At their first regularly scheduled meeting, the Hoover City Council, Mayor Nick Derzis and Charlie Waldrop, the city attorney, emphasized the city's renewed dedication to transparency. The tension and frustration that had marked the past year and a half were gone; in their place, a lighter tone and smiles all around.

"Before I start, I'd like to just comment to the council, I certainly look forward to working with you and to the outstanding things that we can accomplish together as a team," Derzis said at the start of the meeting.

Under the new rules, a public comment section has been added to the beginning of each meeting, allowing residents to speak on non-agenda items. Notably, it wasn't just a speaker talking to city leaders; he was talking with them. Replacing the blank stares of th

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