Hello, Foley! The Christmas season is upon us. It looks to be a busy time.
By now, everyone should have heard the tremendous news of the schools here in Foley. All six schools in the Foley feeder pattern scored a B. In 2022, Foley partnered with the Baldwin County Board of Education to create a joint effort called the Foley Education Advisory Committee (FEAC). The purpose of the FEAC is to assist the principal of each school in helping students achieve success. This year’s grade is an indication of the direction of all our schools. The partnership with the Board of Education is a success. Our county school system was already the best in the state. The leadership of the board in partnering with Foley cannot be understated. The real heroes, however, are our principals, teachers, staff and students who work every day to achieve success.Our City Council and I congratulate all who help reach this new standard in our Foley schools. Thank you, all!
As I mentioned, the Christmas season is here. Our celebration kicks off the first weekend in December with the Friday night Christmas in the Park when we light our Foley Tree. On Saturday, the celebration continues with the Christmas Parade in Downtown, ending with the park festivities. Our parade is always the biggest of the year. Just a reminder to everyone that it’s so important to shop local. This supports our local business community. These businesses provide jobs. They are our neighbors. They help support our community in times of need and provide the revenue to our city that allows us to serve our citizens’ everyday needs.
As usual, we are busy with our city projects that address our growth and maintain our quality of life. You might notice the sidewalk projects, such as North Cedar Street, and road improvements on Pilgrim Street and at the intersection of Hickory and Michigan. Our city building projects are also moving forward. The two big ones are the Public Library and Public Works Campus. Both are scheduled to be done after the new year begins. New businesses are also under construction, such as the Camp Out and the BJs Wholesale Store.
Growth is always a buzz word of either concern or hope for the future. Our city’s growth this past year is down for several reasons. Residential homes are down 65% back to the pre-Covid years. Our moratoriums on subdivisions and zoning have allowed us to upgrade our already stringent requirements. The zoning moratorium will expire in January, with our upgrades completed by then.
I pray everyone has a wonderful holiday season. Please drive safely and watch out for your neighbors. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.