Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting – July 22, 2025

The Birmingham City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 22, 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 lack of a quorum. The meeting included an invocation by Florence “Cookie” Bailey, Pastor of Christ Temple Deliverance Church, and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council Pro-Tempore Wardine Alexander. Roll call showed eight members present (Council President O’Quinn, Councilmembers Abbott, Alexander, Moore, Smitherman, Tate, Woods, and later Williams), with Councilmember Clarke absent. The council approved a consent agenda, held a public hearing on abatement nuisances, awarded three major street resurfacing contracts totaling $12,729,672.45, and heard public comments regarding neighborhood concerns in Collegeville, Fairmont, and systemic issues.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda, comprising items 2–21 (excluding items removed), was approved by a unanimous voice vote (7-0; Councilmember Williams arrived later).

• Items approved included:

  • Item 2: Operating Authority Permit for Safe Day Transport, LLC (non-emergency medical transport).
  • Item 4: Resolution authorizing nuisance abatement liens on numerous properties across the city (public hearing – no objections).
  • Item 5: License agreement with RENEW Birmingham for “Renew Birmingham’s Cookout and Car Show” on August 9, 2025, leasing a parking lot at 1927 Avenue D for $1.00.
  • Item 6: Agreement with Urban Impact, Inc. not to exceed $5,000 for “The Taste of Fourth Avenue Jazz Festival” in August 2025.
  • Item 7: Workers’ compensation settlement for a Birmingham Police Department employee (not to exceed $40,000).
  • Item 8: Settlement in Perry Lavaughn Collier v. City of Birmingham and Walter Clayton Dupree (not to exceed $60,000).
  • Item 9: Settlement of a claim arising from a collision with a city sanitation truck (not to exceed $14,000).
  • Items 10–12: Amendments to weed abatement resolutions removing properties where owners provided proof of private landscaping.
  • Item 13: Proposal acceptance for Steadfast Resources, LLC ($42,300) for hazardous materials removal and demolition of the former College Hills Grocery Store at 735 8th Avenue West.
  • Items 18–21: Expense accounts for appointed officials, elected officials, and city employees.

• Items removed from consent for separate discussion:

  • Item 1 (public show cause hearing on Happy Hour Hangout business license revocation) was withdrawn because the applicant surrendered the license (moved by Councilmember Tate).
  • Items 14, 15, 16 (resurfacing contracts) were removed by Councilmember Abbott and discussed separately.
  • Item 3 (Operating Authority Permit for The Pull Up - Bham, LLC) was removed by Councilmember Smitherman, then tabled and later deferred two weeks to August 5, 2025.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jerica Miles Mabry (3440 32nd Place North, Birmingham) spoke on behalf of Collegeville residents, stating the neighborhood has been sacrificed for industrial pollution and neglect. She demanded a community-driven revitalization plan with transparency, and criticized the city for rezoning parts of Collegeville, Harriman Park, and Fairmont to light industrial without proper notice.
• Charlie Powell (1406 4th Way) addressed neglect in the Fairmont area, noting that roads had not been resurfaced in 28 years and that residents are being pressured to sell their homes for low prices due to contamination from a now-closed plant. He requested a meeting with the entire council to discuss relocation and fair compensation.
• Rev. Dr. Wayne Harris (3504 34th Avenue North) representing Black Lives Matter and pan-community groups, asserted that structural racism and urban planning injustice are intentional in Collegeville. He criticized Councilmember Moore for not representing the community truthfully and called for accountability.

Discussion Items

• Item 3 – The Pull Up - Bham, LLC: Councilmember Smitherman requested clarification about the business location (residential address on 18th Place SW) and whether vehicles would be stored there. Since the applicant was not present, the item was tabled and subsequently deferred two weeks.
• Items 14, 15, 16 – Citywide Resurfacing Contracts: Dunn Construction Company, Inc. was awarded three lump-sum bids for resurfacing:
  • Contract 1 (ENG 2025-013): $4,007,663.00 (four bids submitted).
  • Contract 2 (ENG 2025-014): $4,461,496.60 (four bids submitted).
  • Contract 3 (ENG 2025-015): $4,260,512.85 (three bids submitted).
  • Total awarded: $12,729,672.45.
  • Councilmembers raised concerns about striping, curb obliteration, ADA compliance, and inspection oversight. Director of Capital Projects Denise Bell responded that specifications require temporary striping within 21 days and permanent stripes within 42 days, and that the city has outsourced construction inspection services to improve compliance. She noted that punch lists and quality control will address issues from prior paving cycles.
  • Items were approved by a 6-0 voice vote (Councilmembers Abbott, Moore, Tate, Woods, Alexander, O’Quinn; Smitherman and Williams absent for vote).
• Announcements: Upcoming events included the Land Bank Building Birmingham Expo (July 25), Food Truck Friday (July 25), Smithfield Art Walk (July 26), Tools for School (August 3), and Business with Bham Vendor Expo (August 7). Committee meetings were announced for Budget and Finance (July 28) and Transportation and Infrastructure (July 28).

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved (7-0) with items 1 withdrawn, 3 removed and deferred, and items 14,15,16 removed for separate action.
• Item 1: Withdrawn – applicant surrendered business license.
• Item 3: Deferred for two weeks to August 5, 2025.
• Items 14, 15, 16: Approved (6-0) – resurfacing contracts awarded to Dunn Construction Company, Inc. totaling $12,729,672.45.
• Public comments: Three speakers voiced concerns; council took no immediate action but acknowledged their remarks.
• Future meetings: Next regular meeting on August 5, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.; Budget and Finance Committee on July 28 at 3:30 p.m.; Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on July 28 at 2:00 p.m.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.