As they say goodbye
Amy Carter City Council member since 2010
What are some highlights that the council addressed during your tenure?
I enjoyed working on the new City Hall as well as moving into it. Bob Moody, Virginia Smith, Brasfield & Gorrie, Bill Williams and countless others worked together to accomplish what we enjoy today, and the Linn-Henley Charitable Trust was so generous to donate the beautiful fountain.
I’ve also enjoyed being involved with the sidewalk project and Cahaba River Park. We have close to 40 miles of connected sidewalks now. I’m really looking forward to the new park opening.
What current projects are you most anticipating?
I’m delighted that the density of the Lane Parke project has been scaled back from its initial proposals and think the Kessler hotel will be a wonderful addition to Mountain Brook. The Piggly Wiggly’s closing was a disappointment, but I anticipate that the needs of Crestline Village will be met in the near future.
Are there any parting words you’d like to share with the community?
It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve the residents of Mountain Brook. We are fortunate to have an incredible group of staff who work at City Hall, all devoted to living out the mission, vision and values that we cherish in our special community. The relationships among the various entities in the city such as the Board of Education, the Chamber of Commerce and the Library Board are unique in that there is cooperation and collaboration for the benefit of the greater good of the community. This team approach acts to ensure the shared goal of an excellent quality of life for Mountain Brook’s residents.
Jesse Vogtle City Council member since 2006
What are some highlights that the council addressed during your tenure?
The big projects that come to mind include: adopting a new Master Land Use Plan for the city’s four villages in 2007; fighting with Moody’s to maintain the city’s Aa1 rating, jeopardized in part by the Jefferson County financial demise in 2008; removing the garbage fee, which currently is 100 percent subsidized by the city in 2008; helping the city’s walkway system come in full swing with many miles of sidewalks added to improve safe paths to schools and connection of our villages and neighborhoods in 2009; commencing the new municipal complex in 2010; approving the Lane Parke Planned Unit Development after 14 public hearings in 2010; purchasing 4.7 acres on Cahaba River at the intersection of Overton/Oakdale Roads near River Run in 2011; budgeting for park improvements construction in 2014; seeing the city Wi-Fi initiative being installed in public parks, schoolyards and villages in 2012; seeing Lane Parke apartments substantially constructed in 2013; and watching the Kessler Grand Bohemian 100-room boutique hotel break ground across from the Botanical Gardens parking lot in 2014.
What current projects are you most anticipating?
For starters, the city has no long-term debt. My predecessors on the finance committee instituted an equipment replacement budgeting system implemented by our finance director, Steve Boone, which allows us to pay cash for most everything the city needs to operate. If it’s not in the budget, we simply wait until the cash is available before making the purchase. This includes 100 percent of the expenses for the new City Hall project, public works building, police, fire, administrative, and public works fleets and equipment.
The one unfinished project that gives me the most long-term concern is the city’s unfunded pension liability owed to the RSA defined benefits plan. We’ve worked hard over the years to bring awareness to this growing liability and to encourage our state elected officials to introduce legislation allowing municipalities to offer different types of benefit programs to future employees. We continue to work with the League of Municipalities to further this cause. (Frankly, this is not a huge problem. Deficit spending doesn’t happen in Mountain Brook, which is important; however, unfunded pension liability is a problem that needs to be fixed.)
Are there any parting words you’d like to share with the community?
It has been one of the great pleasures of my life to serve you. We have great elected officials and city employees who do their very best every day to serve you with no red tape or added cost or aggravation. Mountain Brook government is a little unique. With five councilors elected to serve the entire city, not just a particular neighborhood or jurisdiction, your elected officials can make decisions that favor the entire city. I very much respect and appreciate the continued hard work by our mayor, fellow councilors and all our city leaders.