Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting - March 10, 2026

The Birmingham City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting opened with an invocation by Robbins Sims, Pastor of Woodlawn United Methodist Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President Wardine Alexander. The pre-council meeting scheduled for 9:00 a.m. was not held due to a lack of quorum. The regular meeting adjourned at 10:56 a.m. The council approved the consent agenda, adopted two ordinances related to lighting and property sale, passed a new ordinance regulating consumable hemp retail locations, and heard public testimony opposing short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods.

Consent Calendar

• Abatement of Nuisances (Items 1–27): Approved resolutions authorizing abatement of nuisances on numerous properties, including weed abatement (e.g., 3120 PIKE RD, 3405 AVENUE E, and many others) and removal of inoperable motor vehicles (e.g., a white Freightliner Cascadia at 417 N 77TH ST, a silver Montero Sport at 662 EXETER AVE, and 24 other vehicles throughout the city).
• Grants Match Fund Budget Amendment (Item 28): Approved an ordinance appropriating $128,719.09 to Crossplex for the NCAA Division II Men and Women Indoor Track and Field Championship, funded by reimbursement from the NCAA.
• Technology Services Agreements (Items 31–32): Authorized agreements with AHEAD Inc. for Veeam data cloud services ($5,416.80) and Infax, Inc. for DocketCall software ($16,400.00).
• SWAC Football Games (Item 33): Approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with the Southwestern Athletic Conference to host two intercollegiate football games at Legion Field in 2026 and 2027, with a city contribution of up to $225,000.00.
• Brownfield Assessment (Item 34): Authorized a professional services agreement with UNITED CONSULTING GROUP LTD. for up to three years, nine months, at $424,000.00, for community-wide brownfield assessment and redevelopment strategies.
• America250AL Grant (Item 35): Approved a resolution to apply for a $2,500.00 semiquincentennial community grant for the Birmingham Public Library to host a speaker and develop Colonial-era research classes.
• Demolition Orders (Items 36–64): Approved resolutions declaring 29 buildings/structures as unsafe public nuisances and directing their demolition (e.g., 1518 Carver St, 57 3rd Ave, 1444 Jackson St, etc.).
• Condemnation Repair Permits (Items 65–66): Issued repair permits to Sherry Thomas (7812 10th Ave S) and Ricardo Stewart (240 51st St N) for condemned properties, requiring weed/trash removal within 10 days and substantial repairs within 30 days.
• Floor System Purchase (Item 67): Authorized emergency purchase of a Custom Blend ¼” Flakes Floor System for Boutwell Auditorium at $28,500.00 to eliminate trip hazards.
• Change Order for Fire Station Air Purification (Item 68): Accepted a $13,030.00 change order from Rossman Enterprises for 30 fire station air purification systems.
• Resolution Amendments (Items 69–71): Amended previous resolutions for weed abatement contracts and removed two properties (2100 Steiner Court, 829 Meadowbrook Dr) due to owner compliance.
• Various Payments (Items 72–80): Approved payments for equipment and services, including $915.58 for a projector, $14,700.00 for custom sports apparel, $15,380.00 for 300 chairs, $235,000.00 for a 2027 Kenworth L770 truck, and multiple fire truck repairs.
• Refund and Expense Accounts (Items 81–84): Authorized a $5,520.61 refund and approved advanced/itemized expense accounts for city employees.
• Weed Abatement Hearing (Item 85): Declared 518 properties with noxious weeds as public nuisances and set a public hearing for April 14, 2026.

The consent agenda was adopted initially, then reconsidered to remove Item 86 (the hemp ordinance), and readopted with Item 86 approved separately as a permanent operation item.

Public Comments & Testimony

Multiple residents spoke against short-term rentals (STRs) in single-family residential neighborhoods. Speakers included:

• Valerie Abbott (Glen Iris Park, 50+ year resident) – Stated Birmingham's population decline and argued STRs reduce residents, leading to school closures and declining neighborhoods. Asked the council to prioritize constituents over real estate investors.
• Anna Brown (North Birmingham) – Described an STR next door with large parties, noise, and blocked streets (including fire truck access). Cited public safety risks and urged the council to protect neighborhoods.
• Lee Wethal (Forest Park) – Expressed opposition to STRs, stating they remove children and lead to school and neighborhood decline.
• Walladean Streeter (Bush Hills) – Asked the council to protect neighborhoods from becoming "Airbnb resident areas" and reported a current issue with trucks at a STR.
• John and Susan Barnacastle (Redmont Park, 43-year residents) – Reported that since July 2024, five families with children moved out of Birmingham due to STR problems, including gunshots and parties. Asked the council to prioritize residents.
• Joseph Jenkins (Smithfield Westchester, 28-year resident) – Opposed STRs in single-family zones, citing safety concerns including a man trespassing on his property. Prayed the council would vote against such rentals.

All speakers united in requesting the council to prohibit or strictly regulate short-term rentals in residential zones to preserve neighborhood character and safety.

Discussion Items

• Bush Boulevard Lighting (Item 29): The council introduced and adopted an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to execute an Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with ALDOT for installation, operation, and maintenance of lighting on Bush Boulevard underneath I-20/AL-120, at a cost not to exceed $200,000.00. Councilmember Williams asked about a comprehensive plan for interstate lighting; the Chief responded that the city would reach out to ALDOT for a broader plan.
• Quitclaim Deed to Three D Properties of Alabama, Inc. (Item 30): After a brief tabling to verify the ownership of the buyer, the council adopted an ordinance authorizing the sale of city-owned property at 1528 33rd St N for $7,083.00. Councilmember Gunn noted the owners live in Norwood and have renovated approximately 30 properties there.
• Hemp Retail Ordinance (Item 86): The council adopted an ordinance amending the General Code to establish local approval requirements for consumable hemp retail locations and create a corresponding business license classification. The fee is $500 per year per location. Councilmember O'Quinn asked which committee this would fall under; staff indicated it would likely go to the Public Safety Committee.
• Resolution of Sympathy (513-26): Adopted for Cleophos Vann, a 98-year-old retired educator and Army veteran, who passed away on March 7, 2026.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda Adopted (unanimous 9-0 vote) including all routine items except Item 86, which was later approved separately.
• Bush Boulevard Lighting Ordinance (No. 26-26) adopted unanimously after a first reading.
• Quitclaim Deed Ordinance (No. 26-27) adopted unanimously after a brief tabling.
• Hemp Retail Ordinance (No. 26-29) adopted unanimously after first reading, amending the city code to require council approval for consumable hemp retailer licenses.
• All consent items were formally adopted with unanimous votes.
• Meeting adjourned at 10:56 a.m.

Note: The consent agenda was initially adopted, then reconsidered to separate Item 86 (the hemp ordinance) as a permanent operation item, which was then adopted separately.