the property to the owners association,” spokesperson Ralph Joffrion said.

He added that exemption from the city of Daphne and Baldwin County is required.

“We’re not granting them a subdivision,” Jones said. “We’re granting them an exemption to our regulations.”

The commission’s next regular business meeting is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers.