Madison City Council District 7

December 2011

Mayor/Council Salary - The Council by unanimous vote approved a Mayor’s salary of $95,835 per year starting in November 2012. The Mayor currently makes about $83,000. He, as well as Council members, has elected not to receive his built in 3% growth each year for the last three years. So, even though it is a salary increase of a little over 15%, it is actually only about 8.5% above what the salary would be if the Mayor had not refused his 3% annual adjustments. Mayor and Council have refused our 3% increases because we have not been able to give the City employees cost of living adjustments (COLA) for the last few years. The number we arrived at was not pulled out of a hat or arrived at in some arbitrary manner. Our Finance Committee Chairman researched salaries of Mayor’s in cities in Alabama and elsewhere of about the same size and with similar budgets. A salary of this level is needed to find an individual with the skills and experience to lead and manage over 300 city employees, a budget of almost $50M, and the constant demands of a work week that goes far beyond 40 hours per week (not to mention the evening and weekend functions). Madison is now the tenth largest city in the state of Alabama.....a far cry from the small suburb of even ten years ago. The salary for a City Council member will go to $13,690 in 2012. As a side note, City employees received a 2% COLA this year after a few years without one. City finances have shown improvement but not to the point where we can make a huge jump in City salaries. A 2% COLA costs the City in the ballpark of about $700K. Our Human Resources department managed to keep our employees health insurance rates at last years rates and not many companies can say that. We will continue to monitor the budget and increase salaries as we can. Mayor and Council declined an increase in salary this year also. You can view the 2012 budget here : http://www.madisonal.gov/archives/40/Adopted%20FY%202012%20Annual%20Operating%20Budget.pdf.

School Zones - Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you know this has been a hot topic lately. The new school zones for middle and high school are at the following link,

http://data.madisoncity.k12.al.us/Documents/Zoning/Proposed_Secondary_Zoning.pdf. I would just like to say that the School Board is trying to make the process of opening the new high school as painless and as equitable as possible. The next couple of years will be a challenge for our community as we transition from a one high school city to a two. I believe that our goal should be to have every student receive an excellent education no matter which Madison City school they attend…..and I am confident that we will achieve that.

Nuisance Workshop/Forum - This is a program being sponsored by the Building Department. Please read all the information and particulars at this alert on the City website, http://www.madisonal.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=345. The forum is on January 17^th, Tuesday, from 6pm to 8pm at Madison City Hall. The purpose of the workshop and forum will be to receive feedback from citizens concerning nuisances within their neighborhoods, providing citizens with information concerning code enforcement and nuisance violations and to inform the public about steps they can take to help alleviate nuisances throughout the City of Madison. A panel consisting of representatives from various City departments will be available to answer questions and discuss issues with the attendees. I will be there. I think this is great opportunity to have your voice heard about what is and is not important to you in the area of code enforcement. The Building Department will be rewriting our nuisance ordinance in the coming months and will incorporate citizen concerns from this forum.

Madison Cheer Brigade Update - The generosity of this community continues to amaze me! The nine local military families that were served by the Cheer Brigade this year split $17, 685 dollars in monetary donations plus wonderful gifts that residents purchased for them. Over $2000 for each family in cash, gift cards and gifts! Residents brought in checks from small amounts to big amounts. Our City Clerk says it was a little overwhelming when someone would come to the window at City Hall and say “I’d like to donate to the Cheer Brigade” and they would hand her a check for $1000 and say “I had a blessed year and I would like for someone else to have a great Christmas”…wow. Many non Madison residents participated also, as well as, Robert Reeves from WHNT Channel 19. See what he brought to City Hall in this story on their “Pay It Forward” program, http://www.whnt.com/news/takingaction/payitforward/

Donations - More individuals that are making a difference in the quality of life for Madison residents this month…..Senator Arthur Orr presented a check for $15,000 to help in the new way-finding system of directional signage that is being put up around the City to direct Madison residents and visitors to various attractions and destinations. Mr. Joe Knoch of Air Essentials donated $2000 to the Madison Police Department to help start their Bicycle Patrol Unit. Senator Bill Holtzclaw provided an appropriation in the amount of $3000 and County Commissioner Dale Strong added $5000 more for a total of $8000 toward ADA compliant disability doors at the Madison Library.

Fire Station #2 - Fire Station #2 is in the final stretch. The schedule is about a month behind due to weather delays and the delay in some specialized equipment delivery. Probably looking at being done around the end of February. Even though much of the major construction has been done please still use caution in the area. The last few weeks will get hectic with the final push to completion and the concrete aprons and asphalt being done. I know the neighbors will be glad to see this project completed…again, we appreciate your patience.

Gooch Lane - It is always good news, bad news with this project. Good news is that work is still being done. Weather has been a factor. Bad news, a piece of equipment vital to the drainage improvement portion of work went down and has been in for repairs. As I said in the last newsletter, the pavement put down is not the final surface….just the beginning.

Hwy 72/ Target-Hospital area - Council just signed an agreement with the two property owners of the parcels in front of the Madison Hospital and Target to get them to help with the cost (they are paying $ 132,664 and we are providing about $30,000) of paving a third lane east bound on 72 between Balch and the entrance to Target. This means that traffic entering the Hospital, Target and businesses in that complex will not slow the thru traffic on Hwy 72 because there will be a lane for them to use to slow and make their turns.

Madison Street Festival Committee Awards - The money raised at the annual Madison Street Festival goes back into our community in the form of grants given by the Madison Street Festival Committee. This year grants were given to the Madison Beautification and Tree Board, Inside Out Ministries, Day Life Camp, The Huntsville Hospital Foundation for the Madison Hospital, Madison Young Marines, and the Madison Children’s Theatre. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to the Street Festival Committee for all of their hard work

Hello/Goodbye - We welcome Jason Colee to the City of Madison staff. Jason will be our new Information Technology Director. And a very sad goodbye to Mr. Charlie Brown. Mr. Brown has been the chairman of the Madison Planning Commission for many years. He and his wife are moving out of the City of Madison (not far!) and because he will no longer reside in Madison he had to give up his seat. We thank him for his years of service….he will be missed.

November 2011

As the year comes to an end, it amazes me how quickly time can slip by. It seems like yesterday that I joined the City Council. The past year has been a very rewarding experience for me and I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to serve all of you and the great city of Madison. May you and your families have a blessed Christmas and a peaceful start to the New Year. - Ronica

Reorganization of Council - In November the City Council elects a new Council President to serve for one year until the following November. I am honored to have been elected president for this term. Council member Tim Holcombe (District 1) was elected President Pro tempore and will preside over meetings in my absence. I will still perform my duties for the residents of District 7 in addition to the duties as president. The members of our Finance Committee agreed to return for another term. They are Council Members Larry Vannoy (Chairman), Jerry Jennings, and Tim Cowles.

Madison Fire & Rescue – Madison firefighters presented a check to the Liz Hurley Breast Cancer Fund in the amount of $10,000. Most of these funds are raised through the sale of pink Madison Fire & Rescue t-shirts. Liz Hurley accepted the check at the November 14^th Council meeting and said she would request the funds be set aside to purchase equipment for the new Madison Hospital.

Madison Cheer Brigade – As in years past, the City of Madison in conjunction with the local National Guard and Army Reserve is asking for support to make this holiday season a happy one for nine local soldiers and their families. Monetary gifts can be dropped off at Madison City Hall. Non-monetary gifts can be taken to Dublin Park Recreation Center. Gifts will be accepted through Dec. 16^th. Volunteers are needed to wrap the donated gifts on Dec. 16^th at Dublin at 9:00am.

Fiscal Year 2012 Budget – The FY 2012 Budget for the City of Madison was approved at the November 14^th Council meeting. Council approved a budget of a little over $48M for the City. This budget continues all current City services, provides a 2% COLA (cost of living adjustment) for City employees and maintains an appropriate reserve level of funds for the City. It does not provide much in the way of Capital Improvement Projects. This is one area that we continue to look at and try to find resources to support and maintain our infrastructure.

Polling Location Change – District 7’s polling location for elections will change for the upcoming year. Voting will now take place at Restoration Church on Wall Triana just north of Gooch Lane. This location provides better in and out access and is a little more centrally located in District 7.

Road Work
Gooch Lane - The Gooch Lane project has begun (Wall Triana to Balch). Although the paving that has been done is a major improvement, the final driving surface has not been done so it will only get better.  Use caution driving at night as the road has temporary striping.
Hwy 72 - Work continues in front of the "Shoppes of Madison" and the Madison Hospital. Use caution in this area also.
Zierdt Road - Even though this is far from District 7 some of you may use it to get to the Arsenal. It has been repaved inside the Madison City limits.  Improvements to the turn lanes are also going to be made.

Home Burglaries - There has been an increase in the number of break-ins in the Madison, Huntsville, and Madison County areas lately. This is not uncommon during the holiday season.  If you see any suspicious activity in your area, do not hesitate to call 911 and let an officer check things out.  If you know your neighbors will be out of town for the holidays, please keep an eye on their homes.  The Madison Police Department has tips for holiday safety at this link, http://www.madisonal.gov/archives/80/Holiday%20Safety%202011.pdf.

October 2011

Bradford Farms Drive/Hughes Road Crosswalk - As some of you may have noticed, the crosswalk at Bradford Farms Drive and Hughes Road has been removed. This was done at the direction of the City Engineering Department without consultation of the City Council. I have expressed my displeasure in many forms at the way this was handled (no community notice, no alternative to get residents across the street safely). At this point, all I can say is that I am working the issue daily. The Engineering Department claims the crosswalk was never "warranted" and that it should not be located on a road with a speed limit of 45mph without some sort of signalization. There are many issues to work through on this and I don't see an immediate fix. Options now would be to place a traffic signal at this intersection or to put in a sidewalk from Bradford Farms Drive to Lynnbrook Drive on the east side of Hughes so that people could cross at the crosswalk located at Lynnbrook. Both of those options cost lots of money. If you want to discuss further, please email me, or if you want to express your opinion on the matter email the Engineering Department at gary.chynoweth@madisonal.gov and tell them what you would like to see done.

Road Work
Gillespie Road - Finally open! Last details are being done.
Gooch Lane - Below is the update I received last week from Public Works and the Mayor's office:

The Gooch Lane Re-construction Project will begin within the next 2 weeks with preliminary surveying to start by the end of the week. In an effort to better manage this project with Public Works forces the work effort will be broken into 5 phases. This will allow the department to complete sections of the roadway with the least amount of disruption to the property owners along this roadway and proceed with better traffic control measures. The phases of construction are identified as follows:

· Phase 1 / Wall Triana to Eastfield Drive (approximately 1400 feet)

· Phase 2 / Eastfield Drive to Prairie St. (approximately 1300 feet)

· Phase 3 / Prairie St. to Tumbleweed Drive (approximately 1000 feet)

· Phase 4 / Tumbleweed Drive to Donsmere Place (approximately 1400 feet)

· Phase 5 / Donsmere Place to Balch Road (approximately 800 feet)

It should be noted that this project will proceed during the winter months, but it is estimated that the work effort will take approximately 5 months to complete.

Greenways - Bradford Creek Greenway from Palmer Road to Mill Road will be open the first of November.

Continuing Resolution - The City is operating under a continuing resolution passed at the Sept. 26th council meeting. This means that we are operating under the provisions of last years budget until this years budget is adopted. We are waiting to see the sales tax revenue figures for September to get an idea of what our actual income is instead of using projected numbers. Also, the council passed a Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program for city employees at the same meeting. We are waiting to see if anyone takes advantage of this program. If they do, we will not backfill those positions and this would result in a savings of salary and benefit costs that we could use elsewhere in next years budget.

Madison County License Department - The Madison County Commission last week approved the renovations for a satellite office of the Madison County License Department in the former Oh!Bryans steakhouse building off of Hughes Road. This office is scheduled to open early next year. It will have the same services as the former location at Southern Family Market. Unfortunately, the state says they do not have the budget to include a driver's license testing facility at this time. Also, it is possible that the newly elected Madison County District 2 Commissioner will have an office in this facility. See next story.

Madison County Commission Districts - Just as the Madison City Council districts will be redrawn this year because of the 2010 Census numbers, so will the Madison County Commission districts. The good news for Madison is that we will be getting a district composed almost entirely of the city of Madison. This is huge because it means we will have almost one entire district budget for Madison. Currently, Madison is split between two districts that cover a lot of area. Read a story about it here and see the map : http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/09/madison_county_adopts_new_comm.html.

Redistricting - The Madison City Council districts based on the 2010 Census are posted here, http://www.madisonal.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=317. Please read the article and look at the maps to see if you are still in District 7 or will be shifting to another district. The districts will more than likely be voted on at the October 10th council meeting. Update: New Council District lines adopted at the Oct. 24 Council meeting.

Glass Recycling - Madison has a glass recycling service available at the Discovery Middle School parking lot. There is a large container in the parking lot beside the football field on the north end for you to place glass. Here are a few things to remember: all colors of glass are accepted; remove lids, corks, and caps; rinse if possible; labels do not have to be removed. If you bring your glass in a bag or box, please do not put those in the bin. If the container is away being emptied do not leave boxes or bags of glass in the parking lot. Also, please do not take glass during the morning drop off and afternoon pick up of students. The container is being emptied about every 3 to 3.5 weeks. That is a lot of glass! Most is being used in polished glass countertops. The new Fire Station #2 will have these countertops.

What Is It? Waffle House! At the corner of Hughes Road and Roma Drive south of Arby's. That is why all the dirt moving and drainage improvements have been going on. Site plan will go before Planning and Zoning soon.

September 2011

Yard Debris Collection - Allied Waste is making changes to the yard debris schedule. Your household garbage schedule will remain the same. When Allied Waste first took over the contract from the City for this service they changed from the schedule that had been used (all debris collected Mon. - Fri.) to a modified schedule that had them picking up small and bagged trash Mon. - Wed. and then picking up large items on Thursday and Friday. This caused much confusion and we did not feel it was the most efficient route to get the trash picked up. Allied has agreed to go back to the old route system but your date of pick up may have changed. District 7 residents west of Hughes will have pickup on Tuesdays and residents east of Hughes will have pickup on Thursday. See the announcement and map here: http://www.madisonal.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=308
Note, this starts with pickup on Sept. 26.

Road Work -
Gooch Lane - Crews started working on the drainage portion of the Gooch Lane widening/paving last week. The other work can not begin until Gillespie Road reopens to traffic (which was supposed to take place on Sept 22). Gillespie will not be complete until Oct 10th but is going to be open to limited traffic. Gooch will remain open during the improvement project. Crews will try to work one side of the road at a time and any short closures of the road should take place during the middle of the day to lessen the impact on school and work traffic.
Hughes Road - I met with the Public Works Director last week and one thing we discussed was the poor shape and visibility of the striping on the north end of Hughes Road. In the next few months, we hope to have it restriped with reflectors put in certain areas and the crosswalks at Bradford Farms and Discovery Middle School repainted also.

Redistricting - The Madison City Council districts will be redrawn to reflect the 2010 Census numbers. District 7 will not see any major changes based on the preliminary maps I have seen. The maps are almost finished and are in the final stages of being approved. They will be presented to the public in the next month or so.

Brogans Way and Ridgeside Drive Update - This rezoning took place in January and you can read the background in January's newsletter. I learned a few weeks ago that the original project that brought about the request for the rezoning (B-3, General Business to R-4, multi-family) has fallen through. The company trying to develop the apartment complex did not secure the federal funding they were targeting and have since let their option expire on this property. The property is located behind Lowe's north of Hwy 72.

Tennis Courts - You may have noticed activity/clean up around the old tennis courts in front of the Senior Center and Discovery Middle School. Looks so much better! There is a reason for the cleanup and I will try to explain it as simply as I can rephrasing what I received from our Recreation Director. The property was purchased and developed in 1975 with Federal Land and Water Conservation Grant funds. When the City accepted these funds, it was agreed the property must stay as developed in perpetuity. So, we had strayed from this agreement by allowing various activities to take place and now we have to return it to something that will satisfy our original agreement. The Recreation Department is working to develop a plan that would allow this area to be used as a lawn game area (horse shoes, bocce ball, etc.) with a possible flower garden and other upgrades. The good news in all of this is the site will always be some sort of public area. As plans are developed and approved I will update.

Children's Garden at Madison Public Library - I attended the grand opening of the Children' Garden at the Madison Public Library on September 18th. I encourage everyone to go and see this amazing place. Even if you don't have children that will be using the space, please go and see what a wonderful job so many volunteers have created for our community. If you do have children, it is a must see! Just as it took many volunteers to develop the garden, it will take many volunteers to maintain it. If you have an interest in gardening and tinkering with projects the "Friends of the Madison Garden" can use your help. This is a new group that is dedicated specifically to keeping this project maintained and growing. Call the Library for details.

August 2011

Yard Trash Pickup - I know...your yard debris has not been picked up!!! Wow, what an exercise in patience this has been. The transition from City crews picking up yard waste to our contracted service with Allied Waste has not gone as planned. One too many storms has made keeping up difficult but I also believe that the contractor may have underestimated how much time it would take to make all the routes in Madison. So, our Director of Public Works is meeting with Allied managers to discuss how to more efficiently get waste picked up and to try to move away from the pick up of bags on one day and limbs on another day. I know that residents have been unable to get through to Allied (see links and numbers in July's letter below). You can email me and I will pass the information along if you can't get through. Note, if you have work done by a contractor to cut down trees they are responsible for the haul off. City trash crews (Allied) will not pick up large limbs and stumps left by a contractor. When putting debris at the street, do not put limbs/logs/stumps in the street as this is a safety hazard and you will be asked to move it.

Best Places to Live! - CNN Money has named the 100 Best Places to Live and Madison is listed at number 96. The only city in Alabama named to the list.  The new Madison Hospital and the new high school are mentioned in the article. Read it at this link http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2011/snapshots/PL0145784.html

Target Update - GBT Realty Corporation, the developer of The Shoppes of Madison, announced some of the stores coming to the Target complex. Several new to the Madison/Huntsville market are: Kinnucan's Outdoors (you may have shopped at their stores in Auburn and Tuscaloosa, they carry North Face, Tom's, Kavu, Sperry and many other brands), Which Wich (sandwich shop), Pie in the Sky (pizza plus much more), Fulin's (Asian cuisine). The shopping center is about 80% leased and more stores will be named soon.
http://www.pieintheskypizza.com/, http://fulins.com/fulins/index.html, http://whichwich.com/ , http://www.kinnucans.com/

Road Work
Highway 72 - Work continues in front of the new Target complex use caution.
Wall Triana & Hwy 72 intersection - New signal and turn lanes on north side are finished.
Gillespie Road - Construction to replace bridge was supposed to finish up the first week in August but has not happened yet. The City is in daily contact with the contractor to monitor the job and see that it is finished as quickly as possible.
Gooch Lane - Design is finished and the project has been moved to a City job with Public Works crews doing the work.  Good news is that means no waiting on a contract to bid...bad news, the Gillespie Road delay is delaying this job start because Gooch is being used as the detour for Gillespie.

Hogan YMCA -   Some of you may have heard talk around town about the "are they" or "are they not" going to build a 50 meter pool at the YMCA.   I will give you some background on this subject and then give you the position of the YMCA. Council approved a funding ordinance with the Hogan YMCA (before I was on Council) that agreed to an amount of $100K per year for 10 years. That ordinance does not specifically call out that a 50 meter pool has to be built but I understand that it was agreed by all sides that this was what the City wanted and that it was a priority. The City and Council were under the impression that the YMCA was working toward this but recently became aware that the project might have been put on the back burner so to speak. Council made it known that we were not happy with this development and asked for a timetable from the Y on the pool. Scott Mounts, President/CEO of Heart of the Valley YMCA spoke to Council on August 8th with an update on what the Hogan YMCA has planned. If you want a copy of what was presented email me and I will send you a PDF of the presentation. Mr. Mounts stated that the Y never should have agreed to build the pool when it reached a certain number of members and that there is "currently no schedule and the YMCA will not commit to a date for the 50 meter pool." Needless to say, this is causing quite a stir. We have heard loud and clear from the public that they want and need the pool. Many of you have spoken at City Council meetings and we are listening. As I learn more about the reaction to the YMCA's presentation, I will update.

Fire Station #2 - Construction of Fire Station #2 on Hughes Road has begun. Please watch for construction vehicles in this area especially on Thomas Drive. When you are driving north on Hughes and turn right onto Thomas your view is blocked by a stand of shrubs and trees and it is hard to see construction vehicles if they are on Thomas. I will admit to firsthand experience with this....I almost rear ended a dump truck that was waiting to enter the sight from Thomas.

July 2011

Recreation Advisory Board - Mr. Troy Turlock gave a presentation to the City Council at the July 25th meeting on behalf of the Madison Recreation Advisory Board to highlight the need to expand recreational facilities in Madison over the next 15 years. The Advisory Board wants to have a feasibility study done to see if the City could support a new indoor sports facility for basketball, volleyball, and indoor soccer as well as trade shows and large City gatherings. An outdoor facility would also be explored and site locations for both facilities would be looked at.

Madison Chamber of Commerce - The Chamber is currently without a Director. Interviews for a new director will be held on August 3rd and hopefulley someone will be named in the next few weeks.

Public Works Department - The Director of Public Works resigned at the end of the month and the Mayor has appointed a temporary director on a contract basis until a permanent director can be hired. His name is Steve Abbott and he is retired from the Public Works Department in Huntsville. He has many years of experience and will be able to hit the ground running.

Trash Pickup - The transition from the City pickup of yard waste to a contracted service (with Allied Waste) has begun. As with any new way of doing business there will be kinks to be worked out and a learning curve for the contractor. Contact Allied Waste at the following: (256) 327-4400 or sf00031@repsrv.com for service related issues.

Target Store - A building permit was issued for the start of construction on the actual store on July 1st. Site work has gone as scheduled and with the building permit issued the store opening should still be March 2012.

Beautification and Tree Board - One of my jobs as a Council Member is as a liaison to the Madison Beautification and Tree Board. This all volunteer board does a fantastic job of keeping Madison looking good. Most of the members are Master Gardeners, many have backgrounds in horticulture, and they all have years of experience in planting and growing species of plants and trees that thrive in our climate. Recently, a group from the Board selected trees for the new Downtown/Main Street revitalization project. The trees selected to replace the trees that were taken out in the downtown area are: Alee Chinese Elm, Square Dance Dogwood, Natchez Crape myrtle, and the Teddy Bear Southern Magnolia.

June 2011

Schools Out - Have a safe and relaxing summer! Don't forget: wear sunscreen, a helmet when riding a bike, scooter, skateboard, etc. and stay hydrated.

Mayor's Assistant - Mayor Finley announced the appointment/hiring of Madison resident Nansi Clark as his new Executive Assistant. She replaces Taylor Edge who left the Mayor's office in May. Nansi will begin on June 20th. She will be a great addition to the Mayor's office.

Road Work -
Highway 72 - Balch to Wall Triana - Please use caution in this area through the summer as contractors move utility lines and begin work on improvements in front of the new Target. Traffic lights will be added at the entrance to the new Madison Hospital and in front of Target. Intersection at 72 and Wall Triana (north) has new traffic poles in place and paving should start soon. Wall Triana will have a thru lane, two left turn lanes, and a right turn lane heading south. It will improve the stacking of traffic in front of the side entrances to Star Market and the old Southern Family Market site.
Gooch Lane - Design is almost complete but has been delayed. Still hope to have a public meeting in June and get a firm schedule at that time. Yes, it has been a long process but hopefully we are close to a start.
Gillespie Road - Closed from Angela Drive to Hunter's Chase June 2nd to August 8th for bridge replacement.

Fire Station #2 - Bid opening for the new Fire Station is on June 8th. Work should begin fairly quickly after that. This site is at the corner of Hughes Road and Thomas Drive which is south of the current site. Note: Unfortunately, because of the size of the site, all trees will have to be removed to accommodate the building layout. Also, in the first few weeks of the job heavy equipment will be in the area. Chief Cobb is very well aware of this being in the middle of a residential area and we will work hard to have the contractor obey all City noise and safety ordinances.

Trash Pickup - Trash pickup is scheduled to go back on regular routes on June 13th. The amount of debris left behind from the April storm/tornado has been difficult for our Public Works department but I think they have done an excellent job. The "spoiled food" service that was provided at City Stadium was invaluable.

Work Orders for City services - Had a really good meeting on June 21st with the board members of the Bradford Farms Subdivision Homeowner's Association. We discussed many issues they were having and the best way for them to report problems to various City departments for action. I gave them this link, http://madisonal.qscend.com/request.aspx, and I heard back that they were very pleased with the response and service they received. It is worth taking the time to go online and fill the information out because with this your request stays in the system until it is resolved. Try it and if you don't have any luck, as always, you can email or call me.

Dublin Park Gym Floor - The Dublin Park gym floor was damaged a few months ago by flooding and the damage was not covered by insurance. Many thanks to our State elected leaders who donated funds from their budgets to help with the replacement of the floor: Senators Bill Holtzclaw and Arthur Orr and Representatives Mike Ball and Mac McCutcheon. Also, a thank you to the Hogan YMCA for allowing the Basketball Association of Madison (BAM) to use their basketball facilities while the Dublin gym was out of commission.

Madison Police Department Ribbon Cutting – A ribbon cutting was held on May 27 for the new addition to the Madison Police Department. The 14,000 square foot addition was actually finished several weeks ago and a ribbon cutting was scheduled on April 28th but was not possible because of the tornadoes of April 27^th. The addition includes a state of the art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Training Room as well as new holding cells and processing room. The EOC was fully functional during the aftermath of the storms and power outages and served the City well. I can’t imagine making it through that crisis without the facility that we now have.

Madison Employees of the Year – Thanks to the Madison Rotary Club for recognizing the Madison City employees of the year. Congratulations to Firefighter Richard Ennis, Police Officer Patrick Hamilton and Human Resources director Terri Towry.

Mayor’s Scholarship Award – The winner of the 2011 Mayor’s scholarship in the amount of $10,000 was Nick Mazikowski. Nick excels in Technical Theater and has won writing and theater awards in local, state, and national competitions.

Redistricting – Council districts will be redrawn this year based on the 2010 Census. Slaughter & Associates is analyzing all the demographic data from the Census and will recommend new districts to balance current populations and future growth. A first cut of new districts should be presented to Council at the end of June. Districts will shift somewhat but one of the requirements is that no sitting Council Member can be “drawn” out of their current District.

Sales Tax Holiday – Once again the first full weekend in August has been set aside as a “sales tax holiday” for many school related items.

Downtown/Main Street - The improvements to the roads and parking in downtown Madison have been put on hold. Work will most likely not resume until after the Madison Street Festival in October. The next phase of the project involved Huntsville Utilities moving utilities underground. Because of the amount of damage caused by the recent tornadoes in other parts of the County, Huntsville Utilities is not available to start the project.

Ad Valorem (Property Tax) Public Hearing – On April 25^th a public hearing was held on the proposed 6 mill ad valorem tax increase for educational purposes. About 20 residents spoke at this hearing and all supported a vote by the residents of Madison to determine the issue but there were differing opinions on whether they supported the tax itself or not. A resolution was passed (Resolution No. 2011-99-R) that states the City’s intent to hold an election on this subject if the Legislature so approves. Here is how this all works: The property tax increase would have to be approved by referendum (a vote of the residents on an issue that is placed on the ballot by the Legislature). So, the resolution goes to the Legislature, they approve for the issue to be put on the ballot and an election is held. The general consensus is that this should take place in conjunction with another election (primary, municipal, or general) and not as a special election (where this is the only issue on the ballot). The thinking being that you will get a bigger voter turnout if the vote takes place with another larger election. Only registered voters of Madison, those in Madison County and Limestone County, would vote on the issue (it will not be a statewide referendum). A six mill property tax increase would translate into an additional $60 per year for $100,000 of house value ($120 for $200,000 house, $180 for $300,000 house and so forth). Also, the ½ cent sales tax increase that was enacted by the City Council in November 2009 would go away. So, it is either continue with the additional ½ cent sales tax or increase property taxes. Not both. When you look at property tax vs. sales tax there are pros and cons to both. I believe a property tax would be a much more stable form of funding for the school system as sales taxes have seen a downward trend in the last couple of years due to the economy. Madison’s sales tax is currently 8 ½ %, as is Huntsville’s. Madison County has a rate of 5 ½ %. Talk of raising the sales tax again by ½% has been suggested by some but if you raise Madison’s rate higher than all those around us I think you run the risk of sending shoppers to Huntsville and the county to shop and perhaps losing more revenue than you take in with the increase. Educate yourself now on what you think is the best for Madison moving forward.

March 2011

Ad Valorem/Property tax - Dr. Dee Fowler, Superintendent of Madison City Schools, made a presentation at the March 28th City Council meeting requesting that the Council, on behalf of the Board of Education, consider a resolution asking the Alabama Legislature for permission to hold a vote of the people for a 6 mill ad valorem tax increase for school purposes. A resolution was passed (Resolution No. 2011-80-R) setting a public hearing to discuss the proposal for the April 25th Council meeting. This is a first step in a process that would include the public hearing, a resolution to the Legislature for permission to hold an election, and the scheduling of an election. This is not something the City Council can do on their own.

Street Sweeping - Yes, you may have seen street sweepers around City streets. For the first time in many years, Madison has contracted for the sweeping of debris from streets. This will last for a couple of months.

Madison City School Board vacancy - Deadline for submission of applications for the Board of Education position is April 8th. Interviews will take place on April 19th and 20th.

Target Store - A ground breaking was held for the new Target store on Hwy 72 West on March 21st. Scheduled opening is March 2012. As a side note, lots of dollar figures have been shown in the press about how much Council approved to bring Target to Madison and how much the City will see in revenue in return. In basic terms, Council approved a package of $7.5 M to have Target locate in Madison. The projected revenues for the Target complex (all stores) based on previous developments like it showed that the revenues on the low end would be $400,000 per year net (after we make our debt payments) up to $1 million. The projected sales tax revenue per year (gross) is somewhere between $1.25 and 1.87 million. So, after the one year construction period and the ten year repayment period the City will retain all of the sales tax revenue from the shopping center and even in the years of the debt payment we will still see the positive cash flow of between $400 K and $1M. I plan to do my part. Shop Madison first!

Target Store Retail Site – A public hearing was held on the new Target Store retail site located on Highway 72 West just west of Wall Triana on February 14^th. Many of the concerns expressed by nearby residents had already been discussed with the developer in a meeting prior to the public hearing. The developer, GBT of Brentwood, TN, has made representatives available to citizens to hear their concerns and work toward solutions that make the development less intrusive to the adjoining neighborhoods while still making full use of the retail site. As with any commercial project that borders a residential area, not everyone is going to be satisfied but I do believe that the residents and the developer have worked well together to find common ground. I personally appreciate the way the neighbors conducted themselves in the meetings and public hearing. It has been an emotional process for all involved. Ultimately, this development will have a huge positive economic impact for Madison.

Census Figures – According to the 2010 Census, Madison’s population has reached almost 43,000 residents. This is an almost 40% increase since the 2000 Census. With tremendous growth comes a large demand on City services and huge impacts on budgets. The next few years will be years of transition for Madison from a small community to now the 10^th largest city in Alabama (stop and think about that). Many ways of doing things in the past will have to be tweaked. It will be a challenge for City leaders and residents alike. Let’s keep the small town feel but let’s not be afraid to be progressive and forward thinking.

Bond Ratings – Mayor Finley and Council Member Larry Vannoy made a trip to New York City to meet with our bonding companies and reported that Madison continues to have an exceptional bond rating which ranks us among the top 5% of municipalities in financial stability.

Huge Donations! – The City of Madison was pleased to accept a donation of $40,000 from AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) for a Dublin Park Concession Stand/Restroom project at our February, 14^th Council meeting. What a great Valentine’s Day gift. This generous amount will make a huge difference for those families that use the Dublin Park soccer fields….AND at the February 28^th Council meeting AYSO gave an additional $30,000 to the City for lighting the soccer fields at Palmer Park. Many thanks to this organization for giving back to our community!

County Commission Donations - Commissioner Dale Strong surprised Police Chief Muncey with two 2011 Ford Crown Victoria Police cruisers and Commissioner Faye Dyer presented the City with $25,000 for the Dublin Park Concession Stand/Restroom project and two snow plows. In addition to our Madison taxes, remember we still pay county taxes and this is just a sample of what comes back to us through those dollars.

Trash Collection – Mayor Finley advised Council that the City is currently looking at privatizing our “green trash” (yard debris, appliances, etc) collection. It is believed that the City could save money by not having to purchase new trucks to perform these tasks and not having to perform the maintenance associated with those vehicles. A decision should be made in the near future.

Spencer Trace Apartments (formerly Paradise Apartments) – This complex located on Wall Triana has been empty for some time. An open house was held by the current owners on February 13^th to show the model apartment they have completed. The owners are awaiting final financing from their lender and will be renovating the entire complex in the next few months.

Bob Jones Swim Team – Congratulations to Coach Michael Gunner and the Bob Jones Swim team for winning their 7^th straight state championship. They were recognized and presented certificates at the February 28^th Council meeting. Coach Gunner was also chosen as the National Federation of State High School Associations Coach of the Year for Boys Swimming and Diving.

Madison City School Board – Mrs. Sue Helms has announced that she will not be seeking another term on the Madison City School Board. The City Council will begin taking applications and interview candidates at a later date.

January 2011

Council Appointment – I was nominated and appointed to the Madison City Council at the December 20^th meeting and I have been educating myself and getting up to speed on all that is taking place in the city of Madison and District 7 since. As many people have commented, “you have big shoes to fill.” Believe me; I know Bill Holtzclaw is a tough act to follow. I am honored to have been appointed to the Council to serve as his replacement and hope to uphold the integrity and high standards that he brought to this seat.

Brogans Way and Ridgeside Drive Rezoning - Council voted to approve a rezoning of this parcel of land north of Hwy 72 and west of Hughes behind Publix from B-3 (General Business) to R-4 (Multi-family). I voted against this rezoning for many reasons and I will try to outline some for you. First off, Planning and Zoning did approve of this change in zoning and their rationale seems sound. The property is surrounded by City of Huntsville property that is of similar zoning to R-4 and there is already an apartment complex to the east of this parcel (Weston Ranch); however, Madison currently has no residential property north of Hwy 72. The Madison City School zone lines stop at Hwy 72 and do not go north. So, are we prepared for the children that an apartment complex would bring? Probably, but I was uncomfortable with not knowing what school would be effected. Also, Madison’s statistics for apartment unit numbers, occupancy, etc have not been updated since about 2006. Do we really know if we need any more apartment units? Are we over built or under built? This is an issue that I have on my list to further investigate and get answers to before another multi-family project is approved. A multi-family development on this property will historically generate more police and fire calls than a commercial use would. Commercial use would also generate sales tax revenues. I believe we need to increase our sales tax base before we bring anymore multi-unit developments into the City. The day after the vote on this rezoning I received an email from the land owner “explaining” to me how wrong I was in voting the way I did. I also received several emails and calls from residents about how I voted the way they would have. Let me hear from you and tell me what you think.

Connect 2011 – This event took place on January 21^st at the Davidson Center at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. This annual event, sponsored by the Madison Chamber of Commerce (MCC), is Madison’s “State of the City” address given by Mayor Finley. MCC did a fantastic job hosting. It was very well attended, the food was delicious, and it was a great time to meet and network with lots of people. If you get a chance, go next year! Check out the video on the Madison City website. http://madisonal.gov/index.aspx?NID=762

Madison Senior Center – A ribbon cutting was held at the Senior Center on Hughes Road on January 20^th to showcase their new addition to the south side of the building. The addition is beautiful and the new patio area is going to be such a great space as the weather warms. Thanks to Recreation Director Kory Alfred for giving me a personal tour and also to Councilman Jerry Jennings who has been an advocate for this project from the beginning. A new Senior Center Director will probably be hired in the next few weeks. Interviews are finished and I hear that they have several excellent candidates to choose from.

City Council Board Appointments – Mayor Finley finalized appointments to various Boards and Departments and I will be serving on the following: Madison Station Historic Preservation Commission, Human Resource Subcommittee (chair), Beautification and Tree Board. I will also be working as a Council liaison to the Building Department and the Engineering Department.

Fire Station #2 – Chief Cobb reports that final approvals have been given for Fire Station #2 on Hughes Road at Thomas Drive to begin construction. If you have driven by that site lately you should have noticed the sign that was erected announcing the project. The fire station will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Standards. Chief Cobb showed me the plans for this project and the exterior design (all brick) should fit in very well with the surrounding residential area. Also, the fire trucks will no longer have to block Hughes Road as they are returning to the station and backing in. If all goes well, the project should be finished in about a year. On the subject of fire stations, I would like to thank Chief Cobb and the Fire Station #1 firemen for cooking breakfast for elected officials on January 25^th. It’s true what you have heard...firemen are great cooks (you thought I was going to say they are hot). I think I could get in trouble for that.

Gooch Lane – Improvements from Balch to Wall Triana will be in design phase soon and scheduled for Fall 2011 construction. This project is a funded project in the CIP (Capital Improvement Program). I know that many people are interested in seeing this started. As this project gets underway there are some key things to remember. The lanes are being widened from 10’ to 12’ so utilities have to be moved and not all property on Gooch is in the city of Madison (some Madison county, some Huntsville). This causes extra time being spent on coordination with other folks who may not be on our schedule. I am going to keep on top of this because I drove this road to take my son to basketball practice not long ago and I must admit it is horrible.

Madison Growth Plan – Second meeting was held January 27^th at the Hogan YMCA. Lots of good information continues to be collected and presented at these meetings. Next meeting is scheduled for mid March. Please attend if you can. It is a way for you to have your voice heard on the future planning for Madison.

The 2010 Newsletters are posted here. The 2009 Newsletters are posted here.

These were written by former District 7 Council Member Bill Holtzclaw.