By Barry Wise Smith
In 2016, Rick Ellis, a 20-year resident of Alabaster, was inspired by his family to run for the Ward 2 seat on the Alabaster City Council and won. Alabaster Connection chatted with Councilor Ellis about his plans and what he would like to accomplish in this term.
Alabaster Connection: How long have you served Ward 2? And what inspired you to run for the seat?
Rick Ellis: I have served since 2016. My family inspired me to run after Bob Hicks, my predecessor, announced that he was not going to run for another term. I spoke with Bob and others, and after talking with my family and more than a few prayers, I decided that it would be a good opportunity for me to serve the community that my wife grew up in and the community that my kids are growing up in as well.
AC: How long have you lived in Alabaster, and where in the city do you live?
RE: I have lived in Alabaster since June 2001 in Meadowlark off of County Road 95.
AC: On which committees do you serve or chair?
RE: I serve on the Parks and Rec committee, Finance Committee, and Public Works Committee. I chair the Finance Committee and the Public Works Committee. I am also a member of the Alabaster Water Board.
AC: What are the biggest issues facing Ward 2 and the city as a whole?
RE: I think we need more family friendly activities in Ward 2. We have parks in the city, but most of them are across town. With the development of Patriot Park, we will have a park in walking distance to many of residents in the area. As far as the city as a whole, the biggest issue that we face is traffic. Hopefully, it won’t be long until we begin to see progress on Highway 119. I would like to see more economic development as well with more restaurants and activities for our youth and families in Alabaster.
AC: What have you or the Council accomplished during your term that you are especially proud of?
RE: The first thing is the new police station that is being built. That was one of the things that I ran on. I really believed we needed to get the Alabaster Police Department moved to a newer, better location, and that will happen, hopefully after the first of the year. We have completed other projects (or are in progress) that I am proud of, like the purchase of the soon-to-be Patriot Park and the field expansion at Veterans Park. We have a lot of things in the works, and I look forward to seeing those things come to completion.
AC: What is your day job?
RE: I work as the CFO for a non-profit child development organization in Homewood.
AC: Tell me about your family.
RE: My wife Kristy is a life-long Alabaster resident and a first-grader teacher at Creekview Elementary School. I have two daughters, Nora and Allie. Both of my daughters are softball players so we spend a lot of time at ballparks watching them play.
For a complete roundup of Council actions and meeting minutes, visit alabasterconnection.net/councilmeetings.
Council meetings will be on 11/8, 11/22, 12/13 & 12/27 at 7 p.m.
Council Comments:
If you or someone you know is living on a fixed income, customers of Alabaster Water can apply for a reduced water and sewer bill, as well as exemption from paying garbage service. Customers can complete the application online at Alabasterwater.com or print off a copy and bring it to the main office. Applications are being accepted through December 31st. For questions, please call 205.663.6155. Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday season!
Sophie Martin
Ward 1
Working with Shelby County, we created a right turn lane from northbound CR17 onto 1st Ave. (CR44) by Fox Valley. This will help with traffic flow, especially in the morning.
Stacy RakestrawWard 3
HUGE thanks to the volunteers and city employees—APD, AFD, Parks and Rec, Public Works and more—who helped make Alabaster Jubilee No. 1 a success! We hope this means support for more events like this in the future. Meanwhile, keep watching for more infrastructure upgrades in Ward 5 and around Alabaster; short-term and long-term plans are available for public perusal in our “Budget Book” at alabasterconnection.net/budgetbook.
Jamie Cole
Ward 5