State of the City address given at monthly chamber luncheon

“Why am I here?” That’s the question Mayor Ashley Curry posed at the monthly Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Oct. 9. His answer was simple: because 30 years ago, he and his wife decided to make Vestavia Hills their home and purchased a house within city limits.

He was specifically at the luncheon, however, to give his State of the City address to those who were in attendance.

Curry began by reviewing the crest of the city, pointing out the three words on the bottom: unity, prosperity and family. He said residents and city officials “share a uniform vision for Vestavia Hills” where the city is sound financially and there is a strong sense of family in the community. 

To enforce this idea, he shared the results of a study done by the website AreaVibes, an online service that uses an algorithm analyzing amenities, cost, crime rates, education, employment, housing and weather to determine the livability of a city. When looking at cities in Alabama, Vestavia Hills is ranked No. 1. 

Curry attributed the high ranking to the quality of life and education offered, as well as the low crime rate. “Safety in our community is a major factor,” he said. Curry explained that the city has built relationships with federal agencies over the years, which has become a “reciprocal agreement” for the agencies and Vestavia.

While the number of vehicle thefts has increased recently — “mainly because the vehicles were left unlocked,” he said — the number of crimes decreased 5 percent from 2014-17. Property crimes have decreased more than 20 percent since 2013, as well.

Curry continued to discuss the amenities Vestavia offers, including a fire department that is one of 43 departments in Alabama to earn an ISO 2 ranking (the second-highest ranking a fire department can achieve) and the Library in the Forest, which he said is one of the top libraries in the Birmingham metro area. The library will soon be opening their Makerspace, where patrons can use a 3-D printer, learn photography and utilize other tools.

During this year, Curry has initiated a few programs, too. The first he discussed were the Community Spaces plans, which were designed after nearly 30 meetings held with community members and stakeholders.

Some of the projects he mentioned were renovations to Wald Park, road repairs and sidewalk installations in Cahaba Heights and thoroughfare maintenance and upkeep in Liberty Park.

Curry also mentioned Crimes Against the Elderly programming, which saw nearly 300 attendees at the first informational session, and the Freedom from Addiction Coalition. The coalition is a group effort with the cities of Mountain Brook, Homewood and Hoover, and is aimed at raising awareness for opioid addiction treatment programs.

Finally, Curry addressed the city’s monetary status, and said Vestavia is in “sound financial condition.” Vestavia has earned a AAA score (the highest score) from Moody’s Investment Services. He said the city’s financial success is “a testament to [City Manager] Jeff Downes,” and the way he runs the city.

This year, Curry said the city expects a 15 percent growth in general fund revenue, which is in part due to the additional sales tax that was approved earlier this year.

This, along with the future plans, the safety and the quality of life within Vestavia, is what contributes to the happiness of families and residents in the city.

“I feel very good about the city’s quality of life,” he said.

November's luncheon will take place on Nov. 13 at 11:30 a.m. at Vestavia Country Club. Go to vestaviahills.org to learn more.

For more on AreaVibes, visit https://www.areavibes.com/vestavia+hills-al/livability/.