City Council Meeting Recap 10.29.19
Here’s the video from the meeting:
Here are a few of the main items the Birmingham City Council approved at the October 29th 2019 Meeting:
Item 1
The Birmingham City Council approved the abatement of nuisances existing on 223 properties, and authorized that the costs of the abatement be assessed against and constitute a lien upon such properties.
The City of Birmingham’s Code Enforcement division has a multi-step process to abate and assess costs for abandoned properties with overgrown weeds. First, a City Inspector will send the property owner a notice that their property has overgrown weeds. A picture will be taken, and a certified letter will be sent, notifying the property owner of a two-week period to address the issue. If no substantial progress is made, a “posting”, or notice, is placed upon the property, letting the property owner know that the property will be on the City Council agenda as a public nuisance. After the City Council votes to approve the item, the property will appear a second time on the agenda (as all the properties in Item 3 were today), authorizing the City to actually abate the weeds. Finally, the nuisance properties will appear on the agenda for a third time, once the costs have been assessed against the properties.
Item 7
The Birmingham City Council approved a $2.5 Million funding agreement with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), under which the BJCTA shall provide transit services throughout the City by operating its fixed routes and paratransit services. This is the quarterly payment for the City’s total annual contribution to the BJCTA of $10 Million for the City’s 2020 Fiscal Year.
Items 14–25
The Birmingham City Council approved a Resolution determining that the building or structure located at 12 properties throughout the city to be unsafe, a public nuisance, and directing that it be demolished.
On any given week, over 700 blighted structures go through the City’s condemnation process, and around 350 become ready for demolition.
In order to report a vacant property you would like to see demolished, you should call the City’s 311 hotline and report it. Here’s what happens after a property is reported:
- Inspection of the property to determine if it poses a threat to public safety.
- The City conducts a title search to find and contact the owner(s).
- The City sends a letter to the owner(s), and gives them 30 days to make repairs.
- If significant repairs are made, the City will grant a 30 day extension.
- If there is no response, then the property is placed on the City Council agenda for demolition.
For more information on the City’s demolition process, please read:
Full Agenda
Upcoming Meetings
Monday, November 4, 2019
12:30 p.m. — Joint Parks and Recreation Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — City Council Chambers
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
9:00 a.m. — Pre-Council Meeting — City Council Chambers; 9:30 a.m. — Council Meeting — City Council Chambers
2:00 p.m. — Joint Public Improvements Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Room “E”
3:30 p.m. — Joint Public Safety Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — City Council Chambers
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
9:00 a.m. — Park Board Meeting — Maxine Herring Parker Board Room, Legion Field, 400 Graymont Avenue West
