Good morning, Birmingham.

This is the regular meeting of the Birmingham City Council.

Today is June seventeenth, twenty twenty-five.

This morning our invocation will be delivered by Bishop Jonathan L.

Woods Senior, pastor of Love City Church, and our Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Councillor Valerie Abbott.

If you're willing and able, please stand.

Let us bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father, in Jesus' name we come before you this morning to praise you, to honor you and to acknowledge you as being our sovereign king.

We thank you for the purpose of this gathering and we pray now for this meeting.

God that it will be carried out according to your will.

We pray for our mayor.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

I shall be just to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the republic for which it stands.

Councilmember Clark.

Councilmember Moore.

Another note related to Thursday, household garbage and recycling routes will not happen.

And so if your household garbage and recycling pickup is this Thursday, please wait till Friday for that pickup, June 20th.

All the operations will remain the same.

At this time, I would like to invite Alicia Coffee, which is owned by Naema, Alicia Moore, who's the owner as well as Raymond Lasseter, owner of Voltron Printing to the podium.

Yes, sir.

So I want to talk about these two good people, these two small business owners.

Both of them have been serving our community with excellence and with the heart to give back for quite some time.

They're not only known for their exceptional products that they provide, but for also being good neighbors.

And so today they're here to tell us about their upcoming Juneteenth pop-up event that will support a good cause, which requires me to step out of the way and give them the mic.

Thank you for having us this morning.

Like Mayor Woodfin said, my name is Naeema Elmore, and I'm the owner of Alicia's Coffee inside the AG Gaston Motel.

And uh first, I just want to say thank you to not just the city government, but the city members for coming in and just supporting us and seeing the vision of entrepreneurship.

And Raymond and I partnered on uh event that will not only help entrepreneurs but kids that's getting ready to go into college.

I just would like to say good morning, city council members, our esteemed mayor, Randall Woof and the federal citizens.

My name is Raymond Lasseter.

I'm proudly served as the owner and head designer of Woodland of Voltron Printing, which is in the woodline area.

I come to you just not as a creative, but somebody deeply invested in the promise of Birmingham born on the south side of Chicago.

I've lived in cities that have struggled to make spaces for both legacy and innovation.

But I choose Birmingham, and I continue to choose Birmingham because I see infinite possibilities.

I see a city that honors its past with daring creatives for new future.

That's why me and Naeem are partnered together to do this amazing Juneteenth event.

And now we'd like to highlight a new path and involves the corner span of our community sports.

Our youth sports program does more than build athletes.

It builds character and discipline and team birth.

But what if we added entrepreneurship and creativity to that mix?

Imagine equipping team moms, supporters, and players themselves with screen printing, design skills, imagine creating their own team logos, uniforms, and merchandise, not only as a form of expression, but new revenue streams.

Fundraising becomes showcases and innovation.

Uniform become campuses of pride.

And our young athletes learn that their team can represent more than a game.

It can be a brand, a business, a movement.

The goal of our creatives and city businesses and collaborations is so that we can establish a scholarship fund for creatives, entrepreneurs in Birmingham through the hat through the sales of the hat and through the sales of the products that we have through the Juneteenth event.

Thank you all.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

At this time, I would like to ask your colleague JT Moore to come down to the podium as he comes.

I would like to also ask Damon Treadwell, Courtney King with men of distinction and all of their guests, all the other men of the cigar men, that is, let me get that right.

All the men, cigar, cigar men of distinction, please join me at the podium.

Council, as these gentlemen come for the past 10 years, for the past 10 years, the Sigar Men of Distinction walked out their mission to promote community stewardship, charitable engagement and mutual alignment through fellowship, camaraderie over fine cigars.

They help to make our community better through countless acts of service.

And in recognition of their decades of service, and in recognition of their decade as an organization, we would like to honor them with a special proclamation that I will read in part.

In the States whereas Cigar Men of Distinction has awarded 12 scholarships, totaling 18,000 to seniors in Birmingham metro area, attending Alabama AM University and Alabama State University, thereby investing in the future of our city's youth.

And whereas through signature events, such as Shop Talk, Golf for Autism, and the holiday dinner giveaway, the organization has provided essential services ranging from haircuts and skincare education to autism awareness and meals for families, demonstrating a broad and compassionate reach.

And where our Cigar Men of Distinction continues to partner with organizations such as Real Men Reed Incorporated, Torres Ratats, and Grace House, expanding its impact and affirming its commitment to service, mentorships, and collective progress across the city.