Curry delivers State of the City speech

Mayor Ashley Curry recognized several city officials for their service in his State of the City address at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Sept. 14.

Those officials included City Manager Jeff Downes, Vestavia Hills Police Chief Dan Rary and Library Director Taneisha Tucker. 

“The first thing I need to do is recognize our city officials that are here with us today because this is a team effort to say the least,” Curry said. “Folks, I’ve said this before in the previous presentation, this is the team that makes everything happen in the city and they deserve all of the recognition for making the city an exceptional place to live. I’m honored to be a part of this team.”

According to the 2020 U.S. census, Curry reported, the population has grown by 5,000 people since 2010, with roughly a 15% increase in overall growth. “We now have a population of 39,000,” Curry said. “When I moved here in 1980, I think Vestavia was about 14,000 people and here we are at 39,000, which makes us one of the 15 largest cities in the state of Alabama.”

Curry said that there are several factors that contribute to the city’s success for 70 years but was going to focus on two: its quality of life and economic strength.

Curry said that Vestavia’s quality of life is second-to-none, citizen’s having access to a thriving housing market, a quality school system and excellent parks and recreation facilities. According to areavibes.com, Curry said, Vestavia Hills was ranked as the number one livable city in Alabama and one of the top 200 livable cities in the nation. 

According to safehome.org, Curry said, Vestavia Hills was rated the safest city in Alabama. Curry attributed the success to the increase of sworn officers and additional patrol units in Liberty Park, which improves the response time for the area. 

Curry said he was proud of the Vestavia Hills Fire Department for maintaining its class 2 rating set by the Insurance Services Office, which is one of forty-seven departments in Alabama to have that rating. 

He reported that 72% of high school seniors in Vestavia Hills City Schools received scholarships totaling more than $41 million. 

“Dr. (Todd) Freeman, our superintendent, said it best when he described our success as a ‘culture of excellence in each of our schools,’” Curry said. “He attributes that to the commitment of the employees and the unyielding dedication of the parents and the community.” 

Several other developments are completed or underway in Vestavia, Curry said, including the new Cahaba Heights Park, an updated New Merkel House and the new Vestavia Hills Civic Center that is projected to be completed by the end of the year. 

Curry said he was excited to see new restaurants and businesses come to Vestavia Hills including Martin’s BBQ and Chick-Fil-A in Cahaba Heights and Parker Cornea in Liberty Park. 

“Folks, we are blessed to live in our city and to enjoy the quality of life that we enjoy,” Curry said. “I’m humbled and honored to serve as your mayor.”

At the end of the luncheon, Karen Odle, President of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, announced her retirement on January 31, 2022. 

“I have been beyond blessed to be a part of this incredible chamber and to meet you all and work with you and have counted my time here as some of the best, most rewarding days I have ever had,” Odle said. “I have made [the board] aware of my plans. We have been working together over the last several months to develop a process for a smooth transition and while it’s bittersweet, I am certain that they will find a leader that will take our chamber to the next level.”