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

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

If you ride by there, you'll be able to see that.

So I'm glad to say that that is happening.

And as we speak now, uh the report is is that we're on time and on budget, and hope that will continue for the next 18 months or so.

Um anyway, good news there.

Um just to remind you that uh the opening day is we're trying to get make sure that it's prepared for Martigral 2027.

And when it's all said and done, whether it's Mardi Gras balls, concerts, hockey games, whatever it is, uh OBG will be coordinating those efforts and try to make sure that what we have is among the very best uh in the country.

So we're excited about that.

Just stay tuned.

Um today's agenda, uh there's a five-year agreement with VIA, and that has to do with uh improving our public transportation.

It's a combination of fixed route bus service, what we call paratransit and on-demand transit options.

Now it can be tailored to the needs of our citizens, uh, obviously making it more flexible than what we have now.

The partnership could expand transit options to increase ridership at lower cost.

Uh, for public transfer to work, it must meet the needs of the riders and offer a practical option for other citizens and visitors.

V has national expertise in transit uh transit tech and operations, and they'll be able to help us do that.

For the next nine months, there virtually will be no changes, uh, but they'll be doing ridership analysis and community outreach, and after that nine month period, hopefully they'll be able to roll out uh the thing changes that'll be made.

Our hope is is that it'll be more reliable as we go forward uh and better for our citizens.

The city, the city of Mobile invests a lot of money uh in public transit.

And unfortunately, there's not a lot of people that use it.

And so what we're trying to do is figure out you know, how do we best spend our dollars to meet the needs of our citizens?

I know the city council is tremendously interested in doing this, and so I would anticipate there being a lot of conversations trying to figure out how do we move this ball forward to make sure that we fulfill our obligation there.

Anyway, we think it's a much better agreement than what we've had in the past.

And I want to thank the review committee, which is Councilwoman Gina Gregory, Councilman Josh Woods, Joe Snowden, uh Scott Collins, and Keisha Brown.

So anyway, we look forward to working with the City Council to make sure that we that we get this right.

So the uh two proclamations that I have to read.

Uh the first one uh has to do with the gynecologic uh cancer awareness month.

And so those that uh I said Sheila Dorgan, Sheila, a few would come down.

Uh she's associate manager of Patient Supportive Care Service, Sonia Starks, uh community outreach and engagement coordinator, Carrie McNair, research assistant, and Emily Silvernagel, uh USA Health and MCI intern, Chelsea McGowan, uh Associate Manager of Cancer Control and Population Health.

So thank y'all for being here today.

And whereas GF GYN cancers are among the leading cancer killers of women in the United States, and more than 125,000 women will be diagnosed, and more than 33,000 women will die from these diseases this year.

And whereas the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation and their a state of teal initiative brings awareness of all GYN cancers throughout the state of Alabama, and whereas the health and well-being of women in our state and the city of Mobile are enhanced by increased awareness of GYN cancers and their symptoms and treatments.

And whereas it's crucial that all women in our state and the city of Mobile take an active role in developing healthy habits and ongoing undergoing regular medical examinations so that any occurrence of these diseases may be detected in their early and treatable stages, and whereas we reflect upon the memory of those lost to these diseases, the bravery of those currently battling battling these diagnoses, and the need for increased awareness, screening and research, and encourage all citizens to work together to raise awareness of GYN cancers.

Now, therefore, William S.

Stimson, the 108th mayor of the City Mobile, to hereby officially proclaim September 2025 as Gyne College School Cancer Awareness Month in the City Mobile.

Congratulations and thank you so much for all that you do.

And what we will do, I'm going to present the proclamation.

Welcome to make a few remarks.

And after we do both proclamations, we'll go to the uh atrium and have pictures made.

One more second.

One second.

I do want to just take a second because Laura Crandall Brown of Aaron Cancer Foundation, they are a foundation in Birmingham.

But us uh ladies at MCI, we have developed a partnership with them, and they have uh provided access to treatment for our gynecologic oncology patients.

Um in 2024, they provided 226 one-way rides and eight hundred dollars worth of shell gas gift cards helping 14 patients.

And then in 2025, thus far, they have provided um 57 one-way rides and $375 worth of shell gas gift cards and helped seven of our patients that are traveling to their treatment appointments.

Um these numbers they represent more than just transportation.

Uh, they represent hope, dignity, and access to life-saving treatment.

So they reflect the foundation's belief that no one should have to choose between cost and access to care.

So I just want to take a minute and appreciate all that that foundation has done for our patients of NCI and the residents of Mobile County.

So thank you.

Thank you for honoring this.

Thank you, and we appreciate all the whole work that you're all doing in the community.

Okay.

So I see the 32 people up there for the children's cancer awareness month.

They gave me 25 names uh to call to call out.

So the other seven of y'all, you know, we appreciate you being here also.

So I'm gonna start with uh I'll try to say who's being represented.

First, I'm gonna say what the organizations are, and that the work that y'all do year in and year out is tremendously important and tremendously appreciated.

It's Rappa Hope, Aubrey's Army, Ronald McDonald House, IHeart Radio Media, and the USA Children and Women's Hospital.

So some of those that will be here, uh I saw that Judge Deborah Tillman, uh, she's a board member of Rappahoe.

Welcome, Judge, and she'll be joined by Melissa McNichol and Roz Dorsett, uh Aubrey's Army, Jay and Brooke Nicholas, good to see you again.

Uh Ronald McDonald House, uh, Paul Giordina, um, did I say that right?

Good.

Um, Shelby O'Mansky, Jennifer Bexley, and Eliza Kelsey.

Uh Heart Radio Media Shelby Mitchell, and the USA Children and Women's Hospital, Dr.

Preethi Maury, and Jennifer Williams, uh, Jonathan Harrington, Casey Crawford, Chrissy Smith, Beth Abston, and Melissa Alador.

The proclamation, thank you for being here.

The proclamation reads, and so do each of the organizations, do you want, would you like to make remarks?

Okay, so but there's somebody, Judge, is that Judge, would you be making the remarks?

Mr.

Mayor, we're gonna let uh yes.

So y'all can come on to the podium.

Yes.

Okay.

And the proclamation reads, whereas every September we mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to educate and bring awareness to this issue and highlight the need for more funding for research.

And whereas statistics show that one in every 285 children in the United States has cancer, nearly nearly every two minutes, a child is diagnosed with cancer.

More children are lost to cancer in the United States than any other disease.

Yet less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute's research budget is allocated to cure childhood cancer.

And whereas resources in Mobile to help children with cancer include treatment at the University Children and Women's Hospital and Mitchell Cancer Center, housing at Ronald McDonald House of Mobile, fund activities at Camp Rappahoe, fundraising events hosted by Aubrey's Army Foundation 328, very strong foundation, joy of life on the Gulf Coast and Miracle on the Bay.

And whereas it's important, more important than ever that we acknowledge the devastating impact these diseases are having on our young people and their families.

Now, therefore, our William S.

Stimpson, the 108th mayor of the City of Mobile to hereby proclaim September 2025 is childhood cancer awareness month in the City of Mobile.

And I urge all of our citizens to keep these children and families in their prayers and on our hearts, not just this month, but every month, and support the many organizations serving them.

Congratulations.

Thank you all so much for doing this every year.

It is super important to be mindful of what these children and these families go through.

Um my responsibility with Ripe Hope is to make sure that they also remember to have a good time within that journey.

They need joy in their life, and we're kind of the bridge between chemo radiation, staying away from home, um, to give them back a little joy and to get to experience just being a kid again because cancer takes so much from them, and we offer all that we do for free, and we've been doing it for 40 years this year.

We're celebrating our 40th anniversary, and I wish we didn't have to.

I wish there was no such thing as childhood cancer, but until that's gone, we'll keep doing our part to make sure that they um get to have a little joy.

So thank you for today.

And she kind of hit on a lot of it, but it's you know, it's unfortunate that a lot of people um will go through life and never have a speed bump.

Uh for some of these kids, it's it's not just a speed bump, it's a bridge out, and um there's no way across, and some of them will find a way at the end of the day to make it across, and some of those will never make it through to see what life had to offer for them.

And um, here at Aubrey's Army, that's what we try to do.

We want to we want to build the bridge back or help them find a way to get over to the other side.

Um, and that's what we plan on doing until it's finished.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Just want to add, um, it as you see it, it's a team effort of all of us.

Uh it no one should have to deal with cancer, especially children.

So, what all we can do as a team with Children's Women's Hospital is to provide comfort for the families and prayers that the children um recover from it.

And uh we the Raw McDonald House, we've now been here 25 years, it's our 25th anniversary, um, housing families.

And we just want to say you know, it's the community that helps us all help those families, and that's what we're here for.

So thank you very much.

Thanks.

Thank you all so much.

Thank you all for your hard work.

Mr.

President, that concludes my remarks.

Thank you, Ms.

Adoption of the Agenda.

So moved, second.

Proper move is second in discussion.

All in favor, aye.

All opposed, agenda's adopted.

Appeals, we have a wave of the noise ordinance, request for wave of the noise ordinance on October the 5th on Airport Boulevard, November the 11th in Mardi Gras Park, April the 10th at Fort Conde, and September 20th in Arlington Park.

So moved.

Second.

All in favor, aye.

All opposed, appeal passes.

Presentation of petitions and other communications to the council.

Kathy O'Keefe.

Is Ms.

O'Keefe present.

Okay.

Dory Mayfield regarding 2711 31.

Good morning.

Um, I'm not a speaker, but I'm gonna I feel like I needed to share with you all what I found.

Uh my name is Dory Mayfield, and I live at 104 items Mobile 3607.

And if you all could look at the um 2025 handbook on elections, it states on page nine at the bottom that voting locations cannot be moved three months before any election.

And um, with the issue with the moving of the Dolphin Way Baptist, was it was done six and a half weeks before the election.

So with all the chaos and all the other local, well, not all the locations had problems, but there were quite a few had problems with not being able to vote, and they'd go to two or three different places sent around, and you know, you can check that out by on Facebook and stuff where people were complaining about that.

But um, what makes this you know bigger problem is that the change looks like it affected the person that the mayor was endorsing, and so the amount, you know, like 1500 three fifteen hundred sixty compared to the others at 200 and one at 300 something.

Um that's you know, it just makes it look bad.

Okay, and uh the change said it was due to traffic and parking spaces, and yes, that is a smaller space where it was gonna be at the um Holy Cross Church.

Uh, but there are other ones that have small parking spaces as well.

But um, you know, there were also issues at schools, you know, with all the children trying to go to school and everything.

So that was a problem too.

So I don't know the difference in how that was.

But anyway, that's you know, I just wanted to share what I feel, and because I had to, you know, and I just say to God be the glory.

So thank you.

Thank you.

So uh Mr.

President and Council.

Um, yes, that is uh correct.

However, due to the fact that it was not with regard to parking, but regard to public safety, and um being a public safety hazard with uh once I consulted with our public safety um directors that the ingress and egress from airport boulevard would have caused could have caused a public safety hazard.

So that's why we chose to change the location to a larger facility.

All right, thank you.

Oh Richard, is it Engel?

Yes.

Oh, okay.

Um, only if you needed to.

Okay, that's regarding it.

Okay.

Ordinance is held over.

64045.

Consider rezoning property located at 4421 government boulevard from R1 to B3.

So moved.

Second.

Proper move and second in discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Item passed.

Resolutions held over.

01120, authorized revised solid waste disposal authority landfill accounting agreement.

Motion to lay over two weeks.

Second properly moved and second in discussion.

All in favor, aye.

Autopoles, item laid over two weeks.

081123, approved purchase order to Long Lewis Ford of Shoals for 34 Bronco SUVs.

081124 approved purchase order to send some equipment for side load garbage truck.

081126 approved purchase order VC3 for annual renewal of cybersecurity backup and disaster recovery software and services.

21 1127 authorized contract with South Alabama Regional Planning Commission to provide necessary services for parks and recreation department.

21 1128 authorized contract with Volkert for River Walk Plaza Intersection Improvements and RSA Park.

So moved.

Second.

Resolution passes.

Move to waive the rules for immediate consideration of these resolutions as read.

Proper move and second in discussion.

Yes, Mr.

President.

Um Ms.

Gare, please read 271131 separately.

And on that one, I'll call for a roll call vote.

In other discussion, all in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Rules way, Madam Clerk.

091130 transfer funds from the mayor's discretionary account to Mobile Convention Center to assist with the Hall of Fame walk event and declare said transfer serves a public purpose.

37, 1132 and 1133 are recommending approval to the ABC board for issuance of a retail beer table wine off-premises only license to Broad Street Food Mart on Broad Street and for issuance of a retail beer table wine off-premises only license to locals on OSHA Road.

Serve a public purpose and approve payment.

So moved.

Second.

Prop the move and second in discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Resolute resolution passes.

27 1131.

Declare the results of the August 26th municipal election.

So moved.

Second.

Prop the move and second and in discussion.

Okay.

Madam Clerk.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Um President Small.

Uh yes.

Vice President Gregory.

Yes.

Council Member Penn.

Yes.

Councilmember Carroll.

Council Member.

Mr.

President.

On the 40th anniversary of the Zaggi Act.

There are laws in the city that we must follow.

And when there's appearance of a law not being followed, I think that someone should stand and say something about it.

On this case, I am abstaining and will not be issuing a yes or a no vote, but I will be abstaining.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Council member Reynolds.

Yes.

Councilmember Daves.

Yes.

Councilmember Woods.

Yes.

Okay.

Item passed.

Okay.

Resolutions being introduced.

081137 through.

One second before you head for Madame Clerk.

I'm as I turn it to just explain to the public exactly what we just did.

Mr.

President, the uh council is charged with canvassing the results of the latest municipal election.

State law requires the council to count the votes and say who got how many votes one week after the election.

There's no discretion.

There's no uh wiggle room.

Basically, it is what's called a ministerial task, and uh the council really doesn't have any other choice other than to say this is the votes, and this is how many each candidate got uh Mr.

President point of clarity.

Um I don't remember canvassing any votes publicly before we voted, so we voted on an issue that we did not canvas publicly, or is it required that we canvass publicly?

It is required that we canvass publicly.

We're waiting for the Board of Registrars office to get here with the um results from the provisionals uh so that we can canvas.

So the procedural vote that we just cast was done ahead of the actual activity, so that vote may need to be withdrawn.

Yes, we do motion to reconsider.

Second, second proper move and second proper move and second and discussion.

All in favor, aye, all opposed, vote is withdrawn.

Okay, you have to call the item and re-vote it or move hold it over.

No, we're we're gonna take a recess.

Uh we won't hold it over.

Uh, but we just made a motion to just reconsider the item.

A vote must be taken on the item itself, either to hold it over or something like that.

So you can uh hold it over until after we come back from recess.

Yeah, do we need a motion to hold to take it out of order?

Yes.

Will you move to take that item out of order and take it up at the end of the meeting?

Thank you.

Second, promptly move and second in discussion.

Uh one of our turn to finish telling us explain to the public exactly what we are doing today.

All right.

So the uh city clerk's office and board registers count the votes that were taken Tuesday.

The council's sole job is to basically say, yes, the votes were taken, these are the votes for each candidate.

If a particular candidate for an office has a majority of the votes, then they are declared the winner.

If a uh there's no candidate that has majority of votes in a particular election, then the council declares a runoff election, uh, which will be held uh 23rd.

Yes, which will be held uh September 23rd.

And that is that is the extent of what the council can and cannot do with regards to the election results.

All right, any other discussion?

Okay, all in favor, aye, all opposed, item passed.

All right, so resolutions being introduced for the first time 08, 1137 through 60, 1153.

Moved away the rules for immediate consideration of resolutions 08, 1138, 1139, 1143, 1144, 1147, 1148, and 60 1153.

Second.

Prompt and move and second any discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Okay.

I'm sorry, resolution 081138, approved purchase order to recon recon view, recon view for solar power security camera trailer.

081135, approved purchase order expired for professional media placement services for events department.

081143 approved purchase orders to Sun South for two John Deere utility vehicles.

081144, approved purchase order to UKG Chronos systems for annual renewal of timekeeping software.

21 1147, authorized contract with DL Dious for medical director services for fire and rescue department.

21148, authorized contract with Marion's painting contractors, a call center interior painting, and 60 1153 determine appropriation to the 2025 National Community Development Association Region 4 Conference serve serves a public purpose and approve payment.

So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

I don't pass.

Call for public hearings 41 1154 call for public hearing to consider adoption of the 2025-2026 general fund and capital improvement fund budget scheduled September the 9th.

So move.

Second.

Property move and second ending and discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Public hearings call.

Announcements.

District 4, Councilman Reynolds.

Announcement.

District 1, Councilman Penn.

Um, thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I would like to congratulate um Mr.

Hollis for um being voted on on be a part of the citizens park and recreation advisory committee.

He is a major supporter of the parts and understand exactly what's um going on in our community.

So congratulations to him.

Also, I would like to acknowledge um Kevin Chapman, he's here with Convo with Corey.

This is the opportunity to engage young people with the opportunity to meet leaders and understand um the civic duties of a council member and other departments.

So thank you so much for coming down to be a part of COMO with Corey.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh thank you, Councilman Penn.

District 5, Councilman Davis.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The uh City Council Finance Committee will meet uh this afternoon at one o'clock in the ninth floor conference room of the city council.

This is to review the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget with uh representatives of the administration, particularly the finance director.

This is a working uh session.

There will be no public comment taken.

Public comment will be taken next week at this meeting at the public hearing that we just uh called on.

That'll be uh again next Tuesday at this meeting.

Anyone who has any comments about the proposed budget is welcome to make them at that time.

The intention of the city council is to vote on the budget two weeks from today on September 16th, in order to complete our job by the mandatory mandatory mandatory deadline of uh September 20th.

Uh Mr.

President, I would like to uh comment on I'd like to speak to the uh citizens of the City of Mobile with respect to this controversy that's going on with respect to private voting use at Big Creek Lake.

This city is really very, very fortunate in that we have a fabulous uh water reservoir for us up at Big Creek Lake, and that water reservoir serves about not only the citizens of Mobile, but about 350,000 people all together.

Now water, at least in the City of Mobile, the what we it's it's pretty much a tax.

In other words, you have to drink water and you have to get it from Maws unless you sink a well in your backyard.

So what we're all interested in, what we should all be interested in is having the finest possible drinking water at the lowest possible price.

Now, there are some folks out in the western part of town who claim that they have the absolute inalienable right to boat on Big Creek Lake.

Moss, the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System, which operates our water system, has uh forbidden that for the time being because of the fact that these boats bring in or are likely to bring in invasive species into the lake that provides our drinking water.

And if that happens on a large scale, it's gonna cost a lot of money for Maws to clean out the invasive species.

Could be hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

And there's only one I mean, there's only one group of people who are gonna pay that cost.

That's the people who draw their drinking water from Maws.

So what I want to say to the people of Mobile is you need to keep your eye on this issue and not forget about it because we got a small people, a small group of people out in the western part of the city and county who want to get on the lake.

Moss has put a temporary pause on that, and I think they're working on a solution that will allow boating on the way lake without imperiling the quality of the water.

But again, to the people in Mobile, keep your eye on this because it could affect how much if if not if not attended to.

But I'll tell you this.

If these invasive species continue to be introduced to the lake and it ends up costing a hundred hundreds of thousands of dollars, the people that want to vote on it and the politicians that are supportive of it, they're not going to be anywhere to be found.

We're gonna be picking up the tab.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Councilman Days.

District 2, Councilman Carroll.

Well, I didn't expect to hear that today, but I wholeheartedly agree.

Uh there is no other municipality around that has the resources to clean up the lake if something goes wrong.

I think that's what he's trying to tell you that the citizens of Mobile are going to be the ones who carry the burden if we have to clean up the lake.

Uh I can really say what I want to say now.

Uh if it needs to be, the city of Mobile needs to annex all the way out and take that lake, and we need to be responsible for it because it seems like nobody else truly really wants to be responsible for it in a manner that it needs to be taken care of.

So at some point, this city is gonna have to make a decision on what happens out there no matter what.

And it can't be that people take it as an emotional decision.

I'm gonna have to take the emotions and the politics out of it because the drinking water is more important than anything else.

Um, Mr.

President, everything is right in the world because McGill tool and beat Murphy on Friday and the Canada's orange.

So I can't ask for anything better in the city.

I mean, I went to the game, I had a great time visiting some old friends and seeing people that hadn't seen in a while.

Uh I can't tell you the kids that were at the canon, thank God.

Hopefully they didn't get arrested or in charge or didn't get any warnings, but everything's right in the city of Mobile as of Friday.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Carro.

District 6.

Councilman Woods.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

And I'm not gonna figure to dip my toe into the Big Creek Lake.

I've spent the last four months talking about that.

I think the results of last Tuesday illustrate that at least in District 6, we're hyper focused about what's going on over there out in the county.

Uh, just want to make an announcement.

I remind everyone that we have a district six community meeting September 18th at 5:30 at Oak Park Church on Sally.

And then also too, just following uh Councilmember Dave's uh finance committee meeting.

Um we'll have a public service committee meeting uh today um dealing with uh the the public transit services and um it's slated for 215, but um uh hopefully we'll immediately follow or shortly follow the finance committee meeting.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Woods, District 7, Vice President Gregory.

No announcements.

Uh and from administration.

We need to reset this until 12 o'clock.

Okay, council.

We've got uh yeah.

Yeah.

Council, we just gonna go ahead and reset until at 12 no.

Okay.

We have to be down here.

We have to be down here.

Okay.