Mayor’s Minute

Summertime is here and Frances and I are looking forward to spending some extra time with our grandchildren! Summer not only means school’s out, it means picnics, swimming and cookouts where folks are grilling! This time of year is peak season for grill fires, and roughly half of the injuries involving grills are thermal burns. Be sure and visit the Hoover Fire Department’s Facebook page, where we have listed numerous safety tips to keep you and your family safe while you are cooking out this summer.

Part of my vision as mayor was to hire a city planner to lead the city’s efforts to develop and implement a new comprehensive master plan and to recruit quality commercial and residential developments. I am very pleased with our new city planner, Mr. Mac Martin, Jr., who started mid-April. Mac is a real asset to our city and will help us as we plan for the future. Hoover turned 50 years old in May, and we want to be sure we have a plan for smart growth. 

I would like to see more walkable neighborhoods where you can walk out your front door and stroll down to a coffee shop or walk to a neighborhood restaurant. Ross Bridge is this type of neighborhood and so is the Preserve. I would like to see more of this in the future. I like to call my plan “retrofitting suburbia.”  Hoover has boomed over the last 50 years, and our City Council wants to plan the future steps of our city very carefully. 

We will be enlisting public involvement in our smart growth projects, so be sure and stay tuned to our Facebook page as well as media outlets to find out how to get involved and when these public meetings will be held. 

The city of Hoover will be hosting our annual Freedom Fest on the Fourth of July at the Hoover Met Stadium. This family friendly event will feature live entertainment and the evening will close out with a magnificent fireworks show. Don’t forget we have plenty of free parking and easy access in and out of the Met. For additional details about the event, you can visit our website at hooveralabama.gov or call City Hall at 444-7500. 

Hoover really does have something for folks of all ages. We are here to serve you so please get involved, come to meetings and be a person who makes a difference in your community. I can assure you, you won’t be sorry! Please don’t hesitate to call our office if we can assist you.  

Best,