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First Quarter 2023

Happy New Year everyone! The New Year brings hope and strength for continued blessings on our city, state and country. I hope 2023 is your best year yet for you and your family. Madison is starting strong with new opportunities and projects in our city and I will be sharing them over the next twelve months. I have two goals in particular this year: A new roundabout and a new greenway. We have a roundabout planned for the intersection of Balch and Browns Ferry Road near the Mill Creek Greenway dog park parking lot. The design for the roundabout is complete and it is my hope that construction will start in the summer of this year. My second goal, is the completion of the Mill Creek Greenway. The greenway currently stops between the Oakstone and Foxfield subdivisions at the Oakstone neighborhood parking lot. My hope this will be continued this summer and end at the Mill Creek Crossing subdivision entrance where the Wall Triana multi use path is. This will effectively tie the Mill Creek and Bradford Creek Greenways together. Stay tuned for further updates!

Friends of Madison Library Spring Book Sale

The spring book sale will be Saturday, February 18th from 9 am until 5 pm and then again Sunday, February 19th from 1 pm until 4 pm. All used books in the large meeting rooms will be .25 or 5 for $1.00 This does not include books in the book store. Please come by and buy a few favorite books, DVD’s or magazines. All proceeds go to support library programs for the community. The next sale after this one will be in the fall, 2023. Thank you for your support!

ReadyFest 2023!

Please mark your calendars for ReadyFest2023! This annual community event will be Saturday, February 25th from 9 am until 1 pm at Discovery Middle School. We will have indoor vendors in the gym and outside displays of first response teams and vehicles in the parking lot. There will be food trucks and something for everyone. I look forward to seeing you there!

Mayor Finley’s Reports

January 1st to 8th

City of Madison Team,

Even with a short week we accomplished a great deal. Here are just a few of the highlights!

  • Revenue shared that business license renewals continue at a brisk pace.  As of January 5th, 2023, a total of 1,331 licenses have been renewed for the current year.  For comparison, as of January 5th, 2022, a total of 846 licenses had been renewed.
  • Revenue also shared that sales Tax revenue for the month of December 2022 was up 7.61% over December 2021 tax collections and year to date sales tax collections are currently up 4.36% over the previous fiscal year
  • Our Building team shared that this week the permitting division created 59 permits, issued 49 of them, and the inspection division performed 211 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 11 inspections/re-inspections, created 5 cases, and picked up 4 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Our Madison Fire and Rescue shared that they responded to 112 incidents, 88 of which were EMS related.
  • A quick welcome to our new Court Clerk Amanda Garlen! She and the Court team shared that they opened 37 cases, closed 61, and issued 39 warrants during the week.
  • Our Madison Police team shared that they responded to 1193 calls for service last week. I would also like to thank them for their great police work on some recent neighborhood burglaries, resulting in an arrest this week. Great job MPD team!
  • Our Public Works team spent countless hours during the past few weeks focused on proactive measures to keep our roads safe. Thanks PW team for your efforts!
  • Steve Smith and I met with multiple Department Heads to develop our upcoming Capital Improvement Project list. We then met with Roger Bellomy in Finance to determine possible funding sources for these projects. Significant progress was made, and we will be ready for a great discussion with Council at our February work session.

With 2023 just starting I wanted to include a quick reminder of our city mission statement.

The City of Madison’s mission is to provide excellent services through responsible use of public resources, enhancing the quality of life for our community

I hope you are as proud as I am of all that we accomplished for our citizens in 2022. Madison is a great city and your focus on our community and our mission is a main reason why.

Stay dry and let’s have another fantastic week.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

January 9th to 15th

City of Madison Team,

I hope everyone has enjoyed the weekend and is ready to hit the ground running on our short week. We accomplished a great deal last week, here are a few of the highlights.

  • Our City Council held a work session last week to discuss the possibility to implement impact fees on residential development. After presentations and discussion is was agreed we will NOT go forward with any type of impact fees. We will continue to manage our growth using our current growth plan and possibly adjust it if needed.
  • Along with several of our Council members I attended four ribbon cuttings last week. Included in the mix were Sa Za’s Italian restaurant and Panda Express, both in Town Madison.
  • I am pleased to announce that we have filled our new Communications and External Affairs position. Gabriel Kuenzli, former digital media specialist at WAFF-48, will join us February 6th to work alongside with Samantha in creating content and communicating with our city.
  • Our City Prosecutor and Court had a busy week last week, with 112 municipal cases and 2 circuit court cases. In addition, Court shared they opened 90 cases, closed 91, and issued 25 warrants.
  • While we have an incredible school system in Madison, I am reminded not every child takes advantage of it and many are home schooled. Our Recreation Department supports the Home School PE program had they had 59 participants on Friday.
  • Pickleball continue to grow as a sport and our Recreation Department is working to keep up. Kory and the Mayor’s office are working to bring to Council for funding approval of a plan to retrofit the Hexagon tennis courts into pickleball court (including lighting). In addition, Kory is working with a group to support a large Spring pickleball tournament. Much more to follow.
  • Recreation staff and our consultant did a final walk-through for the HVAC system for the indoor pool area at Dublin Park.  The consultant recommended that the city not accept the project until certain aspects of the system are corrected.  We plan on reviewing again within the next two weeks.
  • A shout out to our City Clerk’s office. In addition to supporting a city council meeting and a Council work session Lisa shared that all City Clerk staff is now certified as Notary Publics and that they supported our community with 26 notaries this week.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue shared upcoming plans for their continued focus on community risk reduction. Final scheduling work and distribution of 3rd grade workbooks to all stations (classes start 1/17) was completed and prep for 4th and 5th grade Virtual Reality rollout started for later this spring. In addition multiple interactions with CPR, smoke detector installs, and handicap citizen needs were accomplished throughout the week.
  • MFR also shared they responded to 88 incidents, 57 of which were EMS related for an average of 12.5 call per day.
  • Our Building team was busy with his week the permitting division creating 62 permits, issuing 83 of them, and the inspection division performed 310 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 6 inspections/re-inspections, created 12 new cases, and picked up 25 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Public Works has whittled their open service requests down to 12, the lowest number I have seen since I have been Mayor. Nice job PW team!
  • A big shout out to both the IT and HR teams, keeping things going as we look to fill both Director positions. Thanks to all of you for your extra efforts.
  • Lastly, great to have Alicia Walden back in City Hall. Alicia is now the Administrative Assistant for Planning.

Next week will be tough for many of us as we lay to rest one of our longtime employees Marvin Baker. We will miss his smile, positive attitude, and most of all his friendship. Madison and our City Hall have been blessed with Marvin; he absolutely will be missed.

Short week, tough week, let’s work hard to make it a meaningful week.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

January 15h to 22nd

City of Madison team,

It was a quick yet productive week….here are a few of the highlights.

  • I was contacted by our Madison County Probate Judge in follow up to Madison Forward delivering community signatures to try and push forward with a vote for the Council/City Manager form of government. After much review it was determined they fell short of obtaining the required number of legal signatures for moving this process forward.  
  • Our court team was busy and shared they opened 84 cases, closed 118, issued 47 warrants, and our City Prosecutor conducted 102 cases last week.
  • MPD shared that they responded to 1261 calls for service last week.
  • Our Public Works team started removing brush and debris from the old three springs property as we are getting close to kicking off that project.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 110 incidents, 67 of which were EMS related.
  • Our Building team shared that the permitting division created 72 permits, issued 82 of them, and the inspection division performed 301 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 12 inspections/re-inspections, created 12 new cases, and picked up 24 signs in the R.O.W.
  • An interview team (Dustin Riddle, Steve Smith, and Laura Brake) conducted multiple interviews for our new Facilities Manager position and have narrowed the search down to a short list.
  • Chris White has been named our new Director of IT….congratulations Chris!
  • Steve Smith and Kory Alfred met with our local pickleball instructors concerning developing a pickleball facility at the Hexagon property.  They believe we have a solid plan for both indoor and outdoor courts.  The next step is finding a consultant that can develop specs for converting the four existing tennis courts into 16 pickleball courts.
  • MARS completed 153 trips this week.
  • Aquatics Director, Chris Lund is in the process of contacting a consultant that can meet with MSA concerning leveling the diving boards at the outdoor pool.  He is also getting quotes for competition boards for the outdoor pool at Dublin.
  • I participated in a call with a consultant hired by the Convention and Visitors Bureau to obtain feedback on ideas on how we continue to Grow Tourism and Hospitality within Madison.
  • Two important items Council will have the opportunity to vote on at Monday’s meeting are a resolution for Madison Fire and Rescue to enter into an agreement with UAH to develop a 5-year strategic plan and the second reading of an ordinance to change the name of Halsey Road to Madison Branch Boulevard (as requested by the former landowner).
  • Multiple city personnel supported a meeting with Import Towing to discuss citizen complaints and to define a better path forward.
  • I had lunch Thursday with Mrs. Williams 4th grade class….the ones who create our birthday cards. I thanked them for their continued willingness to support the Mayor’s office in this endeavor.

Let’s have a great week…..thank you for all that you do for our citizens and employees!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

January 22nd to 29th

Team,

We had a full week of action and activity, here are just a few of the high lights.

  • Many of us attended the Alabama Legislative update at the Jackson Center. We heard from our new Speaker of the House Nathanial Ledbetter, Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, Senators Arthur Orr and Clay Scofield, and Representative Rex Reynolds. North Alabama is well positioned for this upcoming session.
  • Our Court team had a busy week opening 74 cases, closing 128, and issuing 84 warrants. In addition, our City Prosecutor handled 63 Municipal cases.
  • MARS completed 153 trips this week.
  • Our Public Works team was busy at the Old Three Springs property, taking down and hauling off the old barn, zip line structure, and a great deal of “overgrowth”.
  • The city will hold a “wall breaking” Tuesday the 31st at 9:00 at the Old Three Springs building to kick off the revitalization, transforming the facility into our Community Center.
  • I met with Melanie Thornton of Madison Visionary Partners to discuss the fund-raising efforts their group will focus on for our Community Center. They have a fantastic plan, and we can’t wait to see the progress they make.
  • Building shared the permitting division created 85 permits, issued 54 permits, and the inspection division performed 307 inspections during the week.
  • Code Enforcement performed 14 inspections/re-inspections, created 15 cases, and picked up 20 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Our new IT Director Chris White shared there were 51 work order tickets submitted to IT this week along with numerous calls and walk-ins.
  • I.T. started getting quotes from other Vendors for point-to-point fiber to 5 city remote location buildings.  (Fire Stations 2 & 3, Dublin Park, Senior Center, and Library).
  • Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 99 incidents last week, 73 of which were EMS related.
  • Madison Police responded to 1140 calls for service, issued 64 citations, and gave 81 warnings during the week.
  • The MPD Investigation Division worked tireless to follow leads on the recent bank robberies including getting warrants on potential suspect(s).  A joint effort between our detectives, the FBI, our officers and SWAT Team, as well as SWAT Teams from Madison County and Huntsville Police Department, executed search warrants on different locations resulting in successfully arresting a suspect, and recovery of evidence involving three bank robberies in Madison, and one in Huntsville.  Great job by Detective Wes Grigsby and Detective Tanner Wilkerson for all their efforts and hard work which lead to this arrest.  The investigation still continues.
  • Detective Teresa Taylor-Duncan, Officer Cheryl Wooden and Officer Garrett Hyatt conducted RAD Class for 15 ladies this week.
  • Steve Smith and I continue to work with our Department Heads on both our upcoming CIP list and also some of the longer-term projects. The CIP projects will be discussed at the upcoming 2-15 City Council work session along with an update From Mary Beth Broeren on our economic development successes.
  • Our Revenue team is crazy busy right now with business license renewals. Thanks to our team for your long hours and hard work.
  • Several of our team met with Madison Utilities to discuss both tactical needs and strategic opportunities.

I will be headed down to Mobile Sunday morning to represent Madison at the Big 10 Mayors meeting. Each time we meet I am even more proud of our city and of you, the team that continues to live our mission statement. Each of us is a representative of Madison and our city continues to shine. Let’s have another great week!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

January 30th to February 5th

City of Madison Team,

What a busy, busy week. Here are just a few of the high lights.

  • We held our “wall breaking” for the recently funded Community Center. Hosted by the Madison Chamber and supported by Madison Visionary Partners we had a big crowd on a rainy day, all were excited to get this major project started.
  • I attended the Big 10 Mayor’s meeting in Mobile. Primary points of discussion were public safety, ARPA funding, opportunities for economic development and a discussion on city funding priorities. At this time, it looks like the state will prioritize the remaining ARPA $$$ on water/sewer projects and hospitals.
  • I also attended the State of Healthcare update for Madison County. The Huntsville Hospital system has 2200 beds and 18,000 employees, generates $2.3 billion in economic benefit, with ½ of the patients coming from outside the county. Madison Hospital has 90 beds, and in 2022 they had over 1400 babies born and over 55,000 ER visits.
  • Also presented at the update was 988, the new hotline for mental health (like 911 for public safety).
  • Council President Bartlett and I met with Dr. Nichols and two members of our Madison School board to discuss safety support and funding requirements. In addition Dr. Nichols shared that they have only grown by 180ish students this year.
  • We also received an update on the progress being made on the Singing River Trail. Multiple towns including Madison, Huntsville, Decatur, Athens, Scottsboro, along with Madison County have already funding connections and the towns of Leighton and Gurley each received $1,000,000 TAP grants for trail development.
  • We received notice from Probate Judge Frank Barger that he has dismissed without prejudice Madison Forwards petition for a City Manager vote. They did not meet the minimum requirement for validated signatures. They do have the ability to try again, and we will wait to hear their decision on trying again.
  • We received a very positive email from the swim association concerning recreations support of the Kyle Parker invitation swim meet. Great job recreation team!
  • Revenue shared that total sales tax collections for the month of January 2023 are up 14.37% over collections for the month of January 2022 and year to date collections are up 7.06% over the same period last fiscal year. Revenue also shared that a total of 4,000 sales, rental, and lodging tax returns were filed online for the month of January 2023.
  • Our Building department shared that the permitting division created 87 permits, issued 75 permits, and the inspection division performed 272 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 18 inspections/re-inspections, created 27 cases, and picked up 25 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Our Public Works team was in full support mode this week, taking away the street sweeping debris, cleaning out multiple drains, ditches, and the Mill Creek greenway, and supporting fire with a fuel spill.
  • Our Madison Police responded to 1376 call for service last week.
  • Chief Gandy and our traffic unit officers attended the Madison Police Citizens Advisory Committee meeting at the public library attended by about 20 citizens. The team gave a presentation on what to do when stopped by police, which was very well received and favorable coverage by local media.
  • Our Madison Police team, working with the FBI, arrested a second suspect in a recent bank robbery who may also be a suspect in numerous other unsolved bank robberies in the northern Alabama and southern Tennessee area. Some seriously good police work!
  • Detective Theresa Taylor-Duncan, Officer Cheryl Wooden, and Officer Garrett Hyatt conducted a RAD course for a group of ladies.        
  • Our Court team shared they opened 137 cases, closed 148, and issued 22 warrants. Also, we had 26 defendants enter our newly started diversion program in January.
  • The City Clerks office was busy as the Deputy City Clerk worked on collecting insufficient checks that were made payable to the City, multiple deeds and annexation requests managed, 15 notaries processed, and addition training given for our new Muni-Code agenda software.
  • IT shared that there were 39 work orders submitted to IT along with calls and walk-ins.
  • Recreation met with Public Works, Engineering, and Steve Smith concerning the staging for constructing the Kids Kingdom playground project.  As of right now we are planning for the playground opening the by the end of May.  The restroom will be the final item to be installed.  We anticipate August or September for the restroom installation.
  • MARS completed 178 trips this week.
  • Recreation also shared that our Home School PE program had 79 participants this week and that a total 18 teams have registered for our Adult Softball League Spring season.
  • The Fire Marshall’s office shared that they completed 19 safety inspections this week bringing our total to 229 for FY23.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 110 incidents this week, 74 of which were EMS related.

I was very proud to represent Madison last week at all of the events I attended. Our team is doing a great job of managing growth and staying focused on our mission….thank for all that you do and let’s have another fantastic week.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

February 5th to 12th

City of Madison Team,

I hope everyone had a great week. We accomplished a great deal last week, here are just a few of the highlights.

  • We are excited to have Gabe Kuenzli on board in the Mayor’s office as a second Communications Specialist. Along with Samantha Magnuson Gabe will work to push out as much information and good news as possible to our Madison Community.
  • My week started off with five students from St. John’s Catholic School who brought breakfast to support their Community Appreciation Day. St. Johns does this each year, and we truly appreciate them.
  • Later that day we were visited by a group of Government managers from Turkmenistan to learn more about our government structure. This was sponsored by Global Ties and was truly a learning experience for us too.
  • Chris Lund met with Alabama Pool Kings and the diving coach from Madison Swim Association in follow up to a request that had been made to make sure our diving boards were aligned correctly. We were aligned as needed….thanks to Chris for going the extra mile!
  • Our Court team had a large docket and busy week, opening 57 cases, closing 122, and issuing 46 warrants.
  • Our Building team shared that the permitting division issued 98 permits, issued 84 permits, and the inspection division performed 272 inspections last week.
  • Code Enforcement performed 8 inspections/re-inspections, created 10 cases, and picked up 12 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Our Fire Marshall’s office shared that they permitted 10 new construction inspections this week and they have now completed 112 in FY23.
  • The Firefighter application process ended last week and we are excited to have 89 applicants in the cue.
  • Our Madison Fire and Rescue Community Risk Reduction Program is in full swing with our Madison City Schools 3rd graders. Phase 1 is complete with 43 classes and 826 students involved…..great job MFR!
  • MFR also shared they responded to 112 incidents, 73 of which were EMS related.
  • Our Public Works team stayed busy all week on multiple projects. One that stretched multiple days was continued sidewalk repair on HIghland Drive.
  • Our IT team was busy and shared that 58 work orders were submitted to I.T. along with multiple calls and walk-ins. In addition, they completed updating the city’s network monitoring software to the latest version. 
  • Recreation shared that Youth Volleyball registration is ending this week. There are 190 participants in the spring league, the most we ever had registered. In addition, registration for Summer Day Camp has begun.  Staff is in the process of planning the 2023 camp.
  • MARS completed 178 trips this week.
  • Our Madison Police team responded to 1051 calls for service during the week.
  • Chief Gandy, Sgt. Ralph Dawe and Sgt. Tanner Ward attended a planning meeting with Chief Bailey, members of the Madison Fire Department, and Dr. West from Madison City Schools for an upcoming emergency management exercise that will be conducted later in spring of 2023 centered around a school bus crash with mass casualties.
  • Our City Prosecutor Tim McFalls handled 86 municipal court and 10 circuit court cases this week.
  • I had a great meeting with our new Madison County Commission Chairman, Mac McCutchen. We discussed multiple areas of support including the MPO, roads, Community Center, and public safety.
  • Lastly, I had a great meeting with our Madison County District 2 Commissioner Steve Haraway. Steve continues to support multiple departments throughout our city and he is constantly looking out for us.

As I close, I again want tell each of you how much we appreciate your focus and efforts. Our city continues to shine….thank you for all that you do for our citizens and employees. Let’s have another great week!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

February 12th to 19th

Team,

Thought I would lead off this week with a couple of community emails that I have received concerning our employees.

“I have been so impressed with Eric Robinson in the Parks and Rec Department.  I have been in contact with the parks and rec department for several years now in working on the West Highlands neighborhood playground.  Eric is so responsive and communicative to my questions and patient with my uneducated ideas.  He is a hard worker, too, and I can see that he is passionate about improving Madison parks for our community.  I think he is a great asset to our city and especially in dealing with so many interested parties in the neighborhood parks.”

“they had met with Johnny Blizzard, Eduard Morgan and I believe they have gotten GIS data as well (which would be Keith Conville) to discuss the way ahead in developing our campus.  The team from Ellis made a special point to first complement the staff in how open, friendly, and helpful everyone was.  They told us they had never seen a municipality being so helpful. Next, they told us that Madison’s codes were simply fantastic.  They said of all the codes they’d delt with in building churches over central / north Alabama, Madison’s was, by far, the best written, easy to follow and logically organized.  So many of their questions were answered in our documents.”

“I was involved in a car accident on 01/25 and was very shaken and upset.  Nick (Markfort) from Madison Fire and Rescue was off duty at the time, but he got out and helped me and my daughter and was our Angel.  Nick assessed injury, talked me out of shock, and calmed us down and stayed with us until on duty Fire Rescue and the Police arrived.  Then, he proceeded to support his fellow teammates when they were there.  His professionalism, compassion, and dedication to serving the community is outstanding.  Thank you, Nick!”

In addition to those kudos, here are some other highlights from the week.

  • Congratulations to our new E-911 Communications Manager, Daniel Weaver. Also, thank you to Traci Sherman for stepping up and doing an outstanding job as the interim manager for the past few months.
  • Per our safety committee Steve Perry and Laura Brake reported that AMIC did our annual safety inspection. Our safety initiatives, coupled with the City of Madison employee’s excellent safety record, netted the city a discount of over $220,000 from AMIC on this year’s bill. Additionally, our bill was discounted another $56,000 for our “modifier” which reduced from .82 last year to .78 this year due to our excellent safety programs. THANK YOU to everyone who participates on our safety committee….GREAT JOB!
  • City Council held a work session focused on CIP projects, Economic Development successes, and they received an update on the Town Madison/I-565 interchange project.
  • I had the honor of representing Madison at the swearing in ceremony for Mac McCutcheon, our new Madison County Commission Chairman.
  • Madison Police shared that they responded to 929 incidents last week, issued 119 tickets and issued 83 warnings.
  • Multiple MPD and MFD personnel, along with HEMSI and Madison City Schools, conducted a tabletop simulation of a school bus crash with mass casualties on Wednesday.
  • Court shared that they opened 121 cases, closed 122, and issued 29 warrants this week.
  • Building shared that the permitting division created 74 permits, issued 79 permits, and the inspection division performed 249 inspections throughout the week.
  • Code Enforcement performed 25 inspections/re-inspections, created 23 cases, and picked up 33 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Our community risk reduction team from Madison Fire and Rescue conducted multiple CPR classes this week including classes for Asbury Church and the Trash Panda office staff.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue also shared that they responded to 109 incidents, 73 of which were EMS related.
  • Our Public Works team used the front half of the week cleaning out drainage ditches in preparation for yesterday’s rain. While over 2 inches of rain, we didn’t have any significant flooding…great job PW team!
  • Our Recreation team shared that the playground structure in Hardiman Place Park was installed this week.
  • MARS completed 183 trips this week.
  • Our Madison team met with representatives from Noresco to discuss our street light project. Phase 1 is now complete, and we discussed our next scope of work to follow up on concerns we had received on existing neighborhood lighting along with investigating additional collector road lighting we may want to add.
  • I.T. had 39 work orders submitted along with multiple calls and walk-ins. In addition, I.T. sent out phish training emails to all City Employees and City Council.  So far, we have six clickers.  I.T. will be sending out training videos to the six clickers next week. Congratulations to all of those who were vigilant.

Thanks to all of you for everything that you do for our Madison community. Hope you stay warm and have a great weekend.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

February 27th to March 4th

First and foremost, I am sure glad this batch of severe weather is behind us. As always, our Public Works team was ready and prepared and did a monster job throughout. Our team quickly assessed the city needs and both Madison Police and Madison Fire engaged as needed. Steve Perry kept us updated through the rounds of storms and luckily, we didn’t see any major damage. I am so proud of our team, and I thank each one of you for all that you did to help Madison through these last couple of days.

While the storms were raging the rest of the city kept on going and a great deal was accomplished throughout the week. Here are just a few of the highlights.

  • Congratulations to Chad Menard on his recent promotion to Battalion Chief..  He will begin his new role as the C-Shift Battalion Chief on March 6, 2023. Also thanks to Battalion Chief Steve Perry for fulfilling the roles of Operations BC and City Emergency Mgr./ Safety Officer for several months now. 
  • Our Building team shared that they created 97 permits, issued 89 permits, and the inspection division performed 223 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 45 inspections/re-inspections, created 40 cases, and picked up 24 signs in the R.O.W.
  • The Senior Center is seeing an increase in participation due to limited services of the Huntsville/Madison County Senior Center due damage from pipes breaking during the winter freeze. From February 22-March 1, 2023, the center had 1026 activity participant sign-ins for activities. During that time, the Rotary Club hosted a Mardi Gras party at the Senior Center on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.
  • Our Parks and Recreation full-time staff completed certifications for first aid and CPR by the American Red Cross.
  • MARS completed 169 trips this week. Also, recreation staff has placed an order for an additional MARS bus.  There is a five-month lead time for the bus.
  • Recreation staff is well into the planning for the Easter Egg Hunt, which is scheduled for April 8, 2023.
  • Our Madison Police responded to 1148 Calls for Service last week, had 31 arrests, issued 120 citations, and gave 83 warnings.
  • Our Citizen’s Advisory Committee meeting was held at the Madison Library Tuesday night – the topic was how the MPD takes and investigates complaints against officers.
  • ReadyFest was held last weekend at Discovery Middle School. Weather played a part in the low turnout.
  • A majority of our Public Works action items from each day started with “removed debris.” Our team continue to take a proactive approach to keeping water draining, without this focus there is no telling what flooding problems we might have. Thank you to our entire PW team!
  • Our I.T. team shared that they had 49 work orders submitted along with supporting numerous walk ins and calls.
  • Our Court team shared that they opened 78 cases and issued 68 warrants. 
  • Our Fire Marshall’s office shared they conducted 34 annual fire inspections this week bringing their total to 383 for FY23.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue shared they responded to 128 incidents, 78 of which were EMS related during the week.
  • Revenue shared that total sales tax collections for the month of February 2023 are up 18.87% over collections for the month of February, 2022 and year to date collections are up 9.09% over the same period last fiscal year. 
  • Our Court Clerk Amanda Garlen shared that she completed the final step of Magistrate Certification this week.
  • Madison Hospital celebrated their 11th Birthday last week.
  • Lastly, I am excited to announce that Megan Zingarelli will return to the City of Madison. Megan has accepted the Director of HR position and she will start Monday in her new role. 

 That’s to all of you for your continued focus on Madison and our residents. Let’s stay focused on our mission and have another great week.

Council, Mayor and Department Heads had a very informative Work Session on Wednesday, February 15. Here are the Minutes from that meeting:

CURRENT PROJECT UPDATES


FLYOVER-AECOM
AECOM Senior Project Manager Eddie Lobdell provided an update on the I-565
Interchange. He shared visualizations of the off-ramp and on-ramp headed westbound I-565.
Mr. Lobdell shared the uniqueness’s of the project which include the following:
Partnership between City of Madison & ALDOT on a project this size
Tight curvatures of bridges (Auburn University to conduct research during construction
with city’s permission)
Mechanically stabilized earth walls
Existing geotechnical conditions in the area
Foundation types
Impacts to traffic along I-565/traffic control

Production and fabrication
Mr. Lobdell shared the following items that will make this project successful:
Communication and coordination between all parties
Managing quantities and supplements
Learning from lessons from Phase I
Good recordkeeping, management, and closeout

Mr. Lobdell answered council members questions regarding lighting on the existing
ramp, traffic impacts and timeframe during blasting times, communication with ALDOT and
their involvement in the project, product testing, communication with the city engineer, city
council, and other city personnel.
Mr. Lobdell shared the sequence of construction which tells the contractor what side of
the roadway and what he can build. The contractor can vary from it but it would need to be
approved as it is very much regulated. Mr. Lobdell showed the detours that would be used
during the construction and how communication through press releases would be completed
to notify the public.

Lastly Mr. Lobdell answered additional council member questions regarding big field
work, rate of status updates, who defines the critical path of the project, calendar day
agreement, digital signage for the public, and the distance of the bridges on I-565 after the
on-ramp westbound.

Lee Builders-Community Center Update


City Administrator Steve Smith shared that representative from Lee Builders had a
conflict tonight and would not be available, but that he would share the update regarding the
community center. He advised that on January 31st Madison had their first ever “wall-breaking”
at the community center. Construction fencing has been placed with gates on each driveway,
all necessary permits have been acquired, and the fencing that was connected to the buildings
has come down.

Plumbing fixtures in the building have been removed, HVAC generators and
other electrical units have been disconnected. There were a few HVAC units that are in good
shape and can be repurposed. Director for Parks & Recreation Kory Alfred is having the
generator moved over to Dublin Park. The kitchen is currently being demolished and once that
is completed along with another room that is being demolished, they will start working on the
wings. Each wing is going to take 20 to 25 days to demolish and they will continue that until
they complete all four wings.

After that they will move on to the outside building. All this work
will be going on for the next 3-4 months and then they will start working on steel structures
and widening of the windows. Once that is completed, work inside the building will begin.
City Administrator Steve Smith explained that they meet every 2 weeks for updated and
that they will continue doing so every 2 weeks.

Mayor Finley added that once they move into the next phase that they will get Lee
Builders back in to provide another update.

CIP LIST


Mayor Finley shared that at the end of last year he worked with department heads, City
Council, and the Mayor’s office to get a list of projects to put on a short-term list. Mayor Finley
added that many of the projects that were discussed have funding in the FY2023 budget to
move the projects forward and in some cases complete the projects. Mayor Finley discussed
that many projects that have a priority have an estimated cost but that they need to have a
more realistic cost to move forward. Mayor Finley discussed some of the following projects on
the CIP list:


 Hughes Road/Old Madison Pike Intersection
 Balch/Brown Ferry Roundabout
 Royal Drive Phase I (if-then, economic development related)
 Bradley Street Improvement (if-then, economic development related)
 Mill Road Ditch Improvements
 Portal Lane Ditch Improvements
 Mill Road Sidewalk (County Line to Trailhead)
 Fire/Police Training Facility
 Hexagon Building 23 Upgrade
 Hexagon Complex Phase I and II
 Sunshine Oaks Phase I


Mayor Finley shared that in the current budget there is $2.1 million dollars for CIP
projects, but that Director of Finance Roger Bellomy has identified an additional $7-$9 million
dollars that can come from the General Fund and around $12 million in bond money for CIP
projects. Before they decide what to use it they need to know what the projects are actually
going to cost and then bring to council the same list with actual or close to actual numbers so
that they could prioritize what they want to do. Mayor Finley concluded by asking for any
questions or discussion from City Council.


Council Members asked several questions related to projects and their timelines. Mayor
Finley and City Engineer Michael Johnson responded to several of these questions. Mayor
Finley requested from Council a verbal council approval to have Director of Finance Roger
Bellomy to move money over before mid-year budget.


Council Member Powell asked if the approval would need to be something that would
need to be done on Monday night’s council meeting. Mayor Finley asked Director of Finance
Roger Bellomy if he needs a formal motion. Director of Finance Roger Bellomy responded that
the verbal is fine and that they can ratify at mid-year budget. City Engineer Michael Johnson
added that it would just help with the design process instead of waiting for two weeks. Council
Member Denzine also added that she does not want to be put up to the deadline to decide on
FY24 budget, which is why she would like the numbers well in advance. Council Member Spears
clarified that the approval from council is just agreeing that the money needs to be shifted and
that they will ratify in a future council meeting. Council Member Powell added that it is just to
get the engineering design to allow them to move forward.


Council Member Denzine asked about the items on the list did not have anything midyear or FY23 such as Fire Station 5 and Police Substation. Mayor Finley responded that it is a
ways down the road as they need to get Fire Station 4 going, but it was something that they wanted to have it on the list especially when the school being built. Mayor Finley also added
that is a placeholder and that there is nothing for them to do or design right now on it.
Council Member Spears asked about the $4 million dollar under restore our roads.
Mayor Finley explained that Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle brought 7 major projects forward
to restore roads and 3 of those projects directly correspond with Madison. He also added that
it is a placeholder and if we were to be partners in these projects the amounts listed are a
starting point. Council Member Spears asked about TVA money and Mayor Finley responded
that it was not going to happen as he has asked and has educated Chairman McCutcheon on
what money is out there.


Mayor Finley asked for a nod of heads on the moving forward and council members
were all in agreement.
Council President Bartlett clarified that as a council they have not prioritize any of the
CIP projects until they have better estimate on the projects and then at that time they can
prioritize.


Mayor Finley closed his presentation with letting know that if they want to they can do
a matrix to score each one of the project, similar to what was done back in 2017. Mayor Finley
passed along his thanks to all the department heads and City Administrator Steve Smith.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE


Director of Development Services Mary Beth Broeren presented the following projects
that are on the horizon as well as projects that were completed in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the
following areas of Madison:

Town Madison
aVid
Hilton Garden Inn
Home2Suites
Chipotle (2022/23)
Duluth Trading Company
Five Guys (2022/23)
I Love Sushi Express (2022/23)
Luxury Nails (2022/23)
J. Alexander’s (2022/23)
Moe’s BBQ
Outback Steakhouse
Panda Express (2022/23)
Panera (2022/23)
Premiere Dental (2022/23)
Prohibition (2022/23)
Saza (2022/23)
Slim Chickens (2022/23)
Super Chix (2022/23)
Taco Mama (2022/23)
Twice Daily/White Bison
The Yard Milkshake Bar
BJ’s (Coming Jan 2024)
Marriot (Coming Summer 2024)
Edgar’s (Coming Fall 2023)
Cava Grill (Coming Spring 2023)
Starbucks (Coming March 24th)
The Dempsey Commercial and
Live/Work Units (Coming Soon)
Homewood Suites (on the horizon)
Walk-Ons (on the horizon)
Regions Bank (on the horizon)
The Big Chill (on the horizon)
Council Member Denzine asked if all the details have been worked out on the Arts & Entertainment District. Director of Development Services Mary Beth Broeren responded that all the details have been worked out and that they should have a ribbon cutting at the beginning of March after signage is completed.


Downtown Madison
Holtz Leather
Honest Coffee
Lanier House
Belle House (June/July 2023)
Humphrey Brothers (Summer 2023)
Lemon and Lavender Expansion
(Spring 2023)
Martin St 3 Tenant Building (Fall
2023)
The Avenue (on the horizon)
Bradley Street (on the horizon)

Highway 72
Luigi’s Italian Grill
Phil Sandoval’s
Stone Age Korean BBQ
Urban Market
Whataburger
Wood & Cloth Interiors
Floor & Décor (May 2023)


Hughes Plaza /Plaza Blvd-Publix
Downtown Rescue Mission
Easy Vet
Eggs Up Grill
Pita
PJs Coffee of New Orleans
Fleet Feet
Forged by Hex
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
Just Love Coffee Café
Up a Creek
Big Blue Marble Daycare (Fall 2023)
Rocket City Armory (Spring 2023)
Cowboys Convenience & Fuel (on
the horizon)
Dogtopia (on the horizon)


Mayor Finley shared that when Publix rebuilt the city made an agreement that not
only did it give them an incentive but is also helped with the roads. Mayor Finley also added
that we should be completely paid off by the end of the year and it would add in the range
of $400,000-$450,000 to the General Fund yearly.


Sullivan/Madison Blvd
Circle K (Spring 2023)
Mapco (1
st Qtr. of 2024)
Staybridge Suites (Winter 2024)
Southside of Madison Blvd
Lux Bru
Madison Pediatric Dentist
R City Eye Care
Refuge Home Interiors
Southeastern Skin Care
Terrame
Extended Stay Hotel (Summer
2023)
Fairfield Inn (Summer 2024)
N. AL Psychiatry & Counseling
Another hotel (former Radisson)

Huntsville Browns Ferry Road
Village at Oakland Springs (18,000 sf)
o 7-10 tenants (Summer/Fall 2023)
o 6 Live/Work
Madison Farms
o Commercial – 30,000 sf
o Capstone Commercial – 8,000 sf
County Line Road
Alabama Credit Union
Asbury Place
Frida’s Cantina
Jon Smith Subs
Madison Crossing
Pho Nam
Shoot 360
Strickland Oil Change
Super Wings & Burger
West Madison Urgent Care
Bank Independent (Coming Soon)
Circle K (Coming Soon)
County Line Day Care (Coming
Soon)
Primrose Day Care (Coming Soon)
Safe Splash (Coming Soon)

Industrial Area Growth
Discount Divas
Kenco
Ram Tools
Westchester Warehouses
FedEx Distribution (337,000 sf –
Coming Soon)
Jetplex Warehouses (2 x 25,000 sf –
Coming Soon)
Palmer Road Warehouses (4 x
11,000 sf – Coming Soon)
Royal Drive Warehouses (6-Coming Soon)
Sunbelt Rentals
Research Blvd Investment


Other Areas in Madison
Crème Brew Lait
Black Dog Grounds & Sounds
Madison Ballroom Dance Studio
Creekstone Academy (Coming
Soon-Palmer Rd)
Learning Zone (Coming Soon Balch/Gillespie)
Carillion Oaks Memory Care
(Coming Soon-Slaughter Rd)
Medical Office (Coming Soon Arlington)

Director of Development Services Mary Beth Broeren ended her presentation with the following comparisons of new businesses approved:
2021 2022
New Tenants in Existing & New Construction 84 114
Home Occupations 120 123
Total New Business Requests Approved 204 237

Square Feet & Hotel Rooms
275,000 sf new commercial constructed (half, 139,000 sf, in Town Madison)
269,000 sf new commercial approved/under construction (104,000 sf – BJ’s)
(excludes existing space being renovated)
166,000 sf new industrial constructed
490,000 sf new industrial under construction (337,000 sf – FedEx)
296 hotel rooms constructed
592 hotel rooms approved/under construction

We have accomplished a lot and have much to be thankful for!

In Closing

As always, I will be updating this blog every couple of weeks. Please check back during the the first quarter of 2023 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!

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