Mayor's Minute: February 2021

We should all be settled into 2021 by now. Hopefully you are still pursuing the “New Year’s resolutions” that you made.

An unknown author stated that resolutions “come in one year and go out another.” If you haven’t kept your resolution don’t feel bad about it. According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, about 46% of people who make New Year’s resolutions actually succeed in keeping them. That means that over 50% of people aren’t able to keep them.

Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive change. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances and learning new things for personal and professional development. Chances are, more than a couple of the top 10 most common resolutions will look familiar to you:

• Exercise more
• Lose weight
• Get organized
• Learn a new skill or hobby
• Live life to the fullest
• Save more money/spend less money
• Quit smoking
• Spend more time with family and friends
• Travel more
• Read more

Speaking of resolutions, our city has some resolutions for the New Year, and we are well on the way of achieving those goals. Let’s examine some projects to be completed this year.

• Wald Park renovations: We have already completed the aquatic center and have almost completed the ball fields. The grand lawn, play areas, multiple pavilions and the amphitheater should be completed this spring. Phase three, which encompasses the tennis complex, green spaces and dog park, should be completed this year.
• The Community Building: We are well underway with the renovations to the building. As I toured the facility just before Christmas, I could see the layout of the building taking shape. You can see renderings for all of the Community Spaces Plan at vhal.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/120/2018/05/TCU-CSP-01.18.2018.pdf. The Community Center should be near completion by late fall.
• Cahaba Heights Park: The ball fields, additional parking and improvements for accessibility have been completed. The “new” New Merkel House is well underway and should be open within the next few months.
• Pedestrian Bridge: The long-awaited pedestrian bridge that will provide access from Wald Park with the Library in the Forest is close to becoming reality. It is on schedule to be bid during the first quarter of this year. Though it will probably not be completed by year end, it is more promising and worth mentioning after a decade of planning in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Transportation.
• Road Improvements: This year should see the completion of the widening of Crosshaven Drive and the initiation of the Massey Road improvements.

Finally, during February, we will hold our strategic planning meetings to set the priorities for the city for the coming year and beyond.