Editor’s Note: In a four-one vote, the Fairhope City Council approved a resolution Monday evening to establish the Fairhope Governmental Structure Committee as a city committee.

The Fairhope Governmental Structure Committee met last Monday and Tuesday evenings at the James P. Nix Center to informally discuss the progress made so far on committee member assignments and talk with any local residents about their concerns and suggestions.

One resident attended the Monday meeting, and Committee Chairman Chuck Zunk said about 12 came Tuesday.

Committee member Ron Muschel, a retired financial executive, said the meetings with the gas department and personnel department went well.

“The gas department is planning to expand services with new accounts,” he said.

Zunk said the electric utility’s territory has been frozen in size since the 1980s, which is true for all electric services in the state. “Their growth is confined to within their service boundaries; they can’t go fishing,” he said.

Zunk said that gas, water and sewer are not confined in this manner, with potential for adding customers in the area and increasing revenue. The committee said they had not met with the water and sewer departments as of Monday evening.

“There is quite a bit of teamwork between the utilities when there is a crisis,” Muschel said, adding that indicates good communications between the managers. This cooperation extends to the public works department.

Zunk said the electric and gas departments had excellent emergency plans and had validated them with experience.

The electric department is using a consignment inventory process, which is “a good way to keep your working capital fine tuned,” Muschel said.

He said the personnel department had no real issues. They are able to handle most of their training internally, employees have to be certified at every step.

The committee is also meeting with external entities that have regular dealings with the city. They said their talk with an investment banker who has worked with city for 20 years on bond issues gave favorable remarks on the city’s financial health.

The committee’s next meeting was held last night, at 7 p.m., at the James P. Nix Center. Other meetings are scheduled for the same time at the same place on: Sept.18, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2.

Zunk said their goal was still to finish their report for presentation at the Oct. 8 City Council meeting.