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THINK IT MEANS. HOOVER RESIDENTS VOICING CONCERNS LAST NIGHT AT CITY COUNCIL ABOUT A PROJECT THAT’S BEEN DISCUSSED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, HOOVER IS DIPPING INTO RESERVE FUNDS TO PAY FOR A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. THE CITY COUNCIL MADE THE CHANGE TO ITS RAINY DAY FUND RULES LAST NIGHT. �������� 13 S JON PAEPCKE EXPLAINS HOW THE CITY GOT HERE AND WHAT’S NEXT. SINCE AROUND 2010, HOOVER HAS TOSSED AROUND THE IDEA OF BUILDING ITS OWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. THE TOPIC HAS BEEN UP FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, SO THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, BUT WE’RE STILL WAITING. THEN TWO WEEKS AGO, HOOVER CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO DIVERT $6 MILLION FROM A PACKED SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO PAY FOR CRUCIAL SEWER UPGRADES. SOME COUNCILORS WANTED TO PULL MONEY FROM RESERVES, BUT THAT WOULD DROP HOOVER BELOW ITS REQUIRED SIX MONTH OPERATING EXPENSES THRESHOLD. SOME OF US FELT THAT SIX MONTHS MAY BE TOO CONSERVATIVE, AND THERE ARE FUNDS THERE THAT COULD BE BENEFITING OUR CITY AND OUR CITIZENS, RATHER THAN SITTING IN A RESERVE FUND. SO LAST NIGHT, THE COUNCIL LOWERED THE RESERVE BOTTOM LINE TO FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS, FREEING UP THE CASH TO FILL THE $6 MILLION FUNDING GAP. TRACIE TRUE DISMUKES WAS THERE. WE JUST LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS ONCE IT’S FUNDED. WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP? ONE OF THE NEXT STEPS IS PICKING THE BEST SPOT FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. CITY COUNCILOR CASEY MIDDLEBROOK SAYS HOOVER’S NEW 200,000 GALLERIA FEASIBILITY STUDY MIGHT SHED SOME LIGHT. THAT MAY LEAD US TO A PATH OF OF IDENTIFYING A, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATE SPOT FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. THE GALLERIA AND PAYTON CREEK’S FORMER BUYBUY BABY STORE HAVE BEEN PITCHED AS POSSIBILITIES BEFORE. DISMUKES DOES NOT DISAGREE THAT THOSE AREAS NEED A REFRESH OR REBOOT AND DELIVER AN ARTS MECCA. MANY IN HOOVER HAVE DREAMED OF FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. NOW, WHEN YOU ADD IN THAT $6 MILLION TRANSFER, THE PACK FUND NOW HAS $17 MILLION IN IT. THAT’S STILL LESS THA