The year 2024 brought many changes to the City of New Hope. Vacancies in the governing body were brought upon by several resignations for personal reasons. Those resignations opened the door for change. Roger Walling was inducted as the new mayor in July, and Chris Keel and Billy Jones Jr. were inducted as new council members joining Mayor Pro Tem Donnie Dowdy, Councilwoman Kay Manley, and Councilman Ronald Schrimsher. Anthony Nunnelly was appointed as Chief of Police, and several new police officers were hired. Our goal is to provide full transparency, improve the quality of services, and help lead the City of New Hope into the future with a new vision. Below, we’d like to share a few of the key points that we, the governing body, feel are pertinent to all residents of our great city.
The city has received federal and state funding, which has opened the doors for purchasing or planning long-needed equipment and service improvements. A few of these are listed below along with an intentional plan for growth and sustainability.
- New mulch has been put down at the park playground, and swings that were in disrepair have been replaced. This is just a start, with long-needed upgrades to the park being considered and budgeted for, including repairs to the walking track, updating ballfield electrical components, and a full bathroom remodel. We are fortunate to have several “disc golf tournaments” held at the disc golf course and an AKC-sanctioned dog race called FAST CAT and FETCH now list New Hope as their bi-annual event center.
- We are developing a comprehensive plan providing a long-term vision for our city’s growth. The plan allows the residents to provide insight, creative ideas, and suggestions to help the city manage our growth. A diverse advisory panel was selected as the voice for the residents and will hold public town hall meetings to gather the wants and needs of the residents of New Hope. Watch for announcements of the forthcoming meetings and make plans to attend.
- The city’s streets and drainage issues are a top concern for our governing body. The extensive costs of such projects make any changes seem very slow to develop. These capital improvements of our infrastructure require long-term planning and are based on immediate needs. To guarantee that the streets are done correctly and will hold up to years of use requires the aid of professionals such as engineers, specialized contractors, and intergovernmental agreements. We are fortunate to be able to work with Madison County District 3 to reach some of these We are preparing to have Woody Road and Paint Rock Road paved under the Rebuild Alabama Act.
- Drainage and other issues also affect our road system’s overall We have replaced several drainpipes within the city, such as those on Church Avenue, Old Hwy 431, Martin Street, and two on Spring Street with headwalls, to name a few. Other projects are under consideration. We are working with the Corp of Engineers to develop a sustainable strategy for drainage improvement.
- As a result of bridge inspections in FY24, it was discovered that the bridge on Oak Grove Road was showing signs of bridge scour. This is the erosion of soil surrounding the bridge The city approved the repairs, including the removal of dirt and debris from the flow line of the bridge followed by pouring a concrete bottom in the bridge to prevent erosion of the bridge foundation that could eventually compromise the bridge footing. Bridge scour is one of the three leading causes of bridge failures resulting from scour and other hydraulic-related causes. It is the most common cause of highway bridge failure in the US, where 46 of 86 major bridge failures resulted from scouring near piers or foundations.
- To provide efficient services and act as good stewards of the city’s funding, we have planned to procure two new police cars, a new flatbed dump truck, a new bush hog, and much-needed equipment such as a new This will also help maintain the medians on Highway 431. An intergovernmental agreement has been reached so that the city can mow the medians between the scheduled bi-annual ALDOT mowings.
- Our population has grown considerably over the last six Demographics show that our area will continue that pattern well until the next decade. Therefore, we are working on our building permits’ efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and federal and state compliance. As you know, New Hope has approximately 55% of our eight square miles in the flood zone. To keep your flood insurance rates as low as possible and to provide safety in the middle of a storm, the city must improve and maintain compliance with the FEMA floodplain guidelines. This ordinance was established in the 1970s but has not been taken seriously. We are working to improve that issue. We are currently working on updating our current building codes, which have been outdated for quite some time. We have purchased new software to allow the permitting process and code violations to be more streamlined, enhancing customer service.
- The city has initiated an agreement with the help of Goodwin, Mills, and Cawood (GMC) to develop a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER). The development of such a report aids tremendously in securing federal and state infrastructure grants. Our sewer system was created in the early 1970’s. As we all know, infrastructure is costly. The PER hopefully can secure up to $5 million in grant funds for the sewer system’s much-needed repairs and upgrades. Steps are being taken to locate and prioritize the most needed repairs. The first step in developing a sewer system upgrade plan was to work with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and initiate a smoke test at no cost to the city. It was done to find faults in the sewer system so that minor repairs could be made immediately. One of these faults was found on the west side of Hwy 431 and was repaired.
- The city has just closed out the CDBG grant for the sewer upgrades made on Spring, Ellett, Whitt Streets, and West Avenue with the help of Community We will begin to search for additional grants and continue improvements as we can.
- The city is fortunate to have two storm shelters in the downtown We are starting an offensive maintenance program with plans to have the two structures sandblasted and painted so these storm shelters can provide safety for future generations.
- The city is procuring additional fire hydrants for installation, ensuring adequate fire protection for all New Hope citizens.
- In 2024, with the help of Huntsville Utilities, all streetlights were upgraded to LEDs. Extra streetlights were added where needed on Main Drive to enhance visibility at
- We have acquired a second boom truck to enhance the time bulk trash stays on the side of the road. This also provides a backup vehicle in case of maintenance issues.
- The city welcomed Police Chief Nunnelley in He and his staff are working diligently to rebrand and improve New Hope’s Police Department.
- In 2025, the city will work with state officials to acquire funding to upgrade the undersized water lines in the city limits and for NH water customers outside the
- The splash pad’s underground water leaks have been The broken features on the splash pad are also planned to be replaced.
- We are developing a new website to serve our residents It will be more user- friendly and contain more information on the city’s plans and events.
- The Restoration on Main Committee is working with the city council to develop innovative ideas to attract more businesses to New Hope.
We are actively seeking grants or funding to help lighten the load on our city’s budget and appreciate your desires and input for the betterment of New Hope. It is an honor and privilege to share the state of our city and the new vision for New Hope with you.
~~~~ Mayor Roger Walling – Feb. 23, 2025