So

Good morning, Birmingham.

This is the regular meeting of the Birmingham City Council.

Today is Tuesday, September sixteenth.

This morning our invocation will be delivered by Reverend Laramie D.

Long, Pastor of Twenty Second Avenue Baptist Church, and our Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Counselor Clinton Woods.

If you're willing and able, please stand.

Um thank you.

A day we've never seen and a day we'll never see again.

We're praying for this city, Lord God.

We uh read in your word where you said that you saw the man that would um repair the wall before you that you would not destroy the land, but you found none.

But we pray for men today to stand up and help restore our communities, Lord God, be men of accountability, Lord God.

We pray for our elected officials that um they may lean not to their own understanding, but acknowledge you in all of their ways that you may direct their pay.

Will hum themselves pray, seek your face and turn from their wicked ways.

Then you will hear from heaven, forgive sin and heal the land.

So, Lord God, we just thank you now.

And we just pray now that all that is said and is done, that it may be pleasing in your sight that you will get to do glory for it is all about you and not about us in your son Jesus' name.

We thank you.

Amen.

Mr.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilmember Abbott.

President.

Councilmember Clark.

Present.

Councilmember Moore.

Morning.

Councilmember Smithman.

Morning, Councilmember Tate.

Good morning, Councilmember Williams.

Good morning.

Morning, Councilmember Woods.

Morning.

Council President Pro Tim Alexander.

Council President O'Quinn.

Good morning.

Council before us, we have the April 15th, 22nd and 29th of 2025 meeting minutes.

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

So all in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

Opposed say no.

All right.

Um the minutes are not ready for the May 6th, 2025 through September 9th, 2025 meetings.

This time we'll have communications from Mayor Woodman.

Good morning to the entire council.

Good to see you all this morning, and good morning to the general public, those in the audience here in the chamber as well as those online.

I want to start with uh an update related to food trucks.

The city of Birmingham would like to invite all food truck operators, food and tent vendors as well, um, to an event for an important informational session.

Tuesday, September 30th at 4 p.m.

This event will take place at the Ballot World Auditorium, and that address is 1930.

Reverend Abraham Woods Jr.

Boulevard.

The time of the event will be again from 4 to 7 p.m.

This three-hour informational session is designed to help vendors and planners understand what is required to legally operate a mobile food business within the Birmingham City limits.

This session will also provide critical information for those planning to sell food or organize events during the Magic City Classic.

We want to encourage those who would like to attend in advance to register and also send an email to register at Birminghamal.gov.

Again, that's register at Birmingham AL.gov.

At this time, I would like to ask Sandy Green and any of her guests to join me here at the podium.

Um Sandy Green is here to bring awareness for umpecio awareness.

As a founder and president of Don't Stare, just ask.

Affected by our Pisha feel seen, supported, and celebrated.

And so we would like to highlight awareness about alopecia and celebrate the work of Ms.

Sandy Green with the proclamation that I will read in part.

In the states where since 2022, Sandy has organized annual alopecia awareness walks across Alabama, with the fourth annual walk taking place in September in Birmingham to offer a place of unity, education, and encouragement for those navigating life with Alopisian.

And whereas through her work as a former employee with Birmingham City Schools and founder of Alpha Zeta Capital Sorority Incorporated, Sandy has uplifted children and women experiencing hair loss, advocated for those facing bullying, and created safe spaces where self-worth is affirmed and beauty is redefined.

And where Sandy's advocacy does not stop with Allah Peace.

She is a humanitarian who feeds and clothes those in need, a model who walks boldly, bald and beautiful, to show what confidence looks like, and a voice for the voiceless in her community.

Now, therefore, our Randall L.

Woodfin, we have the city of Birmingham along with the Birmingham City Council.

Do hereby recognize and commend Sandy Green for her unwavering commitment to advocacy, representation, and public education surrounding alopecia and her efforts are changing lives and shifting the narrative, one story, one walk, and one conversation at a time.

And I present to you, Birmingham Council, Miss Green.

Good morning again.

My name is Sandy Green, and I am the founder of Don't Stare, Just Ask.

What is Alapecia?

Alapecia is the Automion disorder that caused hair loss.

Not everyone that has alopecia is bald, but I am one of those that is bald.

I wanted to present the mayor with my second book that's called All That Pisa, Alapecia.

And I named it all that pizza because my granddaughter cannot say alopecia.

She says all that pizza.

And Council Warmin Smithman read my book on across America earlier this year to the students.

And I just want to say thank you guys for always being here for me when I'm when I'm asking questions when I need things, and I'm so grateful.

Last night I got back in town around 12 because I was in Virginia speaking about alopecia.

And the first thing I did before I even got home was come to City Hall to see the blue lights, because I'm grateful for the mayor and the councilman for allowing the lights to be blue to represent Alopecia.

And again, I want to say thank you.

I'm grateful.

Alapice does not define who I am.

Alapecia is something that I have to do to help others.

So if you see someone that looked different than you are, don't stare.

Just ask.

Thank you.

This is what you read, Miss Smith, Council Smith.

This is nice.

Yeah.

All that pizzas.

So at this time, I would like to ask your colleague, Councillor Huntra Williams, to join me at the podium along with Miss Emily Norfolk and Cindy Lowry and any guests they may have.

Thank you, sir.

So good morning, everyone.

As they come, along with Council Williams, and I know that Council shares our sentiment as well.

Emily and Cindy, along with their guests, along with Councilor Williams, represent the commitment to our community to clean air, clean water, and healthier communities.

And with this proclamation that we will share today, we want to, and Councilor Williams, your colleague would like to call attention to a national commitment on September 21st for Sunday, that's S U N Day, Sunday.

And so now I'll read the proclamation in part and let these amazing people along with Council Williams share more detail.

And that includes how we power our future.

And whereas the City of Birmingham's Office of Resilience and Sustainability continues to drive progress on this front, working to improve air quality, expand access to green spaces, and invest in forward-thinking neighborhood-based clean energy solutions.

And whereas on Sunday, September September 21st, 2025, thousands of people across the country will gather to take part in Sunday, a coordinated movement of climate action aimed at building momentum and shining a light on the future we can shape together.

And now, therefore, I Randall L.

Woodfin, mayor of the City of Birmingham, along with Councillor Hunter William, City Council representative of District 2, and along with the entire Birmingham City Council, do hereby proclaim September 21st, 2025 as Sunday in the City of Birmingham and encourage all residents, business owners, educators, and community leaders to learn more about solar and wind energy, to advocate for clean energy, and to help shape a city where environmental justice is not just a vision or a buzzword, but a reality.

At this time, I would like Council Williams to share more, and then he'll introduce our two guests, Miss Emily Northrop and Cindy Lowry to share some words as well.

You know, I really I'm gonna let Emily and Cindy take this away, but you know, we I think that we as a city use solar a lot more than we think we do on our massive camera project that we just approved as a council.

Many of those actually will be solar powered.

We've looked at, I know uh JT Moore, I think that you mentioned that we've been looking at some lighting solutions that because of accessibility of getting actually the wires in the ground and potential theft.

We've actually looked at utilizing solar for that.

And the city obviously is moving towards a hybrid or electric vehicle fleet in in some of its departments, and so I think that we need to realize that we as a city actually are doing more than most municipalities in the state of Alabama when it comes to solar and clean energy.

But I really wanted these people that are very passionate about it and resident two districts to take it away.

Thank you.

I'm gonna be your only speaker.

Um so good morning.

I'm Emily Northrop, and I am a proud resident of the Eastwood neighborhood and just a house away from Shades Creek and the Florida Johnston Nation uh Nature Park.

Thanks to Councillor Williams for being our champion with this resolution.

Um I brought it to him under the auspices of the Citizens Climate Lobby.

We are a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy group, and if we're going to avert the worst case climate scenarios, we have to move aggressively on clean energy, and that's why the CCL is here.

We were joined in seeking this declaration by 19 local nonprofits, and um uh including environmental church and refugee organizations and six local coffee shops, because they are on the front line of climate change.

Uh with me today is Cindy Lowry of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, um, who'd like for you to know that 80 percent of the withdrawals from Alabama Rivers are for cooling coal, gas, and nuclear power plants, and uh solar power doesn't need uh those withdrawals.

Stephen Caprio is here with the Cahaba Alliance for Conservation and Sustainability, who's uh passionate about clean energy, uh clean and inexpensive solar power as a way to transform our lives and our economy.

And a wonderful uh story uh is from Mary Ann Plant of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham, who um they're getting an entire new solar system uh that's gonna reduce their power bills by one third and pay for itself in 10 years.

So I want to share uh briefly about the uh Sunday event that we're gonna have here in Birmingham, and you have some materials on that at your desk.

So, as the mayor said, Sunday is a new national celebration of wind and solar, and there are gonna be 400 local events around uh the country, including Sunday Beeham.

We're having a pop-up market with 26 vendors and 16 nonprofits, and a very friendly competition for two 200 prizes.

Uh winners are gonna be determined through very brief celebrations of solar energy.

We're gonna have a table there where everyone will be invited to write Alabama's public service commission to encourage the um to urge the PSC to encourage rather than deter uh solar power in Alabama.

And you can see the back of our door hanger for what our messaging is on that.

Who among us has ever contacted our elected officials at the PSC?

Um, a very quick ask.

We would love to bring this PSC action table to other events, so please be in touch with me, Emily, my uh the email address on there if they're if you can recommend uh us to a uh tabling event in your district.

Our event is this Sunday one to four at the Avondale United Methodist Church.

We would be thrilled should any of you be able to come by to the Avondale United Methodist Church Sunday one to four.

So thank you very much for the declaration uh and for your time.

Thank y'all.

Thank you.

But I want to take the time and to remember three important people dear to our staff combined with here at City Hall, but also throughout our community.

One is Larry Johnson Jr.

Um, you know Larry if you've walked in this building on the second or first floor, serve City Hall as on our security team.

He often had a kind word for folks arriving and departing here and had a presence, and I don't think he wanted to try.

But unfortunately, he passed away over the weekend at a young age of 53.

We want to offer our condolences to his wife Carmen as well as their three children and extend our condolences to his entire family as well as his colleagues who served on the security team here.

We're thinking about them and we're thinking about his colleagues.

All of us many of us know Chef Michael Glenn.

Chef Michael Glenn has been a longtime restaurant here and caterer in our city.

Have you ever been to any private events in the city?

You've probably seen Chef Glenn in somebody's kitchen or living room doing what he does best.

We knew his talent.

We knew his food from corporate dining rooms to community events to family gatherings.

He was also the founder of Creative Caterings by Ambarosia and Gabriela's bistro in art gallery, which is uh one of Kendra's favorite place on the Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately, he died at after an extended illness over the weekend at 66.

And last but not least, retired Jefferson County judge um Teresa Pula Poulian.

She passed away Friday at the age of 67.

Um many of us know her from serving on the bench 18 years on the bench, as well as respected member of the legal community.

After her time on the bench, she served as executive director of redemption earned, which is a nonprofit dedicated to parole reforms and better conditions for sick and elderly inmates.

That piece.

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor.

I apologize, counsel for being late, but Mayor Woodman, I wanted to ask if um I could get some help from B Dot.

I was in a conversation this morning.

We have residents that live within the area, Oxmore Valley, for the roadway, the path that goes from Wilson Road to Venice.

Yeah, we're talking to Madam President about Venice.

Yes, yes.

And so there's deep concern about the safety uh through that patch of windy road as you're near uh Red Mountain Park and leading into that neighborhood.

Um I had talked with the residents before.

I know that you and I, along with the prior neighborhood president and B Dot, Al Dot, we all walked that pathway when I first came into office around 7 18, 19.

But the road continues to deteriorate.

And um, so if we could get some type of update from B Dot, and I know that my office we have been asked to write letters of support.

I know that B Dot is trying to secure federal monies, federal grants to improve that roadway, but that just doesn't seem to be enough information that's comforting.

I'd like to be able to give some comfort and information to the residents that have to drive that path.

We'll do a couple of things.

We'll follow up with uh Director Fowler.

Uh we will get you detail in writing, and then we'll probably get a follow-up call from me.

And then I'll call Madam President again.

She reached out to me actually top of last week and very detailed information about the issue.

So we'll follow her and follow up with you.

I appreciate that.

And also I think there's been some um what do we say, lost in translation, uh some communication that may have not been relayed, and I would like for it to be sure that this information is coming from B Dot and from our office so that we could kind of dispel some of the information that has not been we can just talk through it together.

Thank you.

We talk to it together.

Yes, ma'am.

Counselor Abbott.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Mr.

Mayor, my question's easy.

Uh the new garbage carts, excuse me, not garbage carts, recycling carts that are on their way.

Will residents who have requested one be notified that they have been honored with a cart, or will it just show up in front of their house one day?

Yeah.

Easy question.

I agree.

I'm gonna get you an answer.

I'll get you an answer within the next 10 minutes or less.

Yeah, because a lot of people have I mean are thinking about recycling and wondering what happened to their request they put in a year or two ago online and so.

Yeah, I'm sure everybody wants to know.

Yeah.

Along those same lines, um I think it's uh council would appreciate uh an update on uh our route optimization uh software, uh public works.

Um, has been uh working on developing um, you know, as part of that conversation we talked about uh moving to an opt-in system for brush and rubbish collection uh and potentially also recycling.

So um that's not the public can take 10 minutes.

Um the residents will receive notice um related to uh recycling bin before it's actually put um in their front yard related to route optimization update and the option to opt in, we will get that information from director Yates today as well.

And update.

Um actually I actually know as much as you do, so look forward to all 10 of us getting the update.

Okay, I think you're gonna be able to do that.

Your um, I think your colleague has a follow-up to that point.

Well, I do.

Someone collared me yesterday about the people who do not take their uniform garbage carts in, they leave them in the street waiting for the next pickup.

And this lady commented that she takes them back up to their houses and puts them up by their house and they move them back out into the street.

Now she wanted to know what is the city going to do about this.

Can we just confiscate them back?

They belong to us, they don't belong to them.

So if they're if they're incapable of following the rules, what can we do?

Okay, there's an actual and forgive me for not um memorizing this.

But when you all when we collectively went through this process and agreed um to the uniform carts, it actually was an ordinance pass which included the rules on what you're supposed to do after, and attached to that if you violate that rules, um what the I guess assessment could be.

Um let me actually get the information and and reshare that with the council, but as well as have a conversation with um code enforcement public works slash PEP to give notice to those people, and then if the notice doesn't work, like here's the rule, um, then to assess that person, no different than any any other environmental violation.

We just have to up to Annie on holding people accountable, but there are there's an actual ordinance that says this is what you're supposed to do, and if you don't, this is what happens.

Yeah.

Well, I know there are rules and she knows their rules, but the people who are doing it seem to have forgotten that there are rules, and most of them appear to be rentals, therefore the new tenant may not know.

That's fair.

So the education piece is also important.

And I think it'd do I think it does us, the city well to communicate with landlords about you know every day note every 30-day notice, or when you get a new um new tenant, this should be included in information you send out about the um about the bin.

Good, thank you.

Let me um I owe you some information on the route optimization.

And do me a favor, I want you to text the language uh to me if you don't mind.

Make sure I get the I got my note here, but I want to make sure my answer comports with the actual question.

Yes, sir.

Please don't do that today for me.

Okay.

Council Williams, did you have a follow-up as well?

I did not, but it's don't any opportunity.

Well I got you here, Randall.

No, no, no.

Thanks for the follow-up on that, Mayor.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Um Ms.

Clerk, do we have any nominations to boards and agencies?

Not at this time.

Okay.

All items designated as consent are routine and gone 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 permitted unless a council member or the mayor request the item be removed from the consent agenda.

Additionally, citizens 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, please read through the items on our consent agenda.

Please note that on item number three.

Um the address should be 616 29 street south.

That's 616 29th Street style.

Page three items five, six, seven, eight, and nine are on consent.

Page four.

Items ten, eleven, and twelve on consent.

Page five.

Page six.

Items sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen are on consent.

Uh please note that um items sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen were recommended by the budget and finance chair.

Page seven.

Items seventeen.

I'm sorry, items nineteen, twenty, and twenty-one are on consent.

And same with item 20 recommended by the budget and finance chair, and please strike the um discretionary district two and put city council department for the funding source.

Page 8.

We have items 22 and 23 on consent.

Recommended by the budget finance chair, number 23.

Page nine, items 24, 25, and 26 are on consent.

Page 10.

Items 27, 28, and 29 are on consent.

Page 11.

Items 30, 31, 32, and 33 are on consent.

Uh page 12.

Items 34, 35, 36, 37, and 38 are on consent.

Page 13, items 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44 are on consent.

Page 14.

We have items 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 on consent.

Uh page 15.

Items 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 are on consent.

Page 16.

Items 57, 58, 59, 60, and 61 are on consent.

Page 17, items 62, 63, 64, and 65 are on consent.

Uh page 18.

Items 67 and 60, I'm sorry, 66 and 67 are on consent.

Please withdraw item 68.

And page 19, items 69, 70, and 71 are on consent.

And we have one addendum item, I think.

Yeah.

Okay.

Do any members of the council wish to add or remove an item from the consent agenda?

Council Williams.

Can we please remove item number 19?

And uh item 29.

So item 19 is on page seven.

29 is on page 10.

Okay.

Um council Moore.

Uh yes, I just wanted to uh remove items 61 and 62.

Um I could have overlooked it, but I didn't see any uh other supporting documents for those two items.

Really just trying to find out what proposed yeah, just those items.

Okay.

Counselor Abbott.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Mr.

President.

Um I just wanted to ask really a question about item uh 17, 18, and 17, 18, and well, that one was taken care of.

17, 18.

Are these discretionary funds or like 18 says discretionary?

I think they're mine, but it doesn't say they're mine.

Um then item 17 is that discretionary president.

They're looking at us because those are our items.

Uh item 17, uh counselor Abbott is a discretionary item.

Uh and item 17 appears to be a discretionary item for uh councillor Quinn, District 5.

Okay.

Well, if we could put that on the agendas so that we can know that, it would be great.

Just whose discretionary is it if it is discretionary?

Yes, ma'am.

It seems simple, but it's not.

And what was the other item?

Item 18.

Item 18 is the same.

That is the district three project.

It sounds real familiar, but it doesn't say it does.

It has your handwriting all over it.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, and then item um on 27 on page 10.

It says it's discretionary, but then it's submitted by the city attorney and recommended by the mayor and didn't come to committee.

Is that is that right?

That additional item uh was approved by the committee chair of budget and finance, councilor Smithman.

Uh just kind of with those five or six contracts that were approved by the chair of budget and finance.

Um there was a delay in those items coming back from OCA.

And so we worked with OCA and the Chair of Budget and Finance to have those items before the council before waiting for the next budget and finance committee meeting because the counselors, maybe with the exception of you, uh had some concerns about the delay of the items coming before budget and finance in the council sooner than today.

Okay, that answers that question.

And item 29 on page 10.

Yeah, it's off consent.

It's already off.

Yeah.

Okay.

I'm sorry, I have a check mark next to it and didn't notice it.

32 and 67 on page 18.

Just uh one to have an understanding why we have payment of outstanding invoices, such a long list of them.

What is this president?

If we can satisfy your colleague relates to item 67, and we can take it off consent, we'll be sure to get it have an answer for you by the time it comes to number six item 67.

Okay.

Okay, so let's just take 67 off.

All right.

It makes it sound like we don't pay our bills, and I know that can't be true.

Well, it's not true.

There you go.

Good.

But we I still want to answer.

And that's all, Mr.

President.

All right.

We also have items one through nine that are public hearing items that are on our consent agenda.

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

All right.

We'll consider uh counselor abbot.

Yeah, I did want to ask, and this may not be the appropriate place, but item 72, our public hearing that we published and forgot to put on the agenda.

Can we move it up to first so that all the people can yes ma'am?

I intended to do to do that.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

Um agenda.

73 is an addendum item.

It's a travel item.

72 is a public hearing on the closure of 20th Street.

Okay, I must have the 20th avenue.

Right, right.

There was a revised agenda that was sent out yesterday that included that item.

Thank you.

Councillor Clark.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'd like to uh add an item 73 to the consent agenda.

Okay, thank you.

All right.

Which item 73.

It's a addendum item for travel.

Okay.

All right.

We're ready for a motion on the consent agenda.

Okay.

One second, please.

All in favor of it be none saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

All right.

The consent agenda is approved.

Our first item is item number 14, please.

Item 14.

Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me.

Uh I'd like to say item 72 out of order.

Item 72.

Item 72.

And ordinance.

Authorizing the closure of 20th Avenue South to vehicle traffic access at point.

Approximately 190 feet from its intersection.

We should have to do a boulevard south and hearing of all of us parties.

Motion on the item.

Second.

Item is before you.

All right.

Um, so this is a public hearing item.

Um any members of the public who would like to speak for and against, uh, we will welcome those comments now.

So if you guys want to come to the lectern, state your name and address, and you'll have three minutes.

The your time will be displayed on the monitors behind us.

I'm sorry.

Yes.

Is this the time for item 72?

Yes.

Yes.

Good morning.

My name is Lisa Lewis.

Pull the mic down.

My name is Lisa Lewis, and I live at 2000 20th Street South, which means I'm on the corner of 20th Street and 20th Avenue.

So what we're talking about really affects me because I get hit on both sides.

You know, I'm really worried that the neighborhood does not have rights because everybody else seems to have a right.

Well, I have a right to have this, and I have a right to that.

We're sitting here in our neighborhood.

I've been there for almost 25 years, and I feel like our rights are not being addressed because everybody thinks they have the right to make that a commercial driveway for a business, and it's cut through cut through central for all these people trying to escape the traffic light.

People speed speed around that corner.

I've had three cars in my yard.

One took out a boxwood planted in 41.

Anyway, I'm just I love my neighborhood, but I'm concerned that we're losing our neighborhoods.

We now have by hook or crook, I don't know how, but we have you know a storage unit building, we have a huge car wash, and then we have Vulcan staring down above it.

So, yes, come to Birmingham, see our best attraction, have your car washed and you can store something.

I just I feel like we're losing our neighborhoods.

I feel like I don't have a right anymore.

I feel like the traffic the the trucks coming up.

Well, we just won't even go into that, but um please.

I I don't know what can be done.

We don't have the money to fight the big folks that have after hours meetings with attorneys and all this kind of stuff, and I'm just I'm just hoping that somebody will look after us and our rights because we love our neighborhood, and this is really destroying our neighborhood.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

My name's Janet Gavan.

I live at 1935, 20th Avenue South.

I've been there approximately five years, and the traffic has always been bad cutting through there, and I think with the car wash going in, it's gonna make it much worse.

But I know the priority first is to have a light with an arrow put turning onto diaper row.

And um, because I think people started cutting through there because they had a hard time turning left.

But if there was a left turn arrow, I think you know, people would would not cut through there as much.

But I really we really want to have a gate put in there as soon as possible.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good morning.

Um my name is Trisha Portweez.

I live at 1923, 20th Avenue South.

I am the third house directly behind this new uh car wash, so I will be directly impacted.

So what we're guessing or estimating by their estimates, 300 additional cars per day coming through our road or through their business.

Some of most likely coming down our road because it is very difficult to exit 20th Avenue South onto Richard Arrington Boulevard, whether you're taking a right or a left.

I do it every day and different times during the day.

It is difficult.

I'm sorry.

The man that owns the car wash was told these things many times in person, and I did myself when he kind of presented that to us.

We know the road, we know that area.

We've lived there.

I lived there 20 years, and it has increasingly gotten worse.

This car wash will make it impossible.

We have many short-term and long-term rentals.

One specifically is down the street and has six to eight cars that are long-term rental that park their large trucks on the road, and it is difficult to get us through, and let alone anybody else through.

So if we have lines in a nice Saturday, warm Saturday, it's pretty, it's beautiful.

What do you do?

You go get your car wash.

So there's usually lines, and I anticipate that I am not able to get out of my driveway when I choose to, because I have a right to.

Because there's gonna be lines of people wanting to get in and out.

That that's very disrespectful.

And I know that the guy talked about his Christian values and all his Christian stuff.

Be a Christian, be respectful to the residents that know this property.

The man that owns the car wash does not live in the state of Alabama.

He didn't even know what was 21st or 20th.

And if you have not seen the property, I would suggest each of you take a drive through 20th Avenue South and 21st.

See what they've done, see what they're doing.

They have had to raise 20th, 20, excuse me, 21st, 20 feet up using retaining walls.

It's going to now gonna have that building on top of it and look, you know, pretty bad.

But at least the gate will help the residents.

And if you've noticed the people, the the sign above the door, this is about the people that live here, not the businesses that want to override, you know, our right to own property and have a sanity of being able to get in out of our driveway.

So I I encourage you to take a look.

Um so the other the other issue, and now if you've got car washes, I get my car wash because I like a clean car.

It's just not this is not the location for it, but here we are.

There's also, if you've noticed, if you go there, I I go to car washes and I take in 20 minutes or whatever, and I do notice drug activity.

So that is now coming to our area.

So if we have the gate, I'm in four of the gate, that drug activity is not gonna come to our our area.

Thank you, appreciate it.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

I wasn't planning on speaking today, but I will because I live two houses before Trisha.

I live in the house right next to where the tidal wave is going.

Uh I've been against it from the beginning.

I was against the storage unit.

Um I'm just amazed that it's gotten this far.

I don't know of any barrier that's being put between the car wash and the neighborhood, which affects my house completely.

I've owned that house for 30 years and upgraded constantly.

The gate would help very much.

I don't know how right now I'm renting it to a very good renter.

And I don't know how they're gonna get out of the driveway without the gate there.

Same as what Trisha said.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you.

Mr.

President, what's your name?

Ma'am.

Oh, sorry.

It's okay.

That was important.

Cindy Funderburg.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Next speaker, please.

Good morning.

My name is Antonio Caraballo.

I lived in uh 20th Avenue South in 2016.

The issue that I have with the amount of traffic that's gonna come through if we don't have that gate, is the um the young families and children and people walking dogs in 20th Avenue South.

Uh I work from home, and my office faces the um the 20th Street and 20th Avenue South.

We are in the corner.

Um at least every hour there's people walking up and down our 20th Avenue South on the weekends, also too.

Uh we uh people walking dogs uh quite a bit.

And my wife has mentioned it last week.

Saying, oh, we need to see more people walking dogs.

Yeah, I say I agree with you, I said.

Um so that is my main concern.

A disaster that could happen when someone, because of had traffic, is driving on 20th Avenue South, no paying attention, looking at their phones, and if somebody's walking, and voila, here we go.

We have some we have a problem with the fatality or someone getting injured.

That's it.

The increase of traffic is a problem because of the amount of activity of people in our neighborhood do outside on on that road, on that street.

Um it is a cut through, that's true.

Um, from Richard Arrington Boulevard, and also from those people on 21st Avenue South, they don't want to go through the light, they want to go through our neighborhood.

That's what they do.

Uh 21st Avenue South backs up all the way past 20th Street, almost goes all the way back to the um Vermont and Expressway on the fact that on Wednesdays.

That's high traffic.

I don't know why, but it's high traffic on Wednesdays.

So that is the concern that I have.

Uh is the something tragic happening because they increased traffic on that road.

Um several individuals already talked about the uh how many how many more cars they're gonna have, and that is true.

And I'll just amplify that with with rush hour traffic.

Just it's gonna become a nightmare.

Uh so I I urge you to approve the gate for our 20th Avenue South.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Um, Danny Cody, 1942, 20th Avenue South, and I just wanted to speak uh in support of having the gate there just because of the amount of um even more traffic that that there will be with the car wash there.

And um Antonio's made a lot of the points I wanted to make, but yeah, there's no sidewalks on 20th Avenue South.

Um, so everyone's kind of trying to walk in the streets and walk their dogs, and there's little kids that live across the street uh from my house.

And um that it I just think it would be a lot safer road if we had that gate there.

The amount of time people save from cutting up 21st Avenue South and then cutting across 20th Avenue South to get over to Richard Arrington is I don't think they're saving a whole lot of time by doing that.

I don't think it's uh it's necessary to have that connection to uh 21st uh to Richard Arrington there via 20th Avenue South.

Um, and uh uh uh be grateful if we could get a gate put there to make that street a little safer.

Thanks.

All right, thank you.

Next speaker, please.

My name is Daniel Christensen.

I live at 2412 2nd Avenue North.

I also serve as the Central City Neighborhood Association president.

I'm here to speak to you in favor of this uh project.

I think it's a great opportunity for the city to demonstrate its commitment to putting people first.

No community should be subject to the level of uh safe increased safety risk, noise, and other disruptions that come from having continuous flow of through traffic into and amongst their neighborhoods.

No, I don't particularly want to uh hijack this public hearing for my own benefit, but uh with uh central city having multiple buildings with an order of magnitude more households than this 20th Avenue South does.

We are continuously bombarded by a level of noise and disruption from various streets that are designed more as highways than as neighborhood streets.

And I implore this city to continue this commitment to putting people first that this project represents to address not only my neighborhood, but also those that are adjacent and have a similar level of uh households that are subject to immense motor traffic, and cre decreased safety from it, and the endless noise that are created by people using these uh roads not as transportation, but as drag strips and entertainment.

So once again, I'm entirely in favor of this project, and I hope you will approve it.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hi, my name is Sally Wadby, I live in 2021.

Hello.

Sorry.

Sally Wadby, 2021, 20th Avenue South.

Um my major concern is the effect on property values on our street of the car wash itself.

In addition to the car wash, it's gonna have associated nuisances like the traffic.

And one way to ameliorate the nuisances will be to block 20th Avenue South at the end.

Um so I'm fully in favor of that, and I think it will stop the traffic, stop the, you know, at least ameliorate the diminution and value of our properties, and possibly stop some of the nuisances coming through our neighborhood.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Uh Mike Douglas here on behalf of uh title wave, the car wash.

Um, as as y'all know, we conducted a traffic study, um, which is approved by the city.

The installation of this gate would essentially make this an inoperable site.

So we'd ask you know, respectfully that the city deny uh this gate ordinance.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

I think I get I know you guys pretty much now.

We're here again.

Um I'm John Barney Castle, 2044 20th Avenue South.

My wife Susan is in New York.

We generally spend eight to twelve weeks in New York since we've been retired.

When this was hearing was set, I flew back because I knew the importance of this gate.

And and so I I came back, and you can imagine my surprise yesterday morning when I looked at the agenda, and it's not on it.

So a number of phone calls from my wife in New York, from me, from neighbors, we're assured it's on, so I thank you.

I'm gonna talk, I'm not gonna talk all about it.

You know all the reasons.

Safety is the number one number one reason.

But I have a concern about the number of mistakes that have been made on just this issue in terms of notice, and I don't blame the council, because I know you guys don't have that responsibility.

So I implore the mayor's office to look into every department and how and why things get messed up.

Going back to the moratorium.

I want to also say the gate.

It isn't Moo.

I can recall back 1994, 95 when McDonald's was building on that site.

We requested, talked about, never went through, but as far back as that.

Councilor Abbott may remember, she's been on the council that long.

So I want to I wanted to make that safety is the overriding concern.

We have children, we have dogs.

When you say 300 cars per day, and that's what we were told in 2023 for it to be feasible.

The numbers from their traffic study do not add up.

If you look at it, cars come in, certain number, a certain number of cars go out.

But it's it it doesn't add up.

What happens to those cars that come in?

How what cars go down 20th, what cars go out onto Richard Arrington?

So I looked up Al Dot, and they had a traffic count.

All right.

So you're in 2024, you're talking Algot in a 24-hour period, 15,828 cars.

That's both ways.

And not on 20th, but on Richard Arrington.

So you're talking a lot of vehicles on that.

And I want to commend Councilor Alexander for your bringing up the safety of the road that you talked about.

And these are the things that we need is safety.

So I implore you, please vote for it.

Thank you.

All right.

That concludes the public hearing portion of the item.

Counselor Abbott, you have a question?

Well comment.

I wanted to ask Mr.

Douglas to come back to the podium and explain how his traffic study has anything to do with 20th Avenue, which is a residential neighborhood street.

Well, what what was decided and agreed upon with the city is that we would add speed bumps right there.

And so that would help with some of the safety concerns.

And like I said, this has been permitted and approved.

And the and judge uh Huey's ordered the city to follow the normal permitting uh process, and this gate will make this uh site inoperable, which is not following the judge's order.

I'm still having difficulty understanding why you think your commercial traffic should be driving through a residential neighborhood street.

Again, the traffic study was submitted, approved, and we've agreed to put speed bumps in there.

Okay, well, that answers my question.

Okay.

Council Williams.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I I and I apologize for the eight of us because I'm probably a little bit behind, and I can't get our the Wi-Fi's not working on my computer.

So I'm trying to find the supporting documents that were sent out yesterday.

So I apologize about me being behind.

But we've already voted on this before, so I'm a little confused as to why we're we're here again.

But um, but also if what happened where they submitted a traffic study and it was approved and there was agreed upon speed bumps.

I mean, I guess this is a question for the administration.

So did so we are so the administration approved this plan already and and and issued a permit according to the plan that was counselor, we would need to find out from our BAC team to see if that was approved.

Walk about this goes this goes with a larger frustration of mine because I you know I get so many complaints from people trying to do business in the city of Birmingham about the permitting process, about um about about trying to get a permit, about what happens when you get a permit, about losing things when you're trying to get a permit, about if it's a problem, it's happened.

And so I'm a little bit confused why we're why we would have issued a permit, and then we we've asked these folks that live in this neighborhood to come back here.

This is I know I've seen a lot of these people now three or four times, which I know I know y'all have better things to do.

Um I signed up for this, y'all didn't.

Um so I'm just confused as to why we're here and what permits we've issued and on what grounds we issued the permits, I guess is my question for the administration.

Doesn't have anything to do with this council.

We're giving director Fowler to come in and answer a question.

To to the question about why we're having I think maybe this is the second or third public hearing um on this issue.

Uh I know it's the second public hearing on the gates specifically.

Um turns out that the last time that um this came before us, there one of the parties uh involved was not notified of the public hearing, so um that's why we're back here again uh after proper notification has been sent out.

Um so while we're waiting for Director Fowler, Counselor Tate has a question as well.

No questions.

I mean, I'm on a second with Councillor Abbott said and in soul support uh individuals that live in these neighborhoods, and a valid point was made by the first speaker, somebody that lives out of town has no knowledge of the day-to-day traffic that flows on that street every day.

I mean, I don't go there every day, but when I do go, it's pretty hard because you got traffic going both ways, very busy, but it is a shame that people you know come into these areas and buy property and want to inconvenience those that live in neighborhoods.

That's just ridiculous.

And then you know, the neighborhoods are growing, you got small kids, and people want to enjoy their neighborhoods.

And for somebody to want to come in and put, you know, I it's a storage unit there.

Um a car wash and 300 cars moving up and down, round and round.

This this, in my opinion, is you know, um I wholeheartedly agree with everything you guys have came to the podium to say because it it is it's not right at all.

Thank you, Council Tate.

Um Director Fowler.

Good morning.

Uh my name is James Fowler.

I serve as the director of the city's Department of Transportation.

Um I think I heard a couple of questions want to try to address.

Uh the first is regarding just traffic studies themselves.

So when a developer, uh regardless of the developer submits a traffic study, uh, we're looking for the traffic impact and uh particularly to levels of service at intersections, and we have to treat all developments the same.

Uh whether you know neighbors want that development or they they don't, we have to be consistent in how we evaluate those.

And so just based on the traffic study that was submitted, in terms of uh degradation of the adjacent network and the levels of service at the adjacent intersections, the impact from the car wash on that specifically is not so great that that would rise to us wanting to restrict that property from being able to be developed.

Um so uh we did look at that, but it's it's not such a great traffic impact that we would render that property almost undevelopable.

And so um we all approved the traffic study with the understanding that um it was not necessarily gonna destroy the adjacent network, which the majority of their traffic is on um Richard Arrington and in particular, and then 21st Avenue.

So some of their traffic is shown on 20th Avenue South, but the majority of the traffic is on Richard Arrington and 21st Avenue South.

So that's why we approved the traffic study.

Regarding the question of consideration of the gate after we issue the development uh permit, um it would be very atypical for us to review a traffic study and then recommend uh from our desk the closure of a street.

So to my knowledge, we have not done that.

Uh so that would be very atypical.

We did recommend uh that they uh purchase and install speed cushions on 28th uh 20th Avenue, so that's a mitigation of the traffic that does use 20th.

After uh the development was approved, the neighborhood came forward and requested a gate, and so we then initiated the process of looking at that, which again is is a just uh on its own is a fairly atypical request and consideration, but we did consider the gate kind of on its own merits, um, and so after reviewing that decided to approve the installation of the gate.

Council Woods.

So I sorry to be ordinary, but I'm gonna cry cry foul of this because the you know, this council fought for a long time for both the storage unit from being there, and then you know, since I've been on this council, I feel like that this one block has been a constant battle.

And I know Valerie probably feels the same way.

And then we fought for a long time for this car wash coming in, and obviously we did not have the legal whatever it that didn't work out.

But I'm really surprised to hear that after all of the years of fighting for having the traffic on these neighborhoods that the that behind the council's back, the permits were issued to allow this to happen.

And I, you know, I we've already voted on this, so I think we know which way the vote's gonna go, so don't everybody don't freak out.

But I kind of understand where this attorney is coming from because they were issued a permit and told that they could proceed based on you know what was supplied.

And so how are we changing, you know, how are we changing the how are we moving the goalposts like this?

I mean, with the city knew because this council has fought for years about these developments coming to that corner, both the storage unit and the car wash, I believe were separate litigation.

I might be incorrect about that.

Um and so you know we've tried so hard to keep that an entryway to Birmingham because Vulcan's up there, and then it was deemed that we should issue a permit to a to a car wash and just say we'll just slap some speed bumps down.

I mean that that that doesn't seem right from what this council has been trying to do since I have been on this council.

Um so that's just an opinion.

I that's not a question.

I'm I'm really shocked, and I'm sorry that my computer is not working to look at these additional documents, but I'm really kind of surprised that that is what's taken place because I I feel like that we all lose today.

I mean, this council loses because we fought for this not to have is happening.

The developer loses because they're have whatever hardships going on, and the residents obviously lose too.

So every every you know, everybody lost on this one.

So anyway.

Attorney King.

So to be accurate, Councilor Williams, you may have forgotten that this was in litigation and a judgment was issued, and as a result of a court order, the city proceeded.

So I would recommend that we go into executive session to further discuss the pending or potential litigation and legal ramifications related to this lawsuit.

Not this lawsuit, but the previous lawsuit that led us to where we are today.

Which lawsuit are you referring to?

Against this same location.

Although it is okay.

And that is pursuant to Section 3625A7A3.

Okay.

Um Councillor Clark, answer ask question first before we consider uh yeah, I just wanted to ask James.

I know that you um evaluated the traffic impact study, you know, in isolation from the gate request.

But now that they're both you know working together to impact, you know, I guess the I mean, do you do you see the gate as um rendering the car wash business anoperable?

Um that's a good question.

So they actually make projections in their traffic study on where their traffic is coming from.

Um though they do project some traffic on 20th Avenue South, so there would be some impact uh to the street.

Uh it's relatively minor compared to the overall traffic that they're expecting to see from Richard Arrington.

Uh so we do not expect the gate to have a significant effect on their business.

Hey, that's all I wanted to know.

Okay, Councillor Abbott.

Yeah, and I would point out because I have been here so long, that this neighborhood has requested a gate there before, but it died on the vine.

And it has nothing to do with the car wash.

Everybody knows the car wash is there.

Looks like the Great Wall of China when you drive through that intersection.

What the neighborhood has been dealing with for years is cut through people who want to avoid the intersection where the lights are, and lots of people pour through there.

So the neighborhood has been disturbed by this in the past, and they're disturbed by it during construction, and they fear being disturbed by by people who once again want to cut through the residential neighborhood to avoid the traffic signal.

And the people who are building this, they know that because the residents have already told them, and they didn't care pretty clearly.

So I just think that you know the people who live in this neighborhood is a dead-end street, but there's an attachment to 21st Avenue and that big long line of cars that people get into in rush hour.

So this isn't new, but it's about to get a lot worse.

I think that's the situation we have here.

And yes, it has gone on forever, but I think Mr.

Barnacastle pointed out that there have been a number of bumps in the road, and they weren't speed bumps either.

So there we go.

24 years.

I remember something.

So Attorney King has recommended that if we wish to continue discussion relative to litigation, we need to go into executive session.

So is there a desire to go into your executive session?

All right.

We will vote.

Which one are we doing?

We are we would like to vote on this item.

Okay.

So I'll be believe we've already had a motion than a second.

Okay.

All in favor let it be known but say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay.

Item 72 is approved.

Next item, please.

Uh and I believe that is item 14.

Item 14.

An ordinance to add a new chapter 12 uh two building and housing code lien enforcement to Title VII Building and Land Use Controls of the General Code of the City of Birmingham to implement provisions of the Code of Alabama 1975, Sections 11-70B-1, that's 11-70B-8 to provide for the uh judicial NRIM foreclosure of municipal code enforcement and new nuisance abatement liens by the city of Birmingham, and this is an item of permanent operation to pass it.

I need you see.

Okay.

All right, Councilmember Abbott.

Aye.

Okay, give me a second.

The computer's locking up again.

Ms.

Dees had a roll call.

I got it.

Councilmember Clark.

Aye.

Councilmember Moore.

Aye.

Councilmember Smithman.

Aye.

Councilmember Tate.

Aye.

Councilmember Williams.

Councilmember Woods.

Woods.

Council President Proteum Alexander.

Aye.

Council President O'Quinn.

Aye.

Motion on the item, please.

Second.

Item is before you.

All right.

Any discussion on this item?

This is the municipal code.

Um municipal lien foreclosure ordinance.

Um that we discussed recently in committee of the whole.

So any further discussion on this.

All right.

We're ready for the vote.

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

All opposed say nay.

Item 14 is approved.

Item 15.

All right.

Item 15.

And ordinance approving authorizing the mayor to execute an amendment to the agreement between the City of Birmingham and Oak Hill Memorial Association dated on September 3rd, 2024, and approved by ordinance number 24-65 and amended on April 8th, 2025 for the fiscal year 2024 through 2020.

And approved by ordinance number 25-37 to provide an additional amount of 25,000 to work on the eastern perimeter wall in October, beginning in the corner of 13th Court North and extending down to the entrance gate on 19th Street.

Second.

Councilmember Abbott.

Aye.

Councilmember Clark.

Councilmember Moore.

Councilmember Smithman.

Aye.

Councilmember Tate.

Council Member Williams.

Councilmember Woods.

Aye.

President Approach.

Aye.

Council President O'Cuin.

All right.

Motion on the item.

Second.

All right.

Any discussion on this item?

Okay.

Councilor Clark.

Yeah, I see Stuart Oates is here, but I don't know if the Chief can just.

It says that there's maintenance and care and control of multiple cemeteries, Oak Hill, Illiton, and East Lake Cemeteries.

Is the same group that cares for Oak Hill responsible for those other cemeteries as well.

Mr.

Oates, you want to come and talk to us about the that's what I was going to recommend.

Good morning.

Morning.

Yes, there are three cemeteries aside from Oak Hill that are cared for.

Originally, the Oak Hill Memorial Association.

Excuse me.

Was established for the care of Oak Hill Memorial Association.

There were agreements that were made several years ago.

The very first one was for the two small cemeteries, which are East Lake and Elaton.

And then what Oak Hill was agreeing to was receiving the funding for the maintenance of those cemeteries.

And then just passing that through.

So all of that money went actually to the people that were doing the maintenance.

And that money hasn't changed in decades.

It's been $500 per month per cemetery, so $24,000 on those.

And then there's the Greenwood Cemetery, which was added at a later time on the same basis that we were basically just passing money through to care for that.

So I don't know if that answers your question.

I think it does, but how much of this annual appropriation goes to Oak Hill?

I I hear that it's like a mowing situation for those others.

Well, how much annual support and I maybe I should have on what you're seeing there subtract $12,000, and that that's the appropriation that goes to Oak Hill Cemetery.

Okay, so you get $500 a month, too.

No, I'm sorry, it's $24,000.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Just um, and so we're adding money for that wall.

Right.

We've been working on the wall.

We finished this year uh 11th Avenue.

I don't know if you've noticed, but that entire wall all the way down has been repointed.

Um as far as the iron railing uh that goes on top, that's something that hasn't been addressed.

We've tried to straighten it, but right now the costs are prohibitive at what I'm looking at to rebuild it.

So that's something that we need to consider how we're going to do that.

But we are at least making sure that we take care of the stone part of that wall.

And um the section of the wall that this is going to cover has been the most troublesome.

There have actually been two breaches in that wall, major breaches in the last 15 years that have been repaired.

Um it's because that's that's where a lot of the inside of the cemetery comes up and it becomes uh a structural wall that's holding back the earth.

Um so that is an important section for us to get covered.

Okay.

Well, just as walls retaining, especially retaining walls go and structural walls, you know, 25,000 isn't a lot of money considering the amount of wall out there.

So uh I just hope you know we're I mean it's such a prominent site, and um, you know, as that area continues to develop and attract more visitors.

Um, I just hope we'll help you keep things together over there.

Thank you.

That's what we hope.

Other questions.

All right.

I believe we're ready for the vote.

All right, thank you.

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

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

Item 15 is approved.

Item 19, please.

Item 19.

A resolution approved.

I'm sorry.

Uh yes, item 19.

A resolution approving authorized the mayor to execute a funding agreement with the Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority, under which the BJCPA will contract with the owner and operate an operator of the Port Authority Terminal for the installation of a uh six-inch tap on a six-inch cast iron water main in the Warrior River Water Authority Service Area to support construction of a 25,000 square foot warehouse facility at the Birmingham Port Terminal to for the functions of the inland import facility on the Black Warrior River to carry out its duties and responsibilities and other services that are required to fulfill the intent of the Port Authority Act as defined in chapter 94 of Title 11 of the Code of Alabama 1975 and the purpose of the funding agreement.

And the city will pay the BJCPA and amount not to exceed 125,000 for such services, provided that such funding has been approved and included in the city's general fund budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026.

Motion on the item.

All right, Council Williams.

And whatever we can do to support it, it's advantageous for us as a city from an economic development perspective.

So but we still would like it to come to committee.

That's all.

Okay.

Any additional questions, Councilor Abbott?

You have a questioning look on your face.

Well, I do.

It says it went to the economic development and tourism committee.

Is that not true?

Council Williams?

It's okay.

I'm still good with it.

I just want to make sure that well, we should strike that anyway.

If it if it didn't happen, we shouldn't say it did.

I don't know who's in charge of putting where whether it went to committee or not, but if it's an error, we should fix it.

Okay.

That's all.

All right.

Okay, we're ready for the vote.

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

Item 19 is approved.

Item 29, please.

Item 29.

Resolution authorized the mayor to execute a three-year agreement for the annual subscription services agreement with Sound Thinking Incorporated to provide for the renewal of hosting of the shot spotter gunshot detection location and forensic analysis service with the city.

The existing agreement ends September the 30th, 2025.

And this new agreement will cover uh shot spotter subscription services commencing October the first, 2025, and ending September the 30th, 2028.

The city is authorized to expend an amount not to receive 3 million 34,920, which includes the subscription costs for the phase one, phase two, phase three A and phase three B.

Motion, please.

Motion on the item.

Second.

Council Williams.

I think Ms.

Abbott has questions.

I just had a lot of okay.

Councilor, do you have a question about item 29?

Well, the question I have about shot spotters, can we get more?

You know, more sensors that tell where the shots are coming from, because I know that they're put mainly around, or I think I know, used to be they were mainly around housing communities and stuff where we had issues, but um, you know, gunfire seems to be everywhere.

So I was just wondering if there was any intention to get any additional shot spotter equipment for the city of Birmingham.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

To your colleagues' question, uh, Councilor Abbott.

The true answer is we would like to.

However, that comes with substantial costs.

Contract before you is for renewal for something we know that works.

Um we know many, many people call 911, and unfortunately we know some who don't, and so to have this augment our ability to respond to situations where um uh discharging firearms are useful is very helpful.

Your question is around will there be more?

The answer is I don't know when, right?

The contract you have is very expensive, and so when you add more, it costs more.

And what we have to do is figure out when it comes to personnel costs, equipment costs, security technology costs, um, vest tasers, gun purchase, and everything else related to the police department, overtime vehicles, et cetera.

All of these things are calculated into what we can and can't do on a yearly basis related to public safety.

Um I do know Chief Pickett is here, and part of that conversation that he's expressed to me is we would love to have more.

It's just a matter of how much when, etc.

Okay, because I know when I hear gunfire in my house, I've already heard it.

So if I go out and jump in my car and drive around hunting for it, it's already happened.

But the shot spotter it works.

Yeah, works.

And so that to me just I just wondered if we were looking at maybe in the next year's budget getting some.

I will I will tell you what shakes out is uh that it depend that yearly we go through what the PPD's priorities are and they share with us.

Um we know there's been the request lately for more personnel and more cameras.

I think the next year's budget that's proved to be beneficial to us both with you all approving more cameras as well as their ability to hire more officers with 90 people in the current class.

Um I think the conversations um will have already started about what's at the top next year.

Um I think we should continue to talk to Shot Spotter too to see what the organization company to see what type of other opportunities they can have and or give to us without breaking the bank.

Well, somebody needs to, some brilliant person needs to invent a combination camera shot spotter so that we can have them all over the place.

So all the inventors out there start inventing.

Um and one other thing, which I know that I'm breaking the rules here, but the police department has the right to enforce the noise ordinance on these cars that now have taken to speeding through our neighborhoods, you know, because they can't do it out on the road because their car can be confiscated.

Well, you know, those big loud uh mufflers that they don't have on their cars, that's a violation of the noise ordinance.

So you can stop every single stinking one of them.

And the motorcycles who don't have mufflers, and wake us up at three o'clock in the morning speeding through the neighborhoods.

Just a thought.

Yes, ma'am, to your point.

Noise ordinance.

I was gonna say it, even if he didn't share it with me, but he just reaffirmed what I already knew, which is that Ms.

Abbott, they the BPD traffic enforcement team has already increased um tickets um related to noise ordinance, um, particularly as it relates to um that coming from vehicles.

Well, it's really needed.

I have a friend that has one of those cars, those big noisy cars.

It has a switch where you turn on the noise.

Can you imagine the idiocy of a manufacturer who put that on the car so that you could go roaring through the streets sounding like an idiot?

But we do it.

I mean, this is the Ford Motor Company that did it and put it on their Mustangs, and I'm sure that all those other noisy cars probably have the same switch.

And it makes these men feel so big and tough because they're making a lot of noise in their car.

I mean, yeah, I mean, really.

I never see a lady driving one of those noisy cars through the neighborhood.

Sorry.

She mustn't work.

She wasn't working.

I'm having a day.

I understand.

I'll come pick you up in my old school.

No, not a lot of noise, not a lot of noise, not a lot of loud noise about this.

Yes, I like peace and quiet.

I also can't sleep.

So I notice all of them because I'm still awake.

Yes, ma'am.

Council Smithman.

Uh yes, I do have a question about the cost per shot spotter.

So, yes, so what you see on this year's um total is uh five percent increase is of roughly about 144,000.

That's just a cost that the uh uh sound thinking has increased just for you know the particular product.

Okay.

Um I know you can't tell us the locations, but how many do we have?

Do can we know that the exact number of sensors?

Yeah.

So I don't know the exact number of sensors, but we do have mapping that that shows the coverage area, and they do it based on square mileage.

Okay, is what we pay for.

Uh, do you know the is it 20 square miles?

It's 20 square miles right now.

Okay.

Um, because I get the same request as counselor avant for more shot spotters.

And I don't know if that's like an educational piece telling residents like, hey, we understand you want one, but this is kind of like the formula of the process for how we determine where a shot spotter should be.

I think that would be helpful for them.

Yeah, and we can do that in some of the neighborhood meetings, but I agree uh with your sentiments.

Uh I think it's a tool that is very useful, and of course, it is very expensive, but it's you know, hopefully with uh time and efforts and increased revenue in the city, and we'll be able to afford it.

Um, but uh it is it's something that that's uh definitely a tool that we use.

And you know, to your point of uh I guess how the deployment of it, what we try to do is look at what areas are we're receiving the 911 calls, and to Mayor's point, there are some areas where we do respond to shootings, but we don't get a 911 call.

We identify those areas as a priority so that we can know in real time uh when shots are are going off in those areas.

How often does that happen where there isn't a 911 call, but shot spotter gives you the signal?

It varies, but I would say possibly maybe ballpark 30, 40 percent.

But shot spotter adds more value than just a call.

It tells us how many shots have been fired.

It tells us the type of gunfire it is, it could be rapid fire, it could be different calibers, for example.

So all these things we look at during our investigation, and it it also gives us an ex exact almost an exact location of where the shots came from so that we can literally walk to that that exact location to be able to recover shell casings.

Okay, I'm trying to figure out the right way to ask this.

I kind of would like to know the stats for even my district just to see like how many shots are happening in my district what kind of gunfire, because I'm just very because we don't really get as many public safety numbers as what we used to thank you.

Okay, uh Chief Pickett.

Um several months ago, maybe it was a few weeks ago, the council approved um an agreement with the consultant that would um expand our capacity in terms of um utilizing drones um to you know get eyes in the sky per se more quickly than we can get a patrol unit on a case.

And that's one of the things that's important in a situation like this is because you know the when gunfire happens, it's usually in a matter of seconds, you know.

Uh so um, you know, in a in a in getting uh patrol officer on site, you know, there's often plenty of time for the perpetrator or the gunfryer to put the firearm away.

And we know in that in Alabama, you know, uh a law enforcement officer has to have eyes on the incident um, you know, in order to um you know take action um to actually they have to witness the the incident to take action.

So um is there coordination or the potential for coordination between shot spotter and our drone capabilities to more quickly get visibility of what's going on at those locations?

Yes, sir.

So we uh had that exact location with all when we were looking to see which uh drone company would would be most ideal.

That's one of the main questions we asked is uh is it able to be integrated with our CAS system uh so it can be more autonomous?

And the answer is yes, the short answer is yes.

So that's definitely one of the ways that we want to utilize uh the drones once approved and everything's in place, is when those shots go out, we can get a drone you know over in that area and and just observe what's going on, who's leaving the scene, just what we see as officers are responding.

Great.

Council Moore.

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

President.

And I think that was uh gonna bring some clarity to my question uh because I know uh counselor Abbott said that you know the inventors need to create a shot spotter that has a camera, but to my knowledge, don't we currently have those already deployed?

Like don't we have shot spotters that as soon as shots go off, it immediately begins recording in that area for that very reason.

So there's there's a software that they're working on to do that.

I don't think they've mastered it quite yet.

Uh I think it might be in the testing phases as it relates to shot spotter actually coordinating with a company that can do that.

But what we do have is the areas where our cameras are deployed.

Uh they have 360 degree cameras right now.

Right.

So we'll be able to, with our real-time crime center, if it's in the shot spotter area and we have maps overlaid to where we can see where we have cameras so we can go ahead and have an analyst zoom in in that area and uh be able to give us some feedback as we're responding on the ground.

Got you.

And I mean I know throughout our our city, we have different areas where you know these types of things are happening, gunshots, things of that nature.

Um I know that you know in my district, I'm seeing where you know there's a lot of this type of activity taking place in areas that are vacant, right?

Like where there's you know, not a lot of houses, not a lot of businesses, it's just open woods or you know, right, just vacant areas.

Uh will we also have you know uh those areas secured as well with this?

So what we've looked at uh, and you bring up a great point, but what we've identified in our deployment of the 200 cameras that we that we've you know had approved is those areas of isolation where we uh observe uh cars being dumped after being stolen, or when we see that we see we recover shell casings, uh a lot of different caliber shell casings that appear to be um you know appear to be you know dated or have been out there for a while, we have deployed uh cameras to those areas.

Of course, as we identify more, you know, we'll request more.

But that is something that's a factor that we considered is making sure we have cameras in those uh isolated areas where it's you know, not many homes and not many, not a lot of foot traffic, but we we know incidents occur there.

We have intentionally uh focused on those areas and we've we have them in the plans uh to have cameras deployed.

Some have already been installed, and we do have them in the plan, so we definitely try to identify those locations.

And in those locations, a lot of times that's where we end up finding a lot of stolen cars that have been abandoned.

Thank you.

All right, Councilor Tate.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Chief Piggy, I just want to commend you and your team on your swift action of the isolated incident that take take take place, took place in District 7.

So really appreciate your team and um, you know, bringing the subject to um apprehending this subject.

So thank you all so much for what you do um and what you continue to do daily.

Yes, ma'am, thank you so much.

Yes, Brittany Alexander.

Thank you, Councillor Tate.

I did want to thank you.

I know you responded so swiftly, and I appreciate the officers that you had to go out to talk to the Johns Valley neighborhood and the community and the additional officers that were in surrounding had neighborhood meetings that week.

And so we appreciate again the swift action and um just the support.

I mean, a moment I ask you, you went into action to be sure that that neighborhood itself also had the information they needed.

So thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Council Williams.

So to reversing back to Ms.

Abbott's point, you know, a large part of the camera program that we recently passed and we ended up delaying was because of um, you know, obviously the technology, no one has to invent it, it's been invented, it exists.

There's got to, you know, when we're passing these large million-dollar technology packages, uh, you know, my request was with the with when we passed the camera one was that we find a way to get the technology that's already out there to utilize the integration of shot spotter.

And so I want to make sure I you know, I thought now that I'm repeating myself on that, but and we're asking if the technology exists, um, you know, it is very important that all these things work together, as you know, Chief.

Um, I know that we need to get that drone um uh thing back in front of us and uh ask um uh the you know office wherever it is, you know, get it back in front of us because it it is one thing that I have really um been happy to see is that as this council has passed um the largest budget that your organization has ever had to see the uptick in the amount of technology that the department has has invested in because we have had a deficit in technology, in my opinion, in BPD.

And um I think that the technology is proving that it works.

We know that Shot Spotter works because we've had it ever you've had it forever.

Um and and we know with the integration of Niven and actually getting shell casings that we can actually solve a couple cases with.

I mean, we we know that because we're seeing those results, but you know, as we continue to approve large multi-million dollar contracts, my ask is is that you know, we we don't do what we've always and I'm not saying that I'm not but my ask it, you know, when we approve the camera contract, my ask was that we do integration with shot spotter.

That was my one ask.

And so I want to reiterate that ask because it doesn't make sense for the council to have passed all of these packages and not have the follow-through on that side.

But I do think that once we do get that drone um back in front of us and we get that passed, and hopefully we cannot just look at it for next fiscal year, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, I know with with with his size budget that there should be some uh availability to look at it in a midterm capacity, and I hope that we can continue to invest the way that that um that y'all have as a collective in getting to where we need to be from a technology standpoint.

I don't even think I don't think we are where we need to be yet.

I think we have a long way to go because there's been so many years of a deficit in investing in technology, as most of that you know, funding went to actually um employee cost.

Um, but I think that uh that as we continue to invest in these different technologies, we're actually seeing the results.

Um, and that's really promising to see from Mr.

Mayor, your administration chief, everybody else involved.

So my request is integration.

Council Woods.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I think to that point, I know we did have a lot of conversations.

We've been here a while now, huh?

Uh over the years around kind of increasing our technology.

I think that has happened.

I think uh but to my recollection, we have fuses, correct?

Okay, so I think that that's a tool that can integrate a lot of those things, and so I think we're continuing on that track, but we do want to just make sure that we are um continuing to provide that because that's been I think we've seen the results of that.

Y'all been able to kind of be creative in solving some things and just having as many tools as possible to be one proactive preventative, but you know, when things do happen, you can quickly have some tools already in place to solve those things and um make the analysis easier and more efficient.

So uh but yeah, no, uh uh second that we definitely want to identify any existing gaps in our um technology ecosystem to improve our service to the residents of uh Birmingham All right, thank you.

That's the law enforcement.

All right, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

All right, counselor, thank you.

We're ready for the vote.

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

All right, all the policy.

Maybe item 29 is approved.

Um let's do item 61 and 62 together.

Item 61.

A resolution accepting and approving the bid of AELLC to business A Street Service, Birmingham, Alabama for the tree removal services.

Bid line numbers 235, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 28, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, and 38 as needed, and unit prices on file in the office of the assistant purchasing agent for a period of one year for the public works department.

This being the lowest most responsibility being submitted and authorized the mayor to execute necessary documents on behalf of the city.

Item 62 resolution accepted and approved them bid of Assoff tree expert LLC Alabaster, Alabama for the tree removal services bid line numbers one five, four, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, nineteen, twenty-two, and thirty-two as needed at unit prices on file and officers of the purchase assistant purchasing agent for the period of one year for the public works department.

This being the lowest most responsible being submitted and authorizing the mayor to execute necessary documents on behalf of the city.

Second all right, Council Moore.

Yeah, Mr.

President, thank you.

Um, I was really just trying to find out exactly where these um tree removals were coming from, but I just received an email.

So I'm good.

Okay.

Yes, I just have a follow-up question for each of these items, and I was looking for uh more information, so I apologize.

My book may not be complete.

But as an end result, now that we bid it for these services, what is the follow-up?

Because I know sometimes we have trees that fall down due to storms or to do different things that occur.

And for example, we just talked about Dennis, we have some items still near the roadway.

So is this contract they take any of those items with them, like any debris that remains, or the contract is just the cut during the cuts.

Mr.

President, so sir.

So Madam Pro Tim, so from what our DPW team told us, some of these are remaining items that have been that have not been able to be addressed because of the limitations on the crew because it was so many.

So if there's additional items, we probably need to get those from you all, but they're going back and getting the items that were already in the queue that hadn't been picked up.

So I think to your question, yes, they're gonna be coming back.

The contractors will be coming back to get the items that remain.

Okay, because I believe sometimes the with residents as was myself, when we see the response and we see that the cuts are made.

The question is is that gonna come back with a regular book trash pickup, or is that going to be part of the cleanup of the debris when that time?

So maybe that's what you just need to clean up, right?

That's the clarification that we need it because I also need to be able to follow up.

Do we need to call another 311 request later when we see that the debris is still remaining?

I would recommend that just to ensure that it is in the queue, especially if you don't see resolution shortly after the passage of this.

Yes, I would recommend it just to ensure that it happens.

Okay, because we'll have several because I do know that we have some, and I just don't mean to beat this to death, but um we have the initial debris, now it's turned from green to brown, and now there's new foliage that's growing in the middle of the original.

So just one to be sure I can for myself and for our residents, we need to call that back, and we don't just need to assume that that's gonna be the direct result of that cleanup.

And we can we can match up against what's already in the queue.

Okay, so if you already know of some of those addresses, you can forward them to us and we can test it up against what what's already in the queue for them to do.

Okay, we'll be sure to follow up with that.

Thank you.

Mr.

President, yep, Mr.

Moore.

Yeah, so I did get a chance to look at this.

So I one of the reasons why I pull this off is because uh as Madam Pro Tim said, we have so many individuals or so many residents that call us about tree removals, uh fallen trees, things of that nature.

And so um wanted to just ask number one are these all just uh public right-a-way areas that are being focused on here.

So based on the information we have, it's not just limited to public right-aways, so but we can get the specifics if there's an area that you have, but it's not just limited to public right-aways.

Okay, and and I I asked that question because you know, a lot of times we'll have you know, individuals that'll have trees that um may be on you know, public property or something, but it's um it's adjacent to them, um, and it's it affects them negatively.

And so uh obviously we've had a lot of trees to fall, a lot of trees to you know be damaged to where they're leaning and could possibly be uh a danger.

Um and I think that you know there's a lot of residents that want to see the city be able to do something about it.

Um so uh I think that you know this is great, and I'm I'm grateful that we you know we're going through with cleaning up stuff that was already in the queue.

Uh, but I also think that there's there's going to be an expectation, you know, that you know, we kind of address uh further issues or you know, uh foreseen issues uh that people may have.

And so um I would I would even ask that we kind of educate people on you know, like our process of how we go about choosing uh these different uh trees to to address so that there's we can I guess set the expectation um of residents of how we deal with these issues.

Council Woods, do you have a question?

Uh yes, sir, thank you.

Uh one point of clarification is this simply to pick up a tree that's already on the ground.

Right.

Or uh Councilor Abbott, if you close your ears, does this involve uh cutting with any trees?

My understanding doesn't involve any cutting.

Okay.

And so it mentioned uh unit pricing, but what I see is like specific locations, right?

Um is there any unit pricing that could be applied going forward as needed?

We can follow up with the team from our understanding of the unit pricing, is for each of the the ones that are in the queue, there's a specific cost based on what's in the queue and what's what's needing to be picked up.

So that's where the unit pricing is coming from.

It's the individual address location where they're gonna be doing the pickup.

Oh well.

So basically this is just limited to what these existing what 39 locations.

Right.

It's it's it's literally based on the cost per location.

They they've already assessed the cost per location.

But based based on this, you don't we don't have the ability to if there's something next week, next month to go and address that via this agreement.

So that's what I was referring to that Councillor Alexander was talking about.

If you all could forward that to us so we can make certain that the department provides the assessment for those so we can try to get those in the queue too.

So I guess my thing is if there's a way to whether that's like a quantity or truckload or like having some sort of unit price to where it's already approved and just be tied to a budget.

So like the way this is done, every time you got a certain location, you have to get the location and go through a process.

Whereas if it was, you know, just one truckload is five hundred dollars, they could you know they just have a set ability to do it.

But that was my question.

So I think this one is is um location-based and size, and uh no cutting trees down for sure.

If I could say just to piggyback, I'm glad that you asked for the clarity on that because that was some of my misunderstandings.

So I want to be sure we're clear.

So the expectations we have of this, so it looks like something may come to us again because of what's left.

Right.

Okay.

Right, because these are ones based on what's in the queue.

There's a cost per one.

But we do want to know the ones that you all are seeing or hearing so we can go ahead and get those.

That's very important.

So hopefully these will pick up the ones that have grown and grown and grown again.

Thank you.

Okay, counselor, and then I'll come to you, Council Smithman.

Turn your mic on, please.

Okay.

So trees.

So what I understand is is that our three or four crews for cutting trees and maintaining trees is down to one now.

Is that accurate?

I'm sorry, Counselor, can you repeat your question?

Yeah.

Our crews available for cutting and maintaining trees.

Are we actually down to only one crew now?

Uh so yes.

So the crews that that's a part of the reason why the staff wanted to use these contractors to remove the burden off of the the crews that do the cutting and pruning so that they can go back to doing that and we can use these contractors to do the pickups and removals.

Okay, so is it our intention to let horticulture and urban forestry wither on the vine, or are we going to try to repopulate our crews?

Because we used to have four.

Repopulation is always the standard counselor.

Yeah, okay.

So we used to have crews of arborists who had certifications.

Are we still pursuing certified arborists or training our people to be arborists?

Both as we rock along because we're working on the new tree ordinance right now, and we're going to be looking for people to populate the tree commission.

And um, you know, the intentions for the future.

We had an horticulture and urban forestry department, and we had a mayor who put it in public works.

And um, you know, it's never been the same.

So that's true with many things, but the replanting of trees is what I'm interested in hearing about from the administration, is what are we going to do to re populate our city with trees, appropriate trees for the locations.

Do we have a plan or are we just busy cleaning up a mess?

We'll follow up with the mayor of the department to share the plan with you, counselor.

Yeah, we need to know what the plan is because street trees are important.

Not only do they clean the air and make our neighborhoods look better, they actually cause people to drive slower.

Having street trees on your street.

So worrying about who's gonna break the leaves isn't our only issue.

We need to repopulate our city with trees so that being tree city USA means something.

That's all Council Smithman.

Uh it's really more like a comment or request um in addition to what Council Moore said, because we get a lot of calls about residents about tree removals and tree limbs, but it's more of a neighbor to neighbor issue that needs to be resolved and not just oh, this is on the city right away.

And I would love if we could just door hanger or something, just explain that a sample letter almost to help the residents instead of it falling kind of on us to give them that type of letter.

I would love that.

And if we replant trees, it would be a just the idea to maybe do a couple of fruit trees.

Um that way, you know, that's that goes to food insecurity, etc.

Just people getting an orange off the tree instead of it just being just a plain tree.

So those are just two of my requests.

Yes, my thank you.

Thank you.

All right, we're ready for the vote.

All in favor, let it be no must say aye.

All right, all opposed say nay.

Items 61 and 62 are approved.

Item 67, please.

Item 67.

A resolution accepting an approving payment to Williams Fire and Apparatus, Ashland, Alabama for the payment of outstanding invoice numbers.

27751, 1799, 2027, 8033, 27, 80, 64, 28069, 2374, 28502, and 276118, totally 46, 641 dollars and 75 cents for the equipment management department.

Motion, please.

I'm approval.

Second.

Okay.

Uh Councilor Abbott.

Well, this is the one we were waiting to find out why we had outstanding invoice numbers that we were paying all in one big lump.

There were a lot of invoices.

Yes, ma'am, counselor.

So uh so it's a couple of things on this.

Um, so first of all, the Department of Equipment Management noticed noted that this is for fire apparatus, and that that takes a little bit of time to complete.

So they had a soft close, and while the soft close was happening, they were waiting on the purchase order to come in from Williams Fire.

Um, so they noted that um as they were waiting on their PO, they had a price increase due to the tariffs, and that that's what created the delay.

So the reason there was a buildup on the invoices was awaiting on the new invoices.

Um, but they're in the process of securing those from Williams as we speak.

So that's why there was a build-up in the number of invoices paid.

Oh, so the explanation is thank you, President Trump.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

All right.

Um we're ready for the vote.

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

Aye.

Aye say nay.

Item 67 is approved.

And um our addendum item was improved on the consent agenda, so that completes it, completes our business items.

Uh, we're ready for announcements.

Councilor Clark.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Well, we have one neighborhood meeting in District 8 this week.

That's the Greymont neighborhood meeting tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.

in the Smithfield Library.

Uh, this afternoon at 3 p.m.

You can join the Birmingham Bar Association at the Carver Theater to pay tribute to the survivors of the tragic 1963 bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church.

This free in-person event will be a heartfelt gathering to honor the survivors of the bombing.

The event will consist of two panel discussions, a special video presentation, and a cocktail reception to follow.

Uh save the date for the third annual Blues at the ballpark blues event.

It's gonna happen on Sunday, September 28th.

Uh, you can come out to Rickwood for some down home blues featuring two headliners this year.

Uh the Mississippi Delta's own Gary Burnside and the legendary Mr.

Bobby Rush.

Gates open at 2 p.m.

and the show starts at 3 p.m.

Bring your launch lawn chairs and dancing shoes for a great time at Rickwood.

And on a somber note, um, you know, Mayor already talked about this.

I'd like to ask my colleagues to join me uh in approving a resolution of sympathy for the family of Chef Michael Glenn.

He was a longtime restauranteur caterer, executive chef, creative extraordinaire, and dearly beloved friend whose creations were enjoyed throughout the Birmingham area and beyond.

Um he transitioned on September 12th at the age of 66 after several months um of uh extended illness.

Move for you, C.

Second, all the paper let me know.

Say aye.

Aye.

Oppose say nay.

Move the resolution.

All right.

All the polls say nays.

Thank you.

That concludes my remarks.

All right.

Thank you, Councillor Clark.

Councilman Moore.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Let me see.

So UAB Live Hill Smart Alabama says that they need volunteers.

Help make a difference.

Join as we bring a colorful new interactive mural to life on the basketball courts in Norwood Park.

We're painting clothes.

We will not provide, we will provide paint and brushes on October the 3rd and 4th from 8 30 a.m.

to 12 p.m.

The location will be Norwood Park, 1428, 28th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama, 35234.

If you would like the RSV RSVP, please call Paula LP at UAB.edu.

Again, Paula LP at UAB.edu by September 26th.

We also have the Men of Praise annual concert on the second Sunday in November.

Second Sunday in November, November 9th, at Greater Emmanuel Temple, 7901, 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama, 35206.

So again, the men of praise annual concert on November the 9th.

Go check them out.

And then we have the Gospel in the Gallery featuring Kelvin Johnson and Friends in concert October 12th at 2 p.m.

will take place at Encore Theater and Gallery, 1604 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203.

25 includes brunch and orders.

All right.

And that concludes my announcement.

Oh, and we do not have community development meeting today.

And we do have park and recreation meeting tomorrow.

All right.

All right.

Thank you, Councilor Moore.

Counselor Abbott.

That's good news.

The next planning and zoning committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24th at 3 30 p.m.

in the council chambers.

Neighborhood association meetings tonight.

We have at 6 p.m.

the 5 Point South Neighborhood Meeting at Highlands United Methodist Church.

And next Monday, September 22nd at 6 30, the Crestwood South Neighborhood Meeting will be held at the Levite Jewish Community Center.

If you have any concerns or issues about anything you see going on in the city that's not a police issue, call 311 or download the wonderful My Behem 311 app so that you can add photos and the description worded as you would like to have it.

And um that's all for me, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, Councillor Abbott.

Counselor Smithman.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

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

in the council chambers.

Submissions are due tomorrow by noon.

The five point south neighborhood will meet today at 6 p.m.

in the South Hall of Holland United Methodist Church.

And the Tidisville Library will host a senior fitness class every Friday at 1045 a.m.

All levels are welcome.

Um this Saturday there will be a call of green cook-off.

This is hosted by Urban Ministry and the West End Community Church.

This will be from 11 to 4 at Urban Ministry, located at 1228 Cotton Avenue Southwest.

They will have music, line dancing, free food, sweet potato drop, and collar green uh cook-off um competition as well.

And then tonight there will be a stop the violence panel from 6 to 8 p.m.

at the Kappa House Hall Complex at 456th Avenue South 35205 across the street from the gas station um not too far from Memorial Park into thisville.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Thank you very much.

These are announcements for District 7.

Today, September 16th, we have one neighborhood association meeting.

That's the Green Acres neighborhood.

They will meet at 6 30 p.m.

at the Living, the Lifting Christ Worship Center, and again, that's in Green Acres.

On Thursday, I'll be joining the members of the Germania Park neighborhood, where they'll be hosting an honorary luncheon that will be at the Arlington Historical Home and Gardens.

That's at 331 Cotton Avenue.

This is always a great event where the Germania Park neighborhood honor honors residents in their area and who have perform service to the community.

So I'll be glad to join them.

That's again at Thursday, September 18th.

We have two neighborhood meetings on Thursday evening.

That's the Hillman and Hillman Park Neighborhood Associations.

They meet jointly at 5 p.m.

at Hillman Station, and that's actually Hopewell Baptist Church.

Thank you.

And my last thing, I do want to congratulate counselors.

Tate and O'Quinn on a wonderful event.

I know they're both gonna talk about it in their um their remarks today, but Sunday afternoon.

I think every cowgirl was out there at Leisure Field, and we had a great time.

It was a wonderful event.

And so I just want to thank you all for bringing that to the city.

I saw heard so many comments, and I truly enjoyed it.

And um it was a great time.

If you can't line dance in Birmingham, you're gonna have to learn how to line dance, or you're not gonna be able to have any fun.

But thank you very much.

Thank you all for bringing that.

And I do want to take this time to really um commend the council on continuing to move forward with Safe Summer Series.

It was created at a time during COVID where we're trying to get families back outdoors after we had gone through uh COVID 19.

We've continued that and built on that.

So thank each of you and every one of you.

Thank you.

Mr.

President, just really briefly, I do want to thank uh Madam Pro Tim because it was um her idea and former President Parker's idea to bring the city and the council together.

You know, we've gotten great feedback about it.

It's requested.

I think everybody has had what thousands and thousands in attendance.

So thank you for that idea.

Yeah, I appreciate that.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Councilor Tate.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Evergreen neighborhood meeting will be here tonight at 5 p.m.

at the Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church, located at 2009, 22nd Avenue North.

East Thomas Neighborhood meeting will be here tonight, 6 p.m.

They meet on Zoom.

You can contact the office, portal ID and passcode.

South Pret Neighborhood Association will meet tonight, 6 30 at Lively Hope Baptist Church at 9 05 Court T.

Umsley Neighborhood will be held on Thursday, September the 18th at 6 p.m.

at the Meg Hell Pine Rec Center, located at 1115th Avenue F.

Drew Hill Neighborhoods Association will meet on Monday, 6 o'clock at the Protective Stadium.

It's located at 2100 Richard Aronton Junior Boulevard.

The next public safety meeting will be held on Tuesday, September the 23rd at 1 o'clock.

Please submit your agenda items by email no later than Wednesday, September the 17th.

I'm sorry, no later than 12 noon on Wednesday, September the 17th.

To the following recipients, Greg Redot Stanley at Birmingham AL.gov and Ashanta.c for say Birmingham AL.gov.

If you have questions, call the office at 2052542302.

And thank you, Madam Pro Tim.

I'm kind of like trying to get my little voice back here, but I just want to thank Councillor Quinn for the great partnership on Sunday.

It was a very awesome event to see families, people come out.

We had young people.

I did have an opportunity to talk to Fair Jones last night.

He was super excited to perform in Birmingham and talked to Renee Atkins, who actually manages him.

And so we had some calls from Antonio Armani.

Just everybody just said they just felt the love and energy from Birmingham and they cannot wait to come back.

So it was some carrying on going on Sunday.

So people here at a ball, you know, people was like, you know, just reading the comments.

And again, thank you all for coming up with such a great idea to bring families back where we are in this nation today, and just to see what we witness on Sunday, and just when you see all of this stuff pop up on Instagram, the love and the dancing that we know it brings people together.

So it was a beautiful event, a very safe event.

And so it was it was really good.

So thank you all.

Thank you.

Um Council Woods.

Yes, sir.

Uh quickly, the neighborhood, uh Sun Valley Neighborhood Association.

That meeting will take place tonight at 6 30 p.m.

That will be at the East Pence Valley Recreation Center.

Also looking ahead the next week, uh, Monday, September 22nd at 7 p.m.

The Huffman Baptist Church at the Helpman Baptist Church, the Huffman Neighborhood Association will meet.

This Saturday, September 20th, we'll host our next B Litter Free Cleanup at East Pence Valley Park, uh be near the walking track starting at 9 a.m.

Volunteers are invited to come out and just continue the process of reducing litter throughout the district one footprint.

Also want to encourage everybody to stay connected with District 1.

Uh District 1 residents can stay in touch with our office.

Uh get the monthly email blessed, uh, just updates on other events by texting uh D1 to 205 894 5030.

All right, thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Uh for District 5.

Uh I too want to say that I I really enjoyed the concert.

Um, you know, I think it's important for us to know that you know we have a responsibility as a city not to only to pick up the trash and provide police protection, but to also invest in building community.

And you know, community doesn't just happen.

Um, it takes people coming together with a common purpose and creating opportunities for members of the community to come together and um be able to engage and interact with one another in a positive way.

Um so you know, sometimes we get the flack for you know um expenditures that you know uh are of that nature, but you know, these are investments in our community, and I think they're important.

Um so uh it was a great concert.

Um I particularly enjoyed the moment when uh Tony O'Armani kind of broke out and did church with us.

Um that was fabulous, and you know, just as an example of community in Birmingham embracing who it is.

I think the crowd did more singing in that moment than he did, you know.

So Birmingham is so you know rich with culture and its faith traditions, um, and that really showed out in that moment.

So really enjoyed that.

Uh so thank you, Councilor Tate.

I appreciate your partnership.

Also want to tell you about an event that's going on today and tomorrow that's really unique.

Um the 2025 assistive technology Alabama conference is happening today and tomorrow at the BJCC.

And what this conference is all about is um for people who have for one reason or another um issues, you know, communicating that may be a result of uh congenital uh disorder or a stroke or um you know something else that that's happened in their life.

Um but this conference is bringing together uh healthcare providers, therapists, um, and technology companies that uh you know provide devices that uh help people who are who don't communicate verbally like many of us do.

Um they provide technology that help with uh those uh and help people to integrate into society.

Um so again, that conference is happening today and tomorrow uh at the BJCC.

I think the council may have been invited to a happy hour that's hate happening later this afternoon.

Um but you can find uh information um on the conference at the website.

It's listed on whoa.com w h own again.

It's the AT Alabama conference.

Otherwise, in District 5, um we have several neighborhood association meetings uh this week.

Central City Neighborhood Association is meeting tonight at 6 p.m.

at the Birmingham Public Library, the Central Library, South Side Neighborhood Association will meet on Thursday, September 18th at 6 p.m.

at the Birmingham Police Department, South Precinct.

And North Avondale Neighborhood Association will meet on Thursday, September 18th at 6 p.m.

at the MLK Rec Center.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting will take place Monday, September 22nd at 2 p.m.

here in the council chambers.

Agenda items can be submitted to Kimberley Fim Kimberly Phillips at Kimberly.phillips at Birmingham AL.gov.

In other events, OnePlace Family Justice Center will host its 10th annual Relentless Hope Breakfast to kick off domestic violence awareness month on Wednesday, October 1st at 7 30 a.m.

until 9 a.m.

at the Harvard Center featuring the annual state of domestic violence report.

Tickets are available at the uh one place relentless hope dot swell dot gives website.

Um so um again that's Wednesday, October 1st, 7 30 to 9 a.m.

at the Harvard Center, and as always want to remind folks about our two farmers markets that happen every Saturday, the East Lake Farmers Market and the Pepper Place Farmers Market.

Please go check those out.

And that concludes the announcements for District 5.

Councilor Smithman.

Sorry, um, I just got word that five point south neighborhood meeting was actually canceled, so there'll be no neighborhood meeting tonight.

I just got the same word, so clerk.

We have some speakers that have signed up this morning.

The Willie Biggs, Jose Williams, Hosea Williams, uh Mr.

Mohammed, Mr.

Mahama.

My name is William Mohammed 411, Low Range Street, Birmingham, Alabama, Sherman Heights Community.

Uh I have never intentionally misused this privilege.

In fact, I have stayed away.

I was, and that was a great loss to you because I'm 73 years old, and I've been working in this community for 43 years.

The committee to save Jefferson County has been on the front line of every major battle in the black community in the last 30 years in this city.

The co-chair came to me and asked me about doing forums.

I was against it.

I think that I said politicians lie, but D and I relented.

We plan four forums throughout June.

We we we met two, three times a week planning these forums.

We we got Mr.

Jarvis Escott to screen the forums, and we ended up doing 11 because people called from Brighton, Center Point, Hoover, all over the place, and we end up with over a hundred thousand views for those collective uh forums.

Now they have three runoffs left.

It has been our custom to finish up this work by asking candidates in the runoff to come for a debate.

We did this with Representative Dach and Mr.

Frank Woodson, and it was a very good event.

But I just wanted to say to you that the candidate in District 4 has offended me and the citizens of District 4 by impruning my integrity.

We're having a debate tonight that was scheduled at Beltho Baptist Collegeville at 6 o'clock.

Candidate has declined to participate, and that's his right, but he has lied on social media by saying I'm working for the other candidate.

I have been working in the black community before this candidate was ever born.

And so I just wanted to come up to make that announcement that this is what's been done.

People are playing politics.

I leave on this note.

Low voter turnout is not a sign of leadership nor empathy.

It's a sign of hopelessness, and we are working against hopelessness.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um that concludes our public speakers, and I want to thank our officers on duty at C Officer Square back there.

Thank you for being with us.

Officer Pinkard uh is also on duty for us.