Fourth Quarter 2024

Hello Friends,

It’s hard to believe that we are now in the last quarter of 2024. The days are flying by and it’s so nice to see cooler temperatures. Your City has been very busy so let’s get to it starting with Mayor Finley’s message to our citizens regarding the condition of Dublin Park and Palner Park:

Parks & Recreation Concerns Community members, Our community has raised concerns regarding deteriorating conditions at our Parks and Recreation facilities and fields. As Mayor, our priority to provide quality services to our residents is paramount. After speaking with our Director of Recreation, we wanted to address these concerns.    First, we take full responsibility for the maintenance of our parks, and we fully agree our normal high-maintenance conditions are currently not up to par. Council has budgeted money that we will start using to improve all bathrooms at Palmer Park, add parking up at the Westco complex, and multiple other park projects. You should expect any complex we have to be maintained properly, and we have addressed this with our team.    Secondly, our entire Senior Center and Recreation management staff are in the final stages of opening our Madison Community Center, which will also house our Senior Center. This project, along with our Sunshine Oaks complex off Mose Chapel and our Town Madison Complex in Town Madison have added over 60,000 square feet of buildings and 90 acres of additional recreation space. Our Recreation team has created a mobile app to connect our community to these fantastic additions and the additional programs they will offer.  I can’t wait to unveil this app at next Thursday’s Celebrate Madison event at Toyota Field.     Lastly, while we (the City) take full responsibility for field and park maintenance, we also value the partnerships with volunteer organizations to maximize our quality of life. Please get involved in any way you can to positively impact the Madison community we call home.    Thank you and have a fantastic weekend. Sincerely, Mayor Paul Finley

Mayor Finley Updates

October 1st to 13th

City of Madison Team,

Our FY25 fiscal year has started with a bang as we have already enjoyed a great first two weeks of October. Here are just a few of the highlights.

• The City Council passed our FY25 budget, and our team is well on their way to putting action behind numbers. While there are still “next steps” to work through with the Evergreen Salary Plan, our Council again for the 8^th straight year did not pass along the 4.75% BC/BS insurance increase to our employees. For individuals, their premium stayed at $0 per month, while the city pays the additional $637/month ($7,644/year). The family premium stayed at $180/month or $2,160/year while the city pays the additional $1,193/month ($14,316/year). As someone who has had to use this a couple of times this year, I am so appreciative of this benefit.
• We held our Annual Madison Street Festival Saturday October 5^th with beautiful weather and a large crowd. Thank you to all our departments and employees who supported the planning and operation needs for its success.
• We held the Bob Jones Homecoming parade Thursday. Thanks to our Madison Police, Public Works, Madison Fire, Recreation, and multiple others for helping to keep this event safe. While it is a ton of work this is one of the events that helps to keep our small town feel.
• Thursday was also the kickoff of the Fall 2024 session of Madison’s Civic Awareness Academy with another full class. This six-week program is designed to give residents an in-depth look at the inner working of our city government, offering a behind-the-scenes view of the essential services that keep Madison running smoothly. Continued thanks to Traci Gillespie for her work in helping to make this class successful for all.
• We received the CO for our Madison Community Center and multiple departments are deep in the middle of moving in. It is truly a beautiful facility, and we are on track for our soft opening 10-23.
• Our Browns Ferry culvert project is underway, allowing us to improve the safety of a bridge crossing on a soon-to-be even more heavily travelled road.
• Revenue shared that sales tax collected in September 2024 increased by 0.19% compared to the amount collected in September 2023. The YTD FY24 collections increased by 3.34% compared to the FY23 YTD collections.
• Our Court team shared that they opened 406 cases, closed 284 cases, and issued 41 warrants during the two weeks.
• IT received 159 work orders during the two weeks, as well as multiple calls and in-person requests.
• IT worked with the Building Department setting up a new credit card machine.  This machine will enable the Building department to accept American Express and allow customers to make eCheck payments in the online building portal.
• Our Public Works team laid 120’ of pipe and formed two box bottoms on the Oakland Spring Branch Greenway Extension, finished the pond and slope work at the Palmer Parking lot, and continued hydroseeding and the parking lot build at Sunshine Oaks.
• Our Madison Police responded to 2635 calls for service, made 108 arrests, issued 201 citations, and gave 210 warnings during the two weeks.
• Our Building team shared that they created 81 permits, issued 87 permits, and the inspection division performed 236 inspections this week.
• Code Enforcement performed 23 inspections/re-inspections, created 9 new cases, and removed 32 signs out of the right of way.
• Our Fire Marshall’s office has permitted 890 new construction inspections and 163 new build-out constructions in 2024.
• Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 248 incidents, 206 of which were EMS related during the two weeks.

As with most of you I have also watched the weather events in Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina transpire. I simply can’t imagine what these communities are going through. Madison is supporting rescue efforts in Florida with six Madison Fire and Rescue members on the AL Task Force 3 team. Please keep our team members and all impacted by these storms in your thoughts.

Madison, Alabama is an incredible town and your efforts supporting our mission statement are greatly appreciated. Let’s enjoy another fantastic week.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

October 13th to 20th

City of Madison Team,

Happy Sunday evening! I hope everyone enjoyed this fantastic weather throughout the weekend.

Our team was busy this week, here are just a few of the highlights.

• Our Recreation and Senior Center teams continue moving into our new Madison Community Center.
• Planning staff attended the annual State Planning Conference this week and gave a presentation on the creation of Town Madison.
• The draft Comprehensive Plan has been sent to the City’s Advisory Committee for review.  Public meetings on the draft will be scheduled soon.
• Madison Blvd resurfacing continues this week. When possible, lane closures are limited to overnight hours, but as nighttime temps get cooler, they may have to switch to daytime. Occasionally lane closures will carry over from night to night. 
• Utility relocation continues at the Huntsville-Brownsferry/Burgreen roundabout project. Once all utilities are relocated, construction can begin, and the intersection will be closed. The detour route will be Holliday Blvd to Hwy 72 or Bowers Road to Powell to Burgeen.
• Bid advertising is under way for the new traffic signal at the Burgreen/Hardiman intersection. We will open the bids October 30.
• Our Facilities and Grounds team stayed busy fixing plumbing issues at Fire Station 4 and Dublin Park, installing power for a new curtain divider at the Town Madison Wellness Center, and fixing door problems at the Library and Fire Station 1, in addition to completing 36 other work orders.
• Our Community Risk Reduction team worked the inflatable house at Heritage Elementary.
• Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 119 incidents, 89 of which were EMS related.
• Madison Police shared that they responded to 1222 calls for service, made 31 arrests, gave 50 citations, and issued 53 warnings during the week.
• IT received 94 work orders this week, as well as multiple calls and in-person requests.
• Our Dublin outdoor pool air structure “bubble” was installed last week.
• We had over 800 visits to Dublin and our Wellness center last week and completed 169 MARS trips.
• Our Court team shared that they opened 138 cases, closed 172 cases, and issued 105 warrants during the week.
• Our Building team shared that they created 94 permits, issued 99 permits, and the inspection team performed 280 inspections during the week.
• Code Enforcement performed 20 inspections/re-inspections, created 11 new cases, and removed 14 signs out of the right of way.

As I close, I will ask everyone to keep our crossing guard Terri Perdue in your thoughts and prayers. She has multiple serious injuries from the accident Friday morning and recovery will take time. She is currently in Huntsville Hospital.

Thursday night we Celebrate Madison at Toyota Field. It is always an honor to present the State of our City and I know you are as proud of our Madison Community as I am.

Enjoy your week!

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

October 27th to November 10th

City of Madison Team,

It has been a busy two weeks in Madison and our team continues to get a great deal done. Here are just a few of the highlights.

• City staff and elected officials joined Madison City Schools for a groundbreaking ceremony for the eighth elementary school in Madison.  City support for this project has included annexing the land, facilitating acquisition of the site for the school, and funding road improvements including the new Hardiman Road roundabout.
• The Advisory Committee for the City’s Comprehensive Plan update met this week to finalize the draft plan. The next step will be a presentation on the plan at the November 21^st Planning Commission meeting to kick off a public review period for the document.
• The City joined Madison Greenways and Trails for a wonderful Ranbolt Trail “stick-cutting” ceremony last week to open a new half-mile trail on Rainbow Mountain that is accessible from Kensington Drive. The new trail segment owes a thanks to the North Alabama Land Trust and over 30 volunteers who worked over 600+ hours over the last 18 months to create the trail.
• Our Wayfinding Phase 1 signage project is underway with signs being installed throughout the city.
• Madison Fire and Rescue shared that they responded to 262 incidents, 218 of which were EMS related during the two weeks.
• Bike racks have been added at Sunshine Oaks.
• Paving continues next week on Madison Blvd and the project is over 50% complete. They should be able to finish up next week weather permitting. After paving they will do some fine grading at the turn lanes, install guardrails, and finish any other needed details. Signal work at the Sullivan intersection will begin once materials are procured after the new year.
• Water main relocation at the Huntsville-Brownsferry/Burgreen roundabout should finish next week and North Alabama Gas is scheduled to start relocation as soon as water is done. Once we get telecom scheduled and out of the way, construction can begin.
• Our Contractor is scheduled to pour concrete at our Browns Ferry Road culvert project for the side walls and top of the new culvert. The first load of retaining wall blocks have been delivered.
• The intersection of Wall-Triana and Gillespie will be paved Tuesday & Wednesday (11/12 & 11/13). The intersection will be open, but under traffic control starting around 9am both days.
• Our Facilities and Grounds team has expanded, please help me welcome our new HVAC technician Jake Prince.
• Facilities and Grounds installed new Fire Alarm controls at Fire Stations 2 & 3 and the Wellness Center and completed 73 additional work order requests.
• An electronic sign has been installed at our Madison Library.
• Our Court team shared that they opened 357 cases, closed 269 cases, and issued 59 warrants during the two weeks.
• Daniel Yurcaba, Associate Planner, received the 2024 Chester Rapkin Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning for a paper he co-authored while in the master’s program at Auburn University. Congratulations Daniel!
• The City wished Dustin Riddle a happy retirement this week.  Dustin served the city for over 24 years in the Police Department and Building Department, with his most recent position being Building Director for the last eight years.  Through years of significant growth, Dustin always ensured timely and responsive service to Madison residents and businesses.  His steady approach to problem solving (and his BBQ!) will be missed.
• Our Building team shared that they created 151 permits, issued 138 permits, and our inspection division performed 466 inspections during the two weeks.
• Code Enforcement created 13 new cases and removed 16 signs out of the right of way.
• Our Public Works CIP team paved 475’ of asphalt sidewalk at our Oakland Spring Branch greenway extension.
• Madison Police responded to 2613 calls for service, made 83 arrests, gave 220 citations, and issued 201 warnings during the two weeks.
• IT received 77 work orders during the two weeks as well as multiple calls and in-person requests.
• IT has also been troubleshooting our sound system problems in City Council chambers. Our final step in the process will take place Wednesday the 13 to replace the podium floor jack microphone.
• Revenue shared that the sales tax collected in October 2024 decreased by 1.52% compared to the amount collected in October 2023.

Our community continues to celebrate Veterans week, culminating tomorrow with the Veterans Day breakfast and parade on Veterans Day. The parade starts at 11:11 in downtown Huntsville. Thank you to all our Veterans for their service and thank you to their families for their unwavering support.

Madison, Alabama is an incredible community to live in and I thank each of you for your continued focus on our citizens and employees. I am proud to be your Mayor, and I look forward to working together to provide excellent service to our community.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

November 10th to 29th

City of Madison Team,

November has been a busy and successful month throughout the city. Here are a few of the highlights.

• Our Madison team was involved in multiple Veterans Day events including the parade in Huntsville. Thanks to all our Veterans and their families for their service and support.
• Our Madison team also supported and enjoyed Madison County Commission Chairman Mac McCutcheon’s State of the County address.
• The City’s draft comprehensive plan is available for review and comment through January 24, 2025.  The draft is available at https://www.madisonontrack2045.com/.
• Madison Police responded to 3060 calls for service, made 127 arrests, issued 175 citations, and gave 160 warnings during the three weeks.
• IT received 228 work orders during the three weeks, as well as multiple calls and in-person requests.
• Our Building team shared that they created 208 permits, issued 190 permits, and the inspection team performed 624 inspections during the three weeks.
• Our Revenue team, with support from the City Clerk’s office, processed and sent out our 2025 business permit letters to all Madison businesses on record.
• The City Clerk office, along with Kim Lindsey from the Mayor’s office, updated all Board and Committee rosters.
• Our Madison City Schools held the ribbon cutting for our new updated Pre-K building, housed in the old West Madison Elementary.
• Our Fall 2024 Civic Awareness Academy has been a huge success, with graduation scheduled for the December 9^th Council meeting. A huge thanks to Traci Gillespie for a fantastic job throughout the six weeks of classes.
• Our Court team shared that they opened 432 cases, closed 238 cases, and issued 104 warrants during the three weeks.
• Our Facilities and Grounds team completed 138 work order requests during the three weeks.
• Our Fire Marshal’s office has permitted 951 new construction inspections in FY24.
• Our Public Works team has been busy, working on the Oakland Spring Branch Greenway project, Sunshine Oaks park, Palmer Park parking lot, and the Huntsville Brownsferry/Burgreen roundabout.
• Hughes Road repaving south of the railroad bridge is in its final stages of completion.
• We continue to see strong progress on our Browns Ferry culvert project and our Madison Blvd. repaving project is nearing completion.
• ALDOT continues to work on the full 6-laning project of I-565 between the Wall Triana exit and the County Line exit.
• Our full interchange project on I-565 at Town Madison is nearing completion, with an estimated completion date of late January 2025.

As we break for Thanksgiving, I continue to be thankful for everyone who supports our city and our employees. We truly live in an incredible city and I hope each of you enjoys your Thanksgiving holiday.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley  

November 30th to December 22nd

City of Madison Team,

December has flown by, and Christmas is three days away. Hopefully, everyone has been able to enjoy this weekend with family or running last minute errands. Here are a few of our highlights from the past few weeks.

• The City held our annual Christmas Parade down Hughes Road. Thanks to Recreation, MPD, MFR, Public Works, and multiple other folks who helped make this happen. While a little rainy it was enjoyed by a huge crowd.
• We held our annual employee lunch at Toyota Field. Thanks to our HR team for putting it together and for all of our employees who attended.
• Our Building team shared the permitting division created 235 permits, issued 259 permits, and the inspection team completed 670 inspections during the three weeks.
• Code Enforcement opened 24 new cases and took down over 30 signs in the ROW.
• Site plans for several new eateries have been processed recently, with construction expected to start next year.  The businesses include: The Chop House, Starbucks, and Whataburger.  In addition, a new two tenant retail building will be constructed at the corner of Main and Wise Streets in downtown.
• The Planning Commission approved the location of a public safety training center and an animal control building on the City’s property on Celtic Drive.  The new center will be used by Fire and Police and allow for convenient training of personnel.  The animal control building will greatly improve operating conditions and free up needed space at the City Hall site.
• Kudos to our Court team who has been short staffed yet still opened 394 cases, closed 454 cases, and issued 108 warrants during the three weeks.
• Our Fire Marshall Office shared that they permitted 995 new construction inspections in CY24.
• Our Community Reduction team shared that October-November Fire Safety Month delivered educational presentations with new inflatable safety house to 3600 Pre-K through 2^nd grade students.  Great work by Captain Pickens for organizing and delivering these sessions!
• Madison Fire and Rescue responded to 440 incidents, 351 of which were EMS related during the three weeks.
• Our Facilities and Grounds team responded to 148 work orders during the three weeks including holding a kickoff meeting with our General Contractor for renovation of the Public Safety Annex, with construction starting Monday.
• We added lighting at the Wellness Center, worked on HVAC issues at Dublin Park, City Hall, Community Center, Rainbow Mountain IT building, and the Wellness Center, and fixed plumbing issues at the Wellness Center, Palmer Park, Public Library, City Hall, and Fire stations 1 & 4 among other items.
• We have completed painting the inside of the Palmer Park Concession facilities and the interior of Dublin Park.
• Our Madison Police responded to 3815 calls, made 138 arrests, issued 213 tickets, and gave 221 warnings during the three weeks.
• Our Revenue team shared that the sales tax collected in November 2024 decreased by 1.73% compared to the amount collected in November 2023.
• Garrett Gillott updated the city’s virtual infrastructure, including the latest feature releases, firmware, and security updates. The entire process took four days to complete.
• Michelle Parker updated the city’s ERP software with the latest feature release and security updates.
• The IT Department is continuing to work on setting up wireless connectivity for Sunshine Oaks, with the project expected to be completed by mid-January.
• Toby Jenkins attended FlexSAA training this week, and successfully passed his FlexSAA certification exam, earning his FlexSAA certification.
• Our Public Works team worked on multiple flood mitigation projects including working on multiple beaver dams.
• Our Recreation team shared that both our adult and youth basketball leagues are in full swing.
• The new Parks and Rec app had 225 downloads this week bringing the total to 681 since its inception. Rec league schedules and scores are just some of the data that can be obtained using the app.
• Several new classes including Chess, Caroling Stained Glass, and Art Therapy have started at the Community Center.
• We proudly celebrated the graduation of 33 Madison residents from our Civic Awareness Academy at our 1 December Council meeting.  Over the past six weeks, participants engaged with the Mayor, City Council members and city department leaders to gain an in-depth understanding of the vital services and operations that keep Madison running smoothly. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this program a success.  The call for applications for the Spring 2025 class will begin in mid-January 2025.

As I close I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We have had a fantastic 2024 and I can’t wait to see all that we accomplish together in 2025. Thank you for all that you do for our employees and our Madison Community.

Respectfully,

Mayor Finley

In Closing

I hope you and your family have had a wonderful Christmas and will have a healthy and happy 2025. It has been a pleasure representing District 1 since 2016. Moving forward I can be reached at Email Maura or 256.337.2408. I also have a Facebook Page that you can follow where I post frequent updates: https://www.facebook.com/MauraforDistrict1. As always, thank you for your continued support!