FROM STAFF REPORTS

HOOVER – Hoover city officials are gathering public input for the next phase of the Future Hoover initiative: the development of a comprehensive plan for the city.

Residents and business owners can share their thoughts through an online survey and three upcoming town hall meetings.

“Today, Hoover finds itself in the enviable position of being recognized my numerous publications as being an exceptional city on a national scale,” City Planner Mac Martin said in a release. “Over the course of its 50 years of existence, the city has seen substantial growth and many accomplishments. However, as the city continues to age, approaches geographical and topographical limits, and faces a changing economy, it will have to adapt in order to maintain and enhance the exceptional quality of life that makes Hoover special.”

In recognition of existing and forthcoming challenges, Mayor Frank Brocato launched the Future Hoover effort in the fall of 2017 – a program intended to begin conversing with members of the community and solicit feedback on several important topics facing the city’s government as well as general topics of interest to the citizenry.

The next step in the Future Hoover program is the development of a comprehensive development plan that will serve as a guide for the continued growth and development of the community for the foreseeable future.

The public is invited to share thoughts and ideas about the future development of Hoover.

A survey can be found at FutureHoover.com and can be filled out through the end of March. It consists of a series of questions that will help officials identify the community’s strengths that be built upon as well as issues and challenges needing to be addressed to ensure a prosperous future.

“We are also conducting three town hall meetings to engage in a more in-depth planning discussion with our citizens,” Martin said. “Each will occur in locations across the city to provide convenient access.

“In each meeting, we will ask participants to help us envision what an ideal Hoover looks like 20 years from now and what actions the city should take to get there. We hope you can join us at one of the following meetings to help forge a vision for Hoover’s tomorrow!”

The meetings will each begin at 6:30 p.m. at the following locations and dates:

• Greystone Elementary School on Thursday, Jan. 25.
• Shades Crest Baptist Church on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
• Hoover City Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 6.