City updates shared at chamber luncheon

Rep. Paul DeMarco moderated a discussion about city matters at the Chamber of Commerce’s Nov. 13 luncheon. City council members, including new members Lloyd Shelton and Alice Womack, along with Mayor Terry Oden all spoke.

Lane Parke

The hotel is scheduled to open in July, and the apartment buildings are done or close to done. Leasing on the first retail phase is almost complete, and dirt is scheduled to move for it shortly after the first of the year, Billy Pritchard said. Village Design Review has approved the first phase of the retail development.

Cahaba River Park

The park should be complete by January, Virginia Smith said, and will feature trails leading to the river.

“Ideally the river walk will extend up the river to the Carraway-Davie House and back into Liberty Park one day,” she said.

Outlook for city’s future

Land has been a guiding principal in recent city developments.

“Being landlocked, there is not a whole lot we can do other than what we have been doing, which is improving infrastructure,” Mayor Terry Oden said. “I like Mountain Brook to being a Mercedes versus an American-made car. American-made cars keep changing every year, but Mercedes keep improving their internal workings.”

Billy Pritchard emphasized how development within the city’s limited properties has been key in recent years though.

“With so little commercial property, what has been critical the past 14 years has been some opportunities for development that have generated sales tax revenue,” Pritchard said, citing the Publix at Overton, Cahaba Village and the Piggly Wiggly at River Run as examples. “Without that, we would be in a different state. The last thing we want is to ask the citizens to raise taxes.”

Any development would likely involve existing city property.

“There is not a bit of land that is undeveloped, yet somehow something always surfaces,” Smith said. “One day I’d like to see something happen at Office Park.”

Challenges facing the city

Pritchard said the city employees’ retirement plans are an issue because they are through the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA).

“Right now the city has underfunded pension liabilities in huge numbers, and Mountain Brook is not alone in that,” Pritchard said. 

City finances

“We are fortunate under Steve Boone’s leadership to be one of the top fiscally performing cities in the nation,” Lloyd Shelton said. “There are challenges, but the city’s view has always been if we don’t need revenue, we are not going to grab it from [residents’] hands.”

Shelton pointed out that in 2006 the city got rid of the garbage collection fee and occupational tax, and that the new municipal complex was completed without the city incurring any new debt.

Community involvement

Members of the Planning Commission are appointed by the mayor, but residents can apply to become a member of other city bodies, including the Tree Commission, Parks and Recreation Board, Village Design Review Committee and Board of Zoning Adjustment. Alice Womack encouraged those interested to apply.

How the city works through issues

Council members credit the decision making cohesion of the council to the city’s structure. Members are at-large and not