Mayor’s Minute

Happy New Year to all of you! I hope that you had a great holiday season.

Have you ever taken a trip and relied on your car’s GPS system to get you to your intended location, only to find that the direction you were going was incorrect? The GPS directions did not get you where you wanted to go.

The Rev. Bill Brunson, senior minister at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, recently discussed “intention” and “direction” in a sermon. The topic addressed the question, “Will the direction you are taking get you to your intended destination?” 

I would like to apply this thought to the vision we have for Vestavia Hills. 

I think we would all agree that we intend for Vestavia Hills to be the “Life Above,” with the quality of life that we all desire. The question is: are we going in the direction that will lead to our intended goal?

I believe we are on the right track. Thanks to our city manager and dedicated city employees, we enjoy favorable ratings from the annual surveys of our citizens. Here are just a few facts to consider:

► Crime statistics indicate we are the safest city in Alabama for cities over 30,000 in population.

► Our fire department is rated in the top four percent of the country.

► Our schools consistently rank in the top tier of schools in Alabama — and in the country for that matter.

► Our city was recently upgraded to the highest credit rating established by Moody’s Investor Services. Only one other city in Alabama has attained this ranking.

► Our Community Spaces Plan will provide much needed upgrades to our recreational facilities and playing fields, not to mention a new community building/civic center.

► Our City Center is under new ownership, and the developer promises much improvement to that area.

► We have plans for a pedestrian walkway from City Hall to Wald Park. This will tie in nicely with the future completion of the pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31 to the Library in the Forest.

► We have initiatives in place, working with state and federal entities, to achieve much needed improvements to problem traffic areas such as Crosshaven Drive and East Street.

The Rev. Brunson’s sermon provides a challenge for all us to set a direction in our lives that will yield our intended result. Collectively, let’s put Vestavia Hills on a course that will yield our intended result. 

I would suggest we make this our New Year’s resolution.