FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Alabama statute that describes what a new City Council must do at its first meeting is simple enough.

“The members of such council shall, on the first Monday in November after their election, assemble and organize the council,” states Section 11-43-44 of the Ala. Code.

But setting the agenda for the first meeting of Fairhope’s new City Council has not been so simple.

The new council — with three returning members (Mike Ford, Debbie Quinn and Dan Stankoski) and two new members (Rick Kingrea and Lonnie Mixon) — has its initial meeting Monday.

A first version of the agenda for that “organizational meeting” was faxed by the city at 10:38 a.m. Thursday.

The first agenda had the names of council members assigned as chairs and vice-chairs to a number of standing committees and their terms of appointment on the Planning and Zoning Commission for the next four years.

“No, that’s not right,” said outgoing Council President Bob Gentle, referring to council members designated for various committee positions on the agenda prior to holding the organizational meeting.

He said he called Mayor Tim Kant’s office about the agenda, because City Clerk Lisa Hanks, who normally prepares the agenda, was out of the office Thursday.

He said he gave instructions that the names be removed from the agenda.

“The council needs to make those decisions,” Gentle said.

A second version of the agenda was faxed at 2:22 p.m. Thursday with the names removed.

Kant said Friday that the original agenda was developed by Councilwoman Debbie Quinn and Hanks on Wednesday, and that his secretary typed it up and distributed it Thursday.

He said when he saw that first version of the agenda, he called Quinn and said the names should be removed, because the new council needed to select its own president to make those appointments.

He said after the conversation with Quinn, his secretary typed up a new agenda with the names removed and distributed it.

Quinn said Kant did call and told her that the council president gets to make those appointments.

“They sent out (the first agenda) too early,” Quinn said. “They were supposed to send the final agenda.”

Quinn said she worked with Hanks, City Attorney Marion “Tut” Wynne, some council members and the Alabama League of Municipalities in developing the agenda for Monday’s meeting.

“I did that at the request of the new members and some of the old members,” she said.

Quinn said she did designate names for the various committees after speaking with some of the council members.

“I asked them what they might want to serve (on),” she said.

The Alabama League of Municipalities held an orientation meeting Friday in Mobile for new city councils at which it is believed many of Fairhope’s officials attended.

It was difficult reaching some of them for comment by press time Friday.

Ford, Wynne and Hanks could not be reached Friday. It is not known whether they were attending the ALM meeting.

“I have no idea where that came from,” said Councilman Dan Stankoski, referring to the creation of the first agenda. “I have no knowledge of how it was done.”

Stankoski did say he had spoken with other council members about Monday’s meeting, but that there had been no formal meeting of the council to discuss the agenda.

The ALM’s Handbook for Mayors and Council members published in 2004 does address the issue of what occurs at the first meeting of a new council.

“The business at organizational meetings generally includes the following,” the ALM handbook states. “Appointment of a temporary chairman pending the election of a council president; election of a council president; election of a council president pro tempore; adopting of an ordinance establishing rules of procedure to be observed in the conduct of council meeting. If such an ordinance already exists, the new council might consider whether it desires to operate under the same ordinance, to amend it or to repeal it and adopt a new set of rule; appointment of council committees. These appointments are generally made by the presiding officer of the council.”

It is not known whether the issue of how agendas for a new council’s organizational meeting should be developed was discussed at the Friday ALM meeting.