This is the regular meeting of the Mobile City Council Tuesday, August the 12th.

Please stand for our invitation.

Led by Pastor Tony Legier, Public Safety Chaplain, and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Good morning, everyone.

And let's pray together a new day.

Our father, we give thanks to you for the gift of life.

For we know even our very breath comes from you.

And then this morning we arrive on this campus, pledge to honor you to serve our community, and we pray for the ability to do so.

Thank you for our leaders.

We pray that you'd smile upon them.

May they have clarity of mind and heart.

And we ask you, Father, for your favor and our time together in this room.

In Christ's name.

Amen.

Our gladly flagged.

For which it stands.

One nation.

Undergone.

Indivisible.

With liberty.

Roll call, President Small.

Here.

Vice President Gregory.

Here.

Councilmember Penn.

Yeah.

Councilmember Carroll.

Councilmember Reynolds.

Councilmember Daves.

Councilmember of Woods.

Here.

Statement of rules.

And good morning, everyone.

Morning.

It's good to see everybody this morning.

Welcome to our August 12th, 2025 meeting.

At this meeting, we do have rules at this time.

I ask if anyone have any type of electronic device, including cell phones.

Please at this time put on the off of the barbaric position, the off of the barber position.

Any person that is desiring to address the mobile city council must sign in, indicating the resolution, the ordinance, a public hearing agenda item before entering the meeting.

When addressing the council, the speaker must give his or her name.

Any person that is desire to speak to the council on the non-agenda item must contact the city clerk office no later than 2 o'clock p.m.

on the Thursday prior to the council meeting.

The subject that he or she wishes to express that immobile city council must be identified and pertain to the city of Mobile Business.

Anyone who has not given proper note to the city clerk office and wishes to talk on a non-agenda item would not be allowed to address this council.

Each speaker is allowed three minutes to address this council.

A bell was signed to indicate the end of two minutes.

One minute remain for summarizing.

The second bell indicates that your time has expired.

When addressing the council there to be no personal address to any individual council members, all statements are to be made to the chair who will recognize any council member who wishes to respond.

To maintain declaring, there will be non-dual applause and or public outcry allowed.

Madam Clerk.

Approval of minutes of August the 5th.

So move.

Proper move and second ending discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Minutes approval.

Communications from Mayor Stimpson's office.

Yeah, Council President.

Um I bring greetings on behalf of Mayor Stimson.

He could not make this meeting, so I'll be making remarks on his behalf.

Um, but we're going to announce the aftermath of violence event.

It's a public safety department is hosting an important conversation about violence and trauma within our community.

Uh the aftermath of violence is set for August 14th at 5:30 p.m.

at SEALs Community Center.

Dr.

Ashley Williams Hogue, founder of the Project Inspire, will lead the event.

She'll cover strategies to help victims and families heal after violent events and topics like trauma counseling, victim advocacy, and crisis intervention.

We will also explore conflict resolution, mentorship, and community programs.

Thank public safety and many of our partners, some of which are the mothers involved against gun violence.

Councilman William Carroll, the Public Safety Citizens Advisory Board, and many others that participate.

The downtown street optimization.

Next phase of the downtown street optimization plan is beginning this week.

We will be replacing 26 traffic signals in downtown with four-way stops.

The new ADA ramps are going in, restriping and restriping crosswalks will also be going on.

And all of this is to improve pedestrian access and safety.

The goal is to get a better flow of traffic, safer streets, improved access to businesses in our downtown business district.

This is led by the City Mobile based on a plan from the downtown mobile alliance done many years ago.

All 26 signals will begin flashing tomorrow on August the 13th.

They will continue for 90 days when the signals will be removed and replaced with stop signs.

Help drivers adjust to the change and give us a chance to make these adjustments.

We appreciate the public's patience as we make these improvements to downtown Mobile.

Amtrak Martigral service, less than a week away.

We returned to the Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Service.

First run of Amtrak Martigras service will be next Monday morning, August the 18th.

Our crews are paving and restriping the parking lot right now.

This wasn't required, but the city was able to do it, and then there's a special thanks to Nick Amberger who worked with Amtrak to help pay for this paving and restriping so that we have a brand new fresh facility instead of an old parking lot with a new new platform.

The city and Visit Mobile working diligently with Amtrak to create a welcoming space.

Lots of excitement around the first trains, many of which are sold out.

Thanks to those who made it happen, Governor Ivy, the Portemobile City Council, Southern Rail Commission, and many others that I probably could never name.

Tickets and more information are available at Amtrak.com slash Marty Gross service hyphenated, and nobody is going to remember that.

Employee of the Month Public Works.

I'm going to call on Jennifer Green to recognize Emma Cochrane as the Public Works Employee of the Month.

Good morning, everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, everyone.

It is my pleasure to honor and honor Emma Cochrane today.

For the last three and a half years, her dedication, skill, and leadership has elevated every project that she touches.

Our project managers work often behind the scenes, taking on big challenges, mastering every detail of complex projects, navigating all of our state and federal regulations and ensuring every phase stays on track.

I'm sure you've noticed her work on the Three Mile Creek Greenway Trail Project and the Stormwater Mapping Project, and it really shines as an example of her ability to blend her technical expertise with clear communication and community engagement.

She's really delivering results that have a lasting effect on the city of Mobile.

While she's excelling here, she's still continuing her personal goals.

Emma is a PhD candidate at the University of South Alabama.

Further proof of her commitment to excellence in the future of our work.

Emma, we are proud to recognize you today as employee of the month.

Congratulations.

Next, I'd like to call on Sun Trees Maynard Williams, who would like to recognize Trish Prim as the employee of the month from the legal department.

Good morning, Administration, City Council.

It is indeed my pleasure and honor to celebrate and recognize our very own Trish Prem as the employee of the month for the legal department.

Um Trish has served the city with dedication for over a decade and has been an integral part of our department since 2019.

Throughout her time with us, she has consistently embodied the five core values that govern our team, integrity, service, professionalism, excellence, and accountability, as she has done so with grace each and every day.

And the Air Force, we have this saying flexibility is the key to air power.

And Trish lives that principle every single day.

We walk in that door.

And it has truly been a joy to work with her, and uh, she consistently puts her best foot forward.

We know that that is the expectation, and she does it uh with a smile on her face every single day.

And it is uh a great thing to witness how she is genuinely uh prideful in all the work that she does for the city.

Um, at this time, I will also like to share in this moment to invite her civil chief uh Charlena to also provide some additional remarks.

Thank you.

Yes, um Trish is our model for our core principals in the legal department.

Um we search for and strive every day for professionalism and accountability and collaboration and with Trish collaboration means she's the only one that can find the files under their old names.

So Trish is Trish is wonderful, Trish is great.

I recommended Trish for this.

Um she spent months taking up some extra slack there and didn't whine about it, didn't complain about it.

Um we consider Trish something special.

She's a special part of our team, and we are grateful that she was selected for this position.

Congratulations, Trish.

I also would be remiss if I didn't recognize the extraordinary outstanding work done by Mobile Fire Rescue Department and their recovery and rescue efforts yesterday, um, working on a Moz contractor.

They uh these guys had to face a confined rescue attempt at a in a space dug in the ground with a 28-inch opening, 28 feet underground with 48 inches at the base with two men stuck at the bottom of it.

Uh they did an incredible job.

We're able to recover both of these men.

I wanted to make it make sure that we recognize the incredible job that they do as an and they really have demonstrated that they're not just a fire department, they're an all-hazards response department.

There is no one else to call if they can't handle it.

So from the RSA tower to these sewage lines or wherever else they have to go to help rescue people or recover people, they seem to do it and they do it every time.

And so just a shout out of if we give Chief Barry Glisson, the interim chief of big round of applause, and hopefully he'll pass that on to the comments, Chief.

Yeah.

Yeah, the so we had 29 personnel at that uh scene yesterday.

So the amount of work and effort that it goes in to pull that kind of rescue off is huge.

And it's a testament to the training as well as just the everyday requirements that our personnel give us to the department and to the city unconditionally.

So we are really appreciate their uh efforts that they did and um condolences to the family, but we are proud of our men and women that do this job every day.

Um Chief, if if I might, um, we talked a little bit at pre-conference about what happened yesterday in Princeton Woods, which is in District 7.

Can you just go through how the call came in and when the team arrived, what they found and provide us with some more details of exactly what happened?

Yes, ma'am.

So essentially the call came in shortly after eight o'clock yesterday to our 911 center, and our dispatchers dealt with a very frantic caller and tried to gather all the information that they could, make the initial dispatch.

Um the location was very hard to find.

One of our biggest pieces was the actual incident scene, was probably a mile off the road back into the woods from Princeton Court Drive.

And so that led to a delay on that portion, but they were able to, once they located, they were able to start getting the resources that they need back to the location.

Give you an idea of the equipment that it took just to commit this rescue.

It filled up a pickup truck bed twice essentially with all of the equipment.

So this is a lot of effort and moving parts for our members that committed this rescue.

And I know that an investigation is still ongoing as to exactly what caused all of this, but what can you tell us about what they found when they got there and as much as you can about the cause of what happened and that caused the tragedy because we know that two men um lost their lives in in this event.

Yes, ma'am.

So essentially what happened was there was a displacement of oxygen, is what it comes down to, um, and an atmosphere that was not conducive to what we breathe every day.

So that was our first issue that they had to overcome, and we do that with monitoring and ventilation of that space.

Um the initial call set up that one person went down in the hole, that person never came back out, second one went down, and then finally a third one, that third one was overcome, but was able to self-rescue, and our crews immediately got him transported to the hospital, and then at that point they started getting all the resources in place to commit the rescue in that remote location.

Yeah, and again, our condolences go out to the families of the victims from this tragic accident that happened yesterday.

But last week there was also a call out to MFRD and something that we don't see that often in the city, and that is a house fire that resulted in a death.

Can you go through that for us as well?

Yes, ma'am.

So unfortunately, there was a uh fire death that again you said we don't see that very often throughout the uh city, and either last year we did not have any documented fire deaths, but we lead the entire state and the number of smoke alarms that we put in every year.

And a lot of departments are trying to emulate what we do.

We do this by going door to door and making sure that our citizens have the smoke alarms and smoke or in place that are functional.

So, as part of what happens when we do have a fire fatality, we set up a four-block area that we're gonna essentially go out and do a small blitz, and that's gonna be Thursday starting at four o'clock and running until eight o'clock.

Our crew members are gonna be out door to door making sure that those residents have first aware of what happened just down the street from them, but also giving them a free smoke alarm and installing that while we're there.

So we look to reach out to the community members.

Really appreciate you doing that.

And that is in the Racine Um Avenue area, Mississippi, some of those areas.

We'll also be putting something out on our Facebook page and in my newsletter to help promote that.

But I think it's great that you all will be providing that information and the service to the people who live there, because I know anything like this is just and you know, it affects everybody on the street, and the house is still there, it would burn the automobile is still sitting there burned, and you know what used to be the carport area.

So uh has a tremendous impact.

And uh again, uh a fire death like that.

Uh really uh it was a tragic accident that happened, and um just wish you all the best in doing this and providing the information.

So thank you to all your crew, MFRD.

I mean you can't say enough good about your guys and then the teamwork and what you all are able to do for the city and provide that kind of a service.

And of course, uh Mobile Police were there as well on both scenes, you know, helping in every way they can.

Um, you know, uh just really tell everybody thank you so much for us.

And I know the neighbors appreciated the information that you all were able to provide to them.

Yes, ma'am, thank you.

Thank y'all.

And that'll conclude the uh mayor's communications.

Thank you.

Ronald Clerk.

Councilmember.

Councilmember Penn.

Thank you, madam clerk, and thank you, President Small.

Can I ask the legacy of hope to come down?

How are you doing?

Good morning.

I have a proclamation today, whereas in recognition of legacy of hope, their vision, mission are for Alabama, Oregon and Tissue Alliance to end the weight of suffering by shepherding the gift of life to those in need of organ and tissue transplants.

And whereas National Minority Donor Awareness Month is a collaborative action of the National Oregon Eye and Tissue Donation Multiculture Action Group that aims to create a positive culture for organ, eye and tissue donations to save improve the quality of life of diverse communities, and whereas it was founded in 1996 to bring awareness to health disparities in minority communities with a prime focus on African Americans, Hispanics, Asia Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans.

And whereas during this month, National Oregon donation organizations highlight the need for more donors, encouraging donors registration, as well as promoting healthy living and disease prevention.

And now therefore, councilman core, I councilman Corey Penn of District One and the members of the City Council hereby proclaim the month of August, National Minority Donor Awareness Month, done at the City of Mobile, Alabama, on the 12th day of August 2025.

Can we give Legacy of Hope a big hand?

Okay.

Good morning, good morning.

My name is Dr.

Latoya Bishop, and I serve as the multicultural educator at Legacy of Hope.

And he took all the words away, so I don't have to go worry about saying anything on that.

But I do want to say thank you so much to the city of Mobile because when we sent this information out, the City of Mobile was the very first one to say, yes, we have your proclamation.

Yes, you can come to the city council to present.

So I want to thank you all for doing that.

So it made my drive driving down from Birmingham worthwhile this morning for this very beautiful proclamation.

And I want to let you know that we do have members of our ambassador team and also my colleagues that are here just to make sure that people know that Oregon donation is definitely important.

So we want to encourage everyone, please to register.

It does not matter your race, it does not matter your age, it does not matter your gender.

One person can save up to eight lives.

And we really want to put a focus on this particular month because if you look at the wait list, we have a lot of people that are waiting for a transplant.

Of those people that are waiting for a transplant, about 70% of those individuals are people of color.

So therefore, we really want to make sure that we have a um a conversation.

We invite you to invite us to your schools, community events, and we also have one of my colleagues that are here that's here at Mobile that can definitely attend events.

We go to churches, schools, one or two people, it does not matter.

We just definitely just want to have that conversation.

And we also have a donor mom and also a donor um wife that's here as well, too.

So I want to recognize them.

Um Hope, do you all want to say anything real quick?

The bell having ding.

So I think I'm within my time period.

So again, thank you all so much, and um, thank you for making me look skinny on the picture.

Ms.

Press, I have a I have a question.

Yes.

When you the percentage you gave, uh, did you say that 70% of the people waiting for transplants are persons of color?

It's a very large percentage.

So let's look at it.

Let me give a very general um number.

If we had a thousand people here in the state of Alabama that's waiting for a transplant, um, of that thousand people, I would say about 900 or maybe 850 are waiting for a kidney.

Of that number that's waiting for a kidney, 65 to 75 percent of those individuals are people of color that are waiting for a transplant.

But if you look at the registry, we don't have that many people of color that are registered to be an organ donor.

So, therefore, we want to increase the number of people that are registered, but also to let them know hey, we're at the top of the list that are in need of the transplant.

Let's see if we can save lives.

And my shirt says that all one organ donations can save a person's life.

So, yes.

Thank you very much for coming down to Mobile today.

Yes, thank you so much.

I appreciate that.

I welcome um another visit at any given time.

Yeah, thank you all so much.

Thank you.

Adoption of the agenda.

Second, promptly moving second and discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed, agenda's adopted.

Appeals, we have requests for waves of noise ordinance on February the 14th on Government Street and October the 25th in public safety memorial park.

So moved.

Second.

I'll be moving second and in discussion.

All in favor, aye.

All opposed, appear passes.

Public hearing today is a public hearing to fix costs for demolition of the structure at 5671 Bob Street.

This open up the public hearing for this particular said item.

Is anyone present that would like to address this council on this particular set item?

If not, this public hearing is closed.

Presentation of petitions and other communications to the council, Felicia Johnson.

Good morning.

My name is Felicia Johnson.

I'm here to address the council.

Um based on the council's investigation and the summation of the public allegations by former Chief Chief Paul Crying.

Um, I would like to ask the council is there any council member?

The mayor is not here to be included.

Who has not read the investigators' summation of the public allegations made by Mobile Police Department, former Chief Paul Prime in its entirety?

Is there a council member, including the mayor who's not here to speak, has listened to it audibly, who has not listened to it audibly in its entirety?

President Smalls, please clarify the contract that the city council approved for work to be performed.

Was it be performed by 321 Z or 321Z insights or both?

Well, you know, this is an ongoing investigation, and uh any comments will be covered from the city attorney.

Can he answer that question?

If he desired to speak on it, or you finish with your comments.

Go ahead and finish with all your questions and decide to go ahead and go.

All right, is there a councilman and the mayor who's not here to speak?

Um, who did not read the approved contract?

Is there a council member who disagrees with the investigators' findings that Commander Levy did have criminal activity in his uh pattern of behaviors?

Is there a council member who does not agree that commanders uh levies pattern of behavior for concealment, deception, appearances of approval, and signature fraud, evasiveness and the lights are attributes of corruption and illegal ethics?

Councilman Smalls, what is the source for the $92,000 payment for Miss Baker?

Is that to be answered by the attorney?

Again, this is ongoing investigation.

Okay.

Case.

Oh, right.

Uh, does uh according to the investigator, he says access to in this contract.

Does that mean that this access is to inmates or prisoners?

Is this access to the elderly?

Is this access to the youth?

And is this access to category clergymen?

I'm Felicia Johnson, and according to your organizational chart, you answer to the city council has his organizational chart that the council and the mayor answer to the citizens of Mobile.

The citizens of Mobile, we the people have spoken today, and let our birds be heard voice be heard in this investigation.

And I seek for further higher investigation to the Department of Justice that Commander Levy be held accountable for his pattern and continued behavior of corruption and the uh bad appearance on this city council and the departments.

Thank you.

Again, just to remind the public that this is an ongoing uh lawsuit that is going on in the city of Mobile.

Yeah.

So, Mr.

President, if I may, thank you for for the deference.

Um want to make sure I give some context and some background to answering your questions, uh, but also the comments that have been made.

Um, we do have ongoing litigation that does involve some of these issues.

The investigations are closed, but the subject of litigation, a number of these things are still ongoing.

But I do want to hearken back to um overall global answers because you know we do answer to the public, and and it's in important for us to tell the story, the truth and the whole truth.

The entire truth here is that the 321Z um contract and the initial complaints about that contract were patently false, right?

We invent we investigated the council commissioned an investigatory process, which is empowered to do.

The mayor's office investigated through my law firm.

Um, also we also had OPR independently go through and look at it, and then we also turned it over to the attorney general's office.

None of the initial allegations were found to have any truth in law or fact.

What the independent investigator that the council hired ultimately found is that there was a document dealing with that contract, not the contract itself, but a document that was signed and then ultimately affixed to the final contract.

The council did nothing wrong in approving that contract.

The council and the city did nothing wrong in making sure that money was paid.

We found through four separate processes that it was a legitimate company with a legitimate purpose, right?

Now, what ultimately the independent investigation that the council um yielded found was there was in their opinion some wrongdoing.

We don't necessarily agree that that happened, but that's what happened.

I mean, the facts are the facts.

We ultimately turned that information over to the district attorney's office, which is the proper prosecutorial body, and there were no charges brought.

Also have to remember that the attorney general's office was informed.

Once again, I say this loudly to the entire public.

Everything that was alleged at the front end of these investigations was patently found to be false.

Right?

So if there's one single operation that has cost this city more money than any other investigation, it would be the source of these allegations that were patently false.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

And with me is Mr.

Tim Kaufman, president of the Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival.

Two weeks ago, the Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival celebrated 27 years of dedication to keeping jazz music alive for future generations.

In doing so, we um brought in several that we uh gave awards to and honored as jazz legends of the city of Mobile, born and raised in Mobile, and two graduated from Williamson High School, of which one of those was Mr.

Fred Irby, who is uh on the cover of Jazz Times magazine here, which is one of two international jazz magazines in the world.

Also, this is a special edition, and Jazz Times felt that Mr.

Irby was award, was awarded 50 years of his founding of the Howard University Jazz Ensemble, who is an international college known jazz ensemble.

So we paid homage to Mr.

Irby the third, and we are here today um to state that in order to have a arts and cultural community in the future.

Especially the history of the makers of history in arts and culture in the city of Mobile, and that's why we are here to pay homage to one of your own who followed us through those two weeks of jazz culture, and that would be good morning, council, good morning, president.

Usually I see people here uh being presented, you guys present them with some recognition of something that they've done towards the city of the city of Mobile.

Well, we are gonna turn that around today.

We want to represent we want to honor one of your own councilman Penn.

Would you come forward, please?

Councilman Penn uh stepped in and did some stuff that was amazing for us that really helped us in our situation.

And when there was a problem that came about that was uh unexpected, he went above and beyond to resolve the issue and make everything right.

And Councilman Penn, we just want to thank you for being supportive of the Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival and doing everything that you do for this community.

And we want to present this to you in honor of that and let you know that we really do appreciate it.

And this says to Corey Penn, committee city councilman to the arts and cultural community, Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival 2025.

Thank you so much, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, Mr.

President, this is uh a surprise and to my counsel.

Thank you, Ms.

Ruffin, thank you, Mr.

Tim.

Um it's amazing.

I had an opportunity, the experience two nights of the jazz festival, and it was legends in the city of Mobile.

Legends, and many of them didn't even have an opportunity to come and have them perform back in the City Mobile.

And so they value um being back and being honored and celebrated.

And I just I'm committed to making sure that we honor them and we got to get them back and make sure that they're perform um perform in the city of Mobile.

And you have my word that I'm gonna do whatever I can to make that happen.

Thank y'all so much.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Morning.

Good morning, Council Persons.

My name is James Williams.

My friends call me JW.

The City of Mobile continues to grow and has the potentials of being a destination of choice by many.

There are areas of default that need to be corrected, mainly the Mobile Housing Authority.

Congress sets the laws that regulate Hood, the federal agency, which the Mobile Housing Authority falls under.

The Mobile Housing Authority fails to maintain quality public housing.

Approximately hundreds of federal laws that regulate the public housing program have been violated.

This needs to be corrected.

A recovery agreement was put in place by and between Mobile Housing Authority, Hood, and the City of Mobile, Alabama.

This agreement gave the City Council of Mobile and the Mayor the oversight over the Mobile Housing Authority and the discharge of its duties.

An example of some violations are federal code of the Federal Register 886 point three two three concerning how to maintain, operate, and expect public housing.

Section five point seven zero three involved the national standards for safe housing inside and out to be free of houses.

Let's ensure that its integrity stays in place.

Conditions at Barking Tower, R.

V.

Taylor and Thomas Jane place have been neglected for years.

Citizens' complaints have been dismissed, causing many to leave out of frustration and intimidation.

Strangely, a historic black community is a grabs.

Approximately $310 million has been sent from Hood to the Mobile Housing Authority operating budget from 2021 to present.

And my question is, what happened to the money for improvements?

Mr.

Day.

Ms.

President, thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Williams, for coming down today.

We've had a number of speakers, you included.

And again, I appreciate you coming to visit us, but we've had a number of speakers coming down and speak to the city council about the public housing.

I want to make one thing absolutely clear.

The Mobile City Council has absolutely no control over public housing in the City Mobile or anywhere else.

City Council has no control over public housing.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Yeah, I would like to uh dito behind my colleague and my question is and again, I mean we do represent those residents, but uh it's almost only so much that we can do.

Um have y'all ever have you ever went to the mobile housing board and asked them these these same questions.

As I recall under the Zogby Act at the City Council, it's the governing body for the city, and the mayor is his executive.

And under the recovery agreement, there's a binding agreement that was set in place because of the deficits of hood, that the city of Mobile Hood and Mobile Housing were to work together to comply with these violations.

And that's that's a federal contract between the three agencies.

So they the the city council is a part of the it's it's an oversight there.

If you read the agreement, it states is binding that the city is responsible.

So Mr.

President.

Let's say from the city attorney.

So let me explain two things.

Let me echo your comments, Mr.

President.

We have no government authority over the housing board.

And the appointment.

So we have no government authority.

And this recovery agreement that everybody wants to bring up is no longer in existence.

So when the housing board was found to be a failing agency, um, the inaptitude of the people asking us to enter the the agreement was the real problem.

We have no governing authority over the housing board, and that was the issue.

So the people who were forcing that that agreement kept trying to give us authority that state law and federal law do not give us, Zybe Act or otherwise.

Anybody to say anything about us having governing authority and it has to deal with Zagby Marietta?

Wrong.

Okay, that's number one.

Number two, we've completed the recovery agreement.

Um, and we just hadn't been very public about it, but that's because we have so limited authority.

The last thing is that number, that 310 million dollar number is probably really off as far as what's being funded.

Um it has nothing to do with the recovery agreement.

The crux of the recovery agreement was HUD and some of the local people trying to force the city to enforce parameters, and they wouldn't let the funding flow, any of the funding flow, until we entered into it and tried to assist.

And so I know this council and the mayor's office has made every effort to try to assist in moving public housing forward, but back to your key point is we have no governing authority over what they do, not their funding, not who they hire, none of those things.

The only thing that we have statutory ability to do is make those appointments.

And other than that, it is a complete independent body, which is why there's been so much back and forth.

Glad to answer your questions, Mr.

President.

Uh well, hello.

I asked during the um statements or rules.

I said no undue applause or public outcry loud, no more sidebar conversation.

If I hit this gap, we're gonna be 30 days for the people on the second row.

I'm sorry, or Mr.

Penn.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Which I agree with.

Um, how you doing, Mr.

Williams?

And thank you for coming down.

I know your friends call you J.

Doug.

You always come down and tell us that.

Um, thank you so much for coming down and sharing your concerns.

I think it's very vital that you have the opportunity as a constituent.

I agree with my colleagues that uh we don't have government authority, but we also but we do one thing we have we have we can be an advocate.

Um we can um ask questions.

Um so if you have any questions that you would like to submit to me, um, I will also submit and try to get any answers that's possible.

So if you go to council, send an email to council one at the city of Mobile, any questions that you just stated, um, I'll do my best to try to get those answers for you.

I appreciate it.

All right, thank you.

And again, I do encourage you to go to the housing board meetings.

They have their own, just like we have our board for the city of Mobile, it's a board for the housing board.

Yes, sir.

Okay, all right, thank you so much.

I have one other thing.

Uh with the city council be available, insisting us in those endeavors, and in view of the fact that at some point the council was a part of this agreement, and if we needed some assistance as it relates to particular facts pertaining there uh regarding this with the council be available to assist us.

As councilman Penn has stated earlier, just contact us, and you know you can contact me.

Again, we don't have no authority on the Mobile Housing Board, but we will be our activists for you all as much as we can.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Clerk, Freddie Wheeler.

Uh Freddie Wheeler, 8405 Mobile, Alabama, 36695.

Mayor Stimson, Council President Small, and City Council, thank you for allowing me this time.

I come before you today to say thanks for your leader for the leadership that you exhibit on a daily basis and your efforts on behalf of citizens of this city.

Mayor Simpson, thanks for guiding the city for the past 12 years, and your administrative staff, past and present.

You have always managed to have a very capable people working to make our city a better place.

I particularly want to say thanks to the current chief of staff, James Barber, Joe Snowden, Ricardo Woods, Shonda Williams, Nip Amberger, Bob Laske, Chief Randy Jackson, Interim Chief Glisten.

And all of these folks come to work every day to work make Mobile a better place for all of us.

I wanted to say also thanks to downtown Keisha Brown, Candace Cooksy and Miss Uh Lisa Lambert.

Y'all are outstanding.

I want to say thanks to the current city council because just over two years ago, you voted unanimously to allow us and Westmobile to decide if we wanted to become a part of Mobile.

And on July 18th, we voted to do just that.

On August 26th, many of us will vote for the first time in City of Mobile elections.

So many times I watch city council members meetings, and people come to tell you what's wrong with Mobile.

I'm here to remind people what is right.

The city keeps improving.

It keeps getting better each day.

Many things are right.

The miles of asphalt that have been laid over the past few years are amazing.

And I dare say this will continue to happen.

Each of you have improved numerous parts within each of your districts.

Each of you have made work to make homes more affordable, and everyone continues to answer your phones and answer questions citizens have at all hours of the day, most times at the cost of you and your family.

The future is bright, the addition of downtown airport, the new river bridge, the expanding cruise lines, and other opportunities, such as finishing Brooklyn by the bay.

Before I left the oil industry in 2018, one of my jobs was to look forward to future needs and resources, and the hardest was replacing institutional knowledge that was lost.

I hope this election cycle, people will know that those seated today need to continue so we don't lose that institutional knowledge.

They have shown at least to me to be a very cohesive team.

They are willing to work together to move the city forward, and I hope that there is someone to step forward and replace the knowledge being lost with Council Mendaves.

Thank you, sir.

Finally, I want to challenge.

Finally, I want to challenge my fellow city residents to do.

Councilman Dave gave you one more minute.

Thank you.

Finally, I want to challenge my fellow city residents to do their part.

City officials can only accomplish so much.

Start by picking up trash on your way home and place it in the receptacle that the city provides, and we'll pick up.

God bless the policemen and the firefighters who protect us and God bless this council.

Thank you.

Ms.

President, Mr.

Dave.

Uh Mr.

Wheeler, thank you.

Thank you this morning for driving halfway across the county to uh talk to us.

We certainly appreciate it, as you point out.

We sometimes get some uh excess criticism down here, and it's nice to have someone come in and pat us on the back.

But I would like to thank you for the work you did.

You and the other people in that part of the uh uh what is now the city that were annexed in that supported the annexation, spent a lot of time talking to your neighbors and getting it to the point where uh where we could where we could actually enact that annexation.

You were one of the key players in that.

And uh that was very, very important to the city of Mobile, and thank you for everything you did.

Mr.

President.

Mr.

Woods.

Um, thank you, Mr.

Will.

Thank you for coming down.

Um obviously two weeks or a week before my special election uh was the annexation vote, and you know, all the work that you did leading up to that, and and uh the people that are now part of District Six.

Um, the work that you've done, it just tremendous.

So thank you for what you did for annexation, but also too, whenever you came into the city, you didn't just stop.

So I greatly appreciate that.

Thank you for the feedback you give me on a consistent basis, and then also too, thank you for your willingness to serve uh uh you are our district six rep on the uh on the um solid waste authority boys.

So I want to say thank you, and um uh you are a prime example of uh of exactly um finding uh finding things to get involved in uh representing the city, and I'm very grateful that you're uh now a citizen of the city of Mobile as of two years ago.

So thank you.

Thanks for all you do.

All right, thank you.

Madam Clerk.

Reggie Hill.

Thank you, Madam City Clerk, to the citizens and stakeholders of Mobile Greetings.

Uh Reggie Hill is my name.

I rise today to continue these pertinent conversations related to city business.

Before I begin, I would like to extend and extend the hand of gratitude and express my appreciation for uh Miss Laura Angle and her service to the city.

I wish her well in her next endeavor.

She will be sorely missed.

Um let's look, please, at this first component of the budget.

I'm asking that someone please have the political fortitude uh to hold this over and actually pass something that would prevent it from being uh approved during an election cycle year.

Uh while we have two people that are kind of already affirmed, the supermajority of the city has still not voted.

And so the interest of the public may not be with those who are seated here now, and they should have the opportunity to approve the next budget.

Um let's look at this housing component.

I'm grateful for Mr.

Williams coming down.

I don't have to get too deep into this recovery agreement piece, but I will remind you, and it's something that attorney would pointed out.

I'm glad that he did.

Uh the appointment comes from the administration and the approval of a board member comes from a city and council.

So I understand how you can say you're not having involvement.

And then we just saw something in district two at Jeffson Place where Mr.

Carroll stepped in and helped resolve the matter.

So I don't understand why you're telling us that you all don't have any involvement or any oversight.

Now the thing is maybe uh we it takes a sounding and alarm.

Maybe you've been napping on what's going on, but the idea to say that you're not involved with it, that couldn't be further from the truth.

And we need to understand our responsibility in that.

Um, let's look, please, at these uh contracts.

About two years ago, uh, I think this was dealing with chapter 34 and chapter 14 of municipal code.

Uh there was an ordinance that was not passed, uh, which would have allowed 50 to 100 plus thousand dollar contracts to be going through uh without becoming becoming a part of the agenda.

Yet each week in the pre-conference meetings, we take time and we waive the rules or whatever for these contracts that are under $50,000.

This is just another way of bypassing what the administration wants to do and showing how this group can be considered rubber stamps.

I don't think it's advantageous or prudent for our budget if we do anything that's over a penny and I bring it to this.

But we'll have to talk about this later, even reviewing the DBE designation since the 2020 census.

Let's look, please, at this public safety component.

Um, until you've been tased, uh given an illegal citation, have your privacy uh invaded, have your communication medium infiltrated, been charged, uh unlawfully, uh just done basically just inhumane.

You wouldn't understand the importance of chapters 38 and 46 of the mobile municipal code.

There should be a report from the Mobile Municipal Court that we have not received since 2009.

That's supposed to be happening every month that maybe we can get rid of the backlog.

We need to have sensitivity training, whereas we went to courts and had to spend months and years, of course, mind you, uh, to get things resolved where we found that the police department uh was acting unprofessionally, which could have been resolved if we had the proper training inside of chapter 46 of the municipal code.

So these are little things that are being missed, but they have a huge impact on the quality of life of the citizens of mobile.

So I'm going to uh send some information over to the city clerk.

Uh we've done this before.

Hopefully, this time you will pay attention to these matters and uh get these results that we need with them.

We know the time is not allowed, but thank you for yielding the floor.

We'll continue this next week.

Uh Mr.

President.

Uh Mr.

Carroll, uh may it be stated that uh I do appreciate being recognized as helping to uh resolve some of the issue at Jefferson Place.

Uh but it needs to be stated that uh in the research and inspectors going out, the housing board has no affiliation at Jefferson Place, nor do they have any vouchers at Jefferson Place.

So that is not a housing board property.

Uh the property is owned by millennium sole outright with no influence by the housing board.

So uh let's make sure that we keep uh the responsibility in the correct place when we're uh dealing with an issue that is sensitive to uh citizens in the district and the community.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Carroll.

Madam Clerk.

Resolution is held over 011050, authorized agreement with Neil Schaefer for construction engineering and inspection services for the innovating St.

Louis Street Project.

01151, authorized independent contractor services agreement with Thompson Engineering.

081054, approved purchase art to Vulcan for signposts for traffic engineering.

091055 transfer funds from capital improvement fund project to the motor pool fund for vehicle purchases.

60 1056 authorized settlement agreement and release of claims.

So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Item passed.

Consent resolutions being introduced.

031060 through 60 1064.

Council rules uh these resolutions move to waive approvals on these resolutions.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Rules waive, Madam Clerk.

031060, appoint April Boudreaux to the Mobile Museum of Art Board 40 1061, fixed cost for demolition of structure at 5671 Bob Street.

60 1062 and 1063 are approved award a special bonus to the engineering and infrastructure employee of the month and the officer of the month.

60 1064 determined an appropriation to Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission, a public purpose and approved payment.

So moved.

Second.

Prophet Moving second in discussion.

All in favor.

Aye.

All apple resolution passes.

CFP resolutions being introduced.

By council rules, this resolution will be laid over for one week.

Resolutions being introduced for the first time, 011066 through 311078.

Move to waive the rules for immediate consideration of resolutions 08-1067.

And 21-1076 as well as 31-1078, with the rest of these being laid over for one week.

Second.

Proper mocking second and discussion.

Yes, sir, Mr.

President.

Ms.

Runnels.

This uh policy or you know, this sort of trend of us waiving the smaller um expenditures of the city.

Uh there was a comment made earlier regarding an ordinance that was produced to us earlier in the year or a year or so ago.

And that ordinance would have basically barred from these things showing on our agenda at all.

And I think most of us, if not all of us, feel like it's important that we have line of sight even to these small expenditures, but we also reserve the right for any one of us to object to any of these items.

And typically these items are just like they are very mundane things that go to the operation of the city.

So I want to say thank you.

I'm glad that we're uh handling this business in this this way.

I think it's more efficient for the people that we represent.

Okay.

And other discussions.

All in favor, aye.

All opposed, rules wave, madam clerk.

081067, approved purchase order to Gulf States distributors for respiratory for uh MPD.

081069, approved purchase order to NORLAP for tracing die bags for public works.

081070, approved purchase order to power DMS for annual subscription for policy management software.

081071, approved purchase order to United Rentals North America for trench shoring boxes.

081072, approved purchase order to Vertive Corporation for Maintenance Service for Power Supply Units.

081073 approved purchase order to wider surveying for boundary line topographic survey and utility line location for 1668 West I-65 Service Road South.

21 1076 authorized contract with Thompson Engineering for Engineering Consulting Services 31 1078, authorized the mayor to apply, accept and receive grant assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA in support of the fiscal year 25 port security grant program.

So moved.

Second.

Prophet moving second and in discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Item passed.

Announcements.

No announcements.

District one, Councilman Penn.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

This past week, um, I want to give a big shout out to the National Board Scouts of America.

Um, they presented this whole council um with the Whitney M.

Young Junior Service Award.

Um, so congratulations to my colleagues for supporting um the youth in our city from every aspect from budget to discretion area to doing going out and talking to young people throughout our communities.

Um, so congratulations to my colleagues.

Um, and also just want to give a reminder on Tuesdays.

We have combo with Corey, and this is an opportunity to for students to learn about leadership, government, and making a difference in their communities from 8:30 to 1 p.m.

every Tuesday.

So if you know a young person in our community from high school or college that would like to be a part, they can email council one at the city of mobile dot org to sign up.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Councilman Penn.

Uh District 6, Councilman Woods.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President.

I just will be brief.

Uh, just want to remind District 6 that on September the 18th at 5 30, we'll have a uh district wide community meeting at Oak Park Church.

Um I appreciate thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Woods.

District 4, Councilman Reynolds.

District 2, Councilman Carroll.

No announcements.

District 7, Vice President Gregory.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Just a reminder, we spoke earlier about the free smoke alarm installation that will be going on in the Racine Avenue community.

So be on the lookout for that.

We'll also have the information on our Facebook page and in my newsletter.

Also coming up this Friday at the Charles Wood Mobile Japanese Gardens, we will be cutting the ribbon on this side of the Greenway Trail.

If you have driven down Ziggler Boulevard and looked at the Japanese Garden site, you have probably seen a lot going on there with a lot of construction and improvements.

Well, this Friday, we will officially open this side of the Greenway Trail.

The gardens is the trailhead for the Greenway Trail from the west side going toward the east.

It is a wonderful improvement.

You need to come and tour the gardens if you have not seen it before.

This will be at 9 o'clock at the Charles Wood Japanese Gardens for the ribbon cutting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Vice President Gregory and greetings to the citizens of District 3.

On last week, the city council had passed a contract to demolish the old South Brooklyn School, which is located on Barkin Boulevard in DIP, making a way for the new community center.

And uh many citizens have been asking about a final walkthrough because they have gone to school at South Brooklyn School.

But that final walkthrough will be held on Monday, August the 25th from 4 to 6 o'clock p.m.

Inviting all guest the alumni of South Brooklyn School to come out to do your final walkthrough.

And again, more announcements will be coming in a couple weeks ahead.

Anthony from the administration.

Okay.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Aye.

All opposed, this meeting is adjourned.