City Council Meeting Recap 11.20.18

Students from Lawson State’s SGA speak before the City Council

Here’s the video from the meeting:

And here’s a recap of some of the items the City Council passed by the Council:

Item 14

A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an Agreement with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), under which the BJCTA shall provide transit services throughout the City by operating such fixed routes and/or paratransit services and schedules said agreement to be for four (4) quarterly terms during the City’s 2019 fiscal year, and the City shall pay BJCTA quarterly for such services rendered in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000.00.

BJCTA Director of Planning Josh Johnson and Interim Executive Director Chris Ruffin

The Birmingham City Council voted to execute a funding agreement with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) for $2.5 million, marking the first quarterly installment to be paid to the organization. The impetus for Mayor Randall Woodfin divvying up the $10 million allocated in the FY 2019 budget for the BJCTA into quarterly payments was to hold the organization accountable and demand leadership stability as well as board training for its members.

For more information on this item, please read:

Funding agreement for the BJCTA approved by Council

Item 16

A Resolution approving and authorizing the Mayor to execute a BOLD Program Agreement with Create Birmingham, under which Create Birmingham, as part of the City’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (“BOLD”) program, will provide certain services to provide training for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the PrattEnsley and North Birmingham areas, for a term of one year for a fee in the amount of $117,000.00.

This BOLD Program Agreement is for Create Birmingham to expand the offerings of its CO.STARTERS small business development program into the Pratt Ensley and North Birmingham areas. “CO.STARTERS in Communities” will also work with The Dannon Project to enroll formerly incarcerated individuals into the program. During the 10 week program, participants gain the fundamental knowledge of how to run a small business as well as connections to various resources that can help their business grow.

Item 17

A Resolution approving and authorizing the Mayor to execute a BOLD Program Agreement with Jones Valley Urban Farm d/b/a Jones Valley Teaching Farm, under which Jones Valley Urban Farm, as part of the City’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (“BOLD”) program, will undertake a project involving an expansion of its Farm Fellows Apprenticeship Program for Woodlawn High School graduates, an apprenticeship program which provides two years of full-time employment and eligibility is based on students’ successful completion of a paid two-year internship during their junior and senior years and the attainment of their diploma, by hiring three new apprentices or two new apprentices and an Apprentice Coordinator, for a term of one year for a fee in the amount of $82,000.00

According to their website, Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s core “Good School Food” program:

“is a hands-on food education model that connects students to food, farming, and the culinary arts through standards-based, cross-curricular lessons during the school day.

Full-time Instructors collaborate with teachers at every grade level to develop lessons and projects that use food as the foundation for learning. This dynamic, hands-on curriculum helps bring to life science, math, social studies, English language arts, health, and art.”

Through their STEM-based after-school programs, students grow, harvest, cook, and sell the produce from their school’s Teaching Farm.

Each of the apprenticeships funded through this program pays a full time salary of $24,000 plus benefits.

After hearing from staff at Jones Valley as well as a Woodlawn High School graduate currently working as a Farm Fellow Apprentice, Councilors Steven Hoyt and Darrell O’Quinn each pledged $10,000 from their discretionary accounts to add to the services contract with Jones Valley in order to expand the scope of their work.

Full Agenda

Upcoming Meetings

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

9:00 a.m. — Park Board Meeting — Maxine Herring Parker Board Room, Legion Field, 400 Graymont Avenue West

Thursday, November 22, 2018

THANKSGIVING DAY — CITY HALL CLOSED

2:30 p.m. — Agenda Meeting — Conference Room “A” — CANCELLED

Friday, November 23, 2018

HOLIDAY — CITY HALL CLOSED

Monday, November 26, 2018

3:30 p.m. — Joint Budget and Finance Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E”

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

9:00 a.m. — Pre-Council Meeting — City Council Chambers; 9:30 a.m. — Council Meeting — City Council Chambers

2:00 p.m. — Joint Administration/Education Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E” — CANCELLED

3:00 p.m. — Joint Economic Development Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting

5:00 p.m. — 5:50 p.m. — Meet Department Heads; 6:00 p.m. City of Birmingham/District 2 Community Forum — Hosted by Mayor Randall L. Woodfin & Councilor Hunter Williams — Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School, 501 81st Street South — RSVP to Sybil Scarbrough @ sybil.scarbrough@birminghamal.gov or 205.254.2172

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

3:30 p.m. — Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E”