FOLEY — It seems the Coastal Wildlife Rescue Center could use some rescuing of its own.

During Monday’s regular work session of the Foley City Council, CWRC founders Janet Ripp and Jody Young addressed the council with an update, which includes a fundraising benefit this weekend that was previewed in Baldwin People.

“We have a benefit coming up,” Ripp told the council. “We’re also starting a volunteer drive and a newsletter with events. Plus, we have another (fundraising) event slotted in November in Lillian during the Songwriters’ Festival.”

The update came because two years ago, the city had granted one-fourth of an acre of land at Graham Creek Nature Preserve for the center. However, Monday’s update was stopped short when Ripp and Young were told that, as previously reported in The Onlooker, during its last meeting in mid-July the council voted to issue a letter rescinding that agreement, citing the pair’s failure to provide requested documentation for the venture.

Ripp said they hadn’t received the letter, and the council discussed that it had not yet been sent.

Further discussion of the issue resulted in council members explaining their concerns.

“We certainly support the process,” Foley Mayor John Koniar told Ripp and Young. “We’ve just been frustrated with the slowness of the process.”

“She’s been doing this for 30 years,” Ripp said of Young’s experience in rescuing wild coastal birds, “and I’ve been doing it for 20.”

She explained that the initial plan of the center is to rescue injured coastal birds, working toward incorporating educational programs. Then, in the future, she hopes to expand to larger wild fowl.

“By the time we get big enough to have raptors, you’ll love having us there,” Ripp told the council.

“Where do you stand with U.S. Fish and Wildlife?” Hellmich asked.

Ripp said certification from the national regulation hinged on having the center set in and in place.

“How much time do you need?” Hellmich asked.

Ripp estimated that four to six weeks would enable the process to move along.

Councilman Charlie Ebert added an additional concern.

“I still support this conceptually,” he said at the work session. “But when we talked with you about this before, we made it clear that we needed a written business plan.”

“We’re still in the beginning stages,” Ripp said, adding that once the center is certified and funded, she anticipates the process of getting it operational to move quickly.

The council agreed to give Young and Ripp until its first meeting in September to move forward with acquiring permits, funds and a business plan. The council also agreed to put the pair in touch with the Baldwin Business Support Center for help in developing that plan.

Also Monday, the council:

n Memorialized the purchase of a 13-passsenger bus for the Foley Senior Center.

* Awarded a contract of $18,660 to Hatch, Mott, McDonald for the construction of a safe-room at Foley Fire Department’s Station 1. The project is funded from the Capital Projects Fund.

n Upon retiring its latest bond, heard Koniar say that the council had saved the city $6 million with such actions since 2009.