FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Garland Sims received the annual Fairhope First “Quality of Life” award at Sunday’s “State of the City” event at the Fairhope Civic Center.

John Pritchett, president of Fairhope First, introduced Sims and mentioned a number of the activities Sims has been involved in since moving here in 1988, but he focused on one.

“I (think) that Garland is best known for the Purple Martin Riviera,” Pritchett said, referring to the birdhouses with the distinctive blue roofs that line the Fairhope waterfront. “If you’ve never seen them, you need to do so,” he said. “(The birds) are down there right now.”

Pritchett said Sims makes it down to the pier almost every day.

“I make it a point of meeting strangers,” Sims said. “Yesterday I met a man from Ontario. He said that ‘You have the most beautiful city that I have ever seen in the world.’”

Sims said he has heard those same words from many people he has met on the Fairhope waterfront.

“I feel it’s part of my duty as a citizen to extol the virtues of Fairhope,” he said.

Sims has been a longtime member of the Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board and has received several awards from environmental groups over the years.

Pritchett said Sims helped get new tennis courts built, as well as the new walk on the south side of the municipal pier, and having a Web cam installed at the city park overlooking the bay.

He is also a founder of the Marietta Johnson Museum and has compiled a large collection of pictures of Fairhope’s history that he is willing to share with the city, he said.

“We would certainly be correct in saying that Fairhope looks like Fairhope because of his influence,” he said.

Sims said a number of the birdhouses were repaired recently after storm damage, and that the purple martins arrived recently and will reside in their local “condos” until about July.

Fairhope First, the nonprofit group that hosted the event, also handed out two “volunteer of the year” awards to Trina Hankins and Ralph “Buddy” Mitchell.

Hankins is retiring after 11 years working at the Rotary Boys & Girls Club in Fairhope.

“These children, whether they know it or not, have been a blessing to me,” Hankins said. “I will certainly miss them.”

Hankins graduated from Fairhope High School and worked at Thomas Hospital before her current job.

Her children attended the Boys & Girls Club, which led to her volunteering there, Hankins said in a prepared statement.

She received an associate’s degree from Faulkner State Community College in 2004, while working full time and raising a family.

“I wanted to be an example to my children, as well as the children at the Rotary Boys & Girls Club, that you can achieve any goal you want in life as long as you work hard for it,” she said. “I have been so blessed to be a part of so many children’s lives. My best reward comes when I see a former member who is a young adult now and … they start talking about how much fun they used to have (there).”

The other “volunteer of the year” has been a familiar face to Eddie Boyette, the city’s recreation director, in Fairhope Municipal Park at Volanta Avenue.

“This is my old friend, Mr. Buddy,” Boyette said. “When he first came out here, he was picking up paper by hand, but pretty soon he got one of those picker-uppers.”

Boyette said that Mitchell finds 30 to 40 baseballs a season that have been lost over the fence from games and returns them.

“He’s done a great service for our youth,” Boyette said. “The staff of the Fairhope Parks and Recreation department through the years have come to love and respect Mr. Buddy and Missy.

Mitchell is known to pick up trash in Volanta Park with his dog, Missy.

“I’m very gratified for the recognition,” Mitchell said. “I’m a little embarrassed because I never expected it.”

The Sunday event was broadcast live on WABF radio in Fairhope, featuring Mayor Tim Kant’s “state of the city” address.

“We will continue making planning the number one issue in the city,” Kant said, in a speech that listed a year of accomplishments including the opening of the new library, recreation facility enhancements, utility upgrades and planning guideline improvements.

Kant focused on planning issues, including new subdivision regulations, ethics and conflict of interest provisions and comprehensive plan strategies.

“We’re working on a five-year capital plan we hope to have in front of the Fairhope City Council this summer,” he said.

He also spoke about new efforts to provide information to residents about local planning developments and the creation of an e-mail list for that purpose.

“The more information we can get to our citizens about what’s happening in their neighborhoods will be better for all,” he said.

He encouraged any interested citizens to have their name added to that list.

Kant also addressed the financial condition of the city.

“The city ended the year in the black,” he said, referring to a surplus of $3,174,397.

He provided statistics showing total revenues for the year of $51,751,286 and total expenses of $42,379,889.

He also noted the city is seeking recognition for its financial reporting procedures by applying to the Governmental Finance Officers Association of the United States.

“If we’re successful, we’ll be the 13th city in the state (to receive that certificate),” he said.

The mayor ended his address by praising city employees.

“We have (311) of the most dedicated employees you’ll find anywhere in the country,” he said. “People do make a difference.”