Second Quarter 2022

Happy Spring! I hope everyone is doing well through this pollen season.

If you’re interested in Alabama Politics you may find this to be interesting: https://www.alreporter.com/

Mayor Updates

April 2 to April 16

Good Evening Madison Team,

Wanted to get this out tonight as tomorrow will be a busy day with family.

It has been another busy yet productive two weeks and here are just a few of the high lights.

• In talking with our guys in Code Enforcement we agreed a huge shout out should go to our Public Works team. A tree at the corner of Nolan and Old Madison Pike had become a major safety hazard and we needed to take immediate action. They were quick to the scene and quick to take the tree down, load it up, clean up the area, and they were on their way. I commend both departments for their focus for our community….huge thank you!
• And talking about community our Rocket City Trash Pandas opened their 2022 season Tuesday night at Toyota Field. They are playing game 5 of the week tonight and I sure hope the weather holds out tomorrow afternoon for our family and many others to enjoy Easter baseball.
• As you might have guessed our city fuel costs increased pretty dramatically in March, going from $32,000 to just over $50,000. That is a pretty significant jump, even with a couple of more days in March.
• The Public Works CIP team poured over 450 feet of sidewalk along Gillespie Road and added 150 feet of drainage pipe.
• Building Shared that during the two weeks the permitting division created 258 permits and issued 250 of them. In addition, the inspection division performed 460 inspections.
• Code Enforcement performed 107 inspections/re-inspections, created 109 cases, and picked up 111 signs in the R.O.W.
• Too many times we only present stats for our Madison Fire and Rescue team. Chief Bailey noted that our Community Service / Community Risk Reduction crew did multiple car seat inspections, assisted JCHS Health Program with trauma scenarios, returned 2 wandering goats to appropriate fenced property, assisted the St. Johns principle with the school fire alarm system, helped citizens with disabled vehicle problems, assisted citizens with weather radio settings, installed smoke detectors in residences, and even manned the Life Safety House at our Downtown Spring Fling. Good stuff from a fantastic team.
• Our IT team shared that new passwords are rolling out with very minimal issues to report. They are still working on a password vault that will provide a secure way to keep track of any necessary departmental or user passwords.
• IT has also started working on the initial setup and assignment of the new MPD Axon body cameras this week.  Everything has been unboxed and the initial configurations are done and ready for the upcoming “go-live” with Axon.
• Our new Court Magistrate Andrea Upton started Monday the 4th.  She comes from Arab and is already certified as a Magistrate. Welcome!
• Our Madison Police Team welcomed 3 new officers who began their training on Monday the 4^th. Officer Craig Smith is a lateral officer and Officer Joshua Overman and Officer Troy Haggerty are new officers. Welcome! 
• MPD had Insanity Skate Park buzzing as Detective Danny Pettus, Detective Jesse Scroggin, Officer Mike Dixon and Officer Mike Jones hosted a Drone Expo for 2 days with 64 in attendance from several law enforcement agencies and 10 Drone Manufactures. They received some great TV coverage for the event.
• MPD Officers recovered $111,640 in cash, 4.13 pounds of Methamphetamine, 84 grams of Fentanyl, 263 grams of MDMA, 52 grams of Marijuana, THC Edibles, and a AR-15 rifle from a residence in Madison while responding to an unrelated call.
• Sergeant Ralph Dawe, SRO Officer Shannon DeFazio and SRO Aubrey Walls participated in the Career Fair at St. John’s.
• The Recreation Advisory Board met on Tuesday, April 5^th, 2022.  The Board discussed several Recreation Department projects.
• The soccer fields at the Palmer Extension are now being utilized.  The fields have been painted and soccer goals have been installed.  We are in the process of working with Huntsville Utilities to get power to the site.  Once this occurs the field lighting at the extension will be operational.
• AYSO has committed $100k for the addition of lights on Dublin Soccer Field 5. Kory has obtained a quote from MUSCO sports lighting.  The total project cost should come in at approximately $240-250k and will be brought to Council for approval soon. 
• Our team met with Comcast last week to discuss their next phase of installation. As they are retrofitting throughout the city some have experienced yard or other utility damage. In case you receive complaints on a yard being torn up, loss of service from another provider, etc., residents can contact Tim Gregory, Comcast Construction Supervisor at 706.252.4185 or tim_gregory@cable.comcast.com. I will say they have been one of the most responsive companies we have dealt with in these matters.
• Our Engineering Inspector preformed 149 inspections from 4/4-4/13.
• The tennis court lights at Dublin Park need repair and we are waiting on a new electrical panel which we anticipate the electrician will install next week.
• Hazard tree removal has begun at the Bradford Creek Greenway.  Two fallen trees were also removed in neighborhood parks.
• Chris White in IT continues to work with Public Works and outside vendors to get the Traffic Light Management System up and running.  Everything is functioning correctly now, and they have ordered some additional hardware to ensure the security and integrity of the system and information.
• I had the honor of speaking to the Madison Chamber Ambassadors at the monthly lunch. This team volunteers their time to attend multiple city events on behalf of the Chamber and we greatly value what they do for our city.

That certainly in enough for now. I have each and every one of you has a fantastic Sunday…thank you for all that you do for our Madison team and community!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

April 17 to May 1

Happy Sunday Morning,

I hope everyone has enjoyed a great weekend….hoping the weather holds out for all of us today too.

Our City of Madison team has had a big two weeks. Here are a few of the high lights.

• Thank You to everyone who supported “Take Your Child to Work Day” Thursday. We had a huge group, and they were treated to a BIG time!
• We announced a huge event that will be coming to Toyota Field October 15^th. The University of North Alabama will play Jacksonville State in their rivalry football game which will be televised on ESPN. They are expecting a sellout of 10,000 fans which would be a record attendance for Toyota Field.
• Our Rocket City Trash Pandas are 13-7 and won last night in front of 6,650 fans. Glad our different departments are enjoying time together at the field…GO Trash Pandas.
• Our Court team has had a busy two weeks opening 147 cases, closing 168, and issuing 74 warrants. Court will be closed next Friday as they will be conducting their annual Court seminar.
• In conjunction with Court our City Prosecutor worked 155 City Cases and 65 County Court cases during the two weeks.
• Chief Gandy attended and gave a presentation on Domestic Violence Awareness at a Human Trafficking/Domestic Violence public seminar hosted by the Madison Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) at James Clemens HS on Saturday April 23, 2022.
• Our Madison Police Department team conducted 2034 calls for service during the two weeks.
• I enjoyed a pizza lunch with Mrs. Williams 4^th grade class at Horizon Elementary School, answering questions and thanking them for making the Birthday Cards. This is the 6^th year Mrs. Williams class has done this for the mayor’s office.
• Our Madison Fire and Rescue team has been busy with 272 new construction inspections and 598 annual fire safety inspections completed to date in FY22. During the two weeks they answered 216 calls for service, 142 of which were EMS related.
• Our IT team continues to install conference room technology upgrades and as importantly, the training to use it!
• Small business development is picking up!  The Avenue Madison project has commitments from its first two commercial businesses: Harvest & Home, a décor business, and Honest Coffee.  We look forward to them starting tenant improvements this summer.  Next to Terrame Day Spa, R City Eye Care and Refuge Home Interiors are set to open very soon.
• The Planning Commission has approved two childcare facilities.  One will be located on County Line Rd at Watterson Way and the other at the corner of Balch and Gillespie.

• Our Recreation team shared that Home School PE had 71 participants this week. Also, MARS completed 154 trips this week.
• Neighborhood Park playground equipment has been installed at Chadrick, Ashley, and Rickwood Parks.  Staff has received positive feedback concerning the new equipment and several inquires from residents asking when their neighborhood park will get new playground equipment. We will be working with the City Council to make sure the next batch of equipment for our neighborhood parks is funded and moving forward.
• Ogle Tree Service has begun the hazard tree removal from the Bradford Creek Greenway.   The projects should be completed by the end of May weather permitting.
• Our Revenue Department shared that total sales tax collections for the month of April, 2022 are up 7.76% over collections for the month of April, 2021 and year to date collections are up 10.66% over the same period last fiscal year. 
• Building shared that the permitting division created 272 permits and issued 231 of them during the two weeks.
• The inspection division performed 612 inspections (wow) and Code Enforcement performed 88 inspections/re-inspections, created 73 cases, and picked up 74 signs in the R.O.W.
• Our Public Works CIP team continues to make significant progress on the Gillespie sidewalk, laying over 650 feet of sidewalk and adding two safety rails.
• Speaking of inspections our Engineering Inspectors preformed 200 inspections from 4/18-4/27.

I don’t know about you, but I really can’t believe it is already May. Thanks to all of you for all that you do for our employees and citizens, let’s have another great week!

May 2 – 16

City of Madison Team,

Happy Sunday morning to all. Hope everyone has had a great weekend enjoying this fantastic weather.

As always, a lot has transpired over the past two weeks, and I am happy to share some of our activities and successes.

• Site work for an Extended Stay hotel, that was approved in August 2021, has finally started.   The 108-room hotel will be located on Intergraph Way, behind Advance Auto Parts.
• Two new food concepts are in the works.   John Smith Subs is completing tenant improvements in the commercial center at the corner of County Line Road and Hardiman, and tenant improvement plans have started the review process for a hibachi restaurant to move into the former Rick’s BBQ on Hwy 72. 
• Our City Clerk’s office continues to focus on multiple activities that support our city each week. Activities including selling vehicles on Gov Deals, processing insurance claims, managing all our city credit cards, performing notary services, answering requests for information, auditing our fleet of vehicles, and supporting all council activities are critical activities for city hall success.
• Our Court team opened 124 cases, closed 95, and issued 42 warrants during the two weeks. They also held their annual court seminar last week with over 45 judges, attorney’s, officers, and magistrates in attendance.
• Our Public Works CIP team poured over 1000 feet of sidewalk on Gillespie Road in addition to adding the required safety features.
• Our Madison Fire and Rescue had a very busy two weeks responding to 226 incidents, 170 of which were EMS related. The Fire Marshall office also has completed 664 annual fire safety inspections and 102 zoning inspections during FY22.

• Our expansion at Palmer Park is getting close to finished as Huntsville Utilities installed the meters at the Palmer Park Expansion site.  The project contractor is expected to install the electrical panels soon and the ball field lights should be operational as well.  The portable Restroom trailer has been moved to the site and will open once the panels are set.
• Aquatics purchased patio furniture for the indoor pool patio.  This addition is to host birthday party rentals that can be accommodated near the pool.
• City Council approved the purchase of ball field lights for Dublin 5 from Musco Sports lighting on Monday, May 9, 2020.   The lead time to manufacture the lights is eight weeks.   The installation of the lights will go out for bid soon.  The goal is to have the lights installed by this upcoming fall. AYSO supported this purchase with a $100,000 donation.
• Hazard trees are being removed along the Bradford and Mill Creek Greenways.   We are working with our Arborist to replace the trees which have been removed.  Our plan is to plant two trees for each hazard tree we removed.
• The Dublin Park gym floor is scheduled to be refinished May 23-30, 2022.   The gym will be closed during this time.
• Recreation and aquatics staff are preparing for the summer season.  At this time, it appears we will have enough lifeguards to keep normal operating hours and programs.  We are still limiting registration for Summer Day Camp due to lack of staff.
• Our Madison Police passed along a huge thanks to Toby Jenkins in IT for all his hard work and efforts in getting our new Records Management System up and running this week.  Toby is still working out some issues, but it’s going to benefit all of us in the long run.

• MPD responded to 2053 Calls for Service during the two weeks.
• A variety of smaller commercial businesses are getting close to breaking ground.  North Alabama Family Psychiatry & Counseling has been approved to construct a 12,000 square office building behind Bojangles on Madison Boulevard.  Bank Independent has plans for a west Madison branch on County Line Road, north of Dunkin’.  Withrow Dental plans a new office on County Line Road, south of New Bristol.  Integrity Services will be expanding in Madison with the construction of a 10,700 square foot building on West Dublin.
• Building shared that during the past two weeks the permitting division created 307 permits, issued 343 of them, and the inspection division performed 577 inspections.
• Code Enforcement performed 151 inspections/re-inspections, created 80 cases, and picked up 55 signs in the R.O.W during the two weeks
• Wanted to share I had the opportunity to speak at and represent Madison at multiple events including the Congressman Aderholt reception, the annual community Prayer Breakfast, the Community Foundation Non-Profit University, NAITA annual meeting, Kohler ribbon cutting, ASMDA Annual meeting, and the Kid’s to Love presentation for Leadership Alabama.
• In conjunction with our Madison Chamber of Commerce we presented the Mayor’s Award to students at Bob Jones and James Clemens. A huge thanks to Kim Lindsey for he continued efforts to keep this going!

As I close for these two weeks, I wanted to thank all of you for everything that you do for our employees and residents. There is no way we will ever capture everything that goes on….please keep focusing on areas that we can continue to make a positive impact for our community.

Have a great week!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

May 16-30

City of Madison Team,

As I write this Monday night I again have our men and women of the military on my mind, indebted to those who gave their lives for our freedom. Our Memorial Day remembrance event hosted by American Legion Post 229 this morning was special.

Before we roll into this week I wanted to take a few minutes to high light many of the accomplishments during the past two weeks.

·        The Madison Rotary Club presented the Employee of the Year awards with Firefighter Cody White, Officer Davin Hill, Deputy Chief Brandy Williams, and Public Works Monique Melton receiving the awards. Congratulations to all!

·        Huntsville International Airport has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow commercial space vehicles to land in Huntsville. Huntsville International Airport is the first commercial airport in the U.S. approved as a reentry site to receive a space vehicle landing. Very, very cool!

·        In addition, Huntsville was named the #1 best place to live in the United States by US News and World Report. Again, a huge honor for Huntsville and the metro area including Madison.

·        Our Court team shared they opened 177 cases, closed 200, and issued 65 warrants during the two weeks.

·        Building reports that the permitting division created 253 permits, issued 240 permits, and the inspection division performed 603 inspections during the two weeks.

·        Code Enforcement performed 125 inspections/re-inspections, created 39 cases, and picked up two truck beds of signs in the R.O.W.

·        The City is now running on an upgraded and faster internet circuit thanks to our IT team. In addition WOW was here onsite this week assisting with converting Ch. 42 to a new fiber optic based digital transmission system.  The signal “out of the box” already looks much better than Ch. 42 viewers have seen in the past.  We expect everything to be ready to go for the June 13th Council Meeting.

·        Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 228 incidents during the two weeks, 171 of which were EMS related.

·        Our Fire Marshall’s office has reviewed 146 sets of plans in FY22 and they have conducted 717 annual fire inspections in FY22.

·        Many community members toured the new Journey Middle School and it is as impressive as you would expect.

·        I had the honor of handing out the Mayor’s Award to students and Liberty and Discovery Middle schools.

·        The Planning Commission approved the conceptual plan for a new roundabout at the intersection of Hardiman Road and Halsey Drive.  The improvement is expected to be constructed in the coming year, pending City Council approval.  It will facilitate projected traffic associated with a new elementary school planned for Halsey Drive.  The City also anticipates installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Hardiman Road and Burgreen Road in the same time frame to address the congestion occurring in the morning peak hour at that location.

·        Our Madison Police responded to 1993 calls for service during the two weeks.

·        Chief Gandy, the Madison Police Department Honor Guard, and several officers participated in the Law Enforcement Candle-Light Vigil at the Madison County Courthouse

·        Detective Teresa Taylor-Duncan, Officer Cheryl Wooden, Officer Garrett Hyatt, and Officer Shane Kyker conducted the RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) training class for 14 female participants

·        A Farmer’s Market in downtown Madison starts on June 3^rd!   Vendors will be located in Garner Alley from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. each Friday through the summer and early Fall.  The Old Thyme Market will offer 100% local products and have live music.  

·        I am always amazed at the efforts of our Public Works team. Activities included sidewalk repairs, drainage improvements, tree removal from storms, visibility improvements of overgrown limbs, and many more quality of life enhancements that many times go unnoticed.

·        On the election front only 23.4% of registered Alabama voters showed up to vote in the primary, representing the second lowest turnout during a midterm election since 2000.  The turnout in Madison (20.9%), Jefferson (22.3%), Mobile (17.4%), Montgomery (20.7%) and Baldwin (20.6) counties were all lower than the state average.

·        Total sales tax collections for the month of May, 2022 are up 6.3% over sales tax collections for the month of May, 2021.

·        Recreation staff is preparing for the upcoming summer season.  The outdoor pool opened for the season Memorial Day weekend and Summer Day Camp will begin on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. 

·        Power is now available at the Palmer Park Extension project.  The field lighting is operational and the rest room trailer will be available at the site.  Staff is working on repairing flood damage to fields over the course of the next two months.  The facility should be fully operational by August.

·        We have learned the Arts Council will not be having concerts this summer.  Parks and Recreation is planning concerts at Homeplace Park once a month June – August.  The exact dates are TBD at this point and we will get them out as quickly as possible.

• Engineering shared that our Inspector preformed 204 inspections from 5/12 -5/25.

Thanks for everything that you do for our citizens and our Madison employees. We have an incredible city and community and I feel blessed to be the Mayor.

Let’s have a great week….!
Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

June 1st to July 2nd

City of Madison Team,

First and foremost, Happy 4^th of July weekend.

As you are aware I am a little behind in updates. Thus, we are going to share the month of June’s high lights and work to get back on track next week.

• The City celebrated the ribbon cutting for Home Place Park on June 23^rd.   The renovated park provides the City with a fresh performance space for small concerts, school pep rallies, plays, etc.  With a picnic pavilion and ample parking nearby, the park is a convenient place for Madison residents to enjoy themselves.   Bookings for the performance pavilion will be managed by the Parks and Recreation Department.
• During the last five weeks Building shared that the permitting division created 500 permits and issued 504 of them while the inspection division performed 1329 inspections.
• During the last five weeks Code Enforcement performed 243 inspections/re-inspections, created 134 new cases, and picked up well over 400 signs in the R.O.W.
• Our Revenue team shared that total sales tax collections for the month of June, 2022 are up 13.16% over collections for the month of June, 2021 and year to date collections are up 10.43% over the same period last fiscal year. 
• Our Madison Fire and Rescue shared that during the five weeks they responded to 541 incidents, 404 of which were EMS related.
• The Madison Fire and Rescue team also continues to stay busy with inspections, having completed 801 annual fire inspections, 34 annual food truck inspections, and over 100 architectural plans in FY22.
• Our Public Works team gets going early to beat the heat and they continue to use this dry weather to their advantage. Re-grading and cutting back ditches, trimming back overgrown bushes and trees, and working on erosion repair are just a few of the activities currently on their list.
• The Public Works CIP team completed another sidewalk connection project, connecting existing sidewalk to the church on Powell Road.
• Our Court team shared that during the last 4 weeks they opened 288 cases, closed 308 cases, and issued 107 warrants
• Our first Community Governance Transition meeting was held at City Hall and led by Councilperson Bartlett with support from James Ross of the Governance Transition Committee. The primary focus for this meeting was on the role of the City Manager. Two current City Managers (from Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills) shared their roles, responsibilities, and insights. The next meeting will be July 11^th at noon at the library with a focus on the Mayor’s role.
• Chief Gandy introduced the newly promoted Sergeants: Sergeant Chris Coons, Sergeant Mike Dixon and Sergeant Davin Hill to the Mayor and City Council in a pinning ceremony at Monday Night Council Meeting
• Our Madison Police Department team shared that during the last 5 weeks they have conducted 5254 calls for service.
• MPD has also had a great first 3 weeks of Kid’s Camp with 225 participants enjoying numerous activities.
• Our City of Madison fuel costs have increased an average of $17,000 a month over the last 3 months, from $35,000 each month to $52,000 each month.
• The first “Concert in the Park” took place at Homeplace Park on Thursday, June 16, 2022.  Over 100 people attended in the mid 90-degree heat to watch Calypso Vision perform.  Groove is scheduled to play on Thursday, July 21, 2022.
• City Council approved the site design work for phase II of the Palmer Park Master Plan on Monday, June 13, 2022.
• The Recreation Advisory Board met on Tuesday, June 7, 2020.  The Board reviewed current Parks and Recreation projects and discussion of the FY23 budget requests from the various organizations.
• Madison Library Branch manager Sarah Sledge has decided to retire. Her last day was Friday June 24th. We are of course sad to see Sarah leave and wish her the best in retirement!

I hope everyone enjoys a fantastic 4^th! Thanks to each one of you for what you do for our residents and fellow employees!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

In Closing

As always, I will be updating this blog every couple of weeks. Please check back during the the first quarter of 2021 for new information. You can also provide your email address in the box below for a subscription and be notified when the blog is updated  I can be reached at Email Maura or 256.337.2408. Thank you again for your continued support!