Ward 1
By Barry Wise Smith
Veteran Alabaster City Council member Sophie Martin is the Ward 1 representative for the area that includes Highway 11, Old Highway 31, Weatherly, and Saddle Lake Farms. Last August, Martin was elected to her fourth term as Ward 1 representative—she has served for 13 years. S
Sophie Martin is not one to sit on the sidelines. A former broadcast news reporter, she likes to be in the thick of things. Inspired to run for Alabaster City Council 13 years ago “to make a difference in Ward 1,” Martin has done just that. “Ward 1 has many different needs, so it’s very important to keep that balance of meeting the needs of our residents and enhancing our community.” In her first campaign, Martin ran on increased lighting n Ward 1 and abatement of nuisance abandoned structures that posed health and safety threats to residents. “I’m proud of the fact that those initial platform items were completed in my first term.”
Martin currently serves on the PR and finance committees. She chaired the PR committee for 12 years and is proud that new councilman Jamie Cole is now serving as chair. For Martin, the biggest issues facing Ward 1 are repairing Alabaster Boulevard and adding sidewalks along Highway 11. “Alabaster Boulevard has been patched and repaired over the years, but it’s to a point where the whole road needs to be repaved,” Martin says. “We also have residents who use Highway 11 to walk to work and to do business so we need sidewalks for their safety.”
Points of pride during Martin’s tenure on the Council include the creation of the Alabaster City School System, the new police station currently under construction, and the work being done in Veteran’s Park. She also shepherded the recent renovations to Abbey Wooley Park. The Wooley family donated the land for the park in the early 1970s, and the upgrades include a new playground, new bathrooms, a new quarter-mile walking trail, and more.
Martin also helped launch a 501(c)(3) in conjunction with local churches called Jesus Works/Shelby County Outreach Ministry to help residents in need. People apply for home repairs, and the group helps by installing handicap ramps, painting, repairing roofs, and making other house repairs. “It’s an avenue to help those here in Alabaster and Shelby County who need it,” she says.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Martin started out in television news where she met her husband of 24 years, Rob. They came to Alabama for work, eventually settling in Alabaster. Martin works in corporate communications with a local insurance company, where she has worked for 20 years. “I’m blessed to work for a company that encourages and allows me to serve others,” she says.
Martin and her husband have three daughters, Hope, 22, a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College; Molly, 20, a junior at Troy University; and Katie Jane, 11, a student at Thompson Middle School. Martin is excited to continue her service with an extra year added to her term, keeping her in office until 2025. “I’m honored to have an extra year to accomplish more for Ward 1 residents and our city,” she says.
For a complete round up of Council actions,
visit cityofalabaster.com/506/5570/
Council Meetings will be on
9/13, 9/27, 10/11, & 10/25.
COUNCIL COMMENTS:
“We are excited about a new school year and about this fall’s
events around town. Please make sure Alabaster Jubilee No. 1 is on
your calendar, September 25 at THS! Find more info in this issue,
and at alabasterjubilee.com! And thanks to our new publishers
for their work on this launch issue; we are proud of the
all-new Alabaster Connection!”
-Jamie Cole, Ward 5
“Now that school has started and everyone is back in the
classroom, I want to wish all students, teachers, and
administrators a successful school year! Go Warriors!”
-Rick Ellis, Ward 2
“Greetings! Just a quick update: the following streets are
slated to be repaved in the coming weeks in Ward 4:
- Negate Road
- Berry Hill Lane
- Coral Circle; One side or the other and the intersection”
Greg Farrell, Ward 4
