File photo
A Hoover police vehicle delivered in early 2024
The Hoover City Council this week agreed to amend the city’s budget to provide $2 million to buy 27 new vehicles for the Hoover Police Department.
Mayor Nick Derzis said the Police Department’s vehicle fleet has been neglected for years. Last year, the department got only five new vehicles, he said.
“Here we are the city of Hoover, and we’ve got some 2012 cars,” Derzis said. “It’s hard to believe. … Public safety will always be a priority to us.”
In other business Monday night, the City Council:
- Heard a report on Derzis’ proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget
- Approved a license for Urban Cookhouse to sell alcoholic beverages at its new restaurant at 1017 Marble Terrace, Suite 101, in Stadium Trace Village
- Approved a license for the Hilton Garden Inn Homewood Suites to sell alcoholic beverages at 540 Emery Drive W. in Stadium Trace Village
- Approved a change order increasing the cost of the new Hoover Fire Station No. 1 by $26,374. The fire station’s cost with these change orders was about $45,000 over budget, but because the contractor is behind schedule and paying $500 a day for every day late, the city expected to get at least $56,000 back from the contractor, city records show.
- Approved $50,495 for additional right of way costs for the widening of Valleydale Road between U.S. 31 and Riverchase Parkway East due to appraisal revisions and $11,288 for additional right of way costs for the widening of Valleydale between Caldwell Mill Road and Inverness Center Drive for the same reason
- Agreed to hire Porter, White & Co. for financial advisory services
- Approved a resolution supporting the preservation and development of the Hale Springs property on Shades Mountain as a public nature preserve
- Extended a moratorium against new CBD and vape shops until May 31, 2026, to give the city more time to evaluate new state regulations regarding such businesses before amending the city’s regulation of such businesses to prevent oversaturation
