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Second Quarter 2023

Happy spring everyone! It looks like the groundhog got it right as we have had a beautiful April so far. Your city government has been very busy so far this year. We have a lot to talk about so let’s get to it!

City Special Election

There will be a City Wide Special Election on Tuesday, May 9. You will vote at the polling location where you vote for the Municipal election. So this may not be the same place you voted last in the Presidential election. Not 100% sure where you vote? Please click here: madisonalpollinglocations and enter your address in the search box.

Here are some helpful links regarding the election:

Official Madison website:

MadisonSpecialElection

For the proposed change to City Manager form of government:

madisonforwardal.org/

Against the proposed change to a City Manager form of government (Keep it as it currently is)

dontmesswithmadison.org/

The Madison City Council is impartial as a whole. We are all in agreement that we want our citizens to determine what type of government is best for our city with regard to this election.

Thank you to all who voted. Here is Mayor Finley’s response to the election results, dated Wednesday, May 10:

City of Madison Team,

First and foremost, thanks to Lisa Thomas and the entire “special election team” that worked diligently during the last two months and especially last night, you did a great job!! Thank you for your focus and hard work conducting a successful special election.

Secondly, congratulations to all of you. The results from last night directly correlate to your focus on our mission statement and our city. Madison residents appreciate what we are accomplishing, and they don’t want us to change…..and I couldn’t agree more. We will continue to define direction, put a budget together that allows us to create actionable results that improve quality of life, and then together we will tactically get it done. I am proud to be a part of the City of Madison team and now that this is behind us, we can move forward working just as hard as we have been with a solid vote of confidence from our community.

Let’s have a great rest of the week.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley


Updates:

I shared this last quarter but just in case you missed it:

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!

City of Madison Launches Story Mapping Tool

The City of Madison is utilizing new technology to keep the community up to date on current development projects with Story Mapping software. The City’s new Development Dashboard offers a list of projects in City limits. See below for an interactive tour of development projects that are recently completed, under construction or coming soon. If available, links to specific project plans and business websites are provided. Citizens are also encouraged to email any questions to the Planning & Economic Development Department about a specific project listed in the tour. Our Planning & Economic Development Department will continue to update the story map with the most current information. 

CityofMadison’sDevelopmentDashboard

Mayor Finley’s Weekly Reports

March 27-April 2

City of Madison Team,

Another Friday, another weather event possible. Kent Smith shared that this will be the 7th weekend out of the last 10 that our team has “stood up”, ready for whatever is needed to support our city once storms arrive.

Steve Smith, Garrett Gillott, and Gina Romine continue to lead our Madison City Hall NCAA basketball Cup leading into the final games.

It was another very busy week in Madison, here are just a few of the highlights.

  • Planning staff presented at a United Way Summit on housing on the 28th.   “A Place for Everyone” was the focus of the Summit, which was designed to encourage thinking about housing needs in the metro area.
  • Our Madison Chamber of Commerce held their Best in Business Awards last weekend. Our Chamber continues to make a positive impact for our Madison businesses.
  • Building shared that the permitting division created 85 permits, issued 115 permits, and the inspection division performed 327 inspections during the week.
  • I attended the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce Washington DC trip along with 175 of our closest friends. We heard from Congressman Strong, Congressman Aderholt, Senator Tuberville, and Senator Britt along with many others. One side note, anyone who complains about Madison traffic has NOT been to DC lately!
  • Code Enforcement performed 27 inspections/re-inspections, created 30 cases, and picked up 45 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue shared that they responded to 119 incidents last week, 90 of which were EMS related.
  • Our public works teams continued “spring cleaning” activities regrading ditches, removing storm debris, fixing trench failures, building new inlet boxes, repairing sidewalks, and trimming low hanging branches among multiple other activities.
  • The Schools Foundation held their annual State of the Schools meeting at the Westin. Our Madison City Schools continue to shine.
  • I.T. supported 57 work orders and multiple calls this week. They also conducted a call with MPD and Axon to discuss the plan to install Axon cameras in 65 Madison police cars
  • Our Court team shared that they opened 60 cases, closed 132 cases, and issued 53 warrants.
  • Madison Visionary Partners held their awards ceremony Thursday and handed out over $14,000 in community impact grants. One of the winners was Elizabeth Servidio, a volunteer at the Madison Senior Center.
  • MARS completed 154 trips and Dublin Park had 788 visits this week.
  • The Human Resource Committee approved three new job descriptions and corresponding grade increases (bid coordinator, senior dispatchers, MARS lead driver). The creation of a Lead Mars Driver position on will coordinate the processing of applications and ride manifest in the absence of the program supervisor.
  • The annual Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for April 8, 2023.  Staff is in the process of planning the event.
  • Our Communications team pushed out all City Manager Election information and dates for the upcoming election. Lisa Thomas and the City Clerk team continue to prepare, securing poll workers and coordinating with our Probate Judge.
  • Communications also posted our yearly reminder on spring cleaning, discussing trash vs. yard waste and all reminders associated with it.
  • I had the honor of attending Barbara Haythorn’s 105th birthday at Merrill Gardens. What a wonderful lady….we made it Barbara Haythorn Day!

As I close, I ask all of you to continue to keep Huntsville and the family of Officer Garrett Crumby in your prayers. In addition, please continue to send positive thoughts to Officer Albert Morin as he continues his recovery.

Thanks to all of you for all that you do to continue to support Madison. We have a fantastic city, and I am so proud to be your Mayor.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley  

April 2nd to 9th

City of Madison Team,

Good Friday afternoon, on Good Friday afternoon. I hope everyone stays dry and enjoys Easter weekend.

Let’s start with our NCAA Men’s Basketball Madison City Hall Cup. Our winner was Steve Smith, followed closely by William Dixon and Chad Self. Congratulations to Steve, we are in-process of getting him his trophy now.

This was without question one of our busiest weeks this year, here are just a few of our highlights.

  • Our Rocket City Trash Pandas kicked off their 2023 season last night with over 5000 in attendance.
  • Building, Planning, and the Mayor’s office attended the Huntsville-Madison County Homebuilders Association monthly roundtable to discuss development trends in Madison.
  • Commercial development continues throughout Madison.  A Safesplash Swim Lab has been approved to be built next to Shoot 360 on County Line Road; the swim facility provides swimming lessons to mostly children in a four to six feet deep pool.  A physical therapy clinic has started construction at the northeast corner of Hughes and Red Hill Way, and Playa Bowls is working on tenant improvements at a location in Town Madison.
  • Our Madison Chamber of Commerce hosting a quad ribbon cutting Friday for Terrame Spa, Lux Bru, Refuge Home Interiors, and R City Eye Care. Four great businesses located on Madison Blvd.
  • Total sales tax collections for the month of March 2023 are up 6.52% over collections for the month of March 2022 and year-to-date collections are up 8.69% over the same period last fiscal year. 
  • Our Building team shared that the permitting division created 128 permits, issued 102 permits, and the inspection division performed 296 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 22 inspections/re-inspections, created 21 new cases, and picked up 91 signs in the R.O.W.
  • City of Madison and Madison City Schools leaders met to share information on multiple fronts and continue to work together to focus on future projects and growth.
  • I.T. had a busy week with 87 work orders submitted along with multiple calls this week. They continue to update all computers throughout the city with the most recent Windows security updates and patches.
  • Our Madison Police responded to 1114 calls for service last week, issued 91 citations, and issued 142 warnings.
  • New APOST Certified Police Officer Durand Prince began is training with our department
  • Congratulations to K-9 Officer Bell and his partner Brutus on the completion of Basic K-9 Training and earning their certification as a dual-purpose K-9 Team
  • Madison Hospital has a lot of smiling faces this week (that you can now see) as they lifted the mask mandate after three long years!
  • Our Court team shared that they opened 69 cases, closed 133 cases, and issued 30 warrants. Our City Prosecutor had 106 municipal cases this week.
  • Our Madison Fire and Rescue supported James Clemens High School with their mock disaster drill.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 106 incidents last week, 72 of which were EMS related.
  • Our Public Safety teams also supported our neighbors this week, with MFR Heavy Rescue responding to the Hazel Green tornado and MPD taking over all calls in for Huntsville west of Madison during Officer Crumby’s funeral. Ladder truck 1 also set up a flag on the Wall Triana overpass for the funeral procession.
  • Due to the weather the Parks and Recreation annual Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for April 8, 2023 will be a drive-through event.  Participants can get bags of eggs at Dublin Park and still take pictures with the Easter Bunny.
  • Homeschool PE had 64 participants and Dublin had a total of 765 walk-in and membership visits this week.
  • Our Safety Committee met this week. One of the primary areas we are looking at is additional safety features for City Hall.
  • Our Revenue Director Cameron Grounds has announced his retirement (after 33 years) effective May 31, 2023. Several of us met this week to discuss transition steps.

Thanks to all of you for everything you do to help make Madison a great city to live in. Enjoy your weekend!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

April 9th – 16th

Team,

Finally, a weekend with more sun than rain and more warmth than cold, which was welcome for the Finley family as we celebrated our middle son Tanner’s wedding Saturday.

Madison had a busy week, here are a few of our highlights.

  • Our Building team shared that the permitting division created 129 permits, issued 131 permits, and the inspection division performed 216 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 14 inspections/re-inspections, created 45 new cases, and picked up 64 signs in the R.O.W.
  • Our I.T. team had a busy week responding to 72 work orders and multiple calls.
  • I.T. is currently in the process of implementing SharePoint for the city.  This will be a much more user-friendly and efficient way for city employees to access departmental shared forms and other city-wide shared resources.  I.T. is currently working with Finance, HR, and City Clerk first and they hope to start working with other departments soon to see if and how they can benefit from using SharePoint.
  • Council President Bartlett and I attended the Montgomery Trip with the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber. We heard from multiple state legislators and Governor Ivey, among others.
  • At that same time the Big 10 mayor’s met in Montgomery, meeting with many of the same leaders.
  • Our Public Works CIP team is deep into the Hughes/Will Halsey way intersection improvement project. Significant progress was made this week.
  • Our Fire Marshall’s office was busy this week completing 51 inspections, bringing their FY23 total to 597.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 113 incidents last week, 71 of which were EMS related. They also responded to 3 large fires this week.
  • Our Court team shared that they opened 68 cases, closed 105 cases, and issued 49 warrants this week.
  • Madison Police responded to 1163 calls for service last week, made 38 arrests, issued 85 citations, and issued 109 warnings.
  • Many of us took a “schools tour” last week, with presentations at Heritage Elementary and James Clemens High School and a tour of the new Journey Middle School.
  • Madison Police Foundation hosted a lunch for all the dispatchers at the 911 Center on Thursday in appreciation and honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.  Chief Gandy, Captain Allen, Captain Anderson, Captain Cook and Captain McRae attended the Thursday luncheon showing support and gratitude for the job they do daily. Thanks to our 911 dispatchers!
  • Our City Clerk’s office kicked off absentee voting for the upcoming May 9th election and they have already completed 34 absentee ballots.
  • Congratulations to Aquatics Director Chris Lund and his wife Molly on the birth of their baby girl last week!
  • MARS completed 166 trips this week.  Dublin Park had 559 visits this week.
  • The Easter Egg Hunt was rained out.  However, staff pivoted to a drive-thru event, handed out eggs, and set up pictures with the Easter Bunny.  Over 350 people came to the drive-thru event.

Looks like good weather for another solid week of accomplishment. Thanks to each of you for your focus on our city and our citizens.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

April 16th to 23rd

Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a great week. Mine started off with a successful wedding for middle son Tanner (and his wife Kalee) and ended with me back home after a trip to Colorado Springs to represent Madison at the Space Symposium.

Here are a few of our highlights from last week.

  • The groundbreaking ceremony for the first BJ’s Wholesale Club in the state of Alabama was held in the City of Madison this week! This 100,000 sf grocery and household goods store, with fuel and tire service, is a significant win for Town Madison and will result in meaningful revenue for the city, county, and schools.  The store is anticipated to open in November.
  • As mentioned above I attended the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, supporting the Chamber. No decision for the final location of Space Command has been made yet.
  • City Attorney Brian Kilgore has updated our franchise agreement contract, adding in more detailed requirements for installation and enhanced crew communications.
  • Building shared that the permitting division created 162 permits, issued 138 permits, and the inspection division performed 318 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 35 inspections/re-inspections, created 42 new cases, and picked up a truckload of signs in the R.O.W.
  • Engineering shared that resurfacing has finished on Powell Road in Limestone County. Adding that to the list of for FY2023, we have re-surfaced Madison Blvd (5,900 feet County Line to Production), Spenryn Dr (700 feet), Hughes Rd (2,600 feet Mill to Old Madison Pike), Royal Dr (4,700 feet), Jet Plex Circle (2,800 feet), Arlington Dr (1,500 feet), Westover Circle (350 feet), and Powell Rd (9,700 feet). That’s over 5 miles of collector roads this year with more on the way.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue shared that they responded to 112 incidents last week, 76 of which were EMS related.
  • Our Madison Community Center is coming along quickly. Staff met with the architects and contractors for the project, they shared that the demo portion of the project is nearly complete, and the framing of the building has begun.
  • MARS completed 175 trips this week.  There were 672 visits to Dublin both walk-in and memberships.
  • Palmer Park hosted 50 baseball/softball teams for tournaments last weekend.
  • IT shared that they had 56 work orders submitted along with multiple calls this week.
  • Madison Police shared that they responded to 1197 calls for service last week, made 34 arrests, gave 80 citations, and 92 warnings.
  • One of the new jobs Council funded last year was a Crime Analyst for Police. We are happy to announce Essence Hunter began work on Monday as our new Crime Analyst….welcome.
  • Sergeant McCants, SRO Officer DeFazio, and Officer Williams attended Horizon Elementary TADAA (Truth About Drugs and Alcohol) graduation for the 5th graders taught by SRO Officer DeFazio
  • All Departments have now sent in their midyear budget requests and Roger Bellomy is busy compiling everything. We will begin working through the requests next week, hoping to get it to our finance committee in the coming weeks.
  • The ribbon cutting for Lanier House was also celebrated.   Located downtown on Martin Street, this new tea house has been open for a few months and is off to a fantastic start.

Thanks to everyone for your hard work and your focus on our citizens and city. Hope you have a great weekend and looking forward to another great week.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

April 23rd to 30th

City of Madison Team,

I hope everyone has enjoyed a great weekend, a little windy but certainly dryer than we have seen lately.

I had the honor of speaking to several groups last week and in each we discussed our budget and how it is tied to our mission statement. Again, our mission statement for Madison, Alabama is.

“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.”

You continue to do a great job…..THANK YOU……Let’s keep working hard to produce actionable results with the revenues we are entrusted with.  

We had a great week, here are many of the highlights.

  • Captain Terrell Cook and Officer Michael Lucente worked the “Drug Take Back” Event at City Hall and collected 196 pounds of assorted drugs to be properly disposed of.
  • The City’s comprehensive plan consultants held a virtual advisory committee meeting this week to discuss traffic modeling data as the City looks at the long-term planning horizon of 2045.  In person community meetings are expected to be held this summer.
  • Our Court team was busy last week, opening 112 cases, closing 119 cases, and issuing 55 warrants.
  • Our Madison Fire and Rescue took good care of our folks at Rainbow Elementary, helping to install 150 car seats for two days of field trips.
  • MF&R responded to 106 incidents last week, 77 of which were EMS related.
  • Our mid-year budget is now in the mayor’s office, and we are working with all departments to finalize, and then pass it on to our Council Finance Committee.
  • Parks and Recreation had three bid openings recently.  The projects include the Dublin Soccer Field 5 Lighting installation, Kids Kingdom fencing installation, and Hexagon Pickleball Courts surfacing/fencing.  We received no bids for all three projects.   We are now in the process of negotiating with contractors for each project.
  • One of the Mars buses that was ordered arrived this week.  We are in the process of getting the bus wrapped to begin use.
  • MARS had a total of 177 trips last week while Dublin Park enjoyed 681 visits.
  • Madison Police shared that they responded to 1021 calls for service last week, had 46 arrests, issued 117 citations, and issued 93 warnings.
  • I.T. shared that they had 60 work orders submitted along with fielding numerous calls.
  • Public Works entire page of activity started with completed, cleaned, picked up, patched, or installed. It was two pages long……😊
  • Our Building Team shared that they created 120 permits, issued 129 permits, and the inspection division performed 232 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 17 inspections/re-inspections, created 13 new cases, and picked up 35 signs in the R.O.W.

Let’s see if May roars in like a lion. I’m thinking just warm up to about 75 and sunny for a week or so! We can only hope.

Have a great week and thanks for all that you do for Madison, Alabama.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

April 30th to May 7th

Good Saturday Morning,

I just left the Madison CEO event that was held this morning…..14 high school entrepreneurs mentored by some of Madison’s best and brightest. Amazing kids who have written a business plan, developed a service or product, secured a Madison business license, and many of them selling merchandise. Good stuff!

We had another busy week throughout Madison, here are just a few of the highlights.

  • Thanks to Lisa Thomas and the City Clerk’s office and Brian Kilgore and the City Attorney’s office for their continued work to prepare for the election Tuesday. A lot of work and follow up…thanks to all of you!
  • I.T. had 62 work orders submitted this week along with multiple calls and in person requests.
  • The city’s public Wi-Fi located downtown is now operational again after a quick I.T. fix.
  • The City of Madison and private developers have opened up a section of the Singing River Trail as part of “The Dempsey” project in Town Madison. Linked article: https://www.al.com/news/2023/04/mixed-use-development-on-singing-river-trail-opens-in-madison.html 
  • City Attorney Brian Kilgore, taking feedback from multiple meetings, has rewritten our franchise agreement, and hopefully will be bringing the new WOW draft franchise agreement to the May 22 Council.
  • Total sales tax collections for the month of April 2023 are up 22.43 % over collections for the month of April 2022 and year-to-date collections are up 10.77% over the same period last fiscal year. 
  • Our City Prosecutor Tim McFalls managed 51 municipal cases and 3 Circuit Court cases last week.
  • I brought popsicles to Amy Williams 4th grade class at Horizon last week and thanked them again for their year long support in making our Birthday Cards. Great group of kids.
  • Dublin Park is currently holding the Pickled Pink Pickleball Tournament this weekend.  Over 160 people are scheduled to participate.  Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Huntsville Hospital Breast Cancer Foundation.
  • Steve Smith, Kelly Johnson, and Kory Alfred had a biweekly meeting at the Madison Community Center project.   The project is currently on schedule and budget and most of the demo work is completed, and framing has begun. 
  • MARS completed 204 trips and Dublin had 655 patrons use the facility this week.
  • Our Court team shared that they opened 24 cases, close 89, and issued 27 warrants.
  • Our Madison Police shared that they responded to 973 calls for service.
  • MPD hosted the Drone Expo at Insanity Skate Park
  • Our Public Works team continues to work on the Will Halsey/Hughes Road intersection.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue shared that they responded to 141 incidents last week, 88 of which were EMS related.
  • Our Building team shared that they created 238 permits, issued 164 permits, and the inspection team completed 298 inspection.
  • Code Enforcement performed 62 inspections/re-inspections, created 37 cases, and picked up 90 in the R.O.W.
  • Several of us attended the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Davidson Center on the National Day of Prayer.

Looking forward to another great week for Madison….thanks for everything that you as a team do to keep our city moving forward.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

May 7th to 20th

Happy Rainy Saturday Morning,

We have had an exceptionally busy two weeks, here are a few of the highlights.

  • Thanks to Lisa Thomas and the entire “special election team” that worked diligently during the last two months and especially last Tuesday, you did a great job!! Thank you for your focus and hard work conducting a successful special election. Madison will remain a Mayor-Council form of government and we will continue to work each and every day to accomplish actionable results for our residents.
  • Animal Control Officers did a great job to ensure the proper authorities were notified to locate a new home for the 6ft alligator which was located near Mountain Brook subdivision.
  • Get ready to remodel!   Floor & Décor celebrated their new store in Madison with a ribbon cutting ceremony this week.  Located on Hwy 72 in the former Publix store near Staples, the store will generate direct tax revenue as well as help to re-energize the shopping center.  A new furniture store, Urban Home Market, also opened in the center at the end of last year based on Floor & Décor’s announcement of that location.
  • Captain Allen, Sergeant Dawe, Officer Kern and Officer Beiring conducted the TADAA (Truth About Drugs And Alcohol) Graduation for 5th Graders at Heritage Elementary and Columbia Elementary.
  • Staff added an extra dog waste station and signage at Homeplace Park to help address the dog waste issue we are having.  Maintenance staff also picked up waste and plan to do so weekly from this point forward. 
  • The Pickled Pink Pickleball tournament took place last weekend at Dublin Park.  The organizers had over 160 participants in the tournament.  Proceeds from the tournament went to Huntsville Hospital for breast cancer.
  • Our Building team shared that during the two weeks the permitting division created 270 permits, issued 239 permits, and the inspection division performed 680 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 135 inspections, created 73 cases, and picked up 20 signs in the ROW.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 221 incidents, 172 of which were EMS related during the two weeks.
  • I.T. has started working on redesigning Dublin park’s public Wi-Fi to allow for better coverage and faster internet speeds. In addition, they removed the old public Wi-Fi hardware at city hall, and has replaced it with Ubiquiti hardware that will allow for better coverage and faster internet speeds for users as well.
  • The gym floor in Dublin Park is planned to be resurfaced next week.
  • Recreation shared that the Men’s Basketball league has 18 teams registered for this summer.
  • Our Court team shared that during the two weeks they opened 69 cases, closed 249 cases, and issued 36 warrants.
  • Our Madison Police shared that during the two weeks they responded to 1857 calls for service, had 77 arrests, issued 89 citations, and gave 123 warnings.
  • New Records Clerk, Madison Cartee, began her training in records.
  • HR Department hosted a training luncheon for Mayor Finley, City Council Members, Department Heads and other employees in which Chief Gandy conducted a presentation on “Active Shooter, Lessons Learned from Virginia Beach”
  • Madison City and Madison City Schools officials met to discuss road and safety needs and opportunities.
  • Multiple city officials attended the JCHS and BJHS graduations ceremonies.
  • City Council held a work session to learn more about our mid-year budget (which we will look to pass on June 12th) and redistricting.

I hope everyone has a great weekend….stay dry!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

May 21st to June 4th

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, the weather sure was beautiful for any and all activities.

We have had a very busy two weeks, here are just a few of the highlights. 

  • The City of Madison honored three dedicated employees as Employees of the Year. Join us in congratulating Sergeant Michael Dixon, Police Officer of the Year; Cole Edwards, Firefighter of the Year; and Michelle Duncan, City Employee of the Year. Congratulations to all three… great job!
  • American Legion Post 223 held a Memorial Day program in downtown Madison on Memorial Day. It was well done and well attended.
  • Mid-year budget adjustments have now been sent from our Finance committee to the full City Council. We hope to have the mid-year budget approved at our June 12th council meeting. Thanks to Roger Bellamy for continuing to guide us through this process.
  • We began interview for out new Facilities Director position and hope to have it filled quickly.
  • Building shared that during the two weeks the permitting division created 245 permits, issues 241 of them, and the inspection division performed 482 inspections.
  • Code Enforcement performed 131 inspections/re-inspections, created 65 cases, and picked up 44 signs in the R.O.W during the two weeks.
  • Our Public Works CIP crew finished two projects on Will Halsey that will improve traffic flow for out new Journey Middle School.
  • We recognized National Public Works week with a proclamation and appreciation breakfast… thanks to our entire Public Works team for all they do for our city.
  • Total sales tax collections for the month of May 2023 are up 15.91% over collections for the month of May 2022 and year-to-date collections are up 11.44% over the same period last fiscal year.
  • An updated fire code ordinance was adopted by City Council. Big thanks to Tim McFalls for assisting us with this process.
  • Our Fire Department supported end of school year Water Days (firefighters spray kids!) at Columbia and Midtown Elementary.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue shared that during the two weeks they responded to 234 incidents, 192 of which were EMS related. Also, they reported that hydrant maintenance has serviced 1770 of our city’s 3000 hydrants this year.
  • I.T. shared they had 126 work orders submitted during the two weeks along with multiple calls and in person requests.
  • Toby Jenkins and Rhianna O’Reilly of I.T. have assisted Axon with camera installation in police vehicles. They have completed 20 of the 65 camera installs as of 10:00 AM on 6/2, and they hope to be done with all the camera installs and user training by 6/16.
  • Court shared that during the two weeks they opened 160 cases, closed 247, and issued 64 warrants.
  • Our Madison Police team shared that they responded to 2338 calls for service during the two weeks, made 78 arrests, issued 211 citations, and issued 93 warnings.
  • K-9 Officer Adam Lawson and K-9 Bruno and K-9 Officer Blake Bell and K-9 Brutus attended the U.S. Police Canine Association (USPCA) Region 22 PDI and Narcotics Detection Certification Trials in Rome, GA. Congratulations to both K-9’s and K-9 Officers in receiving their certification.
  • Detective Teresa Taylor-Duncan, Officer Garrett Hyatt, Officer Cheryl Wooden, and SRO Mitchell Tease taught 16 ladies RAD this week. Also in attendance was RAD Trainee instructor ACO Janice Posey. This will be Officer Wooden’s last class as an instructor for RAD. We appreciate her dedication and commitment to the RAD program and all the participants in the last few years.
  • City Council approved an agreement with Hexagon for our City Employees and families to utilize the Hexagon gym and fitness center. Thanks to Steve Smith. Brian Kilgore, and Megan Zingarelli for all their help in making it happen.
  • The online survey regarding the amenities to be included in the current park development projects concluded on May 22, 2023. There were a total of 1177 responses. 91% were Madison residents. The demand for a splash pad and playgrounds were the top two facilities indicated in the survey.
  • The summer season began last week. The outdoor pool opened, and Summer Day Camp began last Tuesday. We are fortunate to have enough staff to open everything at full capacity. Summer adult sports also begins next week.
  • Music Lighting is scheduled to deliver the lights for the Hexagon facility courts and ball fields on June 1, 2023.
  • Our first concert in the park is scheduled for Thursday June 8, 2023, and our Recreation team will have the park in good condition for this event.

As always, thanks to each of you for your focus on our city and our employees. Madison continues to grow, and your management and focus make it a fantastic city to live, work, and play in.

Let’s have a great week!

June 12th to 25th

It has been a fantastic weekend so far, hope the storms that come in tonight give us nothing more than a good sprinkling! 

Lots going on during the last two weeks, here are a few of the highlights.

  • The Planning Department launched a new Development Dashboard on the City’s website this week as a resource and communication tool for development projects citywide.   The Dashboard includes maps, descriptions of projects, and links for additional information.  Much thanks to Matt Davidson, Principal Planner, for putting the information together.   
  • Three new tenants are planned for the renovated commercial center across from City Hall.  The Rocket City Trash Pandas have relocated their Bridge St store to the 181 Hughes address and celebrated a grand opening on June 24th.  The other two business are anticipated to start tenant improvements this summer.  Lost Pizza Company, with locations throughout the southeast, and Greasy Hands Barbershop, with other locations in Alabama, will round out the center.  
  • Our Madison Chamber of Commerce held a groundbreaking for the new Homewood Suites in Town Madison.
  • Re-paving is complete on Stoneway Trail and should finish this weekend on Canterbury Drive & Canterbury Circle. Eastview Drive is scheduled to be next.
  • Our Court team has been busy during the two weeks opening 190 cases, closing 262, and they issued 42 warrants. Court also welcomes Josh Collins to their staff….welcome Josh.
  • Madison Police shared that they responded to 2183 calls for service, had 65 arrests, issued 167 citations, and gave 209 warnings during the two weeks.
  • Sgt. Dawe and School Resource Officers conducted the two weeks of Kid’s Camp for 173 graduating 5th grade students.  Kid’s Camp is sponsored by the Madison Police Foundation.
  • Communications Supervisors Traci Sherman, Stephen McAulliffe, and Candace Watson attended People Driven Leadership in Decatur.
  • The second Sounds of the Summer concert took place Thursday evening at Home Place Park.  The Zooks performed and pproximately 200 people attended.
  • The lighting installation at the Hexagon ball fields and pickleball courts had zero bidders.  We are getting two contractors to provide informal bids for the installation and plan on awarding the contract at the July 10, 2023, City Council meeting.
  • The Council approved Sandy Patel to install fitness stations along the outdoor path at Dublin Park.  Recreation staff will install concrete pads for the stations.  This project is scheduled to begin later this summer.
  • The Kids Kingdom playground installation is progressing.  Several of the play structures have been installed.  Pending weather, we hope to have the playground open by the end of July.
  • Adult softball registration will close this Friday.  We currently have a total of 22 teams registered for the next season.
  • The “Battle of the Paddle” pickleball tournament for July 3rd is registering teams.  At this time there are 14 teams registered.
  • Our Building team shared that the permitting division created 275 permits, issued 252 permits, and the inspection division performed an incredible 795 inspections during the two weeks.
  • Code Enforcement performed 135 inspections/re-inspections, created 60 new cases, and picked up 69 signs in the R.O.W during the two weeks.
  • Our Fire Marshall’s office shared that the hydrant Maintenance team has serviced a total of 2152 of 3000 city hydrants and that they have permitted 300 new constructions in FY23. In addition, they tested the radio repeater in Madison Hospital and verified 100% coverage, even in the elevators.
  • Madison Fire and Rescue shared that they responded to 197 incidents, 154 of which were EMS related during the two weeks.
  • Weather permitting our Public Works CIP team will start the Highland Drive drainage project this week.
  • Our I.T. team shared that they had 154 work orders submitted during the two weeks along with multiple calls and in person requests.
  • I.T.  has started working with Comcast this week on the process of getting their fiber connected to 5 city remote locations.  Comcast hopes to be up and running to these 5 locations by 9/1/23
  • Recreations shared that Mars completed 278 trips, Dublin Indoor facility had 561 visits and Dublin Outdoor pool had 268 visits this week.

As I close, I want to again thank each of you for your service to our city. Madison continues to thrive, and your focus and efforts are a huge reason for our success. Let’s have another great week!

In Closing

As always, I will be updating this blog every couple of weeks. Please check back during the the second 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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