SPORTS: Trash Pandas stay on the road this week, but will return in time to celebrate 4th
M adison RECORD THE
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MVP’s new director Melanie Thornton envisions Madison Visionary Partners or MVP as a valuable resource for the city. She has accepted the role of MVP Executive Director. Page 3A
City manager issue District 3 Madison City Councilman Teddy Powell cuts the ribbon on Thursday to celebrate the opening of Home Place Park. Also pictured are Madison Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michelle Epling and Madison Mayor Paul Finley. Photo by Kassidy Wilkins
City and community leaders celebrate Home Place Park’s official opening
EVENTS
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
4th of July fun There are several fun events planned to celebrate the 4th of July. After a couple of years with subdued celebrations due to COVID, this year is already showing people are ready to get out and have a blast. Page 6A
LIVING
Summer chess fun During summer breaks, girls in Madison City Chess League are taking advantage of free time to socialize with their peers and continue their commitment to learn more about the game of chess. Page 7B
CLASSIFIEDS
FIND JOBS INSIDE: There are plenty of jobs within today’s classifieds pages. See page 4A.
INSIDE Editorial ............ 5A Lifestyles .......... 6A Events............... 7A Sports .............. 1B
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EDITORIAL
A recent push to change the government structure for Madison will likely end up on a special election ballot with voters having the final say. Page 5A
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First public meeting held to discuss possible city manager
Home Place Park
NEWS
WEDNESDAY June 29, 2022
MADISON – The City of Madison, Madison Visionary Partners or MVP and Rotary Club of Madison celebrated the re-opening of Home Place Park with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday. The park’s location is 100 Shorter St. in downtown Madison and the former site of the neighborhood park for Home Place subdivision. The park features a performance pavilion and amphitheater-style seating, along with a picnic area and walking path. Renovations to the park have added walkability and event space for downtown Madison. “The re-imagining of Home
Rotary Club of Madison assisted in the funding of the pavilion with a $50,000 donation. Photo by Kassidy Wilkins Place Park not only enhances downtown Madison’s footprint but offers an opportunity for residents to gather for community events. We hope families across Madison will enjoy the green space for years to come,”
LOCKHEED MARTIN BREAKS GROUND ON 25,000-SQUARE FOOT, $16.5M MISSILE FACILITY State and local leaders were at Cummings Research Park on Monday to break ground on a new $16.5 million Lockheed Martin facility. The Missile System Integration Lab (MSIL) facility will initially be used exclusively for development within Lockheed Martin’s Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program, based in Huntsville and supporting the Missile Defense Agency on the mission to protect the homeland against ballistic missile threats with a revolutionary, modern weapon system. Pictured left to right: Gov. Kay Ivey, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Dr. Sarah Hiza, Commissioner Dale Strong, and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.
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Mayor Paul Finley said. The improvements will allow residents and visitors to enjoy theatrical and musical performances, along with other events. Ample parking is availSee PARK Page 2A
MADISON - The first of a handful of planned community meetings to discuss Madison’s proposal of restructuring the city’s government was held last week at city hall. It was designed to kickoff public discussion over the potential transition to a council-manager form of government with an appointed city manager. To make the change, city leaders must first have a petition signed by roughly 900 citizens calling for a special election. On hand to help answer questions were city managers Sam Gaston from Mountain Brook and Jeff Downes from Vestavia Hills. Both are strong advocates for cities like Madison transitioning to a city manager. “The council-manager form of government is clearly a form of government that is more business-like,” said Downes. “The mayor serves like the chairman of the board as council president and the council serves like a board of directors. They collectively drive the vision of the city, while the city manager reacts to the high-level instructions, policies and guidelines of that ‘board of directors’, and accomplishes the work in a less-politicized manner.” Downes said there are many cities doing great work with a council-mayor form of government, but how the work is accomplished is the chief difference with a council-manager form. “Some of the challenges I had as an administrator in a mayor-council form of government when I worked in Montgomery had to do with irrational decision-making based on relationships and a desire to please the public,” he said. “My job now is to react to the collective desires of the mayor and council to work in the most rational way possible to deliver services in the most efficient and effective manner. Earlier this year, city council members heard from a special appointed “Madison Governance Transition Committee” that recommended changing the form of government for the city to a council-manager form of government. Currently, the city of Madison operates with a mayor-council form of government, with 7 voting district representatives and mayoral recommendations with no vote. If the change is approved, it would require redistricting Madison into 6 districts, with a voting mayor elected at large. The mayor would mostly represent the city in public events and in meetings with neighboring cities. The proposed change would place a council-appointed city manager in charge of the city’s daily operations and departments. Resident Susan Pierce asked if the city manager form of government will save or cost the city more money? “Are we as citizens going to be taxed more?” Madison City Councilwoman Renae Bartlett, who served as moderator for the meeting, said there are no plans to increase taxes. “There is no need to have increased taxes to pay for a transition in government,” she said. Bartlett also stated more discussion about potential salaries would be at the next community meeting on July 11. For more, go to www.themadisonrecord.com and page 5A.