A seat at the table: Montgomery City and County residents invited to virtual town hall meeting series on $86 million Montgomery Thrive initiative spending

By Joseph Bryant

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA — Montgomery City and County leaders this week will begin a series of virtual town hall meetings to update citizens on Montgomery Thrive, a nearly $86 million program to support transformative projects with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The first session is Wednesday, Aug. 24 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The town hall meetings will be held on Facebook Live from both official Montgomery City and Montgomery County Facebook pages. The public will receive updates on Phase I and an overview of Phase II of initiatives to enhance the quality of life throughout Montgomery County.

“We pledged at the beginning of this program that we would be transparent through every step of planning, spending and building, and these town hall meetings are a continuation of making good on that promise,” said Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed. “These are public dollars, and the public has an open seat at the table throughout this historic opportunity to transform our community.”

Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton said Facebook Live brings discussion about Montgomery Thrive to the most residents through a recognizable and convenient format.

“By using technology, our town hall meetings can be as large as needed, where all interested people can gather in the comfort of their own seats,” he said. “This entire initiative is community focused and community driven, therefore we want everyone to have access to an open forum to participate and share input in this process.”

Each session is designed to provide detailed information about various projects. Those include community restoration investments, support for small businesses, opportunities for local vendors, upgrades to community and recreation centers, and upgrades to countywide waste disposal infrastructure.

In addition to the virtual sessions, community outreach regarding Montgomery Thrive will also include in-person updates at neighborhood meetings and community gatherings.

The schedule of virtual town hall meetings is as follows:

Wednesday, August 24th – 5:30pm to 6:30pm (Facebook Live)
Overview of Phase I & II Programming

Thursday, August 25th – 5:30pm to 6:30pm (Facebook Live)
Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programming and Mental Health Crisis Center

Wednesday, August 31st – 5:30pm to 6:30pm (Facebook Live)
Supporting Local Trails and Small Business Support

Wednesday, September 7th – 4:00pm to 5:15pm (Zoom)
Local Vendor Opportunity Workshop
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Thursday, September 15th – 5:30pm to 6:30pm (Facebook Live)
Community Center and Recreation Upgrades

Monday, September 19th – 5:30pm to 7:00pm (Facebook Live)
Waste Disposal Upgrades and Community Restoration

Tuesday, September 27th – 5:30pm to 6:30pm (Facebook Live)
Broadband Study and Countywide Surveillance System