Birmingham City Council Meeting - January 6, 2026
Birmingham City Council Meeting - January 6, 2026
On January 6, 2026, the Birmingham City Council convened for its first regular meeting of the year. The session began with an invocation and pledge, followed by administrative approvals of past minutes and a Mayor's report delivered by staff. Key themes included public safety concerns regarding celebratory gunfire, the recognition of the Miles College band's national achievements, and the advancement of legislative priorities to address absentee landownership and blight. The council also approved the consent agenda, which required the removal of one item for separate discussion, and set public hearings for property right-of-way vacations and zoning changes.
Consent Calendar
- Approved: The minutes from previous meetings held between September 2nd and September 30th, 2025, were approved unanimously.
- Pending: Minutes from the meetings held between October 7th and December 30th, 2025, were noted as not yet ready.
- Item Revisions: Several items were withdrawn from the consent agenda bundle before voting (specifically items 57, 206, 74, 239, and 132) due to procedural needs. Item 22 (North Side Redevelopment amendment) was pulled from consent by Councilmember Smithman for individual discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Councilmember Williams (Citizen Perspective): Expressed concern regarding public safety during the holidays, specifically noting the perception of danger from celebratory gunfire and fireworks starting as early as 7:00 PM. She stated that despite reported decreases in violence, the auditory experience of gunfire made her feel unsafe and requested a response on future holiday plans.
- Councilmember Smithman: Requested statistics on arrests made for celebratory gunfire from the previous year, expressing skepticism regarding the reported reduction in rounds fired given the intensity heard on New Year's Eve. She also voiced concern about the negative impact of social media messages advising people to avoid Birmingham during holidays due to gunfire.
- Councilmember O'Quinn: Requested specific information on technologies (such as drones) to be employed to gather evidence and make arrests for celebratory gunfire, stating that support exists for putting individuals behind bars to make examples and deter the behavior.
- Councilmember Smith (Citizen/Private Concern): Warned parents and the public about the severity of possessing "Glock switches," citing the 10-year federal prison sentence, and expressed hope for a reduction in homicides in 2026.
- Pro Tem Tate: Supported the work of violence reduction organizations (Youth Commission, One on One) and called for community focus and parental vigilance to prevent violence.
- Professor Snipes (Miles College): Advocated for increased youth involvement in school activities, specifically bands, as a method to save lives and keep children out of trouble. He shared that scholarships are available for Birmingham musicians to attend Miles College.
- Student Representatives: Congratulated the band and stated support for the institution.
Discussion Items
- Miles College Purple Marching Machine: Councilmember Smithman presented the band, who retained the ESPN Division II Band of the Year title for the second consecutive year. Councilmembers expressed pride in the achievement, noting the dedication required for academics and band duties. Professor Snipes highlighted the band's role in community safety and invited more Birmingham students to apply for music scholarships.
- North Side Redevelopment LLC (Item 22): Councilmember Smithman inquired about the amendment extending the deadline for blight removal on the former Careway Memorial Hospital campus. The developer, Brian Wolfe, stated that delays were solely due to HUD loan regulations which have since been abandoned. They confirmed demolition will be completed by early May 2026, with three new construction projects (cottages, an indoor entertainment venue, and outparcel development) starting in 2026. The full development is projected to take 5-7 years.
- 2026 Legislative Priorities (Item 23): The Council discussed a resolution supporting legislative priorities, including amendments to the Alabama Land Bank Act and the creation of a Birmingham Housing Trust Fund.
- Councilmember Woods proposed a blight remediation assessment (tax on delinquent absentee landowners) and stated this is necessary to hold private property owners accountable and redirect funds to community development.
- Councilmember Smithman supported the initiative but expressed concern that the city must have the administrative bandwidth to enforce it aggressively.
- Councilmember Williams raised a concern regarding the balance of power between the Mayor and Council, specifically regarding the budget process, and suggested the Council might need a separate legislative priority list regarding governance structures, though acknowledged current collaborative efforts.
- District Announcements: Various council members provided updates on their district, including neighborhood association meeting schedules, tree planting volunteers (District 3), and CDL training information sessions (District 1).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda Approval: The consent agenda was approved with the exception of Item 22, which was removed for separate consideration.
- North Side Redevelopment (Resolution): Approved the resolution amending the redevelopment agreement to extend the blight removal deadline to May 30, 2026.
- Legislative Priorities (Resolution): Approved the resolution supporting 2026 legislative priorities, including land bank amendments, vacant property registries, the Housing Trust Fund, and the blight remediation assessment.
- Public Hearings Scheduled:
- February 10, 2026: To consider vacationing 36,000 sq ft of right-of-way (631 LLC, SKD Properties, Iron Gear 4th LLC).
- February 10, 2026: To consider vacationing 1,185 sq ft of right-of-way (St. Cecilia Congregation).
- February 17, 2026: To consider vacationing 24,658 sq ft of right-of-way (River Brook Realty).
- February 10, 2026: To consider zoning amendment ZAC 2025-16 to allow a motorcycle training facility (Mahafae Sabedee).
- February 10, 2026: To consider zoning amendment ZAC 2025-24 to allow a vehicle rental company (Robock Plaza Basy Line LLC).
- Follow-up Actions: Council members requested and await data on celebratory gunfire arrest numbers and the technologies (drones, etc.) proposed by Public Safety to address the issue.
- Proclamation: January 9, 2026, was proclaimed as Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated Day in the City of Birmingham.
Meeting Transcript
Oh wow, that's something that's got the other side. That one's all me. No, but you shouldn't have to do that. So I got the outside. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, they have a double computer. Oh yeah, yeah. Right. Yeah. I wish we had a land. I think I'll try to rub it. Well they could use the case, but I actually had all this if you're right. Okay, yeah. So that's the point. I don't know if you probably but if you're right. But if you're going to write the wrong two interesting technical screens, right? Oh, you can put it on the different three. But I don't know, it's not running out of the mind, but you say it would be like the technical team. So they might just recognize it. But I thought it was very funny. So it's supposed to be on more. And for when you hear it. Oh yeah. You won't go right off. But the thing is, just all the same one. Are we ready in the back? You know what I'm saying? Good morning, Birmingham. Today is Tuesday, January 6th. The time is 9 33 A.M. I call to order the regular meeting of the Birmingham City Council. This morning, our invocation will be led by Galvin Bills, pastor of Small Groups, Church of the Highlands, Woodlawn Campus in Birmingham. Our Pledge of Allegiance, I will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. If you will please stand and join us, thank you. So the members of the city council to the mayor's office as well, so joy to be with you this morning. There's a spiritual principle that when we take the time to put our first to God, God makes us best available to us. So as we begin to uh invoke on his presence this morning, I just want to call your attention to Matthew 633 that says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all of his righteousness and all these things will be added unto us. So as we lift our expectations this morning, let's believe God that he'll lead us into the best that Birmingham has to offer. Let us pray. God, we bless you with all that we have within us. We pray a blessing over this mayor, Mayor Randall Whiff and God, we pray that you would just increase them with wisdom to all of the members of the city council in their respective places, God. We pray that you would give them wisdom and guidance. So all of the members of the leadership of the mayor's cabinet, God, we pray that you would just bless them as well, give them wisdom to the members of the departments that that reside inside City Hall and abroad. Father, we pray that every budget has everything that is needed and all the resources are made available unto them. We pray for an act of citizenry this year, and we ask your blessings over every household that is represented in all nine districts. We pray over our business community and over our schools that are all in the city of Birmingham. We ask these blessings, even for our public safety. We thank you for a year that we saw decreased violence. We pray that your hand continues to be on our city and on our public safety officials as well. It's in the name of Jesus that we do pray, and we're all in agreement, say amen.
openpublica.com