Birmingham City Council Regular Meeting – November 3, 2026

The Birmingham City Council met on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in Council Chambers. The agenda listed a 9:30 A.M. start; the meeting was called to order at 9:36 A.M. Minutes for August 4, 2026 through October 27, 2026 were not ready. After an invocation by Dr. Timothy J. Woods Sr. and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilor Clinton Woods, the council heard the Mayor's report, approved the consent agenda, acted on three separate items, and heard two public speakers.

Consent Calendar

• All designated consent items were approved by one motion with no separate discussion. No items were removed for public hearing. Items 35 and 53 were withdrawn.
• Alcohol and towing licenses: approved beer/wine and liquor license transfers or issuances for Pike Road Market & Meats, Welcome Mart, One Stop Gas, The Upper Deck 2.0, and Nikki’s Event Center; approved a towing service license for Hamid Mehvari / United Towing & Transport to operate 13 wreckers.
• Public nuisance abatement: approved removal of numerous inoperable vehicles and a resolution covering 136 weed/noxious-growth properties, with a public hearing set for December 8, 2026.
• Budget amendments: transferred Neighborhood Allocation funds for traffic calming from South Eastlake ($5,357.10), Roebuck ($4,017.83), and Killough Springs ($5,357.10) to the Capital Improvement Fund.
• Agreements and grants: approved funding for Be Kind Birmingham ($4,500), Childcare Resources ($5,000), Community Care Development Network ($10,000), Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation Foundation ($43,500), Vulcan Park Foundation ($1,500), Green Hands Growing Futures ($2,000), Bush Hills yard signs ($343.75), East Brownville sign paint ($300), and Crestline pet-related supplies ($2,000).
• Capital and procurement: approved $174,400 and $15,000 right-of-way payments to Natarcia Johnson for the Pratt Highway Bridge project; contracts for Linn Henley Library HVAC repair ($23,650), Division of Youth Services door control repair ($4,740.51), LEHR Upfitters emergency lighting equipment, D&D Fire Protection SCBA hydrostatic testing ($12,050), and itemized and advanced expense accounts.
• Amendments and corrections: Item 40 was amended to a total of $7,500, adding $6,000 in Councilor Smith discretionary funds for Jackson-Olin High School baseball/softball, Wenonah High School culinary arts/hospitality, and Birmingham City Schools Fine Arts. Item 43 was amended to a total of $6,150, adding $5,000 from Councilor Smith, with $1,150 for the holiday open house and $3,850 for library general operating needs. The clerk corrected Item 45’s termination date to June 30, 2029.

Mayor's Report and Presentations

• Mayor Woodfin urged Birmingham residents to vote, linking the right to vote to the sacrifices of Civil Rights foot soldiers; he noted at the start of the meeting that polls had been open for 2 hours and 41 minutes. He also reminded the council of the state of homelessness summit on Friday, November 6, 2026.
• The council recognized International Project Management Day on November 5, 2026. Nicole Sarzano and Rosalind Parks of PMI Central Alabama accepted the proclamation; PMI CAC serves more than 700 members.
• Representatives of the Greater Alabama Council of Scouting America, including Bear Scout Matthew Diaz, promoted the Scouting for Food drive and asked residents to donate canned goods to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.
• A delegation from Hitachi, Japan, Birmingham’s sister city for 44 years, was welcomed. Deputy Mayor Hideo Yoshinari presented a cherry blossom artwork and expressed appreciation for the partnership.
• Mayor Woodfin noted three homicides over the weekend, with two suspects officially charged. He said the third occurred in a building in Councilor Smitherman’s district that the city had been trying to get the owner to secure, and that the City Attorney’s office and the DNA team would be more aggressive.
• Mayor Woodfin reported on the 85th Magic City Classic: roughly 130,000 people on the Legion Field grounds, about 70,000 inside the stadium, more than 100,000 at the parade, and ticket buyers from 34 states. He stressed that the post-game shooting occurred across the street from Legion Field after the event, not on the Classic campus. He stated there were nine victims; eight had their lives forever changed, with five stable, one serious, one critical, and Dra Sean, a recent Parker High School graduate, killed. A 17-year-old has been charged with murder; a Glock switch conversion was involved. Mayor Woodfin praised BPD’s response and the $16 million recruitment/retention investment, proposed possible regional cooperation with Jefferson County mayors, and called on parents and the community to hold young people accountable. Council President Alexander and Councilor Smitherman echoed support for the Classic and called for continued violence prevention and post-game strategy work.

Council and District Updates

• Council members provided neighborhood meeting schedules, district events, and board recruitment notices.
• Expirations announced included Birmingham Library Board vacancies and part-time special municipal judge positions.
• Applications for full-time and part-time municipal court judge positions are open until November 17, 2026; resumes should be sent to Isola.hall@birminghamal.gov.
• A special called Committee of the Whole meeting was set for November 4, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Malik Hassan Bay, 4925 Avenue R, Birmingham 35208, identified as an indigenous Moorish American and a food vendor of six years. He said compliance officers had recently interfered with his vending despite prior acceptance, invoked Indigenous rights, and asked the city to educate its officers and leave him alone so he could continue supporting his family.
• Ricky Green, 5600 First Avenue North, Birmingham 35206, raised concerns about conditions in the Birmingham City Jail. He described the conditions as inhumane, citing rat infestation, inadequate HVAC for inmates, and lack of sanitary napkins for women. He suggested transferring inmates to the county jail, considering a metropolitan/regional jail, and sending some inmates to rehabilitation or mental health care instead of jail.

Discussion Items

• Item 38 (Ordinance, permanent operation): Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Jefferson County for infrastructure improvements to Rex Lake Road. The project includes approximately 0.13 miles within Birmingham and approximately 1.63 miles in unincorporated Jefferson County; the term is not to exceed three years and total cost is not to exceed $96,616.31. Funding source is DOT 046CP-Street Resurfacing. Passed.
• Item 50 (Resolution): Reappointed Jeff Habercroft, an attorney and civil engineer, to the Birmingham Parking Authority for a term ending October 31, 2030. Passed.
• Item 62 (Resolution): Set a public hearing for December 8, 2026, to consider an ordinance repealing Title 2 and Title 3 of the Birmingham Zoning Ordinance, Ordinance No. 15-133, as amended, to remove obsolete provisions. Case No. ZAC2026-08010. Passed.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved, including amended Items 40 and 43, and with Items 35 and 53 withdrawn.
• Item 38, Item 50, and Item 62 were approved.
• A public hearing was set for December 8, 2026, for the zoning ordinance repeal and for weed/noxious-growth property abatements.
• The council approved by voice vote a congratulatory resolution for Ron “Papa Jack” Jackson.
• Municipal court judge applications are due by November 17, 2026; a special Committee of the Whole meeting is scheduled for November 4, 2026.
• Mayor Woodfin committed to continuing regional discussions on youth violence, including a possible memorandum of understanding with Jefferson County mayors.