Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting – November 5, 2024

The Birmingham City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The pre-council meeting scheduled for 9:00 a.m. was not held due to a lack of a quorum. The regular meeting opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by roll call, with all nine council members present (Councilmember Moore arrived after the consent vote). Mayor Randall L. Woodfin encouraged citizens to vote and announced that city offices (except police, fire, and 911) would close at noon to allow employees to vote, and that city offices would be closed on Monday, November 11, 2024, for Veterans Day. The meeting concluded at 10:11 a.m.

Consent Calendar

• All 21 consent agenda items (Ordinances 24-91, 24-92, 24-93 and Resolutions 1732-24 through 1749-24) were approved unanimously by a single motion. The consent agenda included:

  • Amendments to the Donation Fund, Neighborhood Allocation Fund, and General Fund budgets (including $4,500,000 for Carraway infrastructure debt service, $50,240.44 for Huffman Roebuck Park, and $250 for block watch signs).
  • Interlocal agreement with Homewood for drainage repairs on Green Springs Highway ($30,000).
  • Housing rehabilitation program for District 6 with HouseProud Atlanta Inc. ($125,000).
  • Huffman Ball Park Improvement Project ($1,050,240.44, rescinding prior resolution).
  • Fire policy subscription services from Lexipol, LLC ($31,150.23).
  • $1,000,000 forgivable loan to YMCA for Habitat Village at Northeast YMCA (renovation of YMCA, 22 Habitat homes, health center, etc.).
  • Agreements with Birmingham Board of Education ($7,600 for Carver High School), Birmingham Botanical Society ($5,000), and Birmingham Zoo ($5,000 for STEM programming).
  • Christmas decorations for Central Pratt Neighborhood ($2,250).
  • Settlement of City of Birmingham v. Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.
  • Bid awards: Oxmoor Park Renovations to Sherrod Construction ($180,200), janitorial supplies to Budget Janitorial Supply, two Kenworth dump trucks to Ingram Equipment ($876,210), and lease of storage building for Museum of Art.
  • Refunds ($4,212.82) and expense/advance accounts for officials and employees.

• Councilmember Abbott asked about item 17 (the dump trucks) and was informed they are for the Equipment Management Department; she did not request removal.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Grace Myers (2021 10th Avenue South, District 6) spoke for the first time publicly, promoting peace, unity, and cooperation on Election Day. She recited portions of "America the Beautiful" and urged Americans to work together regardless of the election outcome.
• William R. Muhammad (411 Lorain Street) criticized the Birmingham Water Works Board for holding a public hearing that did not allow the public to ask questions or receive answers. He argued that the board’s capital budget increased from $83 million to $100 million despite declining water consumption, and questioned the efficiency of $10 million allocated for AMI (automatic meter infrastructure) meters, estimating that $500 per meter would cover only 20,000 meters out of 300,000–400,000 customers. He urged the council to appoint board members who will be vigilant and hold the waterworks accountable.

Discussion Items

• No items were removed from the consent agenda for separate discussion. The only non-consent item was a resolution of sympathy for Mr. Allen Crawford, introduced by Councilmember Woods and adopted unanimously.
• Councilmember Moore made a brief statement apologizing for an incident that occurred the prior weekend, taking responsibility and accountability, and asking for forgiveness from colleagues, family, and the city. Councilmember Woods expressed support for Moore.

Key Outcomes

• All 21 consent agenda items were approved unanimously (8-0, with Councilmember Moore arriving after the vote).
• Resolution of sympathy for Mr. Allen Crawford (Resolution 1750-24) was adopted unanimously.
• The meeting adjourned at 10:11 a.m.
• Mayor Woodfin’s announcements: City offices close at noon on Election Day; Veterans Day observed Monday, November 11; trash collection schedule adjusted accordingly.