City Council - Regular Meeting

to join us. Gregory Stanley will lead the invocation today.

Amen. Good morning, City Council. Bow heads and humble hearts. From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, your name is to be praised. We thank you, O God, for waking us up this morning, starting us on our way. And today we thank God for All of today's challenges for today's challenges in your hands have grace on them. And so, God, now as we stand here, we ask, O God, for your divine providence over this meeting that you move in the hearts and the minds of the people that, Lord, lead this city. Touch our mayor, touch our president, our pro tem, and the rest of our council, O God, as they make decisions. for the city of Birmingham. And God, now smile upon every residence and constituent, O God, and give us this day our daily bread. And we will give your name praise. In Jesus' name we pray. Thank God and amen.

Thank you. Mr. Clerk, can you call the roll for us, please?

Yes, ma'am. Council Member Gunn. Good morning. Good morning, sir. Council Member O'Quinn.

Good morning.

Good morning. Council Member Smith. Good morning. Good morning. Council Member Smitherman. Good morning. Good morning. Council Member Vassa.

Good morning.

Good morning. Council Member Williams. Good morning. Council Member Woods. Good morning. Good morning. Council President Alexander and Council President Potem Tate.

Good morning. Good morning. Okay, the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting, March the 3rd through the 31st, 2026, and minutes are not ready from April the 7th, 2026 through June the 9th. Communications from the mayor.

Excuse me, Madam Pro Tem. I'm sorry. Can we get a motion on those minutes for approval?

Okay, so I move.

Okay, all in favor, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. All opposed? Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Pro Tem. Good morning to the members of the council. Good morning to the members of the public, all those under the sound of my voice. I have a few brief updates on behalf of the mayor. The city of Birmingham offices will be closed on Friday, June the 19th for Juneteenth, with the exception of police, fire, and 911. This will not affect trash pickup. Speaking of June 19th, the Botwell Auditorium is hosting Blooming Beats and Bites on this Juneteenth weekend on Saturday, June the 20th from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be live entertainment featuring the voices of Birmingham, vendors, a DJ, sips and painting, a fashion show, and more. This event will also commemorate the 102nd birthday of the Boutwell Auditorium. So if you're interested for more information, please call 205-254-2820. This Sunday is one of the most decorated and recognized holidays in the history of mankind that everybody should particularly take note of, budget for, plan for, spend on, and celebrate with all vigor and all exercised energy that they have, because it's Father's Day. The mayor would like to wish all the fathers and father figures on the city council, among our city staff, and across our community a very happy Father's Day. Thank you for what you do every single day to show up and to support our children. The City of Birmingham's Innovation Team, or as we commonly refer to it as the I-Team, has launched the North Birmingham Community Service Hub. It's a new neighborhood-based resource center designed to connect residents with the services that they need when they need them. Located at the Salvation Army in North Birmingham, 2015 26th Avenue North, the hub, which is a pilot for now, serves as a welcoming in-person space where residents from all 99 neighborhoods can receive guidance, referrals, and support navigating community resources. The launch is paired with beham.findhelp.com, which is a free online platform that allows residents to search thousands of local programs and services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The North Birmingham Community Service Hub is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Also, Madam Pro Tem, Madam President, Madam Pro Tem, members of the council, members of the public, as temperatures continue to rise, the city of Birmingham is partnering with community organizations, libraries, recreation centers, and service providers to offer cooling stations throughout the city for residents seeking relief from the extreme heat. Cooling stations will be activated whenever temperatures reach 95 degrees or higher, including the heat index or feels like temperatures. These locations provide air-conditioned spaces where residents can cool down, hydrate, and reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses. Cooling stations are available in every quadrant of the city. For a complete list of locations and operating hours, please visit www.birminghamal.gov forward slash homelessness or follow the city's social media channels for updates during heat events. Finally, Madam President, Madam Pro Tem, members of the Council, members of the public, at this time I would like to ask Kinsley Hardeman, Development Manager with the Alzheimer's Association, and any guests to please join me at the podium. More than 7 million Americans, including more than 103,600,000 Alabamians, are living with Alzheimer's disease, and someone new is added to those ranks. every 65 seconds. Today, we'd like to bring about awareness of this disease and celebrate those who work to support those affected by it with a special proclamation that I will read in part on the mayor's behalf. Whereas Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the only leading cause of death that cannot be cured or prevented, and whereas researchers are working diligently to develop accurate ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease, And whereas the Alzheimer Association is here today encouraging Birmingham businesses and residents to join the fight against this devastating disease by decorating their storefronts and spaces with purple, as well as to wear purple to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and all other dementia. Now, therefore, I, Randall L. Woodfin, Mayor of the City of Birmingham, do hereby proclaim June 2026 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. in the City of Birmingham and urge all citizens to take steps to act now to end Alzheimer's, open their minds to learn the facts about Alzheimer's and all other dementia, voice their support, and become an advocate to move the mission of the Alzheimer's Association forward. So we'll bring Ms. Hardiman up to have a few remarks.

Thank you so much, Birmingham City Council, and thank you to the city of Birmingham, everyone here today. I'm Kinsley Hardiman. I'm the development manager for the Walk to End Alzheimer's for Birmingham. I invite you all to join us in the fight to end Alzheimer's during this month and beyond. Please join us on October 18th at Sloss Furnaces for the Walk to End Alzheimer's. I'm gonna be there, and we're gonna have lots of resources, and it's just a day of hope, celebration for the future, and of course, remembrance. You heard in the proclamation, 103,600 Alabamians are living with Alzheimer's disease. That's just what's being reported. I wear my yellow flower today to honor my grandmother, who is one of those numbers. She is on year 11 of her battle of Alzheimer's, and she is in the ending stages. I am here to advocate for her and all of the people in Birmingham, the state of Alabama, across the country, and worldwide who are fighting this disease. I'm here with my mother, who is a caregiver for her mother today, and I'm also here with Leah Hauser, who works closely with the elderly and those fighting Alzheimer's. These two people behind me are truly angels on earth, and our caregivers, our angels on earth. And that's why we are here today to thank you all for proclaiming June as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month to celebrate our successes, what's ahead for the future, and to honor those living with this disease. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Madam President, Madam President, members of the council, that concludes the mayor's report.

Thank you very much, and thank you, Madam Pro Tem, for starting us off this morning. Appreciate you. I apologize for the tardiness. At this time, counselors, we would like to consider our consent agenda. All items designated as consent are considered to be routine and non-controversial and will be approved by one motion. No separate discussion of these items will be permitted unless a council member, the mayor, or citizen interested in a public hearing so request. If so, such items will revert to its normal place on the agenda order of business. All matters of permanent operation, and they are indicated with a capital P on the agenda, will be read. All other matters will be announced by reading the item number only. All public hearings will be announced. At this time, Mr. Clerk, we could hear the items that are being considered for consent.

Consent agenda starts today with items. 3, 4, and 5, there's been a request to withdraw items 1 and 2. Page 3, items 6, 7, and 8 are on consent. On item number 6, it should be recommended by the chair. That's item number 6, recommended by the chair. Page 4, items 9, 10, 11, and 12 are on consent. Page 5, items 13 and 14 are on consent. Please note the changes to item 14. The amounts have changed from $2,500 to $3,975. And the additional amount is coming from District 3. Discretionary funds, $1,475. That's $1,475. Page 6, we have items 17, 18, and 19 on consent. We have a couple of changes for item 17. The total amount will change to $5,700 and we're going to add language from one, two, three, four, fourth line from the bottom. After supplies, we're going to add and to provide services to Huffman high school for expenses related to equipment and supplies for Huffman high school cheerleaders. And additional amount of money from District 1, the amount of $5,000, discretionary funds from District 1 for $5,000. And that amount from Kilo Springs neighborhood is $700. We'll pick back up with the consent agenda with page 7, items 20, 21, and 22. Page 8, items 23, 24, 25, and 26. Page 9, items 27, 28, and 29. Page 10, items 30, 31, 32, and 33. Page 11, items 34, 35, 36, and 37. Page 12, items 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42. Page 13, we conclude with item number 43. And you have two addendum items.

Thank you. Counselors, are there any items you'd like to have added or removed from consent? And we do have two addendum items, 44 and 45.

Yes, Counselor Smith. Thank you, Madam President. Can we remove item 19 on page 6 and item 22 on page 7?

And this item 19 on page 6 and item number 22 on page 7.

Thank you. Was it 20 or 22? I'm sorry. 22.

And also we can, can we add the addendum items 44 and 45?

Yes. Council says request to add items 44 and 45 to consent. Any other items? All right. Yes. Council.

Madam president. I don't want to take an item off consent, but just wanted to mention how happy I am to see the HP pro shop. Um, um, I'm trying to remember which item it was, but, to see that it will be completed by end of July makes me very happy. So I just wanted to say that out loud. And that's item 27. Thank you.

All right. That's item 27. Just accolades there and excitement to see that item on the agenda. Thank you. Any other items? Counselor Gunn?

Item 24, Madam President.

You'd like to have that pulled? All right. Item is a request to pull item 24 from consent on page 18. Any other items? At this time, we're ready to entertain a motion and a second for approval of consent agenda. So I move.

Second.

OK, one second, please. Voting should be open right about now. Council Member Williams-Woods, pro temptation.

Yeah.

Council Member Woods. Aye. Council Member Pro Tem Tate. And President Alexander. Yes. All right. That vote should be up, Madam President, with one abstention.

All right.

There's an abstention?

Yes, ma'am.

All right. Thank you. This time the consent agenda is approved. If anyone was here for any items that were listed or added to consent, those items have been approved. And now we'll continue with the rest of

agenda first item should be item 15 and ordinance to men title 2 chapter 2 article a of the general code of the city of birmingham alabama by adding section 2-2-19 to authorize electronic attendance at meetings of the city council and according with section 36-25a-5.2 of the code of alabama this is an item of permanent operation and we need uc to pass it today i'll move for you Council Member Gunn. Aye. Council Member O'Quinn.

Aye.

Council Member Smith.

Aye.

Council Member Smitherman. Aye. Council Member Vassa. Aye. Council Member Williams. Aye. Council Member Woods. Aye. Council Pro Tem Tate. Aye. Council President Alexander. Aye. A motion on the item, please. Item is before you.

All right. Thank you. Counselors. This is an item that has been brought for our approval, which would allow us to authorize electronic attendance at meetings of the city council. I know that during COVID we were given some opportunities to meet electronically. Uh, following COVID, we were given opportunity to allow members if they cannot attend with approval, they can participate in the meeting electronically. Any questions about this particular, All right, Mr. Clerk, we're ready for the vote.

Council Member O'Quinn. Council President Alexander.

Aye.

All right, that vote should be up.

All right, thank you. Item 15 passes, and so we're very excited to be able to put this ordinance into effect and to allow efficiency for attendance at our meetings. Thank you very much. Next item, Mr. Clerk.

Item number 16, an ordinance pursuant to Alabama Act number 1969-916, the mayor to execute an interlocal agreement between the city of Birmingham and the Housing Authority of Birmingham District to provide a law enforcement task force, community safety partnership related to HABD's high-intensity community-oriented police patrol program. It designated HABD properties for a period of up to two years, an end date of May the 21st, 2028. unless terminated earlier by either party. HAPD will provide funding to the city in an amount not to exceed $2,368,516.32 to cover personnel costs, expenses, and reimbursement of maintenance, fuel, and repair vehicles. The city will provide up to eight police officers, one sergeant, and one lieutenant to perform law enforcement functions in the housing communities as part of the task force. Again, this is not a permanent operation. If you see the passage today. Council member. I'm sorry. Second. Somebody. Council member Dunn. Aye. Council member McQueen. Aye. Council member Smith. Aye. Council member Smitherman.

Aye.

Council member Vassa. Aye. Council member Williams. Aye. Council member Woods.

Aye.

President Pro Tem Tate. Aye. Council President Alexander. Aye. All right. Motion to lay item, please. So moved.

All right, thank you, counselors. This is an ordinance to allow, execute, and enter local agreement between the City of Birmingham and the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District to provide law enforcement task force. Administration, could we just have an update on this item, and then I'll ask counselors if they have any questions.

So, yes, ma'am, Madam President. Attorney Tracy Roberts from our Office of the City Attorney will come up and speak to it.

All right, thank you. Good morning, Mr. Robert.

This is a renewal of an agreement that we do periodically. The last few times it's been every two years. Increased the number of personnel from the last contract, which was seven officers, to eight officers, and adjusted the... the personnel cost and the maintenance and vehicle cost to reflect the current standards. So those were the only changes to the agreement from the last time.

Thank you. Any questions, counselors? All right. Thank you, Attorney Robert. Are you ready for the vote? Okay.

Mike, vote is aye. Yes, ma'am. That vote should be up.

All right. Thank you. Item 16 passes.

Next item, Mr. Clerk. April 19, a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an amendment to the agreement with Greenlining Realty USA, Birmingham LLC. And it amounted to receive $167,245 on which Greenlining Realty USA, Birmingham LLC will provide services to the city by implementing a project to develop a 35 to 40 unit residential development in the Druid Hills area. with at least 10% of the units to be preserved by providing housing for qualifying residents of the city of Birmingham at or below 100% of area median income to extend the term of the agreement to a term to end on or before September 30th, 2025. Motion, please. So moved.

Second.

All right. Thank you, Councillor Smith. When you ask, remove this.

Yes. What is the what kind of amendment are we making to the agreement?

So, Counselor Sullivan, Madam President, we're going to have Chris Hatcher come in and address your questions, ma'am.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mr. Hatcher.

Good morning. Chris Hatcher, I serve as the Chief Community Planner in the Mayor's Office. I'm sorry, what was the question?

What's the amendment to the contract?

Just extending the term of the agreement to September 30th.

Okay. What's the date of completion for these homes?

The homes, I'm not sure. The ARPA contract is for the pre-development activities.

Okay. Gotcha. I kind of figured it was ARPA when I heard your name called up, but okay. I think this is great. I just wanted to know. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other questions for Mr. Hatcher? Thank you, Mr. Hatcher. We're ready for the vote.

I don't care. And my vote is yes. Councilmember Williams is out. All right, that vote should be up.

All right, thank you. Item number 19 passes. Next item.

The item 22, a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute four as the act of said city, a second amendment to the agreement with the Small Magic doing business as Birmingham talks, and an amount not to exceed $750,000 under which Small Magic will implement a 10-week early education INNOVATION SERVICES PROGRAM PROVIDING FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS WITH ESSENTIAL TOOLS TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION AND CONVERSATION ADDRESSING THE WORLD GAP. CHILDREN FACED BEFORE KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM INCLUDES A WEARABLE DEVICE THAT COUNTS THE WORST CHILDREN HERE CREATING CLEAR DATA DRIVEN REPORTS TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT. SO A TERM TO END ONLY BEFORE DECEMBER 30, 2026 AND TO ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $371,500. MOTION PLEASE.

All right. Thank you, Councillor Smith. May you ask to remove this? This is another amendment to an ARPA agreement.

It says ARPA agreement.

Yes.

Oh, oh, yes, it is. I just wanted to get just an update on the success metrics and what have the data data reports shown since we started this program?

Yes, Madam President. So Councillor Smith here. Yes, we have representatives from the organization. Mr. Chris Hatcher will also be there to support and answer questions.

Good morning council members. Um, Macy Vincent representing small magic and Sarah Craig, um, quickly want to update on program numbers so far. So last year in 2025 we served just under 1700 families. And so far this year we've served, um, just over 1400 on track to serve 2000 total specifically for Birmingham talks, which this funding would support.

I guess, how do we measure the success of the program?

Great question. So, The Birmingham Talks program, which this funding supports, is a 10-week program that measures the shrinking of the word gap and increase in early literacy and early learning skills for children birth to age five. So we measure basically their kindergarten readiness. And what we're really excited by is Small Magic was founded in 2019. This next calendar year, we will have our first official data for our third graders entering the state kind of assessment. So we'll know what happened in 2019 all the way to here.

That was actually my next, next question. We're at the point of having third graders. And I really think this program is so amazing because we went into, um, during the COVID pandemic, the kids, um, really didn't have that hands-on learning and they had to learn online. And I just know it's hard for us to pay attention in online classes, online meetings. And I can't imagine a kid. And then we also had older kids trying to teach their younger kids how to read. So I think this is, um, Great. I would still love to get that report to see how they're doing. I think this is amazing. Thank you.

And we'd love to provide district data for each of you.

Yes, please. Thank you.

Thank you all. Thank you all. And thank you so much, Councilor Smitherman, for asking for those updates. This is a very important program for the city of Birmingham. As I said, it not only relates to literacy for our children, but also workforce development. And I'm so very excited for this work. Happy to see the increase also in the number of families that are being served. Any other questions about this particular item? We're ready for the vote. And my vote is yes.

Okay. The vote should be up.

All right. Thank you, counselors. Item 22 passes. Next item.

It should be 24. A resolution electing to exercise the city of Birmingham's option to have various assessments for the abatement of weeds be submitted to the tax collector of Jefferson County for collection with property taxes pursuant to in accordance with Section 7 of Act Number 105 of the 1971 Acts of Alabama Special Session as amended. Motion, please.

Is there a motion on the item? Move the item. I second. All right, thank you. Councilor Gunn, you ask this item be removed?

Yes. Thank you, Madam President. I pulled this item from consent because I wanted to make sure that it went to committee. I see that it was recommended by the Community Development Committee, and so I just wanted to get a little clarity.

Okay, yes, it was recommended by the city attorney. Any...

I'm consulting with my team member and they will be coming down shortly.

Okay. Thank you. I believe that's our last item.

Is that correct? 27.

Yes. Can we take back item? Thank you. We'll table this item. Mr. Clerk, if you'll go ahead and read item 26. Do we have an answer?

Yes, ma'am.

Mr. McDaniels.

Madam President, to Counselor Gunn's question on item 24, I think... In the past, weed assessments moved through the Public Improvement Committee. And because there is not a clear pathway now for weed assessments and abatements, I think it is just an exercise by the department to give respect to the Community Development Committee. But the Community Development Committee does not actually take up weed assessments anymore as the Public Improvement Committee did in past years.

So, counselors, is there an interest? You're saying since it doesn't go through a public improvement committee because we don't have one anymore, and so it's not going through, we debatements are not going through committees at all, correct? Counselors, what is your pleasure as far as, and we'll hear from the city attorney, on what would be the rules based on whether this has to go through committee?

So I have Attorney Stanley coming down, but it does not have to go through committee, but it is up to the purview of the council. We have provided a template, but it's up to the council's discretion.

While we wait on the city attorney to come down, I don't know if Ms. Bernard would have any additional. Councilors, I don't know if you want to take this item up again for discussion to a committee of the whole, or if you'd like to create a process. And what is the view of the council on this needing to come through committee? Councilor Gunn.

Yes. Thank you, Madam President. I believe that this... It should come before community development. But I'm good with setting up that process and moving forward.

After a consultation with Attorney Stanley, we are good with the council's direction, and it can go through committee in the future.

Thank you. We do have a subgroup that is working and has been tasked with working on committee assignments as we've made changes with the last leadership, and I do know that we had a couple of counselors that were working on that. We will add this to those list of items, and I would just like to be sure that we give We look at this within a certain timeframe that now that we're requesting this additional information, we ensure we have a process for administration on how these items should come before us and if we are in agreement that that should go through that particular committee. We'll just be sure where you receive things for public safety, transportation, budget and finance, we need to set up dates and times that those items need to be added to your agenda and how we'll process that through.

Okay.

Is that an agreement with everyone? Perfect. All right. With that said, then we'll go ahead and consent, vote for this item, and then we'll catch up with the process on how we'd like this to go through committee for the future. All right, we're ready for the vote. All right, thank you. Counselors, that item passes, and we will pass that on to the subcommittee as we're looking at different assignments for committees. Thank you. Next item.

It should be item 27, a resolution accepting change order number three. B, Construction Incorporated, 5724 21st Street, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35401, to add an addendum to clarify utility work associated with change order two. This addendum confirms that the utility work performed by the Alabama Power under change order number two for the Highland Park Pro Shop HVAC equipped by a replacement project located at 3300 Highland Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama, 35205. It's performed directly by Alabama Power Company and not a subcontractor. And further affirms that this addendum does not modify the contract. Some will contract time and authorize the mayor to execute the addendum, which said may be construction, incorporating and substantially the form contained within the change order documents. And then the court was said change order. Motion, please.

Excuse me. We did not pull this off. Counselor. Vasa. Vasa just wanted to give accommodations for the item. So do we need to now open back up the consent agenda?

We'll add it and still stay on there.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay. So that concludes it.

All right. Thank you. So that concludes the agenda. So we're good. Thank you very much. Councilors, at this time, we're ready to entertain any updates you have from your districts. And Councilor Vosler, are you ready? Or thank you.

Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Madam President. I am excited to talk about our Summerfest. So this Saturday at George Ward Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., we have our first inaugural, perhaps, District 3 Summerfest. We will have live music from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will have KidZone. food trucks, all the fun stuff. Uh, thankfully we have a window of sunshine on Saturday. Uh, so the weather's looking good and, uh, just look forward to building community. And, uh, I will say we have one special item that was just announced today. The Glenn, Glenn Iris dance team called Glenn dance will be performing, uh, that as students, uh, in elementary school. So we look forward to that. He'll be playing on the main stage at 11 AM. Uh, all of that's happening this Saturday, uh, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at George Ward Park. We're looking forward to it. And tonight we have this Five Points South Neighborhood Association meeting. Looking forward to that at 6 p.m. at Highlands United Methodist Church. That includes my announcements. Thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Smith.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to say happy early Juneteenth to everyone as well. That will be this Friday. There are a lot of events going on, so especially at the BCRI. Also, I want to say happy Father's Day to my father, Senator Roger Smitherman, my brother, Roger Smitherman II, my colleagues, Mayor Woodfin, Councilors Vassa, Woods, O'Quinn, Jeff, the Joint Chiefs, and everyone else who is a father or a fatherly figure. Five Point South Neighborhood will meet in the South Hall of Highland United Methodist Church today at 6 p.m. And then Woodland Park Neighborhood will meet on Monday. this Monday at Woodland Park Church of Christ at 6 p.m. Thank you to everyone who attended our first D6 Summer Farmers Market this past Saturday. We really appreciate all the vendors and community members who helped make it a success. We look forward to hosting our next one on the second Saturday in July and August. And then this Friday, Arlington Rehab will have a Juneteenth celebration from 11 to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Arlington Rehab. And then Brenda Brown Bosom Buddies will have their community forum for D6 this Thursday at 5.30 p.m. at the Arlington House. They'll have free food, giveaways, raffle, and good conversation as well. I think that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. Counselor Smith?

Well, good morning, and I also want to say congratulations, or Happy Father's Day, rather, to all the fathers that are listening to us today. Lots of activities happening for Juneteenth. Councilor Smitherman already mentioned the BCRI. Also on Friday, the Brickwood Classic will be at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as the Sickle Cell Walk on Saturday, June 20th, starting at 7.30 a.m. The BCRI board is meeting tomorrow, excuse me, today at 4.30. Tomorrow, the Park Board is meeting at 9 a.m. at the Roebuck Golf Course. And we also have the following neighborhood association meetings. The Graymont neighborhood will meet tomorrow, June 17th at four 30 at the Smithfield branch library. And just as a reminder, the park and recreation board is still conducting a citywide community survey. Um, please visit B H M parks, 2035.com to complete that survey. Thank you. Thank you very much. Counselor Dunn.

Thank you, madam president. First off, happy Father's Day to all the fathers, and most importantly, my dad. Happy birthday to my mom. Today's her birthday, so happy birthday, mom. And then as a reminder, happy Juneteenth, which is coming up this Friday. Coming into this Friday, Woodlawn United is hosting a Juneteenth celebration at Stockham Park from 12 to 4 p.m. So make sure everyone go out there to attend and celebrate Juneteenth festivities. Neighborhood Association meetings coming up tonight. We have the South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association at 6 p.m. at the Woodlawn Public Library. We have the Pino Vista Neighborhood Association that takes place Thursday, June 18th at 6.30 p.m. via teleconference. We have the Northeast Lake also on June 18th. at 6.30 p.m. at the Southern Museum of Flight. And then lastly, we have the Kingston Neighborhood Association, which takes place Monday, June 22nd, at 6 p.m. at the Royal Event Center. I do have an announcement. The Birmingham Land Bank Board has a seat available coming in July. So the Land Bank works to return vacant and abandoned properties to productive use across our city. So if you're interested in serving as a a Birmingham Land Bank member, please submit your resumes and a brief statement of interest to carmenmayes at carmen.mayes at birminghamal.gov. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 26th. And last but not least, if you haven't voted today, go vote. Thank you. That concludes my announcements.

Councilor Woods.

Thank you, Madam President. A few announcements. So one, the Sun Valley Neighborhood Association will meet today at 6.30 p.m. That meeting is at the East Pinson Valley Rec Center. and also has a Zoom option. The Huffman neighborhood will meet on Monday, June 22nd at 7 PM at Huffman Baptist Church. As always, encourage everyone to engage in their local neighborhood meetings and get involved. The Budget and Finance Committee will meet next Monday, June 22nd at 3 30 PM here in Council Chambers. If you have any submissions, please get those in by June 17th on Wednesday at noon. Also, the Man of Breakfast 2026 is coming up on Saturday, July 11th. So excited about that. It's been a really good event each year. This year's focus will be around finding a need and filling it. Just a great way to celebrate the impact that many men are making in our community as we prepare to celebrate the biggest holiday of the year. Also, it's been gaining momentum over the years, gaining momentum. But I also want to invite everybody out to our upcoming District 1 Serve Day on Saturday, July 25th. We'll be partnering with House Proud, really making an impact in the community. So great opportunity to get involved and spend a few hours and make a major impact. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Wood. Councilor Quinn.

Thank you, Madam President. We have a few neighborhood association meetings this week in District 5. Tonight we have the Central City Neighborhood Association that meets at the Birmingham Central Library at 6 p.m. Southside Neighborhood will meet on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the South Precinct. North Avondale will meet also on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the MLK Rec Center. and Southeast Lake Neighborhood Association will meet on Monday, June 22nd at 6 p.m. at East Lake United Methodist Church. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will meet next Monday at 2 p.m. here in the Council Chambers. Any agenda items can be submitted to kimberly.phillips at birminghamal.gov. We have a few positions on the City's Design Review Committee. SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS REQUIRE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS. THAT INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY CLERK'S BOARDS AND AGENCIES WEB PAGE. THOSE POSITIONS EXPIRE JULY 30TH. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING IN ANY OF THOSE CAPACITIES, I THINK THERE ARE FOUR POSITIONS THAT ARE EXPIRING ON THAT DATE, PLEASE SEND A LETTER OF INTEREST IN YOUR RESUME TO EITHER COUNSELOR VASA OR MYSELF OR BOTH OF US. AND SO THOSE ARE, I BELIEVE, ARE FOUR-YEAR TERMS. Other events, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute with 16th Street Baptist Church and the National Park Service, as always, will host their annual Juneteenth celebration this Friday. And that's from 12 noon to 8 p.m. And you can find more information at bcri.org. And I want to remind folks that the annual District 5 Health Fair will take place on Saturday, August 8th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Parker High School. We are partnering with Alpha Phi, the Alpha Phi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated to make this event possible. The health fair will offer free health screenings, community resources, back to school supplies, and a blood drive. Please contact the District 5 office for additional details and or opportunities to participate and just want to remind folks that every Saturday there are two great farmers markets that happen in District 5, the East Lake Farmers Market at East Lake UMC and Pepper Place at Pepper Place in the Lakeview District. So that concludes my announcements. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Williams.

Just super quick, economic development and tourism will be in these chambers at 11.30 today. So if those of you that are part of that, if you could be here, that'd be great.

Thank you. Madam President. Thank you, Madam President. Evergreen Neighborhood Meeting will be held tonight at 5 p.m. at the Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church. East Thomas Neighborhood Meeting will be held tonight at 6 p.m. They meet on Zoom. You can call the office for the Zoom link. South Pratt Neighborhood Meeting will be held tonight at 6.30 p.m. at Lockley Hope Baptist Church. Ansley Neighborhood Meeting will be held on Thursday, June the 18th at 6 p.m. at the Ansley Break. The next public safety meeting will be counseled for. June the 23rd at 1 p.m. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to call the office at 254-2302 and 2096. Happy Juneteenth and Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out here.

Thank you. I'll echo the same accolades for all the fathers wishing you a great happy Father's Day. And also we look forward to the activities as we celebrate Juneteenth, the end of this week. I do want to announce an opening on the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham. We have an expired term that we need to fill. The Regional Planning Commission carries on continuous comprehensive planning for the region. The qualifications are that you must be a resident of the city, you must be a registered voter, you have to be over 21 years of age, a taxpayer, and real property owner. The application period is open from June 16th through June 26th. We'll close that at noon on June 26th. If you are interested in applying, please send your letters of interest and resumes to izola, I-Z-O-L-A, .hall, at birminghamal.gov. These are announcements for District 7. We have two neighborhood meetings this week. Green Acres neighborhood will meet this evening at 6.30 at the Lifting Christ Worship Center, and that's over in Green Acres on Pine Avenue Southwest. We also have the Hillman and Hillman Park neighborhood associations They meet jointly at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 18th, and that meeting will be held via Zoom. This afternoon, I'm hopeful everyone has an opportunity to go and vote. We have some special elections. We have some runoffs going on in certain areas, and I know in the Bessemer cutoff in District 7, we also have some runoff. So please be sure to go out and vote. This evening there will be a community conversation that is being sponsored by the Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. This is for men and women of ages 18 to 45. They're talking about being tapped out and why aren't young adults voting. So this will be a discussion. They're asking all men and women ages 18 to 45 to please come out. And there's a greater shallow Baptist church this evening at 6 PM. Also the, um, Saturday, June 20th, Grady Brown and various NFL coaches, players, referees, other college players, he is offering the Arthur and Eva Brown Youth Development Football Camp that will be held at Winona High School. And registration is started at 8.30 on Saturday morning. The camp is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. This is free for all youth ages 9 through 17. He wants to be sure that you come out, learn, compete, have fun. And he's also giving awesome prizes. I'm very excited for this young man. He's bringing resources back to the district, bringing them back to the youth. And so please, if you have children between the ages of 9 and 11, please be sure they take part of that camp. Well, we're partying and partying right here in Birmingham. I know D3 has their event going on. And so on Sunday, June 21st, Bring your fathers, bring your friends, bring your family, bring a lawn chair and bring it out to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The first of the Safe Summer Series concerts for this year will be held at the gardens, start at 4 p.m. We have various local and other acts. including Cut Close, Keith Jones, JP Capone, and Logan the Entertainer. That's 4 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Very excited to host this first one for us. We know we started this during the COVID years. It was a way to get back out, feel safe, have some family fun. And so we want to continue this series this year. And so we hope to see everyone out there at 4 p.m. And those are my announcements at this time. What did I say? Keep Jones. Just as I said, keep Jones. Keep Washington. It lets you know how much I know about the music that we'll be having. But it's going to be great. I promise you. All right. Thank you very much. At this time, we will entertain community voices. Mr. Clerk, if you'll give us those individuals that have signed up. I do want to remind you, if you come up to the mic when your name is called, you have two video screens behind us. You have three minutes. And when it goes to read, that means you have 30 seconds left. Please call the first person, Mr. Clerk.

Reverend Eric Hall. Good morning.

Good morning. Many of you know who I am. I'm Eric Hall, community activist with Black Lives Matter Birmingham Grassroots. I stand before you all today because I'm gravely disappointed in what's taking place in our city, particularly within the city jail. All of you know that the city jail is horrible. Our people deserve care, not cages. And what you all are doing is housing the poor. And I'm going to be real with you. The Birmingham City Jail is a warehouse for humans where inhumane conditions and neglect from staff has caused the unnecessary deaths of too many people under this administration and under your watch. Three deaths in a week by this administration. At this time, I'm going to allow a younger voice of Black Lives Matter to speak.

Thank you. Good morning. My name is Dicarius Blevins. I'm from the Kingston community and my people come from the old airport. I'm an artist, a poet, a cultural worker and an ally and an advocate for black lives. I'm a survivor of police brutality at the hands of David Alexander and the city of Hoover. And during that time, I spent three days in jail for a crime I did not commit. And if it were not for my community rallying behind me, I would not be here speaking before you today. That experience changed the course of my life and is still the core principle in my work. None of us are free until we are all free. Birmingham claims to be a beacon of progressive change. Your administration proposed $615 million operating budget for fiscal year of 2027. for programs that claim to reduce community violence, recidivism, neighborhood revitalization, and poverty. Yet despite this increase in so-called public safety, many of our constituents sit in cells for misdemeanors and nonviolent offenses, suffer and die due to the negligence and incompetence of your officers and the city jail's medical staff and Birmingham's overall carceral system. We demand that they be set free and be provided with the care, shelter, food, and dignity that they need to survive. I wrote this poem to name that violence, speak truth to power, and demand more expedient change. A mural on the street is fresh blood for a canvas. Your mayor was crowned king of the city, but the uprisings caused him to panic. Together apart, you said we were magic. Night and day, the people marching to the streets, chants echoing like a seance, calling out to the daily departed a legacy of civil rights in its wake. Birmingham killed Xavier Gray. Birmingham killed Kalina Peaches-Croskey. Birmingham killed Kadeem Sweaver. May they forever be honored. A history written in blood, sweat, and tears since Birmingham killed Benita Carter. The only cure for this disease is the pursuit of justice by any means. We die, we multiply. May we forever live through our deeds. The language of the unheard echoes into the night. Birmingham, when did your magic go missing? Conjured in blood red clay, hills carved by dynamite, a legacy of peaks and valleys, when did your magic go missing? Castles on hills, wealth disparity, poison sold in exchange for more data, communities under surveillance, investments in policing while the most marginalized amongst solidarity. Happy Freedom Week. Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker. John Meehan.

I don't think so, so we'll go back to the other one. We'll let Mr. Mitchum go ahead.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Council President Alexander to the city council and to the mayor's office. I'm John Meehan. I reside at 3001 Avenue D in Inslee. Proud to be there. My city council representative is Council President Pro Tem Tate. I come here today concerned. I was reading in the Birmingham Times recently about the Mayor Wolfen's proposed budget. And one item that brought my attention was recycling. As some of you probably know, recycling is nothing new. During the administration of Mayor Kincaid, recycling was started. And we got those containers that we All of us participated in. Those that did were getting bottles, newspapers, magazines, whatever, to recycle. And I just want to find out what is in the budget for recycling this time. I know that we've had those containers before. And, you know, I'm the director of the Office of Advocacy and Justice for the Passionist Community of St. Mary's, Holy Family, and St. Joseph's. And we were, I was asked by our priest, can we get those containers again? And I was told at Public Willis, and I love recycling, and I just want to see more recycling in our communities. They need it, and we need to encourage people to recycle. And so I just want to get some more information about it so I can go back to our communities and my parish. And let me say this. St. Mary's and Holy Family are going green. Now let me explain. We are not going to have bottled water no more in our parishes. We're going green. We're going to do everything we can to encouraged protecting our environment by going green. And in fact, I wish all churches and synagogues and mosques would do the same. You know, this would be a better Birmingham and a better world. So that's my concern. I want to get more information about recycling because, man, we need it in this city because You know, especially in neighborhoods and communities. And so I just want to bring that to your attention.

Yes, sir. Thank you very much. I do want to draw your attention to www.birminghamal.gov. On our city website, Department of Public Works, they list the information about recycling, how residents can opt in, how you can get more information about that. And if you have questions about the budget... The proposed budget that has been presented to us, we haven't voted on yet, but that is also online at www.birminghamale.gov. And there are administrative staff that could give you more information, but the first resource for that, we can get both of that information on our website.

Well, thank you very much, because that will be a big help. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Next speaker.

Was it Dr. Harris?

Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning to our mayor in his absence, to his staff, to all of you that are here. I'm Dr. W. Tufts Harris, Jr., lead pastor of the city of Birmingham's only welcoming and affirming LGBTQIA church that worships from the black church experience. I don't know if you know, but the young lady that died in the jail the other day was a trans woman. And I'm afraid that it may be possible. We call her Patrick. We call her Peaches. I'm afraid that it may be possible that staff employees, maybe even judges or lawyers, don't know how to handle those persons. in these situations when they don't have their medicines. Research has proven that their mental health is affected. People from the community, from Take Resources, reached out to judges, reached out to officials, reached out to Hope Courts to say, what can we do? Because we know how to help with this problem. And what we ended up with is a woman who was in for misdemeanors, couldn't get out, couldn't pay. whom just in conversations the week before kind of knew that her life would come to an end. So I'm asking you, I'm asking you, how do we advocate? I speak as a system impacted person standing here. So I've been inside of the system and outside. And I know that there is no health advocacy. I know they don't give a damn. We've met with people for the last few days over this issue here, and we've gathered so many testimonies of people being totally mistreated, not giving medications or anything like that when they are in the Birmingham City Jail. A person's mistake does not erase their humanity. So I need to know what y'all going to do. Have you called these people? Have you ever had meetings with those in the LGBTQ? What is the office of LGBTQIA Birmingham? How do we handle this situation? That is the challenge. Have you called to talk to the families? We've met with two families. Both involved deaths involved the city of Birmingham. When I sat back there, I could hardly get up. Because if black lives barely matter, the lives of others like trans and black barely matter. Where's the magic? How do we do better? What do we do? Her funeral and celebration will be June the 30th. I hope to see you there. And I hope to also see some of you at Black Pride in September. God bless you.

Thank you, next speaker.

Antoinette Halsey.

Sir, sir, sir. Thank you. All right, next speaker.

Antoinette Halsey. Terry Michael.

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for allowing me to speak here today. My name is Terry Michael, 629 Ridgetop Circle here in Birmingham. And before I get started, I just want to say I am backing up those that just spoke. It's really hard to transition into this after that. I have a transgender sister, and so my prayers go out to those families. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for allowing me to speak here today. My name is Terry Michael, 629 Ridgetop Circle here in Birmingham. And before I get started, I just want to say I am backing up those that just spoke. It's really hard to transition into this after that. I have a transgender sister, and so my prayers go out to those families. Okay. Okay. I want to be clear that my concerns about data centers are not based on fear or speculation. The information I'm bringing you today is provided by the water treatment industry itself. I posted the article and tagged each of you. The current ordinance as passed requires closed-loop systems, which is great because they do use less water. However, the closed-loop cooling system is not by far the perfect solution. Industry sources explain that these systems typically rely on a variety of of chemical additives including corrosion inhibitors, biocides, antifreeze compounds, oxygen scavengers, and scale control chemicals. These chemicals are necessary to prevent rust microbial growth and equipment damage. Often treatment programs utilize nitrates, phosphates, glycols, and biocides. Government and industry documents further note that cooling water chemicals can create environmental concerns if released improperly and that disposable and replacement of treated water must be managed carefully. If a facility store circulates, replaces, or disposes of chemically treated cooling water, the public has a legitimate interest in knowing how those materials are managed and what protections are in place To prevent accidental releases. Today I'm not asking the city to prohibit data centers. I'm asking for reasonable safeguards. We should require independent baseline testing of water, soil, air and noise. Before construction begins. We should require ongoing independent monitoring. Rather than relying solely on self-reporting. We should require public disclosure of cooling water treatment chemicals. and emergency response plans, and we should require enforceable penalties when permit conditions are violated. These are not extreme requests. They are common sense protections designed to ensure that economic development does not come at the expense of public health, groundwater quality, or environmental safety. If these facilities are operating responsibly, then independent monitoring will confirm that. If problems arise, the public deserves to know before those problems become permanent. Transparency builds trust. Independent verification protects both residents and responsible businesses. That is why I respectfully ask this council to include strong monitoring, reporting, and enforcement amendments in the data center ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Does that include... Have any other speakers? All right, thank you. At this time, councilors, we'll entertain a motion and a second for adjournment. So moved. Second. All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Thank you. Meeting adjourned. We do want to thank our officers who are on duty today as well as our fire inspectors. Thank you all. Meeting adjourned.

I always have to be here at the opening ceremony, especially as a former athlete that competed here and also just growing up watching my sister compete. It's amazing to see how many student athletes that come to Birmingham every year.

Everybody, Councilor Clinton Woods here with Councilor Crystal Smitherman. We just saw the opening ceremony for the Alabama State Games. Over 5000 athletes in town right now competing. It's going to be an amazing weekend.

So I look forward to seeing everybody compete this weekend, and let's have fun. Let's do it.