Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting - September 9, 2025

The Birmingham City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. Pre-council at 9:00 a.m. was not held due to lack of a quorum. The meeting opened with prayer by Rev. Otis McGuire and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilor Hunter Williams. All nine council members were present (Councilors Tate and Williams arrived after the start). The session included adoption of the consent agenda (with removals), a presentation on heirs' property, introduction of Birmingham Promise interns, discussion and action on a transit services agreement and a loan deferral for the Pizitz Building, and various announcements.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved with several modifications: Item 1 (inoperable vehicle abatement) was withdrawn; Item 9 was removed for separate discussion; Item 16 was removed for separate discussion; Items 2–5 (public hearings on inoperable vehicles) were held with no citizen requests to speak; Item 11 had a language change ("food insecurity in our communities"); Item 14 funding amounts were corrected (total $6,750, broken down: District 2 $1,000, District 5 $1,500, District 6 $750). All remaining consent items—including software agreements, interlocal agreements for City Walk maintenance, contracts with community organizations, demolition orders for 20 unsafe structures, and equipment purchases—were passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public registered to speak.

Discussion Items

• Item 6 (Ordinance 25-117) – Property Sale to Lisa Bimbo: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a quitclaim deed for property at 8005 3rd Avenue South to Lisa Bimbo for $10,533.74, acquired by the city through foreclosure of municipal improvement liens. Approved unanimously.

• Item 9 (Resolution 1561-25) – Transit Services Agreement with BJCTA: A resolution authorizing a $14,000,000 agreement with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority for fixed route, paratransit, microtransit, and Bus Rapid Transit services ($11M for fixed route/paratransit, $3M for BRT). Extensive discussion followed: Councilmember Williams raised concerns about the mobile app (expected January 2026) and reliability (on-time performance now 75%, up from 58%), and asked for a meeting on route reallocations affecting his district. Councilmember Tate advocated for a legislative push for state transit funding. Councilmembers also questioned bus shelter expansion and app usability. The resolution passed 8–1, with Councilmember Williams voting nay.

• Item 16 (Resolution 1562-25) – Pizitz Loan Deferral: A resolution consenting to a 24-month deferral of loan payments by Pizitz, L.L.C. on a $3.2 million HUD 108 loan for the historic renovation of the Pizitz Building. Developer David Silverstein explained the need to rebrand and re-tenant the food hall after COVID struggles. Councilmembers expressed support for the extension (no new city funds) and encouraged more diverse retail and events to attract visitors. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Adopted with modifications, including withdrawal of Item 1 and separate handling of Items 9 and 16.
• Item 6: Ordinance adopted unanimously (9–0) to sell foreclosed property to Lisa Bimbo.
• Item 9: Resolution adopted 8–1 (Councilmember Williams opposed) to fund BJCTA transit services up to $14 million.
• Item 16: Resolution adopted unanimously to consent to 24-month deferral of Pizitz loan payments.
• Expense Accounts: Approved advanced expense accounts for officials and employees attending conferences.
• Grant Applications: Authorized applications for Ensley Works site assessment ($2M with 1:1 match), City Walk maintenance ($250,000), and Police Athletics Youth Program ($50,000), all with no city match.
• Legal Settlement: Approved settlement of Julianna Jamison v. City of Birmingham for up to $35,000.
• Demolition Orders: Declared 20 properties as public nuisances and ordered demolition.
• Public Safety Equipment: Approved purchase of security scanning and weapons detection systems ($128,903.28) and access control gate ($35,078.41), among other procurements.
• Community Agreements: Funded services for breast cancer awareness ($12,500), food insecurity ($15,797), homeless shelter during extreme weather ($75,000), Sidewalk Film Festival ($6,750), and Southbound Food Festival ($50,000).