Tag Archives: City Council

On the agenda: Cleaning up the city

Official flag of the City of BirminghamUPDATE: Kyle Whitmire with Second Front reports the City Council has voted to go with Mayor Bell’s proposal for debris cleanup and not to use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

So after you get past the thirteen pages of properties scheduled to undergo nuisance abatement in today’s Birmingham City Council agenda, you arrive at Item 7 – the first of 14 that involve “inoperable vehicles” on property. They’re all public hearings too…

The most interesting item on today’s agenda involves clean up efforts underway after the April 27 tornadoes. The simple part of the agenda is Item 21, making $10 million available to do the debris removal in the budget. Then it gets interesting. The mayor has submitted Item 22, asking for permission to enter into contracts with DRC Emergency Services, Southeast Renewables and Malcolm Pirnie. The City Council counters with Item 26, granting permission to the Army Corp of Engineers Mobile District, which is using Phillips & Jordan to coordinate efforts throughout the state.

They’ve already spent several days talking about the issue, including the majority of what was supposed to be the first meeting about the 2011-2012 budget.

There also appear to be several road construction projects on today’s agenda, including one (Item 23) moving the extension of Finley Boulevard from 26th Street to East Lake Boulevard forward.

It’ll be an interesting one to watch this morning – or whenever you get around to it.

On the agenda: A new home for the Birmingham Batmobile?

Birmingham_Batman. Courtesy of BhamWikiThe most interesting item on this morning’s Birmingham City Council agenda involves the Batmobile. Back in 2007 we linked to a post written by Lou Anders about Birmingham’s BatmanWillie Perry.

The car that Perry drove around while providing assistance to those in need has been the focus of a lot of attention in recent years. Today, so long as the issue isn’t deferred again, it will find a new home. Item 2 on today’s agenda hopes to accomplish just that as it would allow the mayor to enter into an agreement with Old Car Heaven to house the car for an indefinite period of time.

This morning’s agenda also includes potential approvals for contracts with companies to demolish structures throughout the city (Items 9-14) as well as a funding request that would allow Main Street Birmingham to move forward with plans to develop an arts incubator in the Woodlawn commercial district (Item 6).

It should be an interesting meeting to watch… The live stream begins with pre-council at 9 a.m.

On the agenda: Hotels and contracts

Official flag of the City of BirminghamConsidering how many items are on currently on consent this morning, you’d assume that the first Birmingham City Council meeting of 2011 should move as quickly as the last one of the year. We already know that this will most likely not be the case because of the expected proposal from Mayor Bell about to use that expected $9 million mid-year budget surplus.

BBVA Compass Bowl logoItems 4-27 cover an insanely large amount of properties being taxed for overgrown weeds, meaning that by the time you get to page 32 you may not be in the mood to look at Item 29 (it allows the city to enter into an agreement with ESPN Regional Television to help publicize the BBVA Compass Bowl for the next four years – beginning with this year’s edition.

Preparations for this year’s game is well underway (especially since it’s scheduled to take place this Saturday). Continue reading

On the agenda: ClasTran and neighborhoods

Official flag of the City of BirminghamIt’s a short Birmingham City Council agenda this morning but its impact could be incredible during this last week of 2010 (It’s only 5 pages).

Item 3 would make $121,500 from the city’s general fund available to ClasTran to help reduce a budget shortfall. This action was promised earlier this month by Mayor Bell, meaning that the city will fulfill its financial obligation. There is still some issue with what the Jefferson County Commission will do and where the additional funds will come from.

The folks in North Pratt will finally have their neighborhood election results certified by the city if Item 11 is approved this morning. Officers for all of the city’s 99 neighborhoods serve two year terms, meaning we’ll have our next set of elections in 2012. The Fountain Heights neighborhood will be able to erect a new neighborhood entrance sign 18th Street North near 16th Court North, adding to the signs popping up throughout the Magic City.

What happens? It wrapped before 10:30 a.m. so you’ll have to check out the video archive.

On the agenda: Sewers and skyboxes

Official flag of the City of BirminghamCouncilor Rafferty’s proposal to reduce the number of representatives from the City of Birmingham serving on the BJCTA‘s Transit Advisory Committee (held over for three weeks already) is back on the council agenda today (Item 6). There’s also a $22,000 bid to re-carpet Legion Field‘s skybox (Item 20).

The major item on today’s agenda involves the city’s storm water management program. Item 14 allows the mayor to enter a contract with Malcolm Pirnie for up to $535,975 to assist with the development of that plan and to help prepare a required report to ADEM. Item 15 puts them under contract (for $89,895) to help address issues brought up during a recent audit of the city’s storm water management system.

The recap will be online later today

On the agenda: Support for the beltline and parks

Official flag of the City of BirminghamThis morning’s Birmingham City Council agenda is a little smaller than normal – 15 pages to be exact. It’s the stuff covered within those pages that are interesting.

Item 35, if approved, will state that the City Council fully supports the Northern Beltline “in order to address regional transportation needs.” The item was on consent but was removed.

Item 17 will make some changes to the contract between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. It will simply change the name of the agency that the City has the contract with and allow for the first of ten renewals of three years each.

Items 1 & 2 will allow for a new establishment, the Emporium Nightclub, to open in the space most recently occupied by the Continental Ballroom.

The meetings are streamed online and available for review; the agenda is available for review now.

UPDATE: On the agenda: Amnesty and advertising

Official flag of the City of BirminghamThis morning’s Birmingham City Council meeting is already underway as I’m writing this and there are several items on the agenda of interest.

Item 27 is the first reading of a change to the city code that would alter the look of our city streets. The change would allow our transit authority, the BJCTA, “to advertise on bus stops, benches, and/or shelters” providing a new revenue stream to the agency. The item was withdrawn by Councilor Rafferty because of an addition that needed to be made to the item.

Item 30 would let Mayor Bell enter into a redevelopment agreement with the Alabama School of Fine Arts providing no more than $30,300.00 for “public streetscape and infrastructure improvements and rebate of construction fees in support of ASFA’s expansion project.”

Items 29 & 68 will make those who owe overdue taxes and parking fines respectively at least a little happier. It would allow for an amnesty period (the month of November for taxes; October and November for parking, traffic and other non-moving violations) for people to pay the amounts due without having to worry about the penalties.

Council meetings are streamed live weekly and archived on the city’s website.