Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting - June 3, 2025

The Birmingham City Council held its regular meeting on June 3, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting was called to order after the pre-council meeting at 9:00 a.m. was not held due to a lack of a quorum. All eight councilmembers present (Abbott, Moore, Smitherman, Tate, Williams, Woods, Alexander, O'Quinn) voted on all items, with Councilmember Clarke absent. The meeting included the adoption of minutes from February 2025, a proclamation for Gun Violence Awareness Month, a resolution honoring the Women Under Construction Network's 10th anniversary, approval of a 21-item consent agenda, and two non-consent items. Mayor Woodfin provided updates on garbage pickup, bulk trash delays, sustainability workshops, and police recruitment.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2025.
• Approved 21 consent agenda items (Resolutions 882-902) by unanimous vote, including:
  • Five liquor license transfers/grants (Bham Airport Mart, Howard's Unlimited, The Kutt 007, Horton Enterprise Studios).
  • Nuisance abatement for 257 properties (with 24 properties removed after abatement).
  • Three-year agreement with EMS Management & Consultants for ambulance billing (5.9% of net collections, max $350,000).
  • Three-year software license/maintenance agreement with Salamander Technologies ($56,593.09).
  • Emergency HVAC repair for museum ($3,164.34).
  • Amendment to remove erroneous weed assessment for 3445 31st Avenue North.
  • Change order for CrossPlex pool heater repairs ($4,650).
  • Roof repair contracts for Avondale Library ($18,851) and Comer Building ($17,249).
  • One-year bids for aftermarket and OEM heavy-duty truck parts (Kurt's Truck and Parts Co., Inc.; Truckworx).
  • Amendment to increase payment for jail hot food counter ($4,158.22).
  • Purchase of decorations for Employee Trail Ride Event ($158.61).
  • Purchase of used trailer for Equipment Management ($7,500).
  • Approval of expense accounts for appointed officials, city employees, and advanced expenses.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Martha Jo Wixom, 748 Eastern Manor Lane, appeared relative to neighborhood safety issues. No further details were provided in the minutes or transcript.

Mayor's Communications & Discussion

• Garbage Pickup Changes: Mayor Woodfin announced that Roebuck household garbage pickup will shift from Monday to Thursday beginning June 9, 2025. Bulk trash citywide is behind schedule due to 21 days of rain in May (third wettest on record). The city is moving to a six-day work week and hiring nine new operators. Councilmember Abbott raised concerns about enforcement of bagging and cart removal rules, citing non-compliance in Glen Iris and Five Points South. The mayor noted tags are being issued to repeat offenders and enforcement will escalate.
• Sustainability Workshops: Four workshops were announced for June 4, 5, 12, and 17 at various locations—details at sustainbham.com.
• Civil Rights Crossroads Project: A community studio week June 10–14 at Legion Field, funded by a $21 million federal RAISE grant, will deliver 3.16 miles of multimodal improvements.
• Gun Violence Awareness Proclamation: Mayor Woodfin, Uche Bean, and Councilmember Tate proclaimed June 3 as Gun Violence Awareness Day. The proclamation noted that Americans are 26 times more likely to die by gun homicide than other high-income countries, and highlighted Birmingham's multi-layered approach.
• Police Recruitment: The mayor reported that since November, BPD went from 73% to 80% workforce (223 vacancies down to 149). 37 new officers and 15 lateral transfers have been added, with 50 recruits in the current academy. The next academy starts August 4, with 112 of 184 applicants passing the physical agility test. The goal is full staffing by Q1 2026.
• Trees and Forestry: Discussion on tree hazards on city right-of-way. The mayor noted approximately 750,000 trees on city rights-of-way. Councilmembers Moore, Alexander, and Smitherman raised concerns about fallen trees and proactive assessments. 311 is the recommended reporting method.
• Animal Control: Councilmember Smitherman asked about animal control for domestic and wild animals. 311 is the primary contact; for wildlife, the city coordinates with USDA for certain species (e.g., beavers, waterfowl) but not for common wildlife like coyotes, possums, raccoons.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 903-25 (Adopted): Set a public hearing for July 8, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. to consider closing 20th Avenue South near its intersection with Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. South to vehicular traffic to protect the residential neighborhood from increased traffic from new businesses. The hearing will be advertised starting June 14, and notices will be mailed to affected residents and businesses.
• Resolution 904-25 (Adopted): Approved an emergency contract with J.H. Wright and Associates for $11,263 to replace the leachate pump at the New Georgia Landfill (noted as a correction from 'Eastern Area Landfill' in the agenda).
• Resolution 881-25 (Adopted): A resolution honoring the Women Under Construction Network (WUCN) on its 10th anniversary. The nonprofit has empowered over 13,000 women across 62 cities and 18 states. The resolution was read by Councilmember Woods and adopted unanimously.
• All votes on consent and non-consent items were unanimous (7-0, with Clarke absent).

Announcements

• Councilmembers announced upcoming neighborhood meetings, committee meetings (Planning & Zoning June 11, Budget & Finance June 9, Public Safety June 10), and community events including the Alabama State Games (June 13), World Police and Fire Games (June 27–July 6), and the Get Fit While You Sit classes.
• Councilmember Abbott noted that MAX Transit was not providing adequate notice of bus route changes affecting disabled residents in her district; she urged better communication.

The meeting adjourned at 11:01 a.m.