[{"_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",6164939,"mediaKeyId","5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9","parentId",5426549,"title","Montgomery planning director Robert Smith to retire July 31 after more than two decades","audioSeconds",123,"startMs",651120,"endMs",774360,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9&start=651&end=774","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9/thumbnail_651120.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6164939/Montgomery-City/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Montgomery-planning-director-Robert-Smith-to-retire-July-31-after-more-than-two-decades","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164939-8712585f33ba65d91912f02edddbb2d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054036&Signature=G75OhmhZkcEKGNPtJsmvArreVAO3BD7ZT1SuQV4-d7iOe0OMcO3LQ26Sm-DI5L6VP5aG3tpKUB2S7sCZ4KKZMDdBsvNJf4PFpKANpM2HlM6UWnp4LldF2xYUCVCZagPalYZdWjhjwkQMt5o3ozy7H9ehWonARVzhcP62cGaLUdu2~u6wlC7taQkogrosg42cl2XmsZPesBVnO6lBY~Jw7u9O7Rv055bpjgdpafdIqtBzapE8~I35bPl4T29Cco0mOYFSCiA49RePYpli~lJWIVmKgFgrJppxUcI87QU5qPyUlg9dELiP6lIW~0bYDaYXp60y37nTOW8EZG~dh~Py4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery City, AL","date","2025-07-18T20:01:23.13Z","article","Robert Smith, director of planning for the City of Montgomery, announced his retirement effective July 31, 2025, and addressed the council as part of the mayor's message. \"It will have been 23 years and 3 months, on July 31,\" Smith said, thanking colleagues and recalling his start at age 27. \"It's been the opportunity of my life to work in Alabama's capital city.\"

Mayor Reed recognized Smith's contributions during the administration's push to update zoning and planning codes for the first time since the 1960s. The mayor said Smith had served \"more than 21 years serving the city of Montgomery\" and cited his leadership on the downtown master plan and the city's first comprehensive plan in 60 years.

Smith noted his specific roles in implementing the downtown master plan and the comprehensive plan, and he thanked staff and partners. The mayor invited Smith to come forward for a photo and brief remarks; Smith addressed the council and expressed gratitude to staff and leadership.

The announcement was a personnel recognition; no council action on appointments, replacements or transitions was recorded in the transcript. The mayor and Smith both emphasized continued implementation of the city's planning work as Smith departs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mayor's Message (7/15/25)","oneSentenceSummary","Planning Director Robert Smith announced he will retire effective July 31, 2025. Both Smith and Mayor Reed highlighted Smith's long tenure and his role in the city's first comprehensive plan in 60 years and an update to zoning and planning codes.","taxTitle","Montgomery City, Montgomery County, Alabama","taxId",3930,"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},6164944,"Montgomery seeks public input on first climate action plan and updates bicycle-pedestrian plan amid heat and pedestrian fatalities",77,409850,486860,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9&start=409&end=486","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9/thumbnail_409850.jpg","/articles/6164944/Montgomery-City/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Montgomery-seeks-public-input-on-first-climate-action-plan-and-updates-bicycle-pedestrian-plan-amid-heat-and-pedestrian-fatalities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164944-2650339a1b743b7acaba538d3f606cd3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054036&Signature=cY-Y-L-lDPgJRsmEBI5RvjMhICZ-9YgwcTnkxA86VunVvWH33Dil2WGNGfRIXAXhYbaWIKHbW33V9fDUAdxwUj4aGOzLyx3KvMmCdiYOYknxkrCHpYbnnayz1YMW83YupTV3apG~PS-hxZkFvNEB3E91z25T-Af~Kz~cvrwqgBooxe29Txo5YwMlXppO9ZL49KEi9RH~tf1GddtIsBwdKYxqFaiyg8UIsFkQgPO9M9IpKFikKB3zAiNrP1XxCiEYtcHHF2~dVYsROPrDLZ0jvTBNiZxrwTBdVeY0Fx61X51a9d1Tt2FifZKRs049i4bLcTPidTxo7B8qReYGPg5png__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Reed told the council the city will hold a virtual public meeting at 5 p.m. July 17 to present a framework for Montgomery's first climate action plan and to gather community feedback. \"This plan will target key areas like energy, transportation, land use, and waste management,\" the mayor said.

The mayor said a citywide survey will follow the meeting to guide priorities and implementation; he asked council members and residents to promote the effort and said Neighborhood Services would help with outreach. The mayor also urged public comment for updates to the Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization's bicycle and pedestrian plan and said the online survey for that plan will remain open through July 30, 2025.

Framing the outreach as urgent, Reed cited extreme heat and pedestrian safety. \"In 1990, we had 7 days over 97 degrees. Now we're facing more than 50 of those days this summer,\" he said, and added that the city had another pedestrian fatality in the last week and a half, which he counted as about 20 in the recent past. He called for cooling options, hydration, and neighbors to check on elderly residents.

Reed said the planned zoning and planning code updates—underway for the first time since the 1960s—will address signage, crosswalks, speed limits, islands and roundabouts to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety. He asked residents to share neighborhood-specific concerns via the survey so the city can reflect daily experiences in infrastructure investments.

The announcements were presented as requests for public participation; no new ordinances or formal council votes on the climate plan or bicycle-pedestrian plan updates were recorded in the transcript.","Mayor Reed announced a virtual public meeting on July 17 for the city's first climate action plan, urged residents to complete a citywide survey, and requested feedback on updates to the bicycle and pedestrian plan; he also highlighted extreme heat risks and recent pedestrian fatalities.",{"_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},6164949,"Montgomery presents citation to Special Operations Division for MAX collaboration and seizures",114,1197930,1312800,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9&start=1197&end=1312","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9/thumbnail_1197930.jpg","/articles/6164949/Montgomery-City/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Montgomery-presents-citation-to-Special-Operations-Division-for-MAX-collaboration-and-seizures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164949-86497109125c436d1234ffac6ee7fa43/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054036&Signature=c4oGxJVljIN1rUl3ETS-sHhNblW55U4nR1m9mcs63VQNc2PzdY6K1Lraj~68jh1scktq9lITQo3LIUcD6T-ZNPIW8gCsx3PpALrj7y82rmvx2ROmU6AnSXfRf7lFvm9-YPwW2DRaxZBNfh5WAhRZvQIxz56353J2cKR0tXjff4nO3QrhaxFhIOtOLmt~PLdOW3FmqMyLQhUMiZzHmSH25UnbTNMgIwYgn1hBLkDAIDZ~8tpDlcyOgtWhvthb2W1LJyuTKJkoIR99ywuHiVfTXxBgthCSZs3HUjNY2uZ2iJ9ouJCxEcqVk9rdRZaLz5lsJx6aFxM3Id2Jo9wMuG-xAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Reed and Montgomery Police Department leaders recognized the Special Operations Division with a unit citation for its participation in the Montgomery Area Crime Suppression Team, known as MAX. \"Their collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, including ATF, DEA, and ALEA, reflects the professionalism and coordination that define Montgomery's public safety strategy,\" Mayor Reed said.

Chief Brayboys (Montgomery Police Department) described the unit's role and urged public recognition. \"Special operations members have been heavily participating within MAX since the start of the program in Montgomery,\" the chief said. He read a recommendation that documented the unit's operational workload and partnerships with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the United States Marshals Task Force, the FBI, the ATF and the DEA.

During the mayor's remarks, Reed cited the team's recent results as 437 felony warrant arrests, the seizure of over 54,000 grams of illegal drugs, and recovery of 117 firearms. The chief later provided additional aggregate figures drawn from departmental compilations: \"We have over a 188 subjects arrested, over 844 felony arrest warrants, over 290 misdemeanor arrest warrants,\" he said, and described assistance provided to other agencies.

The chief recommended the Special Operations Division be awarded a unit citation; names of members who came forward for recognition were read aloud, including Captain George Russell and a roster of corporals and officers. The citation was presented as recognition; the transcript records no formal council vote on the award. Some members were noted as unable to attend because of other assignments.

Officials credited the unit's joint operations with multiple federal and state partners and described the work as continuing alongside the officers' regular duties.","Mayor Reed and Montgomery police leaders presented a unit citation to the Special Operations Division for its role in the Montgomery Area Crime Suppression Team (MAX), citing multiagency cooperation and drug and firearm seizures; chiefs gave differing operational tallies during remarks.",{"_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},6164954,"Montgomery marks opening of Magnolia Trace senior apartments funded partly by city",91,56770,147930,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9&start=56&end=147","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5426549-37f1d4af16d7ffe4464ce729bd7436f9/thumbnail_56770.jpg","/articles/6164954/Montgomery-City/Montgomery-County/Alabama/Montgomery-marks-opening-of-Magnolia-Trace-senior-apartments-funded-partly-by-city","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164954-fecae7f9601d68e95cb2443293cac1cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054036&Signature=gnrcm8oyulZsHbZb6nlD7iAHhAISZfEjdlPpaVqV4Y6dzw8G2xtA8ddctGtgl-mwevuhP7yTe8iMHbxg6h~bytP6sJw8STYSnm~fiJzJSvBBlSWqJK7rvCyeGliLyl9es6LEa14HR7O9tF-r02IDRyeXi-zLviFpmlOQE6DQI4ZsTbtSIkSK5faSTHATVallJfiRfIaceZHQ1agcYsydflGO6k9LqTaxTysWdxCH6x3YYy2cUaQxGcxWDAiT70I3LNWGl2rGUP6SKuCP7snveTSyb8pJUvYAr3LjzVSLrsWMhjkR8tloiVf1m-qO0IR6oSslLLLrnAfp66Y62IG-4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Reed announced the city helped finance and celebrated the ribbon-cutting for Magnolia Trace Apartments, a 56-unit affordable housing development for Montgomery residents 55 and older. \"Today, we cut the ribbon on the new Magnolia Trace Apartments,\" the mayor said during his message to the council.

The project, located in East Montgomery, offers a clubhouse, covered picnic tables, a fitness center and a gazebo and is intended as an affordable option for older residents. \"It's a celebration of dignity, security, and community for Montgomery seniors,\" the mayor said.

The mayor said the city provided a $721,000 home investment that \"leveraged over $14,000,000 in additional funding.\" He credited Alethea House's leadership for the development and named the Alabama Housing Finance Authority and private developers, including Louder New Homes, as partners in similar projects across the city. \"This brought about creation over 60 jobs, generated $5,500,000 in local income,\" he said.

Mayor Reed framed the opening as part of the administration's affordable-housing priorities and said similar mixed-scale projects will appear across the city so residents cannot easily distinguish market-rate from subsidized units by appearance. The mayor did not identify any council votes or formal funding approvals taken at the meeting; his remarks were an announcement and recognition of the project.

The city did not provide additional contract documents, grant agreements, or a detailed funding breakdown at the meeting. For more information about Magnolia Trace and the sources of leveraged funds, the mayor encouraged residents to follow city communications and partner announcements.","Mayor Reed announced the ribbon-cutting for Magnolia Trace Apartments, a 56-unit affordable housing development for residents 55 and older, and said the city provided a $721,000 investment that helped leverage more than $14 million in additional funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Montgomery planning director Robert Smith to retire July 31 after more than two decades

Montgomery seeks public input on first climate action plan and updates bicycle-pedestrian plan amid heat and pedestrian fatalities

Montgomery presents citation to Special Operations Division for MAX collaboration and seizures

Montgomery marks opening of Magnolia Trace senior apartments funded partly by city