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WELL, I’LL TELL YOU ABOUT A THIRD OF IT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE SPENT ON A CRUCIAL SEWER UPGRADE. CITY COUNCILORS WERE TOLD AT A WORK SESSION HERE AT CITY HALL LAST NIGHT. THE REST OF IT WILL BE PLACED IN SORT OF A SAVINGS ACCOUNT. SPECIAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR THIS PROPOSED FUTURE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. BUT SUPPORTERS OF THAT PROJECT FEAR THAT THIS IS A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR THAT PROJECT THAT’S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. FOR YEARS, HOOVER RESIDENT TRACY DISMUKES AND HER FAMILY HAVE DRIVEN HALF AN HOUR TO SEE SHOWS AT THE BJCC. THAT’S WHY SHE AND OTHERS FEEL ALABAMA’S SIXTH LARGEST CITY DESERVES ITS OWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. WE GO AND WE SPEND MONEY ON RESTAURANTS THERE. WE PAY TO PARK. WE PAY FOR THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE, AND THAT MONEY SHOULD BE IN HOOVER. WHY NOT? THEN IN 2023, THE CITY ANNOUNCED A $93 MILLION BOND DEAL, 61 MILLION FOR A NEW EXIT, NINE OFF I-459. 15 MILLION IN, HOOVER MADE IMPROVEMENTS AND $17 MILLION TO BUILD A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. HOW HOPEFUL WERE YOU? OH, ECSTATIC. WE CHEERED. WE’RE LIKE, IT’S FINALLY GOING TO HAPPEN. WORK ON EXIT NINE KICKS OFF LATER THIS YEAR. HOOVER MED UPGRADES ARE IN FULL SWING, BUT THERE ARE STILL NO CONCRETE PLANS FOR THE PACK. NOW THE CITY IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME. IF THEY DON’T SPEND THAT $17 MILLION BY NEXT MARCH, HOOVER COULD FACE SOME SERIOUS FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES. THE IRS CAN COME BACK AND DECLARE THOSE AS HEDGE BONDS, WHICH THEN TRIGGERS THE TAXABLE ELEMENT TO THAT WHICH MAKES BONDHOLDERS AND THE MARKET VERY UNHAPPY AND WOULD NOT BE A RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION. SO AT A COUNCIL WORK SESSION LAST NIGHT, HOOVER CFO PITCHED THIS ALTERNATIVE SPEND THE $17 MILLION TIME SENSITIVE BOND CASH ON OTHER SHOVEL READY OR COMPLETE CAPITAL PROJECTS. THEN TAKE 17 MILLION FROM THE CITY’S CAPITAL FUNDS AND SPEND ABOUT A THIRD ON CRUCIAL SEWER UPGRADES AND PUT ALMOST 11 MILLION IN A SPECIAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FUND. BUT DISMUKES FEARS THAT MOVE PUTS HER DREAM FURTHER FROM REALITY. IT’S GOING TO TAKE 40 TO $50 MILLION TO BUILD A FACILITY THAT OUR CITY WOULD BE PROUD OF. AND NOW WE’RE. I FEEL LIKE WE’RE JUST STARTING OVER. NOW THE BOND FUNDING CHANGES WILL ACTUALLY BE UP FOR A VOTE BY THE FULL CITY COUNCIL AT THEIR MEETING HERE AT CITY HALL ON MONDAY AT 6:00. AND DISMUKES IS ENCOURAGING ALL. PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SUPPORTERS TO BE HERE TO MAKE SURE THEIR VOI