Birmingham City Council Highlights 1.17.23

ITEM 1

Following a lengthy discussion, the Birmingham City Council voted to deny a rezoning request from Live Oak Parkway LLC for a proposed car wash in the Huffman Neighborhood.

The zoning changes would have turned the property from D2 Single Family Residential to C2 General Commercial district. Residents who attended the meeting all voiced disproval over the proposed change, stating it would create a nuisance in the form of noise and traffic in their neighborhood. Several speakers also noted that there are multiple car washes that already operate in the immediate area.

“We’ve been working through this process for a while now and I appreciate everyone’s patience,” said Councilor Clinton Woods, who represents the district. “We wanted to make sure that everyone in the neighborhood had a full understanding of what was being asked here. Our residents have been very consistent with lifting up their concerns about this project… I don’t necessarily think that a car wash provides any additional benefit to the neighborhood. There is a project that has already broken ground a half mile down the road from this location that will be a car wash. With both of those things in mind, I don’t see any way I can support this project at this time.”

Councilor Woods continued by saying he looks forward to working with the developers to find another project that would be more suitable for the area. On August 22, 2022, the Huffman Neighborhood Association voted 6–1 to not support the proposed rezoning. On November 9, 2022, the Council’s Planning and Zoning Committee also voted against the proposed rezoning.

ITEM 20

The Council unanimously approved an agreement and funding for a new youth intervention program — a partnership between the City, the Jefferson County Family Court, Jefferson County Family Resource Center and Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center. The program is known as RESTORE.

According to a presentation that was given to the Council during a recent Budget and Finance Committee meeting, the RESTORE program will provide the following for young people that qualify and have gone through Alabama’s juvenile detention system:

· Comprehensive family intake and assessment

· Intense strength-based case management

· Benefits assessment

· Pay for essential documents such as State ID

· Creation of a participant educational/career plan

· Transportation for participants

· Provision of work/training equipment, clothing, testing/certification/licensure costs

· Incentives for progress and success

· Work with families to ensure safe housing and stability

· Advocacy, systems navigation and community-based services

This program is aimed at reducing youth violence and recidivism, an issue that the Council has been focused on in recent years. In 2022, 49 youth (age 13 to 22) lost their lives to gun violence in Birmingham. This program offers officials the opportunity to not just intervene with young people, but also provide services to their families.

“I do know that as a Council we’ve approved roughly $7 million for various initiatives and programs aimed at helping our young people and reducing crime in our communities. It’s absolutely been a focus of this body to help provide pathways to success,” Council President Wardine Alexander said. “When you talk how we can help young people who have gone through the judicial system, it’s so important that we support their families as well to make sure they’re coming back into a good environment. I’m very glad to see this program have such a big focus on that aspect of reducing recidivism.”

Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda: A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute and deliver, for and as the act of said City, an agreement with Jefferson County Family Resource Center (R.E.S.T.O.R.E), under which R.E.S.T.O.R.E will offer support services to 120 court-involved youth ages 16–19 and their families through the Jefferson County Family Resource Center. The program is designed to reduce criminal activity involving young people residing in the City to provide proactive, strength-based, trauma-informed, mental health services, and developmentally appropriate case management services geared to help build on participant’s potential for success. The term of the agreement is for one year and the funding amount is $225,000.00 from Professional Fees-Youth Services