FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Several personnel changes involving high-ranking city employees at the human resources, golf course and police departments came to light this week.

At a special City Council meeting Friday morning, Mayor Tim Kant announced that Robert “Harold” Childres Jr., the longtime greens superintendent at Fairhope’s municipal golf course, had resigned recently.

“As you know, our greenskeeper decided to resign and move on to other things,” Kant told the council at the 8:30 a.m. meeting on Feb. 18, which was announced by public notice on Feb. 16.

The meeting was called to authorize Kant to negotiate a fee and execute a contract with Agromax LLC, with a Magnolia Springs office, for professional consulting services at the golf course, according to city staff.

The administration recommended that the greens superintendent position not be filled for at least a year, and that it would be the savings from not having to pay that salary and benefits which would finance the consulting contract.

Childres, who had worked for the city since 1998 and made approximately $72,000 at the time of his resignation two to three weeks ago, met recently with General Superintendent James Gillespie, Human Resources Director Rhonda Bishop and Golf Course Director Bobby Hall, according to city officials, staff and records.

“After the meeting we felt it was in the best interest for him and the golf course for him to resign,” Kant said after the meeting, adding “there were some issues out there at the golf course.”

Mims confirmed Friday that Childres was no longer an employee of the city but declined comment on when his last day was or provide any further information, stating that a public records request should be submitted for that information.

“I’m not going to address anything that has to do with internal personnel issues,” Mims said. “I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

In other personnel developments, Chief of Police Bill Press announced at the regular council meeting Feb. 14 that Cpt. Michael D. Comalander had taken a “medical retirement” in October last year. Until his retirement, Comalander had been employed with the city since 1993. Prior to a nationwide search for a new police chief in 2009, Comalander had served as chief.

At human resources, The Fairhope Courier learned that duties for that department were being managed by the city clerk’s office and had been for about a week, according to city staff.

“Human Resources is now being handled by the city clerk’s office,” said Gillespie, who declined further comment.

City Clerk Lisa Hanks said Feb. 18 that she had been told to handle HR issues late last week but did not know the employment status of Human Resources Director Bishop, stating only that “she was out of the office” and that the clerk’s office had been tasked to handle HR issues to keep work from backing up in her absence.

A message left on Bishop’s office voice mail was not returned as of Feb. 18, and Kant could not be reached for comment.

Finally, in a related development, a job listing dated Jan. 27 and on the city’s website as of Feb. 18 stated that Fairhope is seeking a “revenue superintendent” with an annual salary of between $50,000 and $70,000.

Mims said the position was to fill a vacancy previously held by Kimberly Higginbotham, who had not worked for the city for about a year, he said.

In 2009, her position was described as “revenue officer” and her annual salary was approximately $43,000, according to records.