Check, check, check.

Testing one, two, check.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Check, check, check.

Let's check these up here.

Check.

One, two, one, two.

One, two, three.

Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Check, check, check.

Only right.

Check one, two.

Check.

Check, check, check.

Check.

One, two.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Check it out.

Check one, two.

Check one, two.

Is it that older?

So it's the case.

Yeah.

He shows prompt.

So my son law is like you didn't get more.

Oh yeah, you're the trail, which I was saying.

Oh man.

So I've seen that sweetness.

Oh wait on the same thing.

So this is not a good idea.

Yeah.

Oh, I guess we know it's that's the game.

I love it.

Oh yeah, yeah.

So we're still like another side.

Right.

So we got that.

So you prefer the board.

Yeah, yeah.

So I have to sort of put it out on all the other things.

So it's not actually.

Yeah, put it for our ship.

Yeah, I see.

Is that right?

Are you staying in good trouble?

Oh.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

So you can just kind of follow the thing.

I put like a version.

And then you're going to have some short shortcuts.

So you know what I mean?

I guess all of us are.

Yeah.

I think we might work for someone that's she should take out.

I think she should have three structures.

Yeah.

You got to know.

Well, we're foreign now.

I think it's probably black.

Next strength.

And so we would have made a long life of something that's probably saying it's kind of sort of done to the button.

Because that's the secret section.

I think I streak over.

Should work.

What's the mix of work?

She won't wait.

That's what I don't have to go wrong with.

I think it's just sitting here.

No, no, no, sir.

But it's a great story on my uh day on the other thing.

I think I think I'm saying how I mean less.

That's fine.

Well short, except for, you know, wrong.

So what do they end up doing that they put it on the other?

Oh yeah, no.

They weren't like that.

Yeah, I've got to do it.

I'm gonna kind of call me.

But you look like this.

Yeah, these are the things.

No work comments in the change.

Yeah, more than any of the things.

Yeah, yeah.

So honestly, I think it's how they got the right.

We're ready for it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well we'll kind of put it in one out of time.

Really depends on it.

So I think that's a good one.

Oh, it's going to be something.

I think I could have struck it.

Yeah, I think that's the question.

I don't think it's much.

I've got a lot of things.

If he was there, so our hands are still sleeping.

What is the first question?

No.

Okay.

Oh, okay.

No, it's no problem.

Exactly.

I want to assume it's like now address uh years.

Yeah, it's like that.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Good morning, Birmingham.

Good morning.

This is the regular meeting of the Birmingham City Council.

Today is Tuesday, September 9th, 2025.

This morning, our invoc delivered by Reverend Ode Otis McGuire, pastor of Water of Life Ministry, and our Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Councillor Hunter Williams.

If you're willing and able, please stand.

Good morning.

May we bow in prayer.

Our Father and our God, we come now thankful for this another day of life, health, and strength.

We come to Father now asking that you would preside over in this meeting of the business of the Birmingham City Council.

Father, God in heaven, bless us today, that this council and all those present would be led by your spirit.

That the business of this city would be conducted with discretion, with compassion, with transparency, and by your spirit.

Father God in heaven, be pleased now to bless all who are in this chamber today.

That we conduct our sales accordingly, and we be reminded that you alone are God.

Besides you, there is none other.

In Jesus' name, we say Amen.

Please call the roll.

Councilmember.

Present.

Councilmember Clark.

Present.

Councilmember Moore.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Councilmember Smithman.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Councilmember Tate.

Councilmember Williams.

Councilmember Woods.

Morning.

Council President Professor Alexander.

Good morning, President.

Good morning, Council President O'Quinn.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Council, before us, we have the minutes of the April 1st and April 8th, 2025 meetings.

If there's no additions or corrections, we'll consider a motion to approve those minutes.

All in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

All opposed say nay.

All right.

Those minutes are approved.

The minutes are not ready for the April 15th, 2025 through September 2nd, 2025 meetings.

This time we'll have communications from Mayor Woodfin.

Yes, sir.

Good morning, Mr.

President.

Good morning.

Good morning to the entire council.

It's good to see all of you all this morning.

Good morning to the general public as well.

Related to today's mayor's report, Mr.

President and Council.

I'm going to start with BB BBB Shred Day.

Shred Day.

Let stands for Better Business Bureau.

So the Better Business Bureau is hosting a free shred day for residents who want to safely dispose of sensitive documents to protect their identity.

It'll be three hours from 9 a.m.

to 12.

It's free.

It's near Regents Field on First Avenue South between the 14th Street and 16th Street block.

They are accepting paper only, two boxes or bags with a 50-pound limit.

And this is for individuals only, no businesses.

So this is for again just individuals.

If you are a business, you will be turned away.

This is a great opportunity and no charge for you to take advantage of.

It's coming to Birmingham.

Today, um, Mr.

Watson.

Oh, you come on up, y'all.

He's here to tell us about their second annual penny games, which is an HBC, which includes an HBCU debate plus esports invitational October 1st through October 3rd.

The three-day event will bring together students from more than 16 historically black colleges and universities, 500 plus local high school students, and over 100 colleges, employers, and civic partners for a dynamic mix of cultural immersion, academic competition, as well as talent development.

And I think it's best for me to get out of the way.

Let him give you the deeds on what's really going on October 1st through the third.

Thank you.

All right.

Good morning.

I'm as always a pleasure to see everyone.

Again, yes, I'm here to talk about the penny games.

Um opportunity to grow and sell the city to young people across the nation.

And so it's divided up this year's divided up into two parts.

One is the gaming portion.

Um so the virtual gaming online competition will start amongst HBCU colleges around the nation on tomorrow.

Um the top 12 from those gaming rounds will come to Birmingham on October the 1st to join us here, um, partner with Miles College, and they'll be out at Miles College for in their new facility as well.

So um they'll be all over the city.

Um, as far as the debate portion of it, uh, we have eight schools coming to Birmingham, Howard University, Hampton, um, University, Tennessee State, Bethune, Cookman, Livingstone College, Wiley College, Alabama AM will all be in Birmingham and Morehouse.

Um, we'll all be in Birmingham uh on October 1st through the third debating.

They will be debating in our Birmingham City High Schools.

Um, and so the the debates will take place on Thursday in the high schools, um, giving access to each one of the um or to our high school students.

Um, we're excited about our partnership with Speak First.

Um, if you've heard of speak first, um, they're bringing that program back to create a Birmingham debate league.

And so as we finish our debate, they will be recruiting students to be a part of Speak First to build a Birmingham debate lead.

And so the reason why I think that that this deserves support is one um it shares our story here in Birmingham with work with the nation.

Um we're we're seeking to attract top students.

Um I always have multiple motives of doing things, um, but my thing is I want people to see Birmingham like we see Birmingham.

And so the opportunity to bring debaters and gamers to Birmingham to spend three days with us.

Um it gives businesses and corporations a chance to um um pitch their um um programs, products to get students to come in to live here.

Uh we're also doing a college spout on that Thursday night at Top Golf.

Um, and so colleges um will have a chance to have a bay so your students can come by, they can hit golf balls and talk to a college recruiter.

Hey.

Um, it doesn't get any better than that.

Also pick up college information.

Uh so we're excited about this event.

This is gonna be our signature event, it's gonna grow next year.

Um, we're always looking at adding more sports chest and and potentially golf um to to bring um and attract more attention to uh the attention that we want to attract to Birmingham.

Um I know I was given a brief time.

I hope I covered everything.

Um to find out more information, you should go to the penny games.org.com as the t henny games.com.

Um, and with that, did I miss anything?

Okay, with that I'm through.

Councilback.

Uh thank you.

Um I really want to thank you for bringing this event to uh Birmingham because a lot of people don't really know how special Birmingham is.

Um I remember going to Hampton and people ask me weird questions like um, you know, do we have Rose?

Uh is Birmingham a big city.

Um I remember John Lewis was my graduation speaker, and he was talking about chickens, and people were looking at me that mentioned that during graduation, um, asking about that.

But I think this is amazing.

I feel like I also participated in something like this when I was in college.

We went to um maybe it was Benedict College, and it was something different.

We were debating other HBCUs, but I really want to thank you.

Um, this is amazing, and also including other HBCUs and stuff, the top four, uh both HUs and Morehouse and Spelman.

So uh I think we already talked about me supporting it, so I look forward to seeing it.

And Mr.

Mayor, I know Morehouse is participating, but I think Hampton's gonna win.

So thank you.

No comment.

No comment.

Um who else is HBCU?

All right.

Thank y'all so much.

Thank y'all.

Thank you.

Appreciate you.

Thank you so much.

Ms.

Clark.

Thank you all for um listening to that.

I really hope you hope your schedule over those three days finds the time to participate.

This is something we should also should support, should support.

I can't talk this morning.

Could you as I talk, please come down?

Ms.

Clark.

Thank you so much.

This time I would like to ask Council Carol Clark to join me at the podium.

As she comes down, I would like to ask our guests on the front row here with the National Community Stabilization Trust, also known as NCST, who are still seated, to please stand and come up because they're they want to be shy, and I'm sure why they're gonna make me look at them until they come all the way up.

Thank you all so much.

Good morning.

Again, the people you see standing here before the podium are with an organization, the National Community Stabilization Trust, along with Carol Clark.

I want to put this in context before I continue reading some of my notes.

Many of us, the ten of us, um have just gone through a process of engaging community and related to a campaign.

One of the topics that's that came up over and over was it didn't come up in regular words like stabilization of community.

It came up more like this blighted property here, right?

We heard that over and over.

Dear city councilor, dear mayor, do something about it.

Why has it been this way for so long?

I've lived here all of my life.

Why does this property look like this five, six, seven, eight plus years?

Why can't the city do something about it?

And as I've explained, as you all have explained, some of our properties come in many forms.

Um why they're not stabilized.

Um it could be uh slum lord, it can be an absentee owner, um, it can be an out of state owner, it can be many reasons.

One of the reasons that does not get talked about enough, and um that's why council Clark is here, is air's property.

It is a significant issue in our city related to when a loved one die, what happens with the next generation in that property.

Um, there are many categories and many reasons to explain why the blight exists at the level exists in a city like Birmingham.

One being our population decreased over a 40-year period, but within that issue, significantly is air's property, which touches.

I guarantee you there's an air property issue in every single district, including district three, as well as district one, um, as well as district two.

So, with that, earlier this year, NCST launched a black and Latina middle neighborhood's airs property program.

Shout out to y'all, thank you so much.

It's pretty cool.

This is a new year-long initiative designed to support and train a cohort of community development professionals working to address airs property issues and their impacts on black and Latino communities.

They are convening right here in Birmingham to discuss this important project.

And so, first of all, I would like to thank you all for being here, choosing Birmingham.

Two, I want to thank you, Councilor Clark, for leaning all the way in on this, um, as well as the work you all do across our country promoting property reuse as well as neighborhood sustainability.

And so now I'm gonna get out of the way because Councillor Clark has been walking closely with them.

She's been in my ear about this.

Hopefully, she's been in your ear about this.

This is an issue that affects Birmingham at a rate probably higher than any other city in our entire state.

We have work to do around it, and so I'm glad to have the help of these folk as well as Councillor Clark.

So thank you, Mayor, and good morning, colleagues and all the rest of Birmingham.

It's been a great pleasure for Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham to be invited to participate in a year-long immersive learning journey on airs property issues alongside host agencies from Atlanta and Baltimore under the guidance and sponsorship of NCST.

We are heading into the fourth quarter and home stretch of our year, and we're delighted to have the project convening in Birmingham.

So we've been hosting them for the last couple of days since Sunday, and they'll depart today.

Even though they are DC-based nonprofit, their leaders sit everywhere.

So but first, uh, our counterparts from the other host agencies representing healthy neighborhoods, Baltimore is CUDA Zamuda.

If you would just raise your hand so they'll see you, CUDA.

And representing House ATL is Ashley Edwards, and then representing neighborhood housing services of Birmingham is Evan Holloway.

Uh leading us through the week to week uh immersion uh from NCST has been Jordan Baxstrom and uh Chris Garland, our team lead, and then all of this is happening under the amazing leadership of COO Carlos Alcazar and CEO Chris Tyson.

And then all of this is happening under the amazing leadership of COO Carlos Alcazar and CEO Chris Tyson.

And I'm gonna invite the Chris's to come up and tell you more.

Starting with Chris Tyson.

Thank you.

Good morning, uh Mayor Woodfin, uh members of the council and councilman Clark.

Thank you for having us and giving us a few minutes of your uh precious time to explain the work that we've been doing here in Baltimore in Birmingham, but also in Baltimore and Atlanta.

Our Ayres Property Initiative is an extension of our long-standing focus on middle neighborhoods, particularly Black and Latino middle neighborhoods, uh, in partnership with Neighbor Works America, who's one of our founding organizations.

The National Community Stabilization Trust was established in 2008 in the aftermath of the mortgage crisis to assist with the glut of foreclosed homes that existed all over the country and finding ways to channel those assets back to communities in ways that support affordable homeownership.

Over 28,000 transactions with over 300 partners around the country, 17 years later.

We're still doing that work, also focused on federal policy, innovation and reform, and lending to uh small developers through a pilot that we've established in Baltimore to support the rehabilitation of vacant property, uh, again to increase the supply of affordable single family homes for homeownership.

We're the homeownership people.

Uh, and so that's something we believe is essential to stabilizing neighborhoods and closing the racial wealth gap.

So we're so excited to uh be here with you and to have some of your time.

I'll let my colleague Chris Garland speak a little more specifically about the Air's property work that he's been leading.

Uh but we thank you for your partnership, uh, and and we look forward to doing more here and around the country in service of the Air's property issue and the broader goal of expanding affordable homeownership.

Uh thank you and good morning, council.

Good morning, mayor, thank you.

Uh, again, my name is Chris Garland, and as Carol Clark mentioned, uh I've uh had the privilege of serving as our project lead on this effort.

It's a year-long effort.

We started back in January with Ashley, uh Kuda and Evan from uh NHS Birmingham right here in Birmingham, and uh it's been a fantastic experience, right?

We've had an opportunity to really build an immersion into learning around Ayers properties.

What are the best practices?

What are the what is the history?

How do we tangibly unpack that so that we can address both the neighborhood concerns and also the concerns, the real lived concerns of those uh of those families.

Every Monday we get together, we bring in subject matter experts to um educate us.

And when I say us, I mean myself, uh my colleagues uh uh Jordan Baxstrom as well, right along through that through that process, so that we can reach in uh deeply onto the um that effort that uh our our presidency at um uh Chris Tyson discussed about being those homeownership people because it's not just about creating new homes, right?

It's about preserving the existing homes and and creating that intergenerational wealth through uh addressing those problems, uh addressing those issues along the way.

Um our program is more than just educational, uh it's it's uh tangible as well.

There are um uh assignments that are necessary in preparation, real real uh real-time activities, and also each of the organizations uh has been building towards a special project, something that they'll realize by the end of the year uh as well.

We're particularly excited about the work uh that that Carol and Evan have been doing here in Birmingham, and I'd be remiss uh if I didn't say that really it's been a fantastic experience here in Birmingham over the last couple of days, seeing the real work that's happening uh on the ground with um uh NHS Birmingham and their team.

So, once again, thank you all uh so much.

Uh it's been a privilege to be here this morning.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chris and Chris, for helping me to explain everything.

And one of the um requirements of participation is to do a special project, and we were helped by the community foundation of Greater Birmingham to fund a researcher and an intern.

So we uh have uh prep we've been working on a census-like data, a census-like study of air's property within the city limits, and we look forward to coming back and sharing that report with you because I think it'll really help, you know, elucidate why we have some of the challenges we have with code enforcement and so forth.

So, with that, thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

You're back up now.

Is there is there a photo?

Counselor Tate.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Carol Clark.

I really want to just give you your kudos.

Thank you.

You and I have had numerous conversations around what does community stabilization looks like.

I want to thank all of the people that have been here with you for a year.

And you know, you often hear me talk about educate, educate, educate, and it's so important.

Um, you know, with the constituents, the mayor, thank you, thank your team, Dr.

Megan Venable Thomas, who I just truly adore and Corey Starworth.

Um, you know, continually doing the deep dive in the community and stabilizing, you know, these airs properties, and it's just so many people to think, but again, thank you.

I really want to thank you for doing a deep dive and honor you and doing the work that you are doing with neighborhood housing.

You got a chance to work with you doing some work in District 9, and really just excited to continue to work with the vendors and the partners that we have that's doing the work again.

Thank you all again for coming to Birmingham.

Sometimes we gotta go outside of Birmingham to look and see what other people are doing, best practices and best formations.

Not saying that we're overlooking out people here, but coming back, giving the people the knowledge, you know, that they need to succeed again.

Thank you, Mayor, your team, and thank Dr.

Thomas and thank my colleagues.

We're looking forward to stabilizing, you know, these these communities.

Thank you so much.

Counselor Smith.

Uh, thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I really want to thank you all for coming today in my other life.

I'm an attorney.

I do probate work, so you guys I understand completely.

Um so my father and I a couple years ago with a black relatives were on a panel called What to Do with Big Mama's House.

Because what happens is naturally people of color don't get a wheel.

Um, either a lot of times sometimes they'll stall.

I know I've had clients where we barely got them before they transitioned and with them having a wheel, and you know, nobody you guys notice nobody really wins when you don't have a will.

You may have four siblings who don't want to sell the house, then you have two that do want to sell the house.

Now you have a Delapday house in the neighborhood, and so I would love to see that report just personally.

Um I think talking with uh the volunteer lawyers, Birmingham Bar, because they probably can give you some more context on you know how often does this come up, or some questions that we have.

The city of Birmingham does a wheels clinic, so I think it's really just a holistic approach to it.

But you know, Councilor Clark, I really want to thank you for bringing that awareness on being on the city council because you know, we talk about overgrown lots, etc.

etc.

But you're bringing solutions to this type of program.

So, you know, however I can support you, just let me know.

I think it'll just help because you know, black people, we've been behind the the eight ball for decades and generations, and uh resolving this issue or really tackling it will help with generational wealth to really help black people kind of get closer to running the same race with other uh races in America.

So thank you and uh congratulations.

Counselor Abbott Thank you, Mr.

President.

Well, it's very exciting that y'all are here in Birmingham, and thank you, Councilor Clark.

We've talked about Ayers property a lot.

And my introduction to Ayers property was in Southwood Lawn 23 years ago.

A lady passed, and I slowly watched over the next maybe 15 years.

The house was beautiful, and then it began to decline, and then it declined some more, and then it got a hole in the roof, and then the roof collapsed.

And then the city came and bulldozed it.

And that was my introduction to Ayers property.

You know, the the airs just sit there and let the house decline.

And then the neighbors got to enjoy all that over those 15 years.

I just came to a neighborhood meeting and a few other meetings a few times a month, and those poor people watched that beautiful house just slowly decline.

So that was my introduction when I first heard of Air's property.

I thought air property, everybody's got air, but it was the it was the wrong kind of air.

But I appreciate you being here, and we are looking forward to solutions because we I mean it is such a problem in Birmingham, and we've lost so many great houses because of this.

It's just a it's a tragedy that needs to turn into a something positive.

So I know from looking at all your faces that you're working on something positive, and uh, and I know that I know that Carol's been working on something pro positive for a long time.

So thank you.

And who is going to be sending us information via email on this?

Council Williams.

Thank you.

You know, Carol, my introduction to Ayers property is when you drugged me to an older gentleman's house that had several properties and wanted me to bail out the tax liens for him after we spent two hours in the unair conditioning house of this gentleman.

So I had a very different exposure to air property.

Um you owe me a drink for that.

You remind him of his grandson.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So anyway, I you're you're you are so passionate about this, which um which we both got to experience one afternoon um a few summers ago.

And I'm even though that you are transitioning on from the council, I'm excited that you're going to continue this work for the city of Birmingham.

But even though I'm joking about that experience, it it really does illustrate um the issue because you have a gentleman that um that just could not afford to uh uh even sell the house that he had multiple properties on the same street.

He could not even afford to sell the house to get it up to where someone could actually purchase it.

Um, and that's how far behind he got taxes.

Yeah, just yeah, pack back taxes.

Um anyway, it's a real issue in a lot of urban cores.

It's an issue in the city of Birmingham.

You still owe me a drink for that.

Um but uh but thank you for for your passion on it because it it's very evident that you have it.

Thank you.

Uh let me uh just quickly say thank you to each of you.

Um this is important work, and this is work our community and other communities across our country need.

So thank you for leaning in on your leadership.

Mr.

President, yes, sir.

Council Moore, I believe that's a question.

Look, I just you know, I also wanted to say something as well, uh, because I know that you are not only passionate about it, but um very well versed.

Um I've learned a lot, you know, from just sitting next to you about this housing issues that we have.

Um I was on uh Instagram uh not too long ago, and I saw a post where you know somebody, you know, kind of talked about um 18-year-olds, right?

This idea of pushing them out of the household um just because they're 18 and expecting them to be able to maintain, you know, like their own living situation and knowing exactly how to handle themselves.

And you know, it it started sending me down this the spiral of uh how we have a culture of you know not really uh having a plan uh for how we're going to maintain it at one point in time.

It used to be that we had multi-generational homes where everybody kind of lived together, and even if you look at different countries, um some countries don't have this issue of you know airs properties because everybody is you know working together to maintain those those spaces so that they they can have that wealth to remain in their household.

And so uh I'm excited about the information that you all will provide because I think it will speak to an even deeper issue that we have around you know how we view um housing and how we view you know community uh because uh in the day and age that we live in, it's it's extremely expensive, right?

Like it's extremely expensive.

Um and if we can build better, you know, relationships amongst you know the people that are in our household, uh I believe that it'll be easier for us to number one live together, but then also develop a plan as to how we maintain what we've worked so hard uh to acquire.

So thank you.

Thank you for that.

Thank you.

Okay, we're gonna go out.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

All right, appreciate it, Mayor.

Uh Councilor Smith.

Just briefly, um, Mr.

Mayor, I was um I got a text from uh a neighborhood officer in Oakwood Place, and she was telling me about the barking door.

I guess I'll talk to you all.

Uh the barking door uh dogs or ordinance, basically the uh the noise ordinance was being um, you know, you know who is chief who to text me was being very excessive, and residents felt like it wasn't being addressed.

So I was just asked for some assistance with that.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Also, Chief, um I know Councillor Smeterman recently asked about this, but I wanted to touch on it again because I got some questions from residents.

Um about a year ago, the city had put out a um sign up, you know, newsletter or uh opportunity for people to receive recycling uh containers, the the curbside um hand carts, and uh you know uh we we are still getting inquiries from residents that weren't able to receive those.

So um do we have the recycling carts on order?

Um and we are we ready to receive them, or do we need to go through another um ADEM funding cycle to get funding for that?

Or yeah, where are we at?

Yeah, per Chief Mitchell, yeah, we do have them on order.

So we need to follow up with you all to see those residents who have made those requests that have not gotten follow-up, and we'll coordinate between the residents and DPW to make sure that they get that follow-up, and then the the cards aren't in, we'll make sure that they know the time frame that they'll have them.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Okay.

Um without objection, we're gonna um suspend the rules for a presentation.

Um, as many of you are undoubtedly aware, uh, one of the mayor's signature programs is Birmingham Promise.

And um, so the you know, one of the functions of Birmingham Promise is giving um Birmingham City School students the opportunity to get some real-world experience and and a work environment.

So uh the council for the past couple of years has been one of the employers who has uh been bringing in interns.

And yesterday we had a new group of six uh Birmingham intern um students who will be working with us for the next 12 weeks.

So I want to get ask you guys to stand up and come up to the lectern and introduce yourselves.

So you guys come on down public speaking as part of your internship trainings.

Okay, so tell us your name, tell us uh your your high school and you know what your plans are and and your and your grade you're in.

Um hi, my name is Adriana Sanders, and I go to Carver High School and I'm 17 years, I mean I'm 17 years old.

Um, and my plans are to enlist in the military and to go to Spelman College after I graduate high school.

Awesome.

All right.

Um can you also if you if you've been assigned to one of the council district offices, could you tell us who you who you'll be working with?

Um Ms.

Latuletate District 9.

Okay, all right.

Good morning.

My name is Brandy Brown X.

I go to Ramsey High School and I'm 17 years old.

After graduation, I plan to attend North Carolina NT for the next four years and get accepted to nursing program, and I will be working with District 5, President O'Quen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Rachel Middlebrooks.

I am 16 years old.

I go to Weinona High School.

Um, and I am the head drum major for the Mighty Marshall Dragons.

And after I graduate, I plan to attend the Alabama State University to measure in for raising science or criminal justice, and I plan to be in the um band program with the Mighty Marching Hornets.

And I'm with District Seven.

Good morning.

I'm Alicia Davis.

I'm a senior at Woodlawn High School.

And after high school, I plan to attend Spelman College.

My major is undecided, but I want to be a radiologist after those four years.

Good morning.

My name is Tavian Rucker.

I attend Woodland High School and I'm 17 years old.

After I graduate, I want to go to trade school for electrician or HPE.

Good morning.

My name is Jordan Pickett.

Uh out to Huff My School.

I'm 17 years old.

I graduate.

I'm still undecided on what I want to do.

And I am in District 1.

Good morning.

My name is Balab Durasheed.

I'm 17 years old.

I go to Ramsey High School.

After graduation, I want to go to the University of Alabama Birmingham and be a civil engineer.

And uh I'll be working in the mayor's office.

Awesome.

Well, we look forward to spending time with you for the next 12 weeks.

And you know, this is a unique opportunity for both us, you know, and you and uh you know let's make the most of it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, we'll get back to our agenda.

All items designated as consent are routine and non-controversial and will be approved by one motion.

All items on the consent agenda will be announced by reading the item numbers only.

No separate discussion of these items will be permissive permitted unless a council member or the mayor requests the item be removed from the consent agenda.

Additionally, a citizen interested in addressing the council with respect to an item on the consent agenda designated for public hearing may request the item be removed from the consent agenda to hold the hearing on the item.

Any items removed from the consent agenda will revert to its normal place on the agenda order of business for remaining matters.

All matters of permanent operation will be read and all public hearings will be announced.

Mr.

Clerk, could we please read through the items on our consent agenda?

Okay.

Consent agenda starts on page two with items two, three, and four.

Um page three, item five is on consent, as well as item seven, uh page four, items eight, nine, and ten are on consent.

Uh page five.

We have items eleven, twelve, and thirteen on consent.

Uh we need language change on item number eleven.

One, two, three, four.

Fifth line down um at the insta at the food, uh place the words insecurities in our communities, and then amount not to exceed 15,797.

That's on item 11.

Page six, we have items 14 and 15 on consent.

Um that amount should change to 3,250.

Um breaking that up into um district two with one is that 1,000 dollars.

Uh District 5, 1,500, and district six, 750 dollars.

That's for item number 14.

Page 7.

We have items 16, 17, and 18 on consent.

Uh page eight, we have items 1920, 21 and 22 on consent.

Page nine, the items 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 on consent.

Uh page 10, items 29, 30.

31, 32, 33, and 34 on consent.

Page 11, items 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40 are on consent.

Page 12, items 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 or on consent.

Page 13.

Items 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 are on consent, and then we have one addendum item.

I think we have a copy of the or here it is, uh, the addendum item.

Item 51.

Okay.

Um any members of the council wish to add or remove an item from the consent agenda.

Council Moore.

Um, I want to add item 51 to consent.

All right.

Yes, uh Councillor O'Quinn.

I concur with adding that, but I just wanted to find out with item 51.

Does it correlate to item 15 on page six?

I believe the organization has a name change as well.

Chief entry.

All right yes, it does correlate.

Okay.

So I I go with the consent.

And can we just say the name for the record?

What is yes?

Item 15.

So Chief.

So the name needs to stay the same because they still have their articles of incorporation of the whole name.

Okay.

And then they're going through their process of renaming it to what we'll share yesterday on budget and finance.

All right, I'm okay with it.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right, Councilor Abbott.

Yes, I'd like to remove item 16 on page seven.

Sixteen.

Okay.

Others.

All right.

Item uh council uh council Williams.

Item number nine, page four.

Okay.

We also have uh items two through five that are marked as public hearing items.

Do any members of the public wish to remove any of those items from the consent agenda?

Seeing none, we're ready for a motion on the consent adjustment.

I move.

Thank you.

Okay.

All in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

All right.

All opposed say nay.

The consent agenda is approved.

Item one, please.

Okay.

Give me one second here.

Okay, item one should be withdrawn at the request of planning agenda permits.

Okay.

Item six.

An ordinance authorizing the mayor upon receipt of payment in the amount of 10,533 cents to execute a quick claim B to Lisa Bimbo for the sale of property legally described as lots 25 and 26 in block 125 according to the survey of East Lake as recorded in map book one, page 217 in the appropriate office of Jefferson County, Alabama, parcel number 23011315, um 011.000 and located at 8005 30 Avenue South Birmingham, Alabama, 35206, which was required by the city upon foreclosure of municipal improvement liens in accordance with section 3-1-4C of the General Code of the City of Birmingham.

This is an item of permanent operation and the UC to pass it today.

Councilmember Abbott.

Aye.

Councilmember Clark.

Councilmember Moore.

Council Member Smithman.

Councilmember Tate.

Aye.

Councilmember Williams.

Aye.

Councilmember Woods.

President Pro Tim Alexander.

Aye.

Council President O'Quinn.

Aye.

Motion on the item, please.

Move the item.

Item is before you.

Okay.

Any discussion on this item.

Seeing none, we're ready for the vote.

All in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

Item six is approved.

Item nine, please.

Item nine.

A resolution approving authorized the mayor to execute a public transportation services agreement between the city of Birmingham and Jefferson County Transit Authority.

The City of Birmingham under which the BJA CTA will provide public transportation services as part of a transit system to include fixed route demand response services, microtransit services, and bus rapid transit services within the city limits for an amount now to exceed $14 million, which compensation is comprised of 11 million dollars for the fixed route and paratransit services and three million dollars for BRT services.

Motion please.

So on this, I have a lot of questions.

Um of which is um in the committee.

Um you said that you were gonna let me know when that was happening, but anyway, um I did.

What what um what did we add to the agreement that keeps this more in check?

Yeah, so there was um the language of the agreement is largely the same.

Um we did add some additional language relative to the um mobile app that they've been working on.

Um and I believe the delivery date specified in the contract is uh January of 2026, and we do have um representatives of BJCTA here.

And we do have representatives of BJCTA here if you guys want to elaborate good morning.

Good morning, Council President, members of the Council.

Mayor is always good to see you.

Chief Sparks, Chief Mitchell.

We are uh have placed in the contract your request for the mobile application, which we should have implemented and launched by January.

Okay, is there a clawback if that is not done by January 2026?

There's nothing in the contract to my knowledge that that doesn't happen, but we're in the testing phase now, and phase one will be ready if not before uh January 26, January 2026.

But I don't think we will have a problem.

There's no delays right now in the project schedule.

Well, but I've been hearing about the app for years, so it by nature's delay.

So on do we do we have what is our latest um reliability number?

Because when we got the presentation from you guys a while back, I believe it was hovering a little bit over 50 percent.

Um does our is our on-time number improved to the 80 percent?

It has.

It's not approved to 80 percent, but again, let me explain the 50 percent was not our current on-time performance.

That was our past on-time performance at 58 percent, which we have been trending up for the last several years, and now our on-time performance is around 75 percent.

Okay, well, that is an improvement.

Um what do we need to fund you guys to get to the 70-30 plan that you guys presented?

Uh, an additional two million dollars.

Okay.

Does the administration have the I mean, is the goal of the administration to fund to get to their 70-30 plan?

Yeah, way ahead of me, my friend.

Two months until the fiscal year you just approved.

But if you don't mind, let us learn more and talk to her.

But okay, I don't want to be um you know minus uh premature about what we can talk about for next July 1 related to our budget.

Of course, I support her, I support her team and the support better efficient transportation for our riders who are residents.

Um but um we always got to talk what does it look like for our budget?

Okay, um, so if we don't so I y'all requested a meeting with my office next week, I believe, to talk about more cuts in my district, I presume.

Uh I don't think they're cuts.

We haven't done any service cuts, and we don't have plans to do any service cuts.

We're reallocating services, but I don't think your district is impacted at all.

Okay, well, when you say reallocating in my district, what is that?

That's part of the 7030 plan.

So, what the 7030 plan does is reallocate services to more workforce on demand stops to meet the work the changing workforce, and we're moving from some stops that have no activities, but I don't think your district is one of those impacted.

Okay, and then for via actually to um be able to provide service within my district, that would be part of the two million in the 7030 plan.

There is a the future plan, which is part of the enhance proposal plan, which is for the additional funding, and that may or may not be via in your area because Max Transit also provides micro transit, and we do it at a lot less than via does, but you do have uh there are future plans for your area, but according to the budget right now, we just cannot afford it in your area.

Okay.

What have we done over to get to this number?

You know, we're talking about additional needs.

Um then just re-looking at the email you guys sent me.

I mean, it does say that it that it will affect my district, so maybe it was a typo from your staff.

I don't I don't know.

And it is a huge issue that you know I've been talking about for years, and I have a fundamental issue at putting more and more money into a system that is not providing our citizens a reliable transit um you know option for especially in in my district.

Um I have a real interest in seeing that people can get doctor's appointments, jobs, grocery store, or wherever the hell they want to go.

Um that do not have the ability for either a financial reason or health reason to to own and drive a car.

And so as we have increased funding to the BJCTA, the service in my district has gone down and down and down.

And so um, you know, we had uh when when was the state of the transit address?

Two years ago.

So two years ago, at the end of that year, during that presentation, y'all said that there would be a functioning app.

I mean, that was the state of the transit address.

There was going to be a functioning app.

And so, you know, that's why I'm asking when's the app coming, and now it's coming in 2026.

So can I clarify what we said of state of transit?

Please.

We were in the process of planning and uh producing that up.

So we had to go through a series of procurement uh accountability, which means we had to put the app out for procurement.

So there's several steps that we had to go through after planning.

So in that project phase, there's initiation, which is where we were to introduce the app at state of transit.

Then we went through planning.

Now we're in implementation.

So an average project of that size takes anywhere between two to three years.

That is the craziest thing I have ever heard in my entire life.

Anyway, I okay.

I've I've been a project manager for over 30 years.

That's my background.

Yeah, and we're going we're moving real slow with more money.

Anyway, I've I'll give it back to you.

I can't vote.

All right.

Any disc uh counselors?

Yes, uh, thank you, Mr.

President.

I have um just a couple of other questions I didn't ask about Gen Finance.

Um, and this may be really B dye, but bus shelters.

Uh what does that look like getting more bus shelters for a lot of our bus stops?

So again, bus shelters are determined not just that by stop.

There are there's criteria used by the FTA to place a bus shelter in a particular location.

And bus shelters also determined by budget.

So because we're a budget-oriented company, we have to uh relate that bus shelter depending on the criteria for FTA.

And so we have plans to expand bus celter stops, but it just depends on the area.

So we do have plans and a project for bus shelter expansion.

Okay.

Do you know how much it costs?

I feel like maybe Mr.

Fowler said, was it 3,000 maybe?

Yeah, no, I just uh was wondering if that was like a project we could help with.

I do remember she may be in college now.

I was a young lady that was interning with Mr.

Fowler, and that was her project.

Um was trying to do more bus shelters around the city.

So I was just love to have that criteria to see, especially considering you know, global warming, everything is getting hotter, or benches for people sit down in, not just my district, but all over the city.

We can get that information for you.

And we are working with the city of Birmingham on mobility hubs that are coming in the future, so that would help with that as well.

Okay.

And then just with the app in general, I would love to see it more user-friendly.

Um, because I have personally tried to use it once, and I got confused.

Um, you know, it's it's it's it was just kind of hard to navigate.

And so I was just love, you know, for tutorials or people just make it easier for people to just go on the app, pick a ride, and then just go from there because right now it's a little bit more complicated.

I think we talked about that.

But a good thing is all of those apps are gonna go away.

The centralized app that we're working on that's gonna be implemented uh during this phase is a centralized application, all of the single applications for BRT, fixed route, microtransit will all go away.

So you'll have one application and it'll be a lot more user-friendly.

Okay, and it's an innovative app.

I think you ought to be very pleased with it.

Is there an educational campaign?

Absolutely.

It's coming out as part of that marketing campaign.

It's coming out as part of that mobile application launch.

Okay.

And now I'll ask the same question from committee meeting.

Um we talked about with the colleges using BRT to help them and via so is that one of your plans?

So our BRT runs through a route, a 10-mile quarter that cannot deviate from that core quarter based on the grant, but it does run uh as you know, through downtown up to UA well to the to uh the west side.

So there are no plans to deviate as far as east or west, but we have plans to expand, but it's not in the college area.

But the good thing is we find in that high school students are using the service a lot more, especially Woodline.

So a lot of our service, our BRT increased by 56%, and it has a lot to do with our high school students.

Yeah, and I would love to see even help you with Birmingham City of Schools.

We talked, I think we talked about this yesterday, what that looks like to get all of the high schoolers to really use that because that's a safe way, uh way safer than Uber, for example, or lived.

Um I think we talked about also helping with the youth, and I think that was the issue of Birmingham.

We talked about that.

So we should have helped with that this summer.

Did someone from my team up with me next week?

Um also I almost have the same question as Council Williams.

I have a meeting next week, and there's supposed to be routes affecting my district.

Are you guys making any additional cuts to routes?

So again, we're not making cuts.

So I I don't know.

I'm sure my team has sent out some avid uh some emails to you.

These are reallocations, so I'm not sure what these reallocations, I'm not sure what those reallocations are, but I have team members who can reach out to you directly to make sure that they understand that you understand what those reallocations are going to be.

Okay, because I also would love for the public to know as well, because I think a lot of times changes happen in the city, and you know, the public is the last to know about that.

So I would love to see how we can expand that information out of my district as well.

No problem.

And so just so you know as well, any changes that take place in service by FTA requirement, we have to give 60 days notice to the public.

So we're out in the public engaging all the time, ensuring that they understand any changes to the service.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

All right, Pro Tim Alexander.

Yes, thank you very much.

I appreciate you uh reiterating the facts and information so that uh residents and members of the council can be you know truly in tune to um what services you're doing.

First, I just wanted to go back and um I have been involved in community meetings where you have notified residents about changes.

Um we I don't think we have any coming up soon or allocations.

I haven't received an email from you, but I do know that in the past when those do occur, uh, as you said, FTA does have requirements for that.

So I'm appreciative of that.

I know it helps residents as they plan and utilize the services.

I did want to go back to the question about the bus shelters.

Um during my term, we did have a bus shelter that my office helped to um put in at in the the um Jones Valley area, and so we had asked a few years ago about one for Roosevelt.

So, how do we communicate that to you and your team?

Is that through um customer service or is that contact you can give us?

Okay, always feel free to reach out to uh Trey Foster, okay, who is our customer experience director, senior director, and he'll get that information to our capital team, and then we'll start to coordinate with you on the particular bus shelters.

Perfect, because we wanted to continue with that thought of putting one in Roosevelt.

So we'll contact you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council Tate.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Director Shaw, for all of the hard work that you do.

Um appreciate it.

And and I and I realize, you know, change is hard and then I just want because a lot of people may not know what FTA means, federal transportational authority.

So I think we need to make sure that we make that.

But I know I realize a lot of things, laws impact a lot of things that happen.

Um, and I think you've done a great job when you invited us over to kind of explain.

But like, what's the plan going forward to make sure that we continue to educate the public?

And I really want to challenge my colleagues.

You have a legislative session coming up in 2020, and the state of Alabama allocates L Zero to public transit.

That's right.

And how we how do we lean in with you all or with the mayor and his team to make sure or try to at least get this conversation going when you see all these robust transit systems operating in different places and spaces, and in the state of Alabama, we don't have that.

Zero data.

And then you have organizations like Alabama Rise who fight every day for indigent communities to have access to health care, access to taxes off groceries, and access to public transit.

So with the city of Birmingham seems to be the only funding mechanism that you all have.

And if the cuts that are coming from the federal level, it's time to reimagine how do we go after more funding?

How do we lean in to make sure that the public transportation department in the city of Birmingham is getting what they need so people can have access?

And when you are reallocating routes, you know, what does that look like when it comes to microtransit, like Councillor Williams said, I get it.

People have to go to work.

They don't have cars like some of us do, or if our car breakdown, we we can call a friend or you know, call a buddy or somebody to get us to what we need.

But it's super important for people to get to work on time, um, get to doctor's appointments on time, and how do we lean in as a collective because it's no time to point blame or blame somebody for what's what's not happening.

It didn't start with you.

That's right.

It started many years ago.

So I think we need to come together as a collective and just come up with a either understand the roadmap that you are developing.

Um I appreciate what you did in North Birmingham by the North Birmingham uh towers.

I know I talked to that to the mayor, and I think Chief Mitchell and I, they have been dumping over there, but you guys came in, filled it out and put a bus stop there.

It's not a shelter there, a cover shift, and then maybe we can go back and look at that.

But again, as you stated, these things are regulated by the federal government, and people have to understand that.

You know, I know going into council meet uh neighborhood meetings, we often be up on the the this like a like a firing range because we don't know what to tell people.

Um and we'd like to see, you know, you guys, you know, coming out to the community, coming to the neighborhood meetings without people, you know, cutting up, but people just need to understand like what what's happening in real time.

And so again, I want to thank you for what you're doing.

And let's think about how we can rally behind what you all are doing to get you know more funding and more funding sources to increase the footprint of public trains.

I would love to see that happen here in this city.

Thank you.

Thank you, and thank you for that comment.

Um, that advocacy means a lot, and it is a constant struggle with the state of Alabama.

We've had two bills in the last two years that did not pass.

And you're right, that happened way before me in 1952 when they passed an amendment that no gasoline tax could go toward public transportation.

That was done intentionally, as we all know.

So it is a constant struggle, but know that we're working very hard every day to ensure the services, but we can only do what we have budget to do.

And the 7030 plan is a game changer for us.

And we actually started a microtransit division, and we didn't get one dime extra from anywhere.

That was the budget.

So we reallocated services to where we know the work first demand is and took it from places that were not meeting any demand because they were in front of vacant lots in front of vacant neighborhoods, and uh we're now sourcing microtransit in areas that never had it before, and we like to see it expanded, but of course that's gonna be an enhanced budget expense.

But I really do appreciate that comment, Consulate, because it is a constant struggle for us, but our goal is to ensure that we connect people to places and we want to contribute to their life quality.

That's what we do, that's who we are, and that's what we represent.

And so when somebody can't get to work, Councilor Hunter, that hurts us as well.

So we want to make sure that we service your district and every district represented here, but we can only do so much with the budget that we have.

So let me ask you final question, Councillor Williams.

Um, more municipality participation from you know, cross sectors and other municipalities and you know, and I know Councillor Quinn plays a big part, you know.

We all have our strengths on on this council.

He's the expert when it comes to transit.

Council Clark is the expert when it comes to to housing, and we we the expert when it comes to public safety.

Um, and how can we wrap our arms around you guys with these other municipalities and talk about the importance of what this transit looks like all across this city?

Maybe you they need to be increasing their budget because you know, people want with less, we want more with less.

And that cannot be, you know, we we gotta get more, and we got to get more people thumping in my government, which which means if people got to load up by the bus law.

Storytelling is very impact important, and you can change minds and hearts when you start telling stores.

I seen it myself just here recently in a courtroom, just recently just recently with my niece.

So I'm telling people the blaming and pointing the finger point, we gotta stop these nonsense, and we gotta get on board and make sure that people get what they need and get the services that they need and go above and beyond to make sure that we that we that we do that.

And that's going to DC, wherever we gotta go to make it happen.

Thank you.

Pratim Alexander.

Yes, um, thank you, Councillor Tate, for just reminding us about what the state of Alabama and how uh the legislative session is something that we can key in on to get more funding for transportation.

I also like the idea of working with the JC3.

Um when we talk about other municipalities throwing in their monies to help to support this.

We had a situation with the 45 Investment on Bessema Road, and so we had residents, they're going one way towards Birmingham, they have bus service leading out of Birmingham, going into Bessemer, Brighton, other neighborhoods.

They didn't have bus service on that side of Bessemer Road, as because one of the other municipalities didn't support it.

So it affects us even within our own neighborhoods when we neighbor certain municipalities.

So I'd like to see that as an opportunity with JC3 to get that going.

And just for counselors, when we talk about legislative agenda, we will be meeting today at two o'clock with the government affairs administration committee, and one of our agenda items we're starting to work on those legislative agenda items for 2026.

Thank you.

Cool.

Council Williams.

Thank you.

Ms.

Shaw, can you go when we met you um went over something that I I think you called it executive service?

Is that am I using that term correctly?

Uh uh what services are you referring to?

It it was called executive.

What what was it called, Daryl?

Oh, you're talking about the VIP services?

Oh, VIP, I'm sorry.

So we are two looking for additional opportunities for funding, and to do that, we know we have to generate revenue from someplace.

So as part of our local funding, what we're doing, and we're working on a business plan right now to look at ways in which we can offer market rate um uh transit, like uh, for example, Uber and Lyft.

So we know that they're competitors, right?

They tend to come after some of our customers who might want to get on our system, but they don't want to be on the bus or microtransit.

So we too are going to be offering via what we call VIP services, but really it's just gonna be a market rate Uber and Lyft, and it's gonna be a revenue-generated source to help bring in revenue to the company.

But we're still working that out with FTA and with uh our attorneys to ensure that we're not breaking any federal rules to risk our federal funding.

And if it works out, then we'll be providing that VIP service, which would be market rate, and you'll be able to call max transit for your Uber and your Lyft, just like you do now for those private companies.

Well, my question is more of well, I asked my question.

Yeah, my question is I wanted to make sure that none of this 14 million dollars that we are today goes anywhere near that.

Absolutely while we while we would spend money to compete against multi-billion dollar international corporations, or we can't even get the nine districts transit.

I don't know, but I want to make sure that the four that zero of this 14 million dollars is going towards any kind of VIP service.

It will not.

Okay.

That's what we're looking to do.

And that's just in our business plan mode right now, Councilor Hunter.

And we have not spent one dime of local your local funding toward that.

It's in a business plan right now.

Okay, thank you.

One quick question while we have you.

Um the the BRT has been tremendously successful.

Um tens of thousands of riders every month uh on that, and you know, I think that's in part because it's a no-fair system.

So it's the easiest thing you can imagine, you just simply go to the bus stop and step on the bus.

No transaction needs to happen.

So, and it takes you anywhere along a 10-mile route.

So love to see that.

There are a couple of additional stops planned that route in the central city area specifically I wanted to see if you could give us a just you know 10 seconds up so you don't wear that so in the um project phase we actually probably missed two stops downtown which is on uh 20th I think yeah 20th and first street so we're going to be adding two additional inbound well well one inbound one outbound platform and then we're working with James Fowler uh to add two more platforms and I it it escapes me right now where those two are going to be located so on all we're going to be adding four additional platforms in the very near future we're preparing the procurement documents now to go out for uh uh solicitation so we can get the construction started on those especially the one on first and 20th street so in the next six months you should start seeing uh a new platform for the BRT and the BRT is uh uh increasing 56% I mean it is blowing it is doing exactly what the city of Birmingham expected it to do and it's even doing better and one of the reasons is because the fares are complementary right now I'm just not sure how long we can keep them complimentary but we like to do that because it is increasing ridership significantly excellent thank you all right I believe we're ready for the vote all in favor let it be Noma say aye all opposed say nay yay all right that item item nine is approved item 16 item 16 a resolution approving and authorizing the mayor to execute a consent and ratification form on which the city of Birmingham will evidence its consent to a 24 month deferral of loan payments of posits of LC to the city of Birmingham downtown redevelopment authority acting as a designated public agency of the city with respect to 3,200 thousand dollars of HUD 108 loan made to Pazits LLC in 2015 to finance costs incurred for the historic renovation and redevelopment of possits building motion please before you discussion please uh counselor Abbott yeah I just wanted somebody from the administration to explain why we're doing this sorry my back hurts so what we're doing with the uh for this development is just extending the the permanent payments for uh the posits by two years for them to make more payments in the future for um future development but why I will actually let the developer answer that question but we're agreeing to it or if we vote for this we're agreeing to it's that's also something that we're doing with uh the HUD regulations also have something to do with this I let the developer talk about that.

Okay good thank you good morning I'm David Silverstein Mr.

President members of the council mayor council abott um you know my passion for possits uh for over 15 years we have been engaged on this iconic project simply stated um we need to rebrand and remarket the food hall component it uh experienced a tremendous downturn as a result of COVID as you can imagine um we did not receive any PPP money we haven't asked the city for funding and we have um the need to get some relief so that we can spend dollars to make improvements uh to the food hall uh bring in new tenants uh new businesses quite frankly um it may not all be food I think there is a need in downtown to have some additional shopping uh also with food mixed into it so it's to give us some breathing room so that we can uh spend the dollars to make major improvements to the food hall we're funding Pazits every six months I mean quite frankly okay so can I add I just want to make sure that the council understand that is no new money that is obligated to this this project we're just extending the terms of the long agreement is all we're doing okay well I'm I'm fine with that I just wanted to know why we were doing it and I wasn't clear from what I read so I just needed to hear yeah so thank you council clerk thank you Mr.

So I just needed to hear.

Yeah.

So thank you.

Council Clark.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I really love the food hall, and I know getting that project done was it was hairy and it was long time coming.

And many restaurants have failed because we don't have the, you know, many of the workers downtown are teleworking.

And so they're not, you don't have the same market that you had to serve.

I mean, those restaurants, I don't know if they could, and I think we have more residences downtown, but we don't have sort of that daytime volume to really support those businesses.

But I really love having it there as an option for food service downtown.

Uh I sometimes forget it because there's nothing on the street to make me go, oh, there's something I like inside of Pazitz.

So that impulse, you can't really appeal to impulses being so interior.

But I I can imagine it's a struggle.

I think I'm glad you're thinking about other types of retail and services and maybe some activations, more events, art shows, something that's gonna draw more people in and make it a destination.

I you know, so that we don't forget to go.

And forget to support.

Yeah, we've begun to have dialogue with McCoyne, um further dialogue about how to be collaborative with McCoy and IMAX with the Sidewalk Film Festival.

Uh in my office, people are tired of hearing me say Birmingham in Mars and these types of projects in other cities can be successful, have been successful.

So bear with me.

We we're gonna get it done.

And um, well, and I think everybody who can hear us needs to remember to eat it.

Yes, well, we we believe in the project, and um well, let me ask you just like what is the annual debt service on this note that we're deferring, because I think that's important to us because we still have to keep paying it.

Yeah, while you're not about 200,000 a year.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Yeah, Councilor Tyson.

I mean, sorry, I don't know where that came from.

Councilor Smithman.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, so I'm gonna give a different perspective as somebody who uh works downtown.

So Pazitz Food Hall is about two blocks from me, and I don't forget Pazits.

In fact, uh just some positive.

My friends and I, we'd be like, hey, where do you want to go for happy hour?

My friends will go.

I've had friends go for um just even work meetings.

Um, and I've also enjoyed the different events there.

I think there's been uh maybe a single day Mayo event.

I know it's outside organization that did, it was packed.

So I've seen the Pazitz Food Hall um packed, but you know, I thought I was talking about this with my sister actually.

I thought there was a different vision for it.

I thought maybe I shouldn't use these words today's culture, more culturally diverse.

Like there would be different types of food in the food hall.

When we went to Nashville for MBC Leo, their food hall is amazing.

Anything you want, you can get there.

You can get ice cream, Chinese burgers, uh sushi.

That's how I would love to see the Pazitz Food Hall look like because as of right now, Council Clark is right, you don't have a lot of options.

You maybe have the hamburger spot, uh is it Ashley Max?

Um I don't even think the sandwich place is there anymore.

But I would just like to see more diversity.

I really think it's more of a marketing issue because you have sidewalk film festival there, you know, you still have the bar who a lot of people actually come together and go there.

So I think it's really more of a marking issue, but I would just love to see it be more culturally diverse with restaurants as well.

Fair enough.

Yes.

Family friendly too.

Family friendly too, you know, and I think sometimes the hours of the restaurant also affected, but also um I think the space and the front, definitely like I've seen yoga there, for example, I've done a chiccuterie board class there.

I think also with Council Clark, if you see more people in there that may attract you to the food hall as well.

So I would just like to see just a facelift.

Fair enough.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

As I said, my passion hadn't waned and uh believe that it's iconic and um needs needs to have an a rebranding, remarketing, retinanting.

Okay.

Council Williams.

Appreciate your comments.

Yeah, Mr.

Silverstein.

I just wanted to thank you for continuing to work on this project.

I know that if the pizzits were to become what the posits was before your redevelopment of it, um, and was a boarded up storefront that that would have a huge impact on uh on our city center.

And so uh while that there is no additional funding per se being in the form of a grant or whatever um or economic development incentive, um I do think that this extension is very worthwhile because the alternative of um of letting that space go dark would have a huge impact on the restaurants that we've been trying to bring to our downtown corridor to the vibrancy and commerce that us and Rev have been trying to bring to downtown and the pizzit is an anchor of that.

Um, and so it is extremely important that we that it that it stays lit and not boarded up.

So thank you for continuing to do that.

Dr.

Thomas's mom, Valerie lives in Posit, so I'm I'm constantly getting feedback, as you can imagine.

So committed.

Uh you know, look, I've I've been in you know I love the city of Birmingham.

Have invested heavily in the city.

We'll continue to do so, and you have my commitment that we're gonna, you know.

The residentials do great.

Um the forage office does great.

The pulse of the posits, though, is the food hall retail component.

So we just need to get on with it, and we'll we'll do it.

You have my commitment.

Councilor Tates.

Just really quickly, just want to echo what Councillor Smith mentioned about diversity.

Um I did we went to um Nashville and saw a food food court, and it was just it was so many people.

It's amazing.

I mean, like we I was blown away, and it was family friendly, as you stated.

Um, and I again I just think you know, bringing you know more retail.

I I can't, I was just sharing Council Woods.

I went somewhere to a food court and I saw a target in there.

I was like, what a target in a food court.

So yes, we love to see because I was just in Posit last week and stopped by the little burger place, which I probably shouldn't have, but I I dismissed the bond that you said that the burger and the cheese and the lettuce and tomato.

Um so I remember going to Pazitz when it was a shopping store when it was downtown.

Would love to go in and shop with my mom all the time.

And you had Lumens and all of that good old stuff and woodwork where you can run across the street, get the ice cream, but you know, reimagine you know, some things like that being in there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I want to reiterate what counselor uh Williams uh I remember what the posits were was before the restoration project, and um I mean you guys did such an incredible job restoring that building.

Um you know it's it's amazing, and uh definitely don't want you know us stepping backwards and and going in the wrong direction, and um you know, so we're we're here to help.

Thank you so much, and thank you, Mayor, for your support.

Yep.

All right, we're ready for the vote.

All in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed say may.

Item 16 is approved.

Um always good to see.

Thank you for what y'all doing.

Thank you, sir.

Yeah.

That completes the items on our business items.

Um now go to announcements.

Councilor Moore.

Uh our Counselor Abbott.

Are you ready?

You got you.

I'm sorry.

President O'Quinn.

Yes, just want to note on the um addendum item.

That language um we were correcting the address, but in the top part, that zip code should be 35235.

That's the wrong zip code, and then the right zip code is correct on here 3523.

So the first one should be 35235.

It's just the language, the correction.

It got it.

All right, thank you.

Councilor Adams.

So for September 9th, 2025, the next planning and zoning committee meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, September 10th at 3:30 p.m.

here in the council chambers.

Highland Park Neighborhood Association meeting has been moved to the Virginia Samford Theater because of the air conditioning problems at Highland Park, which I hope will be resolved soon because they've been going on for over a year.

So that's significant.

So Virginia Sanford Theater instead of the Highland Park facility.

Then at 6 o'clock, also East Avondale neighborhood meets via conference call.

I'm a big proponent of my BM 311 app, and I hope that everybody has added it to their phone so that you can turn in all of the items that you see in your neighborhood that you would like to have fixed by the city.

That's my BM 311, and you can get it at the Play Store or the Apple store.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

All right, thank you, Councillor Albert.

Counselor Smithman.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Actually, I was talking about Mr.

Mayor before you leave.

I do have a question about if we want to inquire about recruiting businesses to our district or seeing what does that look like.

I was thinking particularly at the Heritage Shopping Center.

Um I know one business is going is leaving a particular area.

And I do know there's a need for like a coffee shop.

One of our coffee shops actually closed down.

They're trying to rebrand and come back next year.

But I do know another coffee shop that's looking to expand.

What does that look like?

So I'm not sure.

Okay, because in particular, yeah, that and five point south.

So same.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

Um, for neighborhood meetings tonight, South Tisville will be at 5 30 at Holy Family.

Uh, then Arlington West End will meet today at 6 p.m.

at the West End Library.

The next budget and finance meeting will be on Monday, September 22nd at 3 30 p.m.

Submissions are due Wednesday, September 17th by noon.

Uh, tomorrow, uh, Wednesday, September 10th from 12 to 1 at uh Highlands Church.

There will be the bid community advisory form there.

So if you want to give any insights, uh the bid process and caps, this is your opportunity.

Uh last week I had the opportunity to sponsor Hemp Hill's Muffins with Moms event.

It was a great success, and I'm proud to share that Hemp Peel is now off of the full support list and continues to show significant academic improvement compared to previous years.

So that is a win uh for our school system.

And then lastly, tonight at the Arlington House starting at 6 p.m.

in partnership with the Black Women's Mental Health Institute.

We will be having a book talk.

The speaker is April Sompkins.

She is the mother of Miss USA 2019, who actually took her life during the pandemic.

Uh, she actually has started a book called By the Time You Read This and left three chapters undone, and her mama finished the book.

So we'll be talking about suicide awareness, mental health, especially amongst people of color and women.

Uh it's free.

We'll have food by Bistra on 19th on the 19th.

So please come out and come support this event.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

All right, thank you.

Put him Alexander.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

These are announcements for district seven.

Today at 2 p.m.

has already been announced.

We'll have the administration and government affairs committee meeting.

This will be held in the council chambers.

We have several neighborhood meetings this week.

Tonight we have the East Brownville neighborhood.

They meet at 5 30 at Mary Doris Center and the Riley Travalic neighborhood.

We'll meet at 6 p.m.

at Noble Chapel CME.

So please join my staff and I for those meetings.

On Thursday, September 11th, we have the West Brownville neighborhood meeting.

They will meet 11 a.m.

via conference call.

And Roosevelt City meets at 5.30 at the Roosevelt Rec Center.

And then to top off the week, Friday, September 12th.

Garden Highlands has changed their meeting to this Friday instead of next Friday.

So they'll be meeting at 4 p.m.

at Hillard Baptist Church.

I do want to uh again welcome our Birmingham Promise student, Miss Rachel Middlebrooks.

And Rachel was real humble.

She didn't tell you a lot about herself.

She has a 3.9 GPA, as she already stated her plans to attend Alabama State University, majoring in forensic science.

And as she stated, she's the head drum major at Weinona High.

Those are my announcements.

Thank you for telling my exander.

Counselor Tate.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Sandusky neighborhood meeting is tonight at 6 p.m.

at the Jimmy Hudson Rec Center located at 309 Pratt Highway.

North Pratt Neighborhood Meeting will be here tonight at 5 p.m.

at the Pratt Library, located at 500 Dugan Avenue.

Oak Ridge Neighborhood Meeting will be held on Thursday, September the 11th.

They meet by conference call at 4 p.m.

And then call in numbers 952064918.

Code access code is 223418.

Hooper City Neighborhood Meeting will be held on Thursday at 6 p.m.

at the Hooper City Rec Center, 3901 Fourth Street West.

Next public safety meeting will be held on today at 1 p.m.

in the council chamber.

And this year we're doing the trail ride.

So we calling all y'all cow girls and cowboys to join us for the line dancing spectacular.

You know, people have taken this line dancing by storm, and that brings a lot of joy, you know, to community.

So we have Logan the Entertainer.

We have Cupid, we have Mr.

Flex Man himself, Mike Clark Jr., Tony Amani calling all y'all cow girls and cowboys, country girls.

Come on in.

And so we're excited.

We also have an additional added to the show.

Tish who has a um lion dance song guys.

So we excited to see everybody coming to Legion Field, having fun.

So get there early, can't get your boots on.

Sorry we couldn't get Miss Shirley.

They look three-year-old.

You know, she Miss Shirley has blown all up over the internet.

But we got some heavy hitters gonna be on at Legion Field on September the 14th.

So please get there early.

And again, thanks, Councilor Quinn and his staff, Myesha and Kim for being great partners to pull this off.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

All right, thank you, Councilor Tate.

Counselor Woods.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Quickly, the Killer Springs Neighborhood Association, the meeting for tonight has been canceled.

Want to shout out the Alabama Environmental Council, uh, Black Warrior River Keeper and all the volunteers who joined us on Saturday at Robot Golf Course.

Uh everybody collectively was able to uh clean up just over 350 pounds of litter.

Um, as some of you may know, we have a endangered species, the watercrest daughter, and the pond right around the golf course is one of the only locations that they exist.

And so excited for appreciative of everyone who came out to make the impact uh last weekend and then coming up on Saturday, September 13th, we will be hosting our district one garden plant out.

And so we'll be uh replanting for the fall season.

So if you uh have a green thumb or you're interested in learning, uh, we'll be at the District One Community Garden at East Pension Valley Rec Center at 8 a.m.

on Saturday.

Uh you can help plant fresh produce, prepare the garden beds, um, sometimes we'll clear trails and things like that.

So come on out.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Woods.

Councilor Moore.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

As has been mentioned, Kelo Springs Neighborhood Association has been counseled.

Uh we also have the Northeast Lake Neighborhood Association that's taking place tonight at the Southern Museum of Flight at 6 p.m.

Along with the Penfield Park Neighborhood Association that will take place tonight at 6 p.m.

at Brownsville Heights Community Center.

Um I did want to bring to the attention of the administration.

Um I had a chance to go to a couple of different neighborhood association meetings last night.

Um who I need to talk to.

Oh, there you go.

I couldn't see your eyes, sir.

Um it's over in the uh Ingle Nook neighborhood, uh 3300 39th Street and 3825 38th Avenue North, uh, with two uh lots that uh individuals brought to my attention that have had some, you know, um overgrown uh lots as well as some illegal dumping.

And so wanted to make sure that I brought that to the attention uh of the team.

Uh and then also I'm not sure if any of the other counselors have heard any of this when they go to neighborhood meetings, but I constantly get requests about uh mailers being sent out uh for folks to be notified about neighborhood association meetings, right?

Um and so um I know that there are millers that go out from you know both the council as well as from the mayor's office, um, and just trying to see if that's something that you know people would be amenable to uh and putting in a mailer.

And just trying to see if that's something that you know people would be amenable to uh in putting in a melee.

Yeah well from the mayor's office we don't send out neighborhood notices.

Gotcha usually we let the neighborhoods have a deal with the discretionary funds that they have and we have a vendor that can send out actual notices to the neighborhood gotcha gotcha.

The last thing that I wanted to make mention of was uh the fact that we have the Magic City classic that's coming up tailgating um tickets will go on sale this week September the 11th which is a Thursday and so definitely want to make sure that you know people jump on that as soon as possible because you all know that they sell out quickly and so wanted to make sure that uh folks knew to reach out to uh Legion Field for any questions that they may have 2052 five four two three nine one again tailgating tickets go on sale this Thursday September the 11th reach out to Legion Field for any questions that you may have and that concludes my announcements all right thank you Council Moore in D5 we have the East Ivondale Neighborhood Association that will meet uh tonight via conference call at 6 p.m.

please call my office to get that sign in information that number is 2052 five four two six seven nine on Thursday the Smithfield Neighborhood Association will meet at 6 p.m at the Smithville Court Community Nutrition Center um also want to let the folks know that uh the Jefferson County Department of Senior Services and the City of Birmingham will host a fall senior resource fair this Friday September 12th at the Bill Harris arena from 9 a.m to 1 p.m.

And again if you need more details please contact my office um counselor Tate mentioned about the safe summer concert series uh that's coming up our collaborative prop project between our offices um on Sunday that starts at 5 p.m at Legion Field and um councilor Smithman uh wanted me to uh announce also that um there's a Pilates at City Walk happening this Saturday starting at 11 a.m and you can check out the City Walk uh social media pages to find that information and that concludes my announcements uh we don't have any public speakers signed up for today and I want to thank Officer Square for being with us uh yet again thank you so much and we're ready for a motion someone say me all in favor say aye meeting adjourned