Hoover voters will choose their next mayor and City Council on Aug. 26. Hoover’s current chief of police Nick Derzis is challenging Mayor Frank Brocato for the mayor’s seat, and fourteen candidates are vying to fill five other City Council seats on the ballot.
The candidates shared their views on key issues with the Hoover Sun.
Q: What responsibility does the city have regarding stormwater control, and would you do anything differently than has been done thus far?
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Frank Brocato: Appropriate stormwater management is necessary to protect our homes, businesses and natural resources. We’ve made major investments in drainage improvements and will continue proactively identifying and addressing problem areas. I’ll keep working with the City Council, engineers, neighborhoods and developers to stay ahead of stormwater challenges and ensure future developments maintain the best stormwater practices to protect property and the environment. Our staff does an excellent job addressing stormwater management.
Nick Derzis: Stormwater management is a city responsibility we must take more seriously. Much of Hoover’s infrastructure is outdated and hasn’t kept pace with growth. New development near existing homes increases water velocity, overwhelming drains that were never designed for current volumes. I will lead efforts to develop a comprehensive stormwater plan and push for, and enforce, an ordinance that holds developers accountable. We also need better coordination and accountability from neighboring municipalities and counties.
CITY COUNCIL PLACE 1 CANDIDATES
Tanveer Patel: Stormwater control is critical to protecting homes and infrastructure. Hoover must adopt modern engineering and green infrastructure — rain gardens, permeable surfaces, better detention systems. I’d push for annual stormwater audits and explore FEMA or state grants to improve flooding resilience. Community complaints about flooded yards or streets shouldn’t be dismissed. We must listen, act and track progress publicly. I will add this to my transparency portal.
Robin Schultz: I’m in the IT industry, which means I solve problems for a living. The stormwater issue is a problem that requires a joint effort between the city and the residents to identify the problem and find a solution. Ignoring residents is not a solution.
CITY COUNCIL PLACE 2 CANDIDATES
Clint Bircheat: Each case is unique and requires a different amount of involvement by the city. In some cases, there are areas where the city could be in a public-private partnership or be some aid in the process. The city should take a forward, out-front approach to helping people solve the problems they’re having rather than just wiping their hands of it and ignoring or belittling valid concerns.
Kenneth Cox Jr.: I believe it is a shared responsibility between the city, builders and owners.
Copeland Johnson: The city should ensure updated drainage, pass and enforce updated ordinances, take aggressive ADEM compliance measures and work with builders and residents to coordinate effective solutions. The current state of stormwater shows prior experience has left something missing. I would work with urgency to accomplish the above. I’d also consider Hoover’s specific issues and explore best-in-class solutions successful elsewhere. There are many cost-effective, modern solutions, achievable with a “can-do-more” mentality. I seek to bring that.
Gene Smith: The city has to be careful when walking the fine line of using taxpayer money for the improvement of personal property. But when the development of projects, many being roadway and property development, redirect stormwater onto personal property, that should bring on a different view. If legal issues remain, it may be necessary for Hoover to pass local legislation in Montgomery in assisting Hoover to be able to properly assist these property owners.
CITY COUNCIL PLACE 3 CANDIDATES
Liz Lane: The city must take responsibility for stormwater control. It has approved developments without proper oversight. Independent inspectors with minimal city ties are needed. Funds spent on litigation should go toward solutions. Residents expect stormwater management. A multifaceted approach — green infrastructure and incentives for new and existing developments — is essential to address growing water concerns.
Ashley Lovell: The city has a responsibility to protect the people of Hoover, including stormwater. I would request an independent evaluation of our city’s stormwater and drainage infrastructure and redirect funding that may be allocated to political pet projects to this one, and others, that present a clear and immediate risk to the safety and property value of Hoover citizens. Additionally, I would explore state and federal matches or grants that apply to this issue.
Robert Williams: I believe the city bears the brunt of responsibility for stormwater control to the extent that it can execute that control. We cannot anticipate unusual and sudden rainfall. I would support stronger measures when construction plans are approved to be as certain as possible that stormwater is honestly and fairly considered.
CITY COUNCIL PLACE 4 CANDIDATES
Christian Coleman: The city has a responsibility to manage stormwater originating on city property and traveling through city pipes. The city has a responsibility to vet new developments to ensure they won’t worsen stormwater problems. The city has a responsibility to fix damage to residents’ properties because of mismanaged stormwater. I would do just about everything differently. I would work with citizens, not against them. I would recommend the city hire more engineers and hydrologists, and I would approve more drain repairs.
Khristi Driver: The city’s responsibility lies in protecting the safety and health of the public as well as maintaining and investing in necessary public infrastructure. I support establishing a board of experts and community members to dive deeper into these issues and advise the council on a strategic plan for future needs and deployment of capital. The issues are technical, complex and multifaceted, and we have many leaders in our community who could add value in this area.
Donna Mazur: The city MUST have a responsibility to our residents for the stormwater issues that they are currently facing. We cannot ignore our residents and hope that this problem will go away.
CITY COUNCIL PLACE 5 CANDIDATES
Steve Lawrence: After speaking with residents, I learned an estimated 600 stormwater complaints have been filed with the city. Hoover should hire an independent third-party engineering firm to conduct unbiased assessments. When the city is responsible, it needs to step up and do the right thing for residents.
Derrick Murphy: The city has a clear responsibility to manage stormwater and aging infrastructure. For decades, long-term planning wasn’t prioritized. Since joining the council, I’ve helped champion infrastructure by offering my 24+ years of water and large-scale system experience. For the first time, we gave staff the resources needed to assess infrastructure conditions and develop a long-term plan. Together, we’ve made more progress in the last nine years than ever before, and I am committed to continuing that momentum.
