[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6247664,"mediaKeyId","3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97","parentId",3212702,"title","City official outlines small-business programs and seeks county coordination on housing, retail pilot","audioSeconds",326,"startMs",1376000,"endMs",1702000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97&start=1376&end=1702","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97/thumbnail_1376000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6247664/Montgomery-County/Alabama/City-official-outlines-small-business-programs-and-seeks-county-coordination-on-housing-retail-pilot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247664-fc88fc51c2b4996ddd5f454c6b335ac2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110860&Signature=Z5Qv-bv1r2ZKgU7cdcJ8uVuLYOM5aiFhrW5JhOdj1pHp2DWRC1rCzHRZjNME6iZ5sexKy8OmVUrNvCtJIYKMql3L~U399moprD3hk1lI-u~sDQATAIjuqrsKozjtEfwemoSOOQhCXH0M2PQMCaxptyiXMSFPx09LgjdRnR~K-HVbCW6rwrZwj9MotK24me9OzpVAVCgGKaDKbZPwPT2CFv25WR-m3wPoQ69AfNiM8W5Eq98hJdT8Hx8QjVYaJEeP70AqyHFn1WZ5ScFhBynhRFiBu1OEbKoh1m8NN2CQ7XZNcEZGgaadOOuKI5SmviJDvSGxjS0c1RmybjSl-L4ERA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County Alabama","date","2025-05-07T03:58:19Z","article","Frank Robinson, a City of Montgomery official, briefed the Montgomery County Commission on several small-business initiatives and asked the county to partner on programs ranging from storefront grants to a proposed housing trust.

\"It's a 50% match of up to $15,000 for first-floor retail,\" Frank Robinson said of the city's new Open on Main Street storefront grant, which the city launched as a pilot focused on first-floor retail improvements including exterior work, interior renovation, signage and technology upgrades.

Robinson described the storefront pilot as city-funded for the initial phase and said the city hopes to expand the program. He also said the city is accepting nominations for small-business awards with a June 7 deadline and highlighted downtown ambassador work that has removed about 200 pounds of trash and power-washed roughly 20 blocks during the first two weeks of the program.

Commissioners asked whether American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money was being used for these initiatives; Robinson said some programs use ARPA or joint city-county funding but clarified the Open on Main Street pilot was financed with city funds only. He also told commissioners the city has established a new housing department and expected to hire its first director by the end of the month; Robinson said the city welcomes county participation on housing solutions, including discussions about a housing trust and gap funding.

Robinson said some city programs are structured as joint efforts — for example, small-business outreach efforts labeled SBOS have involved both city and county participation — and he invited more formal coordination. Commissioners expressed interest in meeting to discuss how the county might partner on housing and small-business initiatives.

Robinson's presentation noted several discrete actions citizens and businesses can take now: apply for storefront grant assistance, nominate businesses for awards before June 7 and engage with downtown ambassadors and wayfinding projects. He specifically described the Open on Main Street pilot as intended to cover signage, branding and basic technology upgrades to support small retail fronting the downtown corridor.

County staff and commissioners said they would follow up to set meetings and discuss possible joint funding or program expansion in June.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Montgomery County Commission Information Meeting 5-6-25","oneSentenceSummary","Frank Robinson, a City of Montgomery official, briefed the Montgomery County Commission on several small-business initiatives and asked the county to partner on programs ranging from storefront grants to a proposed housing trust.","taxTitle","Montgomery County, Alabama","taxId",2535,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6247669,"Bridge Builders Alabama asks Montgomery County for funding as enrollment in leadership program grows",84,1156000,1240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97&start=1156&end=1240","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97/thumbnail_1156000.jpg","/articles/6247669/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Bridge-Builders-Alabama-asks-Montgomery-County-for-funding-as-enrollment-in-leadership-program-grows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247669-e5fbfa5ea57b57d125bc36c016ad316b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110860&Signature=PNFZY-35desgBxNdu~RyFiWGqaYDTNK-igDCPl1HLFM3KONaz82dfw3hWTcCGd7K61BAciegsOKW3yFUYhwADQHoR0ZprVojPY7FdbQ~eCK1TZCKBxNlIkCeyr83K74Yxj3d5fsbGZgmFiJb9iyfEEvMJfIRtYCgbIIuUUihkZX4t6BXb-rqlxKSUaZom1bpYLL4gsWWrEYa3n1~oCOYzhQOJhJ9Jkq~uVVJYCsXvzsN-kD1aR4mJjjfB5QgsLNVXGCCHeH9OgE4UYHd1w52Fp0YZX8oK-FZxsZYIIbS-SrQtWPnXtpszG0ymq3Ocvw6xVq10ld5Yt-hOX6dpONBTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Richard Bradford, a board member for Bridge Builders Alabama, told the Montgomery County Commission the countywide youth leadership program planned for juniors and seniors has grown from an expected class of 20 to 39 and asked the commission to renew a request for funds.

\"We had originally planned a class of 20. We've now got 39 high school juniors and seniors,\" Richard Bradford said during public comment, explaining the program provides leadership and financial-management skills and brings students from across the county together.

Bradford said the group's executive director previously requested county funds in February and that Bridge Builders seeks continued support. The original funding request presented earlier this year was $20,000, Bradford told commissioners. Commissioners and other attendees told Bradford they had made individual donations; the public audio records expressions of support and offers to donate but does not provide a complete, verifiable accounting of amounts to be recorded by county staff at the time of the meeting.

Commissioners asked a brief follow-up question about the current financial ask and thanked Bradford for the update. No formal motion or appropriation was recorded on the public agenda in response to the comment; commissioners who announced donations said those contributions would be processed at a subsequent meeting or through administrative channels.

Bridge Builders' program was compared by Bradford to other local leadership programs and he said the county's past support is appreciated. He described the program as providing participants an opportunity \"to meet one another where they would not normally have that opportunity because of schooling or straight geography.\" The program's stated focus is leadership and financial-skills training for county high-school juniors and seniors.

County staff present said administrative follow-up on donations and any formal funding request would be handled outside the public-comment period and recorded in subsequent meeting minutes if the commission approves a disbursement.","A Bridge Builders Alabama board member told the Montgomery County Commission the county’s youth leadership program has nearly doubled planned enrollment and renewed a request for funding; commissioners indicated they had previously made contributions but formal county action was not taken in the meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6247673,"Montgomery County Commission approves package of contracts, grants and appropriations",292,2032000,2324000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97&start=2032&end=2324","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97/thumbnail_2032000.jpg","/articles/6247673/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Montgomery-County-Commission-approves-package-of-contracts-grants-and-appropriations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247673-d5e21163eea8f40a5cd0646e5f0ed5a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110860&Signature=nncKB-58U5doWLQO51AZrJ15dUUdVPNHOwBbAtyFPKiX0FszpTx6EOiFZ44-x-O9q~aGaHc2il0Vlb11LksZWcrJbzYVNWomV2h-8Aaky5hQddri4Z5DeyEQi8JQZK-DRsA6xddDs5b48Odjz9HQ13~VoAW~vtuJ5gbo9rt60qsLdJfWpELIt82YNVOH8DuX0rQHEeNc4f2m642bUBgInI~vbRUs1LB-FlGkKI5roDyKT2SSa8VNxOSg6pUce3JV3pBCGx-lj2XxyPUoWNpZFY28Da6C-zoqwePal~bJk3IhGh3OX6QSj-jS5YNGvOhdW5SCQI6mjxvn0it3cu739A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montgomery County Commission on a voice vote approved a package of routine items at its May meeting, including an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to fund resurfacing of Wallahatchie Road, a bid award for a storm shelter at the Flatwood Community Center and several appropriations and board appointments.

The approvals bundle together multiple operational items the commission described as standard business that will move forward without additional hearings. Commissioners said motions were made, seconded and recorded as \"motion carries\" on each item in the public minutes for the meeting.

Key items approved included an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation concerning resurfacing of Wallahatchie Road from Pike Road to State Route 110; renewal of a lease with Williamson Properties Limited for purchase of clay gravel; Amendment No. 2 to a contract with Diversified Companies LLC (DBA DiffCo Data); a budget change request; the county's application to the 2025 Transportation Alternatives Program; and a bid award for construction of a storm shelter at the Flatwood Community Center. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office application for a 2025 Homeland Security Grant also was approved as a wave-item.

The commission approved appointments and reappointments to the Montgomery City-County Public Library board for terms expiring June 1, 2029, and authorized a set of miscellaneous appropriations to local agencies and schools. The meeting record lists specific discretionary contributions by individual commissioners to community groups and school programs (for example, donations to Kappa Alpha Psi, teacher appreciation and STEM programs), but the transcript does not record a roll-call tally for those votes beyond the chair's announcement that motions carried.

Commissioners and staff did not debate the underlying merits of the contracts or grants at length during the meeting. Where procedural confusion occurred during the storm-shelter vote, the chair asked staff to record a corrected vote; the transcript records that staff updated a commissioner's vote but does not provide a full roll-call breakdown in the public audio.

The items approved are administrative or project-level steps rather than policy changes: grant applications must still be awarded by external agencies and contracts are subject to vendor compliance and any required state approvals. The commission's routine approvals permit staff to proceed with contracting, budgeting and grant submittals described in the agenda.

Details from the meeting record: the library board appointments and multiple miscellaneous appropriations appear in the agenda under separate items; the transportation and Homeland Security grant applications were approved so county staff can pursue funding; and procurement actions (lease renewal, amendment to the DiffCo Data contract, storm shelter bid award) were authorized to proceed. The transcript does not show additional conditions attached to those approvals.

The commission will publish formal minutes and contract documents with vendor names, scope of work and any future reporting requirements. Staff indicated additional administrative follow-up will appear in upcoming agenda packets.","The Montgomery County Commission approved a series of routine contracts, grant applications, budget changes and appointments during its May meeting, including an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to resurface Wallahatchie Road and a grant application for the county sheriff’s office.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6247658,"Montgomery County names Monica Harris executive director of Community Corrections; HR and legal hires underway",974,1799000,2773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97&start=1799&end=2773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212702-1e7d71318633f97f419e050b9327aa97/thumbnail_1799000.jpg","/articles/6247658/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Montgomery-County-names-Monica-Harris-executive-director-of-Community-Corrections-HR-and-legal-hires-underway","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247658-2e4f5a438351d061a2bde4c195adddc1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110860&Signature=QoN2nYIX0yM~hYndxEW~Pp1igwROlqSnGuPoorOORBvMcZeIAiS72RxFrzNDrqmymWTwZlAxykeeTQBIeJ~uzp3scfRTKW3Nq95Mr-fSpbAee63vSvuKltOvx3sG7Ggw~iRiZF-5zo1P6azorSWIxEwZG32caT~yINzS4harLNgBGRzCIG4w5xJmR-tjrNF2wYEwWKl-gumR~RAVNkbLJCNcoMXcCXCbDSX80~Ke4yRDF2n41TcJwwPYMzfbGKAV~Tas90dzIVcaKaq5yQWrWyMWxWUpcRUFbppLVTPkc68FTvOCF8TwlHCg0OfPtMpKBuftANjPpsbrShb72tmVNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County officials announced that Monica Harris has been promoted to executive director of Montgomery County Community Corrections and that county hiring remains underway for several other senior positions.

\"That person is none other than Miss Monica Harris,\" a speaker for the Montgomery County Community Corrections Authority said as the commission recognized the promotion; the authority's chairwoman said Harris has been serving in the duties of the post for 10 to 11 months and will be the first woman to hold the position.

Monica Harris addressed the commission and thanked family and staff, saying she looks forward to partnering with community leaders and local agencies to \"reduce the recidivism in our offenders and participate and give them the tools to become better citizens in our community.\" She stressed continuity of the program and future initiatives but did not announce specific new programs or budget changes at the meeting.

Separately, county administrative staff updated commissioners on recruitment for key positions. The HR director position had active applications under review, interviews expected the following week and a recommendation forecast for the first week in June. The county's open county-attorney posting was described as circulated widely — including to local judges and the bar — and the public-relations vacancy has closed and awaits a certification list from HR for next steps. County administrators said interim legal work is being handled by outside counsel firms named in the meeting (Ball and Ball; other local counsel) while the county completes a permanent hire.

The commission did not take a formal recorded vote to appoint Harris during the meeting; the announcement was presented by the Community Corrections board and recognized by the commission. County staff said they will bring formal personnel items forward when official hiring actions are required by county policy.","The Montgomery County Community Corrections Authority announced Monica Harris as its promoted executive director and county staff updated commissioners on active recruitment for the HR director, county attorney posting and public-relations vacancy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City official outlines small-business programs and seeks county coordination on housing, retail pilot

Bridge Builders Alabama asks Montgomery County for funding as enrollment in leadership program grows

Montgomery County Commission approves package of contracts, grants and appropriations

Montgomery County names Monica Harris executive director of Community Corrections; HR and legal hires underway