The Birmingham City Council met on July 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting included mayoral announcements, approval of a consent agenda, a first-reading ordinance for an affordable housing development, several contract approvals, and a public comment. The meeting adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
Item 7 – Park Street Homes Affordable Housing Development (First Reading):
Item 11 – Black Women’s Mental Health Institute Amendment:
Item 12 – HUD Action Plan Submission:
Item 14 – Storm Sewer Repairs Work Order Contract:
Item 15 – Storm Sewer Cleaning and CCTV Inspection Work Order Contract:
Item 17 – Weapons Detection Systems Purchase:
Item 23 – Alabama Power Camera Expansion (Addendum):
The betterment of the citizens and the city of this great city. Now, Lord, not only do we pray here locally, we would we pray on the national level, the federal level, Lord, because we realize that there is uh functions there that need to be straightened out, but Lord, we know that everything is in your hands. Not only do we pray for the federal level, Lord, that we pray for the world at large. For it seems to be that there are flash fires on every hand. But what we do know, Lord, is that uh the earth still belongs to you. The world belongs to you, and even the inhabitants and the resources belong to you. So right now, God, our eyes are continually upon you for we know that all things are in your hands. Now, Lord, if you will, just bless this hour and bless this moment, for it is in the matchless name of Jesus the Christ, the author and the finisher of our faith, the bishop of our salvation is that we touch and agree and we stand on one accord this morning by saying Amen. And thank God. Council Member Clark. Council Member Moore. Good morning, sir. Councilmember Smithman. Councilmember Tate. Good morning. Councilman Williams. Council Member Woods. Council President Pro Jim Alexander. Council President O'Coin. Good morning. Council of the minutes are not ready for the March third, twenty twenty-five through June twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-five meetings. This time we'll have communications from Mayor Whitman. Good to see you all this morning. It's good to see the general public as well. I want to first speak to the fourth of July closure. As you know, this Friday is the fourth of July. So don't be one of those people and shoot guns in the air because what goes up must come down. So again, please be safe. And I want to ask Chief Michael Pickett to come in. Yesterday, June 30th made the last day of the first half of the year. As we walk through the halfway of the year, we made fighting violent crime, reducing gun violence a priority. I am happy to report that in 2025 for the first half of the year, homicides were down 52%. And that is a testament to a lot of people, starting with Chief Michael Pickett in the Birmingham Police Department. But it's also a testament to those the organizations and the people on the ground who are engaging in our violence reduction initiatives. Call 911 as well as call crime stoppers and or just taking the time to engage themselves and de-escalate potential situations before they turn violent. From various efforts you've supported, programmatically and financially. And so before I go on with anything else in this report, I wanted to get uh Chief Pickett to share a few words with you as well. Well, good morning, everyone. Morning. It's an honor to speak before you. I don't get to do it often, but uh it's good to be able to speak and report on what we've been saying as it relates to homicides and the transition from last year. Right now we're reporting 52 percent reduction as of today. 52% reduction in our in our homicides. Uh we're not just working on homicides, we're working on all crimes, but as we know, that's the most heinous crime you can pretty much do, one of the most, and um, and we are really really hammering at it. Um very thankful and appreciative of all the men and women uh with the Birmingham Police Department who are leading our fight. We get a lot of assistance from Jefferson County as well. I cannot leave them out. Um and just you know, other agencies in the area, it's a collaborative uh effort. You know, our state partners, our federal partners, so we're just thankful for that. Uh I have a couple other things I want to touch on.