City Council Meeting Recap 2.11.20
Here’s the video from the meeting:
And here are a few of the main items the Birmingham City Council passed at the February 11th, 2020 meeting:
Item 21
Following a discussion regarding enforcement policies and legal details, the Birmingham City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that opens the door for shared micromobility companies to operate within the city.
Last year, the Birmingham City Council passed a resolution in support of Senate Bill 312. The bill was signed into law on May 30, 2019 which allowed for municipalities to regulate micromobility services, such as scooters, bikes and other similar devices.
On January 30, the Council’s Transportation Committee voted to recommend the micromobility ordinance to the full Council for approval.
Over the last year, representatives with various micromobility companies have presented to the Transportation Committee, and helped work with city officials on drafting the new ordinance. Tuesday’s vote was the culmination of those efforts.
“Getting around in Birmingham is a challenge for a lot of people,” said Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who chairs the Transportation Committee. “It’s important that we have this option be available to not only people who live here, but also people who are visiting…There’s been a lot of due diligence that has been done leading up to this point and we have been watching this industry sort of unfold and evolve across the country, observing some of the missteps that were made — trying to make sure that we don’t encounter the same pitfalls here.”
Once the ordinance is signed by Mayor Randall Woodfin, the City’s Department of Transportation can start reviewing applications from vendors. Officials said they believe citizens can expect to see this new transportation option on the streets within two to three months. One aspect of the ordinance that is worth noting: for every two scooters that a vendor deploys, they must also make an electric bicycle available for use. These are more effective for longer commutes, O’Quinn explained.
In 2018, more than twice as many trips — 84 million — were taken on shared micromobility in the U.S. as compared to the year before, according to the National Association of Transportation Officials. The ordinance puts forth regulations that will prohibit the use of micromobility devices on sidewalks and pedestrian rights-of-way. The ordinance also allows for the City to implement geofencing that will prohibit the use of the devices in areas such as pedestrian walkways in City parks.
Item 23
The Birmingham City Council approved an agreement with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, Birmingham, for fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $128,400, renewable annually subject to funds availability for a term not to exceed five (5) years, to provide multi-jurisdictional planning, long range programs and planning, land use planning and analysis, assist with applications for federal and state grants, provide information and assistance to new and expanding businesses, and to provide GIS data development, analysis and deployment assistance, redistricting and site analysis and authorizing the Mayor to execute the agreement on behalf of the City.
Item 58 (addendum item)
The Birmingham City Council has officially created a committee tasked with helping to raise awareness and organize programing around census participation.
The committee will also be tasked with redrawing Council Districts once the Census Bureau releases the returns next year.
Council President William Parker will chair the committee, with Councilors Hunter Williams and Crystal Smitherman filling the two remaining seats.
Here are a few reasons why participation is so important:
· Redistricting: Based on the census returns, the Council’s census committee will use the information to help redraw City Council districts to ensure each one contains roughly the same number of voters.
· Federal funding for states and cities: Census totals help determine the amount of funding that the City will receive from the federal government for the next decade. The census affects up to $900 billion in federal grants, payments and loans that are distributed to states and municipalities.
· Congressional apportionment: The number of citizens that are counted throughout the state determines how the 435 U.S. Congressional seats are distributed. Following the last census, ten states lost one or more seats in Congress. As the state’s most populous city, Birmingham plays a huge role in how many Congressional seats Alabama will have.
Full Agenda
Upcoming Meetings
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
12:00 p.m. — Joint Special Called Planning and Zoning Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — 5th Floor Conference Room- City Hall
1:30 p.m. — City of Birmingham Firemen, Policemen, Retirement & Relief System Pension Board Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E”
Monday, February 17, 2020
12:30 p.m. — Joint Parks and Recreation Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — City Council Chambers
2:00 p.m. — Joint Governmental Affairs and Public Information Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — City Council Chambers
4:00 p.m. — Joint Transportation Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — City Council Chambers
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
2:00 p.m. — Joint Utilities/Technology Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E”
3:30 p.m. — Joint Public Safety Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — City Council Chambers
