2006: A look back in Madison
The top five news stories that appeared in the pages of the Madison Record in 2006 range from a proposal to build a Madison hospital to the appointment of a new Madison City Schools superintendent. A capsule version of the top newsmakers follows:
BRAC
The BRAC Commission recommended relocating significant parts of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), the United States Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), and the Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC) to Redstone Arsenal.
"North Alabama will be positively impacted by BRAC and we must be prepared for our area's expected growth," Cramer said. "We need to make sure that our needs are met in this process and that the full scope of construction projects we will need, including day care and firefighter facilities, will get the right level of funding."
In a State of the State address in Madison last May, Gov. Bob Riley suggested that state leaders will have to think outside of the box to solve infrastructure problems facing North Alabama with BRAC growth.
"Infrastructure can't keep up with the growth," Riley said. "There are 13,000 to 14,000 new jobs coming, not the 6,000 we've read and heard about. We have more opportunity here than we've ever had. We need to think outside of the box to fix the critical need for infrastructure. We can't continue to do things the way we've always done them."
Madison officials touted the city as a destination for military transferees in July in Fort Belvoir, Va. as part of an effort to lure those moving to the area as part of BRAC. The city added a link to its web site, www.madisonal.gov, offering information to BRAC transferees and saw interest grow from two to three inquiries a week to two to three inquiries a day.
"Some of these people who might never have considered it are now considering moving to the South," Mayor Sandy Kirkindall said.
The Madison Chamber of Commerce held its annual Partners in Progress meeting in August with Mayor Sandy Kirkindall, then Council President Bob Wagner, Madison County District 4 Commissioner Dale Strong and Senator Tom Butler updating chamber members on city projects, goals and needs-many of which relate directly to the BRAC process.
Butler said roads and schools will be the two most important issues to tackle for Madison and all of North Alabama as the BRAC influx begins.
"This is a paramount issue for all of us," Butler explained. "A regional partnership is also needed to complete water, sewer, healthcare and recreational projects that will come with this growth."
Butler said Madison is expected to grow by an estimated 3,000 students during 2008-2010.
Madison YMCA
The Heart of the Valley YMCA asked the city of Madison last March for use of 16 of 58 acres on Balch Road acquired this year by the city from the Water and Wastewater Board. The council later asked the YMCA to consider a different site for the facility on Wall-Triana, but an outside offer was chosen in August.
Enfinger Steele Development offered to donate $1.4 million toward the cost of the $2.6 million property located on Hughes Road near the entrance of Stratford Square subdivision.
The proposed Madison YMCA is expected to cost $11.9 million. If fundraising efforts meet the YMCA's 80 percent benchmark by the fall of 2007, ground breaking will begin on the Madison YMCA site and the facility could open in 2008.
The Enfinger Steele Development donation will allow Jeff Enfinger and Sandra Steele to choose the name of the Madison YMCA campus.
The facility itself will be named The Craig and Steven Hogan Family Center in memory of Craig and Steven Hogan, president and chief financial officer, respectively, of Taos Industries in Madison. The brothers died in a plane crash in 2005.
David and Ann Hogan presented a $1 million donation to the Madison YMCA in memory of their sons at a Nov. 2 ceremony at the building site.
Plans for the proposed Madison YMCA include a gymnasium with indoor soccer capabilities, indoor walking track, indoor aquatic center with 50-meter competitive pool, teen center with snack bar, and fitness centers for all ages and abilities.
Clean Air Ordinance
Councilwoman Cynthia McCollum proposed the Madison Clean Indoor Air Ordinance in June to make the city a healthier place to live by being 100 percent smoke-free.
"We won't rush through this," McCollum said in June. "The community and employees, especially those in the workplace who don't have a choice, are most important. I want the ordinance to be all encompassing, yet fair to business owners. It's time to take action to protect the health of people who live and work in Madison."
About two dozen residents attended the city's first discussion Oct. 4 of the proposed 100 percent smoke free ordinance. Councilwoman Cynthia McCollum directed the discussion with eight panelists, four supporting and four opposing the ordinance, speaking on the issue for five minutes each. The audience was allowed to ask questions of panelists but not speak out on the issue.
The definition of a total smoking ban changed one month later when the city council met for a work session to revise the proposed ordinance that was met with council and public opposition. The council made provisions in the ordinance for non-regulated smoking areas to include any establishment that declares itself as a smoking facility.
In the revised ordinance, similar to a smoking ordinance adopted by Huntsville, a Madison business, such as a restaurant or bar, may declare that the entire facility is a smoking place through proper signage. Customers and employees must be age 19 or older.
Debbie Davis, ACS health initiative representative, was one of eight panelists invited to speak Oct. 4 at the city council's first public forum. She urged the city to return to its original draft of the 100-percent smoke-free ordinance.
"This is an opportunity for the Madison City Council to leave a lasting, positive mark on the community," Davis said. "It says they care about each and every resident, not just a select few."
Opinion Research Associates, Inc. conducted a telephone survey of Madison residents on the issue. The American Cancer Society announced the results Dec. 11. Of the 401 people surveyed, 74 percent indicated they either strongly or somewhat favored a law making all public places, workplaces, restaurants and bars in Madison smoke-free. The survey also found 96 percent of respondents viewed secondhand smoke as or at least some kind of health hazard.
Another 96 percent strongly agreed that no one should be exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace. Of those surveyed, 84 percent felt it is the government's responsibility to promote and protect public health.
The public was given its first and only chance to air opinions on a smoke-free Madison at a public hearing that same night. Thirteen speakers spoke for and against the issue.
The council reviewed and discussed the public hearing comments at its Dec. 19 regular council meeting and will continue its discussion with possible ordinance revisions to come Jan. 8.
Madison hospital
Madison's City Council approved the creation of a medical center district zone in January in preparation of a hospital being built in the city. Two companies-Crestwood Medical Center and Huntsville Hospital - applied to build the hospital, which would serve Madison and unincorporated eastern Madison County.
Huntsville Hospital increased its presence in Madison with the opening of Madison Urgent Care Center, the fourth phase of Madison Medical Park, a 25-acre area on Highway 72 West that was purchased by Huntsville Hospital in 1997. Huntsville Hospital has since established Physician, Wellness and Imaging centers at the site.
Madison Urgent Care houses nine exam rooms, full lab services, a casting room, and an ambulance deck if patients should need transport to a local hospital for emergency care.
"It's the next building block of the hospital phase," former Huntsville Hospital CEO Joe Austin explained at the facility's ribbon cutting ceremony in February. "We hope to have a full service, 60-bed hospital here in the future. The Urgent Care Center has been built to hospital specifications and we certainly hope that we are granted approval to build this hospital."
The matter still rests in the hands of the state Certificate of Need board, which will begin hearings Jan. 16.
The Madison hospital was opposed by Athens-Limestone Hospital until Dec. 28 when Athens-Limestone and Huntsville hospitals signed a letter of intent to pursue a formal affiliation.
Superintendent
Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Henry Clark retired in June. Dr. Stephen Nowlin, a professor at Jacksonville State University, served as interim superintendent while the school system searched for Clark's replacement.
The Board of Education hired Harold Webb and Associates to conduct the superintendent search, which yielded six candidates: Madison City Schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler, Dr. Mark Edwards, Dr. Dale Dobbs, Dr. John Jackson, Dr. Joan Kowal and Dr. Harold Dodge.
Initial interviews were conducted in November and the board asked Fowler, Edwards and Dodge to return for second interviews in December. Edwards and Dodge withdrew their applications days before final interviews were to be conducted.
On Dec. 21, the board voted 3 to 1 to elect Fowler as the Madison City Schools superintendent. Board President Sue Helms and board members Julie Mills and Jim Sturdivant voted in favor of Fowler and Vice President Dr. Shelia Nash-Stevenson voted against Folwer. Board member Ray White was absent from the meeting due to a death in his family.
Nowlin's interim position ended Dec. 22 and Helms entered into contract negotiations with Fowler to be discussed at the board's Jan. 4 meeting.
