Dudchock reviews county progress at chamber luncheon

All eyes were on Shelby County Manager, Alex Dudchock, Wednesday, Oct. 31 during the monthly Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce luncheon as he gave a 2018 in review presentation for the county.

Various capital projects and initiatives were approved and begun in the past year, with $6.3 million having gone towards the Shelby County Highway Department for different road work projects.

A 12-plane hangar was opened at Shelby County Airport in July and new capital improvements and facilities for Oak Mountain State Park are nearing completion. The north sector of the capital project at Cahaba River Park is also nearing completion with work on the south sector set to begin soon.

Additionally, the county completed its first year of 58 Inc, which is an organization focused on business recruitment, existing business expansions and workforce readiness.

Progress from the past year includes responding to 12 requests for information with a potential economic impact involving approximately 2,000 acres, more than 8.3 million square feet, $1.3 billion in capital investment as well as creating around 7,000 new jobs.

Additionally, the county was able to launch a U.S. Department of Labor certified CNC Machinist Apprenticeship Program with collaboration with Lawson State Community College, and provided assistance on four expansion projects totaling $18 million in capital investment and creating 127 new jobs.

Improvements to the Oak Mountain State Park include resurfacing the basketball courts, adding four new restroom facilities, creating a new boat launch parking lot, as well as making boat launch improvements overall and installing two pickleball courts. Just recently, the park completed one of three roadway safety and bike lane projects.

There have been different access and infrastructure improvements made at the Alabama Wildlife Center, with new raptor mews being added to house animals. On Dec. 15, the Alabama Wildlife Center will have a new resident — a bald eagle — available for public viewing. The north sector of the Cahaba River Park project has added over 10 miles of trails for mountain biking, hiking and running, complete with two new pavilions with restroom access.

Lastly, Dudchock briefed the audience about the progress that the Compact 2020 Governance Council discussed at their meeting last week, saying that the county has done a good job of tackling drug abuse and abusers, but they have to keep pushing and encouraging citizens to be aware of the signs around them.