Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting – March 25, 2025

The Birmingham City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 9:30 AM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting began with an invocation by Rev. Kerry Thomas and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President Darrell O’Quinn. The council approved a large consent agenda, discussed several items removed from consent, and heard presentations from community organizations. All votes were unanimous (8–0) unless noted.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from December 23 and 31, 2024.
• Approved nuisances abatement resolutions for 77 properties (Items 2 and 3) and removal of four inoperable motor vehicles (Items 4–7).
• Approved a budget amendment transferring $3,252.36 from the General Fund to the Grant Match Fund for the R.I.S.E. Program (Item 9).
• Authorized a $3,000 agreement with Cancer Awareness Network for Children, Inc. for community health forums (Item 11).
• Accepted donation of child-friendly trauma kits from Equilibrium Up & Associates and Playtime Edventures (Item 12).
• Adopted a resolution supporting the federal tax exemption of municipal bonds (Item 13).
• Appointed Council President O’Quinn as voting delegate to the Alabama League of Municipalities convention (May 13–16, 2025), with Councilor Alexander and Councilor Smitherman as alternates (Item 14, added to consent).
• Accepted $20,000 in civil costs from Steele Valley Brook, LLC for neighborhood revitalization (Item 15).
• Authorized three lawsuit settlements: Liketa Watkins ($45,000), Ruhanijot Kaur Cheema ($40,000), and Rainessia Sipp ($20,000) (Items 16–18).
• Issued condemnation repair permits to six property owners (Items 19–23).
• Approved contracts: C.P. Construction for ADA improvements ($91,674), Advanced Roofing Solutions for Highland Park Pro Shop roof repair ($5,820), Sherrod Construction for Police North Precinct door replacement ($25,933), Tecta America for MLK Recreation Center repairs ($2,750), and Southern Overhead Door for Birmingham Safety Center door replacement ($10,994) (Items 24–28).
• Approved bids for medical oxygen (Airgas USA), work boots (Cintas), uniforms (Municipal and Commercial Uniform), safety items (Pye-Barker Fire & Safety), traffic control products (TAPCO), MRO supplies (W.W. Grainger), and various other purchases including 20 Toyota Camry hybrids ($574,970.20), Motorola radios ($276,034), and training rifles ($24,874.94) (Items 29–42).
• Authorized three refunds totaling $34,961.79 (Item 43) and approved expense accounts for officials and employees (Items 44–48).

Presentations

• Toastmasters International: Dr. Glover, Tanya Wallace, and Evan Hudson promoted the benefits of public speaking clubs, noting 270,000 members worldwide and local clubs available in Birmingham.
• Magic City Fashion Week: Daniel Greer and designer Kenya B. requested $100,000 in city support to hire two part-time employees for year eight of the event, which includes workshops, HIV awareness, and youth mentoring. Councilors expressed support and noted the economic impact of the creative community.
• Ramsey High School Girls Basketball Team: Coach Robert Wilson and players were recognized as 5A State Runner-Ups. Principal Dr. Russell Walker thanked the council for support, including blue lights installed for the championship game.

Discussion Items

• Item 8 – Right-of-Way Vacation (MD4, LLC): A public hearing was held. Subdivision Planner Roger Lowe explained the vacation of 3,932 square feet of unopened right-of-way to allow the owner to consolidate parcels. The fee was set at $1,612.12. The council approved unanimously.
• Item 10 – Gateway Beautification Intergovernmental Agreement: Councilor Moore asked for details. Chief of Staff Chaz Mitchell explained this is a three-year renewal with Jefferson County (total not to exceed $1,171,300, spread over three years) for maintaining interstate on/off ramps. Councilor Clark noted concerns about vegetation removal near College Hills but acknowledged the overall benefit. Councilor Williams praised the removal of invasive privet. Councilor Abbott asked about ALDOT’s financial role; Mitchell noted ALDOT does only two cuts per year. Approved unanimously.
• Item 24 – TWG ADA Improvements Phase 2: Councilor Abbott requested removal to ask about the status of ADA upgrades. Mitchell said this phase covers BJCC, Railroad Park, Legion Field, and East Lake. Abbott asked for a comprehensive list of remaining ADA needs. The item was approved unanimously.
• Item 27 – Birmingham Safety Center Door Replacement: Councilor Abbott asked what the Safety Center is. Mitchell explained it is the former Buffalo Rock building, recently acquired for fire rescue apparatus storage; doors need widening. Approved unanimously.
• Item 33 – Traffic Control Products Bid: Councilor Abbott asked if this helps with traffic calming backlog. Mitchell confirmed. Councilor Clarke asked about a misplacement of traffic calming on a street; Mitchell said to provide the address for review. Approved unanimously.
• Item 1 – United Scrap Metal AL, LLC Permit: Councilor Tate moved to postpone for four weeks and refer back to the Public Safety Committee for further review. The motion passed unanimously.
• Item 49 – Special Care Facilities Financing Authority Appointments: Councilor Tate nominated Nathaniel Bagley Jr. (replacing Michael Goo, term expiring Nov. 8, 2027) and Dr. Kimberly Kelly (replacing Dr. Anthony Hood, term expiring Nov. 12, 2029). Both were approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• All consent agenda items, including the added Item 14, were approved by a vote of 7–0 (Councilor Williams absent for that vote).
• Item 8 (right-of-way vacation) passed unanimously.
• Item 10 (Gateway Beautification) passed unanimously.
• Item 24 (ADA improvements) passed unanimously.
• Item 27 (Safety Center door) passed unanimously.
• Item 33 (traffic control bid) passed unanimously.
• Item 1 (scrap metal permit) was postponed for four weeks and referred to the Public Safety Committee.
• Item 49 (appointments) passed unanimously.