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Councilman Bob Wagner (This newsletter provides my personal opinions on our City and items that I feel are important for you to know. These opinions may vary with other councilmembers. Please forward to all those interested in our local community government. With your input I can serve you better!) =========================================================== Councilman Bob Wagner Madison Community Update – December 2007
First, I want to thank everyone for your comments, thoughts, and ideas from your email replies to these newsletters. It does take awhile to respond to so many emails, but I will get to them all eventually. I have been adding new members each month and it has helped all on council with the responses that have been received. Please keep your emails coming! Second, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Be safe and enjoy the Holidays! The following items are currently being worked or implemented. 1) Please go to the City's website at www.madisonal.gov/ to review the current Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) list and status of all road and building projects. We are in the process of adding additional road and drainage projects to the list. I will update you once these projects are added. Some of the projects included additional traffic lights, bridge work improvements, and intersection widenings. 2) The Madison Hospital decision is getting closer. The Alabama Law Judge (ALJ) has recommended that Crestwood Hospital be selected by the Certificate of Need CON board. The ALJ's opinion is a recommendation to the CON board. The CON board is the last board to make a final decision in this very long drawn out process by Montgomery. But their decision could be appealed and drugged out even longer. The CON board will meet in January to evaluate the ALJ's decision and may or may not decide that day. The CON board meeting was canceled this month. I will keep you posted. 3) The long awaited traffic light for Eastview and Slaughter Road is coming soon. Should be up and running in early 2008! 4) The proposed interchanges for Ziert Road and I-565 and County Line Rd and I-565 are still high on our priority list for funding. These interchanges are badly needed and are being worked by the City with our State and Federal representatives and senators. 5) The YMCA may be breaking ground early in 2008. This will be an added benefit to our City's recreational needs. 6) It is official, Madison now has over 40,000 residents! Madison is still one of the fastest growing City's in the State of Alabama. The City Council is continuing to look very hard for funding sources to improve and add additional roads to our infrastructure as the needs continue to grow with our population growth. 7) Since I do get many questions each month from residents on City issues, I decided to add a question and answer section to my newsletter update starting in January 2008. I will try to answer at least two questions each month. Only questions related to the City will be published. To protect your privacy, I will not print the name or email address on who sent the question. 8) Due to the Christmas holidays, the City Council meeting for December 24th has been moved to December 17th. If you have any questions about anything that I did not mention above, just email or call me and I will be glad to discuss it with you. I need your input to make the right decisions as we build Madison now and beyond. Please forward to your neighbors, friends, and fellow residents. Without your input we can't serve you properly!
Bob Wagner =========================================================== Councilman Bob Wagner Madison Community Update – November 2007 (This newsletter provides my personal opinions on our City government and items I feel are important for you to know. These opinions may vary from other councilmembers. Please forward to all those interested in our local community government. With your input I can serve you better!) First, I want to thank everyone for your comments, thoughts, and ideas from your email replies to these newsletters. It does take awhile to respond to so many emails, but I will get to them all eventually. I have been adding new members each month and it has helped all on council with the responses that have been received. Please keep your emails coming! Second, I want to wish all veterans a heartfelt thank-you for your service to our Country! This weekend has been great for those that have attended the events to honor our veterans throughout the community. I personnaly was honored, as a former Marine, to help serve dinner to a group of Marines who were wounded in Iraq and have been on the mend. They were flown in as guests to our area amd where treated to a weekend of events which included a hockey game, Marine Corps Ball, Titans football game, steak dinners, and participation in the Veteran's Day parade. They have sacrificed a lot for us. The following website was sent to me by a good friend and resident in Madison that I thought was very useful. Just plug in a zip code and get tons of statistical information about that area. You can also compare zip codes to other zip codes. I found it very interesting. The site is called Get the Skinny on that ZIP http://zipskinny.com/ The following items are currently being worked or implemented. 1) Please go to the City's website at www.madisonal.gov/ to review the current Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) list and status of all road and building projects. 2) The Madison Farmer's will be having its last market of the year this Saturday, March 17, in front of the Senior Center at Discovery Middle School. The market is usually located on Martin Street, but wanted to let all resident become aware of its new market in Madison. The hours are from 8 am until 12 noon. 3) The new Publix shopping center on Hughes Road is coming along quickly. It sould be open early next. 4) There is a new development being discussed for next year behinf Krogers on Hughes Road, It is called the Streets of Madison and would be similiar to Providence but in a New Orleans style facade. Stay tuned for future updates. 5) All ongoing road projects are now announced on the City’s website homepage. 6) The latest status on the Madison hospitol issue -- The hearing judge will make his recommendation in Decemeber. Then the CON board will meet to make a fianl decision. Also, Athens Hospital lawsuit to stop Madison from having its own hospital will be decided by the end of the year. This is a continuing battle, but be assured that the City of Madison will continue to fight for a hospital until it happens. 7) Finally, I hope everyone has a safe and great Thanksgiving this month! If you have any questions about anything that I did not mention above, just email or call me and I will be glad to discuss it with you. I need your input to make the right decisions as we build Madison now and beyond. Please forward to your neighbors, friends, and fellow residents. Without your input we can't serve you properly!
Bob Wagner
========================================================= Councilman Bob Wagner Madison Community Update – October 2007
There has been a lot of work accomplished and a lot more getting ready to happen. The City has been upgrading its website with a lot more information about the City and what is going on. It is a great resource to find out what your City has to offer and where to get information about City regulations, ordinances, and codes. Please go to The following items are currently being worked or implemented. 1) The council had a work session last night to review the CIP projects for the city. Several new projects may be added to the list once the reviews are completed. 2) Plans are being considered to widen the lanes at Hughes Road and 72W to allow more traffic through the signal and better traffic flow. The same is being planned for Wall Triana and 72W. 3) Construction of a Railroad Quiet Zone is almost complete at the Shelton Road railroad crossing. Waiting on approval from the Railroad to complete the process. 4) The Council is gathering information and costs to start televising council meetings. These meetings would be televised live on the City’s Knology cable channel. 5) The Madison Water Board has been making long term plans to continue providing quality water to our city. Plan includes evaluating long term contracts with Huntsville and Limestone County to provide water in drier times and to also evaluate Madison connecting to the river for additional water supply. As we continue to grow, the current well water supply is strained and needs to be carefully watched and maintained. For more information on our water demands and future, you can go to the Madison Water Board’s website at www.madisonwaterboard.org. 6) All road projects are now announced on the City’s website homepage. 7) Fire Station #2 on Hughes Road across from Discovery Middle School is going to be torn down and rebuilt. This station is a former farm house that has been added on to and the original house is almost 90 years old. There is now a major mold problem causing health concerns in the house and the firemen are currently living in the mobile home next to it. 8) I have recently been appointed to serve on the HEMSI board representing Madison. This is an honor and I hope to make sure that the residents of Madison continue to get the first class emergency medical care needed until arrival at a hospital. 9) Speaking of hospitals, we are still waiting on a decision by the hearing judge to recommend who will build in Madison. As you have seen in the Huntsville Times this week, Commissioner Dale Strong is fighting to get that decision made and forwarded to the CON board for final resolution. Also, Athens Hospital is once again trying to stop Madison from having its own hospital. This is a continuing battle, but be assured that the City of Madison will continue to fight for a hospital until it happens. 10) Finally, Madison’s population has now grown to over 40,000 residents, which equates to approximately 11,000 homes and 3,500 apartments. If you have any questions about anything that I did not mention above, just email or call me and I will be glad to discuss it with you. I need your input to make the right decisions as we build Madison now and beyond. Please forward to your neighbors, friends, and fellow residents. Without your input we can't serve you properly! Bob Wagner NOTE: This is not an official city newsletter and is sent from my personal email list and you may periodically receive other emails from me that are not about Madison government. Thank you! Councilman Bob Wagner Madison Community Update – June, 2007
Each month I update you on what has been going on with your City of Madison government. There has been a lot of work being accomplished and a lot more getting ready to happen. Communicating with the residents on what is being done is my highest priority. Your input and concerns are what we need to serve you and make the right decisions for the future of our City. The City has been upgrading its website with a lot more information about the City and what is going on. It is a great resource to find out what your City has to offer and where to get information about City regulations, ordinances, and codes. Please go to www.madisonal.gov/. We now have a link to all City ordinances and proposed ordinances to be voted on by council. Please review the website and let me know what you think can be done to improve it or make it easier to use. The following are City issues and project updates that are currently being worked or implemented. 1) GOOD NEWS! The Sullivan Street and Palmer Road intersection is schedule to be opened July 9. Sullivan Street is being widened to three lanes from Martin Street to Mill Road. Please go to the City's website at www.madisonal.gov/ to review the current Capitol Improvement Projects (CIP) list and status of all road and building projects. 2) Construction of a Railroad Quiet Zone has begun at the Shelton Road railroad crossing. Once installed the trains will no longer be blasting their horns at all hours of the day. Shelton Road has also been widened to three lanes from Madison Blvd to the tracks and will then be widened to Old Madison Pike. 3) FIREWORKS show on the 4th of July was cancelled by the State Fire Marshal because of the ongoing draught and the fact that the fireworks are near a very wooded area in Dublin Park. There will be a family day planned at Dublin Park on the 4th that is free to residents. Activities, Games, Apple Pie Contest at Dublin Park from 1pm - 5pm. 4) There is now a new Farmer's Market on Martin Street behind downtown Madison. The Market is open from 8am until 12 noon on Saturday's. 6) Due to the draught and the water demand for yards, pools, car washing, etc. Madison is requesting that you voluntarily reduce water consumption to avoid any major breakdown of our water system from running at peak loads for long periods of time. The following tips will help reduce water consumption: Easy Ways You Can Save Water
7) For all you coffee drinkers, Starbucks has opened on Hwy 72W next to Arby’s. If you have any questions about anything that I did not mention above, just email or call me and I will be glad to discuss it with you. I need your input to make the right decisions as we build Madison now and beyond. Have a safe and fun 4th of July! Please forward to your neighbors, friends, and fellow residents. Without your input we can't serve you properly! “Residents concerns are my top priority.” Sincerely, Bob Wagner The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6PM. Madison's web page is www.madisonal.gov/ . Council minutes and agendas are posted “The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything. Do not be afraid to make mistakes providing you do not make the same one twice.” --Theodore Roosevelt ============================================================= Councilman Bob Wagner Madison Community Update – May, 2007
Each month I update you on what has been going on with your City of Madison government. There has been a lot of work being accomplished and a lot more getting ready to happen. Communicating with the residents on what is being done is my highest priority. Your input and concerns are what we need to serve you and make the right decisions for the future of our City. The City has been upgrading its website with a lot more information about the City and what is going on. It is a great resource to find out what your City has to offer and where to get information about City regulations, ordinances, and codes. Please go to www.madisonal.gov/. We now have a link to all City ordinances and proposed ordinances to be voted on by council. Please review the website and let me know what you think can be done to improve it or make it easier to use. The following are City issues and project updates that are currently being worked or implemented. 1) The Sullivan Street and Palmer Road intersection widening is on schedule will be closed until June. Sullivan Street is being widened to three lanes from Martin Street to Mill Road. 2) The widening with the additional lane on Hughes Road from Mill Road to Old Madison Pike is complete. The new wider intersection at Hughes and Old Madison Pike is really a great improvement. Please go to the City's website at www.madisonal.gov/ to review the current Capitol Improvement Projects (CIP) list and status of all road and building projects. 3) Construction of a Railroad Quiet Zone has begun at the Shelton Road railroad crossing. Once installed the trains will no longer be blasting their horns at all hours of the day. Shelton Road is also be widened to three lanes from Madison Blvd to Old Madison Pike. 4) The Council approved a Solicitation Ordinance that now requires all door-to-door solicitors to obey the no-solicitation signs that you have on your doors. They will be fined if they do not obey your sign. This does not pertain to non-profit groups. A copy of the ordinance may be found on the City website. 5) There is now a new Farmer's Market on Martin Street behind downtown Madison. The Market is open from 8am until 12 noon on Saturday's. 6) Congratulations to Dr. Terri Johnson for her appointment to the Madison School Board. She begins her six year term this June. 7) Council passed the revised six month budget update. The City had and increase of almost 10% in revenues. This allowed the City to now have a Fund Balance Reserve of 15.75% of estimated revenues and other sources. By law we need a 10% reserve. This is the best shape the City has been in for years with a well balance budget and controlled spending. The City Department Heads are to be congratulated on a job well done. If you have any questions about anything that I did not mention above, just email or call me and I will be glad to discuss it with you. I need your input to make the right decisions as we build Madison now and beyond. Next month I hope to have an update on retail development in the City. Please forward to your neighbors, friends, and fellow residents. Without your input we can't serve you properly! “Residents concerns are my top priority.”
The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6PM. Madison's web page is www.madisonal.gov/ . Council minutes and agendas are posted
================================================================ Councilman Bob Wagner Madison Community Update - March, 2007 bwagner7@knology.net All, I have had so many responses asking how you can help to stop the deannexation of Madison. I am glad to get your E-mails and would like you to send the same input to the officials below. Let them hear from you directly that this bill should not be passed or even be considered. I have also included the Huntsville Times for those that asked about writing a Letter to the Editor. I have asked the City Council to support a resolution condemning this bill and that all cities in the State of Alabama support us in this effort. I will continue to keep you posted. Bob Wagner
All, The following article was in yesterday's Huntsville Times, it is truley about greed and back room politics. It is a very serious article and should be a concern to all. The situation is serious and will impact Madison tremendously and every city in Alabama if this legislation passes. Rest assure that the Council and Mayor have been working to stop this deannexation effort and will not stop until it is thrown out of Montgomery. Senator Tom Butler, Senator Arthur Orr, and Representatives Mile Ball and Mac McCutheon all need your support to help them kill this bill when it comes up in Montgomery. Sincerely, Bob Wagner Madison irate over deannex bill Saturday, March 17, 2007 By WENDY REEVES and JOHN PECK Times Staff Writers Barron's plan for retail site called 'back room' deal MADISON - Madison city leaders are furious over state Sen. Lowell Barron's proposed legislation to deannex more than 250 acres that's being considered for a major retail development. "This is not just coming at us through the back door, this is the back room," said Madison City Council President Tommy Overcash. Madison officials have been negotiating since last summer for a large-scale retail development at Zierdt Road and Madison Boulevard with local developer Lewis Breland and a development company linked to Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., former owner of the San Francisco 49ers. Overcash and Mayor Sandy Kirkindall said Friday they learned three weeks ago that rumors were being spread to the local legislative delegation that Madison couldn't afford a large development on the scale of The Summit in Birmingham. "There have been no questions about our ability to provide reasonable and necessary incentives," Kirkindall said. Last Saturday, a proposed bill to deannex 230 acres owned by Breland was advertised in The Times. The property was an-nexed into Madison during the 1960s, Kirkindall said. On Friday, Kirkindall received notice of a proposed bill to deannex an additional 32.74 acres at the same site. "Basically, it appears these rumors have set the stage for this deannexation process," Overcash said. "And it seems to be carefully orchestrated." State Sen. Tom Butler, D-Madison, said lobbyist Steve Raby, whose clients include Barron, told Butler that Huntsville plans to annex the property if the deannexation bill passes. Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer was unavailable for comment late Friday, said her communications director, Denise Taylor. City Planning Director Dallas Fanning denied the city is behind the deannexation bill and declined to say whether Huntsville would annex the property if the landowner asks. "I won't answer a hypothetical," he said. The measure is already drawing stiff opposition in the 12-member Madison County legislative delegation, where one senator or two House members can kill a local bill. Butler called it a bad piece of legislation that needs to be stopped. Butler said the deannexation would set a bad precedent and rob the City of Madison of desperately needed tax revenue. Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, also said he's inclined to oppose it. The property is in Orr's district and borders Butler's. "Huntsville has annexed all the way around and surrounds Madison and prohibits further expansion of its city limits. Now to come in and try to detach a piece of property that could provide badly needed tax revenue for schools and services is absolutely wrong," Butler said. "It's a strong-arm tactic that violates local courtesy in the delegation by being outside the sponsor's Senate district." Barron, a Democrat, is from Fyffe in DeKalb County. Raby said the issue is not about Huntsville versus Madison but about landowner Breland's "opportunities" to develop the property in the Huntsville city limits. Breland did not return calls seeking comment Friday. Raby referred inquiries to Sen. Parker Griffith, D-Huntsville, who said he will do whatever it takes to ensure the development is built, regardless of the host city. Griffith said Breland certainly wouldn't pursue a deannexation that would be contrary to the property's development potential. "The way I view it, it's a win-win for Huntsville or Madison if they put a $200 million development on that corner. That whole strip along Alabama 20 will then be golden." Griffith said he's heard conflicting reports on whether Madison can provide the incentives for the massive project. Butler said he met with Kirkindall and bond officials and is convinced Madison can afford competitive incentives. Madison's financial consultants say "there's no question" that Madison can legally and financially support a major retail development. "They have a AA rating by Standard & Poor and a Moody's A1 rating, so they are fully capable and certainly have the wherewithal to do what they want to do," Jim Birchall, the city's bond attorney with Walston, Wells & Birchall in Birmingham, said by phone Friday. "Madison has excellent credit in the State of Alabama." Birchall, who represents cities all over the state, said until the 1990s cities were prohibited from lending aid or credit to private corporations. "What has evolved is one city being pitted against another city and it's created a competition that's left the developers as the only beneficiaries," Birchall said. "It's not a benefit to the citizens of our state." In Birmingham, The Summit is surrounded by Mountain Brook, Vestavia and Hoover. "What's to stop one of those cities from going to the owner and saying, 'Why don't you deannex from Birmingham and we'll pay you X amount of dollars?' " Birchall said. "That's where I see this going and it's not good on a number of different levels ... it's just not good public policy." ================================================================ The following are City issues and project updates that are coming up in the next two months. 1) The Sullivan Street and Palmer Road intersection is scheduled to be closed any day now for widening and new traffic signal installation. Sullivan Street will be closed for about two months while it is widened to three lanes from Martin Street to Mill Road. Watch for the detour signs. 2) The City Council will hold a work session for Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). Meeting will be March 21 at 6pm at City Hall. Council will be reviewing current list and adding more projects for the approved 12 million bond issue. The majority of the bond issue will be used towards new roads and widening of existing roads. Roads to be discussed will be the widening of Wall Triana with bike path, Eastview extension to Wall Triana, Balch Road extension to Mill Road, several other road and public safety projects. 3) The City is currently taking applications for the Madison School Board. Council will be interviewing and making a selection to the School Board this April. Applications may be downloaded from the City’s website and submitted to the City Clerk’s office at City Hall. 4) Construction of a Railroad Quiet Zone has begun at the Shelton Road railroad crossing. Once installed the trains will no longer be blasting their horns at all hours of the day. Shelton Road is also be widened to three lanes from Madison Blvd to Old Madison Pike. 5) The City is preparing to widen Hughes Road from four lanes to five with the fifth lane being a center turn lane from Mill/Portal Lane to just past Hollywood Video. The lanes will then go back down to three as they are currently. 6) The intersection of Hughes Road and Old Madison Pike is being prepared to be widened with turn lanes and repaved. 7) Finally, the intersection at Gillespie and Wall Triana is hopefully going to be finished this month. This intersection has been the biggest problem with trying to get Bell South and Huntsville Utilities to dig up and move all the underground wires in the area. Huntsville Utilities has one more pole to remove, so I have been told, and then the City can finish the repaving of the new turn lanes and traffic can finally move through quicker. If you have any questions about anything that I did not mention above, just email or call me and I will be glad to discuss it with you. I need your input to make the right decisions as we build Madison now and beyond. Residents concerns are my top priority
The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything. Do not be afraid to make mistakes providing you do not make the same one twice. --Theodore Roosevelt
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