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Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Stewart Welch III speaks from the dais as mayor for the last time in a regular council meeting at the council meeting Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
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Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Mountain Brook City Council President Virginia Smith leaves her last regular council meeting with husband David at the council meeting Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
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Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Mountain Brook City Council President Virginia Smith accepts President's Award from Alabama Urban Forestry Association at the council meeting Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Barring an unanticipated special session in the next week, Stewart Welch III and Virginia Smith on Monday attended their final meeting of the Mountain Brook City Council as mayor and council president, respectively.
Each has a few plans for how to fill their newfound free time.
“I am going to rest and take a little bit of time off,” Welch said, acknowledging that he’s in the middle of a book project. “My deadline's at the end of this month so I expect to have it done, hopefully, the end of this week. Then I'm going to gain a lot of free time.
“I'm going to play a little more tennis, get back to work at my company and really just take some time off,” the mayor said.
Smith has been on the Mountain Brook Council for 25 years, the past 17 as its president. As she prepared to adjourn her last meeting, she took great care to thank everyone – her fellow councilmembers, department heads, city employees and even a reporter chronicling the event.
Everyone except her husband David, who attended the landmark event. She promised him a kiss as they headed off for a nice dinner.
The retiring council president said she hasn’t firmly nailed down how she’ll spend her time. But she has some ideas.
“I love to garden, so I hope to garden more,” she said. “Maybe I'll improve in golf -- which is going to be tough -- and maybe improve in pickleball.
“But I enjoy working,” Smith said. “Maybe I'll find some other volunteer activities that keep me more involved rather than just staying at home and gardening and playing golf.”
Smith received her parting gifts during her next-to-last meeting. State Representatives Dan Roberts and David Faulkner gave her a proclamation from the state of Alabama. They also had proclamations for Welch and retiring City Manager Sam Gaston.
But Smith’s fellow council members provided an indelible tribute, naming their pre-council chamber the Virginia C. Smith Pre-Council Room. Two weeks after the surprise presentation, the council president was visibly moved by the gesture.
Smith’s final prize was the President’s Award from the Alabama Urban Forestry Association. Welch’s final meeting included his discussion about a possible ban on commercial gas-powered leaf blowers during the summer to cut down on noise.
The council accepted the retiring mayor’s suggestion to create an informal committee to consider the matter. Lloyd Shelton said that committee should consider alternatives to an outright ban on the landscaping tool.
The council also agreed to pay for a portion of the work on the Montclair Road sidewalk plan. Working with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), the project was begun in 2023. A retaining wall was underestimated, bringing about a shortfall.
The contractor agreed to handle half the cost – about $62,000 – with the city and ALDOT splitting the other half. As ALDOT was responsible for 80%, Mountain Brook’s portion was about $12,000.
In other action, the council:
- Authorized an agreement for consulting services with Schoel regarding the low impact development stormwater masterplan.
- Approved the irrigation replacement contract for the Mountain Brook Elementary field.
- Authorized the sale or disposal of certain surplus property.
- Awarded the bid for a vehicle for the Inspection Department.
The organizational meeting of the new council will be at 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 3. The next regular meeting of the council will be at 5 p.m. on Nov. 10.
