Mayor’s Minute By Ashley Curry - March 2024

There were a couple of significant events that took place since my last “Mayor’s Minute.” At the January lunch meeting of the Vestavia Hills Garden Club, I was able to share a preview of the “State of the City” address that will be presented to the Chamber of Commerce later this year.

For consecutive years, we have benefited from sound financial practices that, in turn, have allowed us to provide the quality of life that our citizens enjoy.

Recently, our city was notified by Fitch Ratings, a leading provider of credit ratings and financial commentary, that Vestavia Hills has attained a AAA rating. This is significant because we also have a AAA rating from Moody’s Investor Services. Such ratings reflect that our city obligations are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal risk. I congratulate Jeff Downes and our financial team for accomplishing this through sound financial decisions and strategic planning.

Speaking of strategic planning, by the time this is published, the City Council will have spent two days in February discussing priorities and long-range plans for the coming year. Projects for this year include the bid process for the pedestrian bridge (between Wald Park and the library) and the paving/sidewalk project for Massey Road.

One project that was discussed was the development of a veterans’ memorial, tentatively planned for Altadena Park. If accepted by the council, we will move forward with the design phase of the memorial. Given the existing trails and open spaces, a veterans’ memorial would be a good addition to the park.

We will be learning more about the much-anticipated renewal of south Highway 31. After a year of civic and business input, I am optimistic that the development of the city’s property and the adjacent privately owned properties will enhance the much-needed south entrance to Vestavia Hills. The plans will provide additional restaurants and pedestrian-friendly family activities.

National Employee Appreciation Day is celebrated on the first Friday of March every year. We are truly blessed to have an outstanding workforce. It is not unusual for me to receive notes from citizens thanking me for the kind, professional manner in which our employees interacted with them. Just recently, we had two citizens show their gratitude by making generous donations to the city foundations for our fire department and the library. I am honored to work alongside our employees, and I congratulate them on this national appreciation day.