Thank you for the chance to discuss some of the things that make Hoover such a wonderful place to live! I hope this information answers the questions thoroughly, and I’m looking forward to more discussion about our great city.
1. Growing current strong partnership with Hoover City Schools
- Built strong relationship with superintendent and principals
- Visited schools often in person to learn about current needs and how to meet those needs
- Special relationship with students because he attends award ceremonies, Walk to School Day, Arbor Day
- Meet with the Hoover Parent Teacher Council and Hoover Board of Education to address concerns
- Attend teacher workshops to learn about new tools schools are implementing to better teach our students
- Host annual one-on-one meeting with each principal to discuss issues
- Added more School Resource Officer’s in the schools
- Every Hoover City School now has an SRO on duty every minute that school is in session, and the high schools have multiple officers
- Totally funded by the City of Hoover
2. Building Hoover’s economy for the future
- Recruiting businesses to Riverchase Business District, Riverchase Galleria and Meadow Brook Office Park
- HAILO (Hoover Artificial Intelligence Logistics and Operations)
- First business incubator/accelerator in Hoover
- Goal is to bring entrepreneurs into Hoover with new ideas for artificial intelligence technology
- Will bring different types of businesses to the Galleria campus
- Meadowbrook Park- McLeod and Capstone
- International Park- Iberia Bank
- Hoover Met Complex
- New Restaurants
- Implemented Energy Savings Plan to address to address aging infrastructure without impacting our capital budget
- The dollars we save from the Energy Savings Plan will pay for AC units, ball field lights, mechanical needs, etc.
- Now full time project management system in place
- Regional Cooperation
- Brought Hoover into Big 10 Mayors Group
- Active participant in Jefferson and Shelby County Mayors Associations
- Pioneered shared services with City of Pelham
- Weekly meetings with city council leadership on new ordinances, legal proceedings, and all aspects of city business
- Improved software, new website, new communication channels for residents including very active social media pages
- Working with Galleria ownership on revitalization of their facility
3. Investing in Hoover’s Neighborhoods
- First ever comprehensive plan focused on connecting neighborhoods
- All new neighborhoods are walkable
- Keeping historic value of homes and preserving property values
- Expanded ordinances to keep yards and properties maintained and cleaned up
- Actively engaged with real estate industry so that we can improve any neighborhood concerns or issues including flooding and other problems.
- Attitude of compassion and help instead of government intrusion
- Improving on restrictions for vaping shops, payday lenders, etc.
- Future Hoover- city’s first-ever adopted comprehensive plan to address comprehensive land use and new development
4. Solving Traffic Congestion
- Redesigning I-459 interchange at Hwy 150 to increase traffic capacity
- Pursuing new exit on I-459 to relieve traffic and provide economic development opportunities
- Purchased land and identified other land we need to purchase
- Achieved support from ALDOT, Jefferson and Shelby Counties, Cities of Birmingham, Bessemer and Helena
- This project will relieve traffic for Hoover residents and provide access and opportunity for all of western Jefferson and Shelby Counties
5. Maintaining Strong Public Safety
- Record low for crime rates in 2018 and 2019
- Invested $4 million in state of the art Hoover Police Training Center
- Hoover Police Department is pursuing national accreditation – using best practices that are examined by professional law enforcement agencies across the country
- This is a critical step for the future of the police department
- Initiated this process in 2017; it was not merely a response to the critical incidents we have experienced
- Increased number of firefighters and police officers on duty to protect our city
6. Building a Diverse and Equitable Community
- Founded Leadership Hoover to provide a diverse forum for emerging leaders across our city to engage one another
- Directed the development of the city’s first Supplier Diversity Program to ensure equal access to business opportunities
- Used appointments to city boards and commissions to increase representation of all groups in our city
- Changed city recruitment and hiring practices to promote diversity in city government
- Appointed Diversity Coordinator in city human resources department to ensure equity in hiring, promotions, and discipline of city
- workforce
- Arranged for the first-ever diversity and bias training for city employees
- Personally attends diversity forums and training in Hoover and the greater metro region
7. Safety Upgrades to the Riverchase Galleria
The City of Hoover and Brookfield Properties, owner of the Riverchase Galleria, have increased safety measures to provide a secure and comfortable shopping experience. This plan focuses on many aspects of mall operations. There are several measures that we have already implemented, and others that are being added as soon as possible.
Actions already taken to improve safety are:
- Hoover Police Department has increased the number of officers assigned to routine patrol inside the mall and has expanded the hours of these police patrols.
- Hoover Police Department has reactivated the substation at the Riverchase Galleria and has based a patrol group there. This will increase police presence around the entire mall property.
- Brookfield Properties has added specially trained gun-detection canines that are non-intrusive and do not detract from the shopping experience.
- Brookfield Properties has invested in new equipment to improve instant communications between their security staff and Hoover Police Department.
- Months ago, Brookfield Properties upgraded the camera system in the mall’s common areas.
- Brookfield Properties has added more security patrols in the parking decks.
Additional measures underway include:
- The City of Hoover and Brookfield Properties are jointly exploring advanced preventive technology that provides pinpoint security at large facilities.
- Additional security features are being added to the parking decks to enhance the safety of mall shoppers and those who work in or visit the office tower.
- The City of Hoover is exploring additional ways to increase permanent police presence at the mall.
- The City of Hoover is working to fill all vacancies within Hoover Police Department.
People expect to come to the Galleria and have a safe, fun family experience, and we will provide that type of environment. Riverchase Galleria is a critical part of our local economy. In partnership with Brookfield Properties, Hoover is making the Galleria a safe place to shop and enjoy time with family and friends.
