City Council - Regular Meeting

Is the gym with nine hands up by capable city clerk, Miss Lisa Carroll. This is the pre-meeting of the Mobile City Council Tuesday, April 28th. We have approval of minutes of April 21st. Any issues anyone? Okay. Appeals, we have request for wave of waste ordinance on May the 2nd, 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. in Trinity Gardens Park Amphitheater. [clears throat]

June 21st to to 6:00. Um also at Trinity Gardens Park. May 1st, Cathedral Square from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. May 2nd, St. Francis Street 2:00 p.m. until 7:00. May 17th, British Park 2:00 p.m. until 5:00. May the 24th, South Broad Street from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00. July 25th through the 26th on St. Francis Street 6:30 p.m. until 10:30. July 24th through the 25th 4:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on uh in Cooper Cooper Riverside Park. And May the 3rd, at Mal Le Vanna Park from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00. Any issues Penn, Ingram, or Woods? Yes, sir. Mr. President, if we can change July 25th through the 26th to 10:00 p.m. Okay.

[clears throat]

Thank you. Public [snorts] hearing today is a public hearing to consider the application of Charles Henry Rolle II for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to operate a shuttle service. Today is a public hearing to declare the structures at 357 Cassidy Street, 1202 Gorgas Street, and 7310 Fourth Street public nuisances and ordering them demolished. Presentation of petitions and other communications to the council, Chris Patterson concerns about a ticket he received February from the police department. Estella Trotter to express concerns about city officials personally profiting from dismantling black historic communities, neighborhoods, and calling it economic development. Tyra Jackson wants to introduce a week-long summer dance program for children ages 14-15. Reggie Hill definitions for wordings in section 2 - 62 of the Mobile City Code.

[clears throat]

Uh requesting that someone from the reported legislative body administration would provide specifics pertaining to the use of the 26 million of ARP funding, an updated vehicle inventory list, status of performance contracts, evaluation metrics, uses usage of recreation centers during the summer months, assessing properties slated for nuisance abatement or demolition, rent status, expectations of MHA update. Drainage project list and how many millions have been spent on non-programmatic public safety items since November 2025. Mr. President. Uh Mr. Woods. Uh this is a vast list, obviously, um but one thing uh just I wanted to kind of ask about and because, you know, I think I got it in front of me here, but just for for more transparency and public knowledge, um the 26 million that that's being referenced in this uh is there anybody that maybe could give us just like a quick snapshot of where we are on that? Kind of kind of getting that out, I guess. I'm pretty sure in front of me we got the I got the list here, but just for generality, I guess. Yeah, and I think the list we supplied you was to show the payment schedules of what's going forward. There's about 14 million left in ARPA funds. What I didn't get for you that I'll get is historically what those funds were used for. Now, the balance is 14. Those are the payment schedules that we handed out. And then the balance we've already pledged this balance. We've had to we've had to pledge the balance, I guess. Is that that where we're at, I guess? The 14 million. Correct. [clears throat] There's 14 million that's not been spent and um that's the payment schedule to

get it spent before before it expires. Got you. Thank you. [snorts]

Ordinances held over 06018 ordinance to amend chapter 6 ambulances of the medical transportation of the Mobile City Code. Mr. Reynolds. Yes, sir. Mr. President, I have amendments here prepared for everybody. You want a copy? Mr. President. Um the goal as we wrapped up last week was to try to take some of the policy items from uh administrative policy 3080 and put them uh in the ordinance themselves so that they're you know, viewable by everybody. They they can't be just changed on a moment's notice that they'll have to come back to the city council to change. Um you know, obviously the big sticking point that has been really the crux of a lot of the discussion, and it was apparent to me last week that it wasn't the desire of the city council to continue with the grandfathering clause that existed from years ago that uh it appeared the city council wanted to move forward with uh some language that was prepared by the administration. So, that language has been you know, kept essentially in the ordinance. Um and one of the big changes that was requested and I I totally agree that you know, these these ambulance providers are operating in a public capacity, you know, by doing BLS transports. Um but they also have a private business of doing transports when people call them because they have these established relationships in the community. And uh I felt it was important that that is somewhat protected in some regards when it comes to reporting. So, we we modified the reporting requirement pretty substantially in What is that? 6 667 where it essentially

requires BLS and other sort of reporting to be done one way, and then if you're doing your private business, then all you're doing is reporting the number of those transports that you're doing versus destination, patient information, so on and so forth. So, they don't give up their customers essentially as a matter of public record. Um please read through it. I'll offer these up today uh as an amendment, and hopefully we can get it done. Ms. Ingram. Thank you, Mr. President. And I want to thank my colleague um for the work he's put in and carrying this forward. But I also want to thank um the chief and the administrative staff. I do want to point out that you'll see in section 612 um clearly where it identifies how to calculate the 90%. Again, making sure that we have the accountability and the data so that we can ensure that we're um providing quality service uh for our public need. Uh but more importantly, it also requires us to identify those calls that are not um addressed. Again, the accountability has been added, and I just want to thank the staff for continuing to move this forward in the work that they've put into this. Thank you. All right. Madam Clerk. 64019 and 020 are considering proposed modifications of previous previously approved planning and approval and planned unit development for property located at 4800 Moffett Road. Resolutions held over 08445 approve purchase order to Don Massey Chevrolet for Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs. 08449 approve purchase order to SHI International for annual renewal of MS Office 365 Power BI One Win Server, Visio, Planner, Teams,

Co-pilot, and Exchange software subscriptions. 09450 reallocate funds from citywide storm drainage and pipe project to miscellaneous drainage storm water fee for on-call miscellaneous drainage contract. 09451 reallocate funds to the municipal storm water fees capital project to various storm water management projects. 21452 authorize contract with Corum Air Conditioning Company for convention center mechanical improvements. 21453 authorize contract with Rogers and Willard for construction of new city animal services facility. Consent resolutions being introduced. 37454 recommend approval to ABC Board for issuance of a special retail more than 30 days license to Courtyard Mobile on I-65 Service Road South. 4455 through 457 are declaring the structures public nuisances and ordering them demolished. 58458 assess cost for removal of weeds, Weed Lawn Group 1673. 60459 through 464 [snorts] determine appropriations to Lexington Homeowners Association, Japanese Garden Foundation, Via Community Center, Mobile Botanical Gardens, Charlotte Oaks Homeowners Association and serve a public purpose and approve payment. CIP resolutions being introduced. 08465 approve purchase order to Platinum Athletics for quilted acoustic panels for Lavretta Park pickleball courts, $29,153.43. Resolutions being introduced. 01466 authorize agreement with Downtown Mobile District Management Corporation for baseline services. 014

Mr. President. Dr. Thank you, uh Mr. President. If administrative staff can give an overview um regarding the safe safety ambassador program, um the objectives of that in terms of what we're trying to accomplish. That's on page three. 5A [snorts]

Uh good morning, Fred Renfroe, Downtown Mobile Alliance. And um to answer the Dr. Ingram's question around the ambassador services and the supplemental services, we have 14 full-time employees. There are ambassadors that provide the safety, the motor safe services, the hospitality, the landscaping, and the the broom pan litter collection. So, those um that that that is the program of work that our ambassadors do. Uh and else specifically, what was the question? It says you're going to develop, manage, and promote one. Is this a new program? Or is it the

program uh that we have in place. So, uh the baseline services agreement that's before you is um our 5-year essentially operating agreement. So, to remind y'all about a year ago, it was that you renewed the business improvement district. This is the 5-year funding agreement that coincides with that renewal, and it covers the um it obligates us to provide those business improvement district services to city uh um to taxpayers, constituents on the city-owned property. So, that's the Saenger, that's the city's parking garage, the Exploreum, the um the history museum, that's Bienville Square and Cathedral Squares. So, this baseline services agreement says typically it coincides with the renewal, and it says that the city is going to continue to provide the same services that they provide to the downtown district, and it says that we will then provide these additional supplemental services. Okay. So, so this is a continuation, so in November of 2024, was that strictly for the business? Because then if it's a 5-year, then that one wouldn't expire until November or October of 2029, right?

That's right.

So, when we uh expired uh or when we were renewed in November, um this is the subsequent funding year of July 1, '26. Uh excuse me, July 1, '25 through June 30, '26. For our fiscal year over a 5-year period. So, this didn't come forward when you brought the one for the downtown business in November of 2024. I think it um was just dropped in the the transition. Okay. And [clears throat] then as a follow-up, it states that you're going to provide these uh reports. I think you I'm on page four, where you provide the monitoring of baseline services, and that um the reports will be submitted uh annually. So, again, I would ask and and and wouldn't go back and look at this. We have time to talk about what's in those reports in terms of the um because it's called the safe What is it? The safe harbor crime prevention? What objectives are going to be in there so that we're able to truly see how we're making progress towards those goals.

Sure. And we we have an annual we have our um reporting packages, and uh and we can share those. That's all I have for now. Thank you. President. Mr. Reynolds. Was this a basically a copy and paste of the previous agreement? Yes, sir. So, with different valuations. And so, Yeah, right. I see that page.

the context there is that historically it was a negotiation between the administration and the DMA, but then a couple of years ago, the Mobile County Revenue Commission for the first time applied valuations to valuations to all tax-exempt property, including churches, city, county, uh Alabama Power, etc. So, uh now there is no negotiation. It is just sort of copy and paste from the Revenue Commission. But yes, sir. Yeah, I I I'm going to read through this, uh but the the services to be provided by the corporation in exchange for this uh this money, I I'd like to revisit those. You know what I mean?

Sure. I'm just not familiar enough with what all these are. They're sort of broad, you know, categories, and um maybe there's some opportunity where we can be more focused. I I'm not sure, but I'm going to read through it. Yes, sir. I'm going to be talking with you. Thank you for having me. Thank you. [clears throat]

All right, Madam Clerk. 01467 through 469 are authorizing agree agreements with Matthew Brooks, Payton Hickman, and Frank Trice for um tennis lessons and racket stringer services. 08470 approve purchase order to Stivers Ford for Ford Explorer SUV. 08471 approve purchase order to Carahsoft for renewal of SAP Concur travel management software, $19,197.36. 08472 approve purchase order to Best Price Services for storm drainage vegetation and debris removal. 09473 out reallocate funds from capital project mounted unit new training CTR to capital project MPD mounted unit Grand Bay upgrades, $156,016.95.

Mr. President. Uh Mr. Reynolds. What upgrades are happening at the mounted unit? This is going to be fencing for the horses, the pastures, and stuff. How many acres How many acres do we have out there? Is it 20? What is it? [clears throat] I think it's a little over 15. A little over 15 acres. Okay. And what kind of fence are we buying? It's rebuilding the entire wood fence all around the different pastures. There's four.

or something? Yes. Yes. And the contract for the actual fencing will be coming in the week or two. We had a bid out, so this will be able to we'll do all the fencing that's needed at one time. Okay. And are we expecting to do any other substantial upgrades to that facility? They've already They've painted the building that they're using for offices, so we have done some things, and then, you know, there is We do plan to build the arena out in that area as well. And an arena By arena, you mean like a covered arena? Covered arena. Yes. Was there I thought there was like some covered area there, but is that just your stables? And No. No. Yeah. Okay. All right.

Thank you. 09474 reallocate funds from capital project ADM testing to capital project storm water management MS4 program to support the city's City of Mobile's MS4 program, authorize contract amendment number four Goodwyn Mills and Kaywood for improvements to the master plan for the Mobile Civic Center arena, $62,500 increase. 21476 authorize change order number two to the contract with PL Russell for Mobile Riverfront development Cooper Riverside Park Great Wall Great Lawn upgrades, $64,338.62 increase. Any issues anyone? Mr. President.

Uh Mr. Reynolds. I don't know what's what the July 4th celebration is. When When are we going to learn about that? What are we doing? [snorts] I mean, I have a desire to That's [clears throat] Independence Day. [laughter]

To watch Josh uh Kelston Woods and I attended a meeting uh not long ago. Um and there was this strong desire to get civics back into our society. I mean, we're kind of up against the wall, but I haven't heard much about that sort of nationally. There's been some articles published, but I think that it's an opportunity for this you know, 250th anniversary to sort of provoke some, you know, new activity in celebration of this 250th anniversary. So, hopefully we can put our heads together. There There are apparently a lot of people in the city that are very sort of prominent people, very smart people, that are have a strong desire to sort of reintroduce civics into our children's lives or our ordinary citizens lives. And I think we should play a part in that in some respect, but I think everybody just needs somebody to carry the torch and do it. And I'm certainly willing to play a part. I'm going to go ahead and volunteer Councilman Woods to play a part as well if he's willing to do it. And I hope you'll join in some way, Mr. Mayor, for us to reinvigorate civics. Mr. President. Yes. I want to just confirm Mr. Barber's uh statement. So, that means that this project will be completed by the 4th of July? Uh that's our intent to have that park ready ahead of the 4th of July celebration so that people can enjoy the park in the the complete renovation of the park. Thank you. Mr. Woods, President. Um Thank you, Mr. Barrett. Just to reconfirm, as usual, um the going back one more above that, uh the uh the Civic Center Arena, we're looking at a change order now of 62,500. Um explanation of that is is um like Sam always kind of says is we wait this and this is confirm if this is my understanding is correct. Uh this is

things that we had planned, but we waited till now to do it since it's a little closer to time to to execute [clears throat] over there, I guess. Is that Yeah, this is the actual design of the premium spaces within the arena itself. That was not in the original scope with a with Goodwyn Mills or um Populous. And so, now we've reached the point where we can we can get that design done. Okay. And that's that was budgeted for. This is just It's it's all within budget.

execution coming up. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you. 37477, consider application of Charles Royal for the a certificate of public convenience and necessity to operate a shuttle service. 6478, authorize settlement agreement and release of claims. Call for public hearings 41479, call for public hearing to consider an ordinance to amend Appendix A, Downtown Development District of the City of Mobile Unified Development Code, Chapter 64, scheduled June the 2nd. Announcements. Mr. President, Mr. Woods. Um going back to uh 41479, um I know Planning Commission, Mr. Speaker, we had that presentation. Is there a way that we could get the presentation from Planning Commission um shared with my colleagues? Sure. Thank you. Anyone else? I just as a reminder, we have the Administrative Service Committee meeting for Tuesday, May 5th at 1:00 p.m. and the topic is an update for Mobile Housing Authority, and no public comments will be taken at that time. Good. Anyone else on this council? All right, council, let us uh go back over look at over the resolutions. Looking at 08-470.

[clears throat] Yeah, okay. 08465 up on the CIP. Going back to the resolution, uh 08471. 08472. Also, we're looking at um is it 21- 476? Any objections? No. All right. Anything from administration? All right. We'll see y'all 10:30 downstairs.