Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting - January 14, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting - January 14, 2025
The Birmingham City Council held its regular meeting on January 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The pre-council meeting scheduled for 9:00 a.m. was not held due to a lack of a quorum. The meeting began with an invocation by Rev. Doug Taylor, the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President O'Quinn, and a unanimous resolution honoring the life of James Rodger Alexander. The Council then considered a large consent agenda and introduced and adopted several significant ordinances, including measures for local hiring preferences, a restated moratorium on automated car washes, and emergency contracts for landfill repairs. Public comments were limited. The meeting recessed at 11:58 a.m. and reconvened at 1:30 p.m. to address emergency items and announcements, adjourning at 1:51 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Adoption of Resolution No. 19-25 honoring James Rodger Alexander (unanimous).
- Approval of Consent Agenda items (Resolutions No. 20-25 through 75-25) comprising:
- Nuisance abatement and lien assessments for 60+ properties (Resolution Nos. 20-25 and 21-25).
- Demolition orders for 30+ unsafe structures (Resolution Nos. 29-25 through 72-25).
- Agreements and funding: Ballard House Project Inc. ($5,000 from District 8 discretionary funds), Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham ($4,500 from District 2 funds), Avenue V Entertainment dba Epic Center Birmingham ($15,000 RISE incentive for job creation), Community Affairs Committee for 2025 MLK Unity Breakfast (expected 1,000 attendees), Survey Monkey software agreement amendment ($29,998 for two years), Nadyne G. Johnson Foundation film camp amendment ($5,000 from five districts), Penny Foundation ($50,000 for District 4 community initiatives), and expense accounts for city employees and officials.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Reverend McClure invited the Council to the premiere of "Both Eyes Open" opening in local theaters.
- Douglas Young, 1640 Roberts Street, appeared before the Council seeking support (details not specified).
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 25-2 (Project Safe Streets: East Lake): Authorized indefinite continuation of 19 road closures in the East Lake area to reduce crime and gun violence. The Council heard from the Mayor, Interim Police Chief, and Transportation Director citing significant benefits. Adopted 8-0.
- Ordinance 25-3 (Priority Hire for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law): Established local hiring preferences for covered projects over $3 million: at least 30% of labor hours by local workers (Birmingham-Hoover MSA residents) and 15% by registered apprentices. Includes good faith efforts and compliance reporting. Adopted unanimously on first reading.
- Ordinance 25-4 (Keep Birmingham Beautiful Commission): Amended appointment and term provisions for the 15-member commission, including initial staggered terms (one, two, and three years) starting January 21, 2025. Adopted unanimously.
- Ordinance 25-5 (R.I.S.E. Program Repeal and Replacement): Repealed Ordinance 22-40 and replaced with an updated program for short-term loans or direct cash incentives to businesses creating or retaining at least five full-time jobs. Funding from 7% of net proceeds from surplus property sales (max loan/incentive $500,000; total outstanding capped at $2.5 million). Previous incentives ratified. Adopted unanimously.
- Ordinance 25-6 (Restated Moratorium on Automated Car Washes): Imposed a 120-day moratorium (with possible 90-day extension) on new or expanded automated car wash facilities in most zoning districts, except B5, M1, M2, M3, I1, I2, I3, to allow study of zoning regulations. Adopted 7-0.
- Emergency Contracts for Eastern Area Landfill (Resolutions 77-25A and 78-25A): Two emergency contracts with SCS Field Services: (1) $30,061 for replacement of corroded leachate valves in existing cell; (2) $7,800 for capping and abandoning a stormwater pipe in the new cell to prevent leachate discharge. Both contracts declared emergencies under §39-2-2(e) Code of Alabama. Item 63 initially cited an incorrect code section; corrected during discussion. Approved 5-0.
- Resolution 76-25 (CSX Railroad Corridor Amendment): Approved First Amendment to Purchase Sale Agreement for Valley Creek Rails-to-Trail project, extending the deadline for survey and metes and bounds description from 30 to 40 days and updating CSX’s address. Purchase price remains $1,100,000. Adopted 7-0.
Key Outcomes
- All consent agenda items approved unanimously (7-0 with Councilmembers Williams and Woods arriving later).
- Five ordinances adopted on first reading: Project Safe Streets (8-0), Priority Hire (7-0), Keep Birmingham Beautiful (8-0), R.I.S.E. Program (8-0), Car Wash Moratorium (7-0).
- Two emergency contracts for landfill repairs approved (5-0 in afternoon session).
- CSX railroad corridor amendment adopted (7-0).
- The meeting recessed at 11:58 a.m. and reconvened at 1:30 p.m. to complete remaining items.
Meeting Transcript
Trying to block it out. However long you like. Somebody has a new spot. But you should consider getting a security system. I just heard it's all myself just very called. I got one thirty. All right, it's one thirty. Uh we are going to call this the council meeting uh back into order. So we'll reconvene. Ms. Clerk, could you please read the role? Council Member Abbott. Council Member Clark. Present. Council Member Moore. Council Member Smithman. Councilmember Tate. Council Member Williams. Council Member Woods. Council Pro Team Alexander? Council President O'Cord. Present. All right. Um, so taking up where we left off, uh we will take up item sixty. Item sixty. Item sixty. Wow. A resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an emergency contract with SCS field services to provide repairs at each area land field in accordance with the emergency provisions of section 41-16-53 code of Alabama. The circumstances giving rise to the need for emergency repairs are likely to cause harm to an individual if leaking is allowed to continue to accumulate in the eastern area land field and repairs are necessary without an undue delay to mitigate any potential harm. Two vendors uh work contacted for price quote quotations. Motion, please. A resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an emergency contract with SCS field services to perform work on abandoning the 24 uh inch HDPE storm water drainage pipe and the 24-inch pipe inside manhole to the uh let's it drainage system at the eastern area landfill in accordance with the emergency provisions of section 32-2-2E of the coat of Alabama. The circumstances giving rise to the need for the emergency repairs are likely to cause harm to an individual if leaking is allowed to continue to accumulate the east and area landfill and repairs are necessary without under delay to mitigate any potential harm. The total rate the city should pay shall not exceed $7,800 under the terms of the agreement. Uh three vendors were contacted for the price quotation, the price estimates were obtained from one vendor SCS field services with the lowest price, and so a motion on both items because I uh second so counselor Abbott and O'Quen. Okay, items over for you. Counselor Abbott. Yeah, I have some questions about this one. Okay, item 60, the emergency provisions are of section 41-16-53 Code of Alabama, and in 63, it's the emergency provisions of 32-2-2 code of Alabama. And then this one, the first one, 60,000. Item 60 says it shouldn't exceed 30,000, but then in item 63, we're giving them more money. So can somebody explain what we're doing? Yes, Mr. President. Chief Metchel. Yeah, I do my best, and then Ms. Denise Bell is outside. Um, as we were opening up our new cell at New East Area Landfill, they found out a a pipe, a new storm line need to be installed in order to do most of the the drainage that is required by ADM. So what's before the council is the actual uh capping and installation of a drainage system at our Easter area landfield. Okay, but why do we have two different items with two different code sections?
openpublica.com