Business View Magazine | April 2020

188 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 Stadium, and the Montgomery Zoo. Before implementing the program, the City spent approximately $3 million in utility costs at buildings targeted by the program, each year. The energy conservation program is projected to save $2.9 million in five years and should cut expected energy costs by more than 20 percent. “We’re working smarter, not harder, and doing more with less, thanks to technology to better serve our residents and create new opportunities for economic development,” states Public Relations Specialist, Griffith Waller. “The city just won an award for urban infrastructure and digital transformation called the Smart 50 Award from U.S. Ignite of the Smart Cities Connect organization. The two programs that we entered were two of our Smart City programs. One was called Star Watch, where the Montgomery Police Department instituted a new police community technology initiative built around a real-time crime center comprised of camera feeds across the city. The feeds are voluntarily shared by residents and businesses with the MPD so that we can have a safer community and create a force-multiplier effect for our MPD staff. “Another thing this award recognized was the rollout of LED lighting systems. We worked with Alabama Power Company to upgrade more than 22,000 street lights in Montgomery from the mercury vapor, metal halide, and high pressure sodium bulbs to new energy-efficient LED systems at no cost to the taxpayers. We anticipate saving at least $600,000 in energy costs in the next five years. The most important thing about this is that we’re cultivating a climate where businesses can succeed, residents are happy, and we have a high quality of life for Montgomery.” PREFERRED VENDOR n Chambless King Architects www.chamblessking.com