Emily Featherston
The Vestavia Hills City Council on Sept. 12 passed the fiscal 2023 budget, which includes dedicated funding of stormwater improvements, employee pay raises and several other city priorities.
The fiscal 2023 budget projects an increase of more than 11% in revenues compared to fiscal 2022’s budget. The dollar amount is about $58 million, a roughly $6.1 million increase from fiscal 2022’s budget.
Still, in an effort to be conservative, the amount budgeted for revenues is equal, not greater than, the actual projected revenues from the current fiscal year, Downes previously said.
Employee raises highlight the budget, in an effort to hire needed workers and help employees during an inflationary period, Downes previously said. Other priority areas include funding for increased fuel costs, historic funding for stormwater improvement and two new fire engines, which will be purchased during fiscal 2024.
For more details on this year’s budget, visit the city’s website and read previous Vestavia Voice reporting on the issue.
The council also approved the final 10% of fiscal 2022’s budget, as well as a resolution affirming the employee raises included within the budget.
A long-term effort to build a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31 connecting Wald Park to the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest took a step forward at the meeting, as the council agreed to paying about $51,000 to Gresham Smith to redesign the project, with the Metropolitan Planning Organization picking up the rest of the roughly $256,000 tab. The redesign is necessary as the original, single-span design was deemed not feasible, Downes said.
Downes told the council there is a chance, with their approval, the city could benefit from the Mine Reclamation Project, which wants to come in and take down a wall adjacent to ball fields at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex. Workers would take down the wall and, in addition, make the land more suitable for future use, potentially as a fire and police training space. The changes would not cost the city anything, Downes said.
In his report to the council, Downes also said paving would begin on Lake Parkway Sept. 21.
Raynor Boles with TCU Consulting said work crews for the city would be gone from Crosshaven Drive before Halloween, but could not speak to the county’s portion of the project. At Wald Park, Boles said with a notice to proceed being given recently, work should pick up.
The Vestavia Hills Civic Center does not have an official opening date, but has events scheduled in mid-October. Boles said there is still an extensive punch list to complete before the civic center can be turned over.
The council also heard from a resident in the Shallowford Road area who requested work be done to cut trees that are in the creek down, as they are adjacent to homes and causing both flooding issues and at times, home damage. Downes said the city is evaluating whether the city, Jefferson County or private landowners are responsible for the area in question.
In other business, the council:
Approved alcohol licenses for Chuck E. Cheese, Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, and Davenport’s Pizza
Designated some city equipment as surplus
Approved financing for some city vehicles through Robertson Banking
