-- Forbes Recognizes Mobile as Fastest Growing Market
-- A New Plan for Mobile Coming
-- Mardi Gras Garbage and Trash Changes
-- Mobile Selected as Pilot Site for Emergency Preparedness Program
-- Wave Mural Unveiled at GM&O Building
-- Fire-Rescue Department Starts New Cadet Program
-- Sign Up for Alerts From Mobile Connect-CTY
-- Council Dedicates Street to Honor Hillsdale Minister
Greetings!
The recognition keeps coming for Mobile and our
citizens. Forbes magazine just released its list
of top growing cities, and named Mobile as the best
city for economic growth in the entire nation. That
means something great for all of us. I hope you read
on for more information about this and other projects
going on in our city.
Sincerely,
Samuel L. Jones Mayor
Forbes Recognizes Mobile as Fastest Growing Market
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mobile is on a tremendous streak - and the nation is
taking notice. Forbes magazine says Mobile
will have the greatest "gross metropolitan product
(GMP)" increase between 2007 and 2012. They
attribute the incoming jobs at ThyssenKrupp and
Austal, as well as the upcoming Northrop-Grumman
tanker contract announcement as some of the
reasons for the success.
"It's great to be Number One," said Mayor
Jones. "We're very pleased to get this recognition.
This means that we will be working harder to maintain
the growth and success that we have seen."
Population growth, job growth, housing starts and
personal income growth are factors that Forbes
considered in making its rankings.
Keith Weaver of EDSA, the firm hired to create a new
comprehensive plan for downtown and surrounding
neighborhoods, laid out the process for the New
Mobile Plan at the "Breakfast with the Mayor" event at
the Mobile Museum of Art.
The purpose of The Plan is to provide a
comprehensive and detailed growth analysis that
establishes a sustainable long-range plan for
development, in order to make Mobile the premier city
along the Central Gulf Coast to live, work and play.
Although there are numerous development proposals,
plans and studies which currently exist or are
underway within the Downtown area, what the City of
Mobile lacks is an up to date, publicly responsive
comprehensive development plan that addresses
growth for this defined area from a broad planning
perspective.
The overall Plan will focus on the following areas:
Zone 1, The Downtown Core & Waterfront Area (Mobile
Waterfront, Downtown Alliance District, DeTonti
Square District, Lower Dauphin District, Church Street
East District) as well as The Midtown West Corridors
(Oakleigh Garden District, Leinkauf District and Old
Dauphin Way District) Zone 2, Midtown North
Neighborhood and Corridors (Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Avenue, St. Stephens Road and Beauregard Street
area), Zone 3, The Midtown South Neighborhoods &
Corridors (Michigan Avenue, Virginia Street, Broad
Street and Washington Avenue
Neighborhood).
The planning process will be
guided by an advisory committee coupled with input
from citizens, community groups, business leaders,
civic and religious communities and government
agencies. Public meetings will be held throughout the
process to ensure community support and
participation.
Look for a website soon!
Mardi Gras Garbage and Trash Changes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Due to Mardi Gras parades, Monday's scheduled
trash routes will be collected on Saturday, February 2,
2008 (two days earlier than normal). This is for all
residents on the NORTH side of the City whose trash -
things such as limbs, old furniture, and appliances -
is normally picked up on Mondays.
Below is the other Public Works schedule for Mardi
Gras:
Mobile Selected as Pilot Site for Emergency Preparedness Program
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mobile has been chosen as the national pilot site by
the OASIS Foundation of America (OFA), for a
community-based readiness and response program.
It's designed to pre-stage and pre-deploy disaster
commodities directly into communities at no expense
to the community. These supplies are stored in sturdy,
durable and attractive READI-Port stations,
approximately 8'x10'x16' in size, that will be
strategically placed within the community.
Each port will also have messages that can be
programmed to alert the public about emergency
situations.
"The supplies in these
strategically placed units will help our first responders
and their support personnel in the event of a crisis,"
says Mayor Jones. "This is yet another tool to
strengthen our preparedness and our ability to answer
the call in an emergency."
The pilot program in Mobile includes a READI-Port
station currently located on-site at the American Red
Cross headquarters in downtown Mobile at the
intersection of Broad and Conti Streets. This station
will remain at that location throughout the Mobile Mardi
Gras season and beyond, and is stocked with
supplies that can be accessed by local law
enforcement agencies during any carnival-related
emergency.
Wave Mural Unveiled at GM&O Building
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A breathtaking mural depicting Mobile's history was
unveiled at the GM&O building today. The mural was
painted by University of South Alabama professor
Jason Guynes. It wonderfully illustrates downtown
Mobile's changing skyline and the history of various
modes of public transportation through the decades.
The GM&O building serves as the terminal for the
City's Wave Transit System.
"As Mobile continues to grow, we want to preserve the
rich heritage of 300 years of history," said Mayor Sam
Jones. "This tremendous work of art certainly
represents not only the things we have been able to
accomplish in the past, but also the things we can do
in the future."
A federal grant specifically for public artwork financed
the mural, which covers one wall inside the GM&O
terminal.
Fire-Rescue Department Starts New Cadet Program
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mobile Fire-Rescue Department is seeking qualified
candidates for its new Paramedic Cadet program. The
program is open to young people at least 17 years of
age but who have not reached the age of 22. Potential
candidates must have graduated from a standard
senior high school or attained a G.E.D. and must meet
the
admission requirements to become enrolled in
Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Training.
Candidates must also possess a valid driver's
license from state of residence.
After successfully completing the Paramedic program,
students will start firefighter training. The selected
candidates will be paid a salary of $1,738 a month or
$20,856 annually while in school and the department
will pay for the candidate's tuition, books and other
cost associated with the class.
Currently there are only ten (10) positions available to
those who qualify for the program. Interested persons
can obtain an application from the Mobile County
Personnel Department located at 1809 Government
Street, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
or go to www.personnelboard.org. Completed
applications may be faxed to (251) 445-
2219.
For more information about the
program call (251) 605-2318.
In the event of an emergency, the City of Mobile wants
you to be as prepared and informed as possible. We
have a great new tool to help you do that. You can
sign up to get alerts from the City of Mobile's Alert
Notification System called Connect- CTY. Here's how it
works, when something happens, such as a
hurricane warning, gas leak, road closure, or garbage
pick-up delay, the City sends out messages alerting
you to the situation.
All public phone numbers in Mobile County have been
added, but that's only part of what the system can do.
You can add cell numbers and email addresses to
receive these messages even when you are not at
home.
Council Dedicates Street to Honor Hillsdale Minister
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mobile City Council unanimously approved to
change the name of Roslyn Drive in the Hillsdale
community to Rev. D.J. Smith, Sr. Drive, honoring the
founding pastor of Smith Memorial A.M.E. Church. Rev.
Smith organized the first African Methodist Episcopal
Church for residents in Hillsdale and Mobile Terrace.
Rev. Smith was joined by friends and family members
at the City Council meeting on January 15. Rev. Smith
also received a proclamation dedicating January 15,
2008 in his honor.
