Summertime in the City

Summer is here and relaxation is on everyone’s minds, but now is as crucial a time as any to remind our residents about an important safety issue.

One of the biggest problems we are seeing right now is with car break-ins. I use the term “break-ins” loosely because, according to a study from the Vestavia Hills Police Department, 90 percent of the cars people enter are unlocked. Theft incidents have been triggered by valuables in plain sight – items like laptops, cameras and expensive sunglasses. These people are coming in the middle of the night and checking car doors for easy access, then grabbing anything of value they can find in the cars.

This has been going on for two years at least, and we need to do our part to put an end to it. In today’s world, you can’t leave your house unlocked, and you can’t leave your cars unlocked. Please make sure your valuables are secured in the trunk of your car, or inside your house. Locking doors would be such a deterrent to this kind of activity that has no place in Vestavia Hills.

In other news, everyone of course by now has heard about the hiring of our new city manager, Mr. Jeff Downes. I hope residents will make plans to stop by and visit personally with Jeff during a reception we are hosting in his honor on July 15. The reception will take place in the Community Room of the Library in the Forest from 6-8 p.m. Please join us for light refreshments and to welcome Jeff into his new role as city manager.

From an economic standpoint, several indicators are healthy. Our sales tax is up, as are business licenses. While ad valorem is down a bit, from an overall budgeting standpoint this year, we are still in very good shape.

I look forward to seeing many of you at I Love America Day festivities on July 3. If there is anything my office can do to be of service to you, please let us know.