Montgomery says it will seek to recoup $36.6 million Reconnected Communities grant and pursue public‑private partnerships

Unidentified Speaker told the council that a $36,600,000 Reconnected Communities grant that had been allocated for a voting rights trail was negated and that federal contacts at the U.S. Conference of Mayors are "very, very, enthusiastic" about helping Montgomery recoup the funds by reapplying with adjustments.

The speaker said the grant funds were intended for a voting rights trail running from Mobile Highway and Selma Highway through Oak Street in Fairview, and framed the effort as part of a broader push to bring investment into West Montgomery, which the speaker described as having substantial infrastructure needs and limited past investment.

Unidentified Speaker said the city has secured about $50,000,000 in infrastructure grants in recent years and that officials from the Department of Transportation and other federal administrators have offered guidance on alternative approaches to the grant application process. "They wanna help us recoup that money," the speaker said.

The session also included input from Rodney Moss of Hunt Companies, who, according to the transcript, offered to work with the city on public‑private partnership opportunities and said Alabama's public‑private procurement laws make the state less attractive to private capital. The transcript records Moss's assessment that the state currently has among the weakest procurement frameworks for P3 work, and the city speaker said the city attorney and state leaders would be engaged to consider legal changes.

City officials signaled next steps including follow‑up meetings and a Zoom call with staff (named in the transcript as Mia Bridal, Eddie Compton and Betty Beeville) to refine the grant approach and coordinate with the congressional delegation and state government relations teams. No formal motion or vote on the grant recovery strategy was recorded in the transcript.

If the city succeeds in reapplying or securing statutory changes, officials said projects such as the voting rights trail, Riverwalk improvements, airport investment and an intermodal facility could become more viable by matching private dollars with public offerings. The timeline for any recoupment or statutory change was not specified in the session.