City Council Meeting Recap 4.23.19
Here’s the video from the meeting:
And here’s a recap of some of the items the City Council discussed by the Council:
Item 12
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an original Preliminary Engineering Agreement for and on the behalf of the City of Birmingham between the City and the State of Alabama Department of Transportation for Project Number: CMAQ-3718( ) [Proj. Ref. No. — 100068467] Greenway and Road Diet on Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd from 15th Avenue S to Valley Avenue in the City of Birmingham.
In order to make the narrow stretch of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd from 15th Avenue South in 5 Points to Valley Avenue by Vulcan safer and more accessible to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, the City Council approved a $60,000 match to a $240,000 Federal CMAQ grant. (Congestion, Mitigation, and Air Quality, from the Federal Highway Administration).
The stretch of roadway will be narrowed to one lane of vehicular traffic, and options for other modes of transportation will be expanded. The construction will be done in compliance with the City’s new Complete Streets Ordinance.
For more information on Complete Streets, please read:
Item 16
A Resolution approving and authorizing the Mayor to execute a Project Funding Agreement with Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema, Inc. (“Sidewalk”), under which Sidewalk will develop a two-screen art house and educational space in the Pizitz, located at 120 19th Street North, in the downtown Birmingham theater district. The City will provide financial incentives to Sidewalk up to $200,000.00 over a four-year period, in equal installments of $50,000.00 each, subject to appropriation of funds.
The Birmingham City Council passed a resolution approving $200,000 in funding to assist in the development of a two-screen art house cinema and educational space on the bottom floor of the newly restored Pizitz building that has become a major economic anchor downtown. According to the agreement, Sidewalk will maintain and operate the film center year round and make the space available to filmmakers, students and the community at large to use for film projects. The cinema will also screen movies and serve as an event space.
Construction is currently expected to be completed by June 2019 and the space will be fully operational in time for the annual Sidewalk Film Festival, which will be held August 19–25 in the downtown area, according to Sidewalk’s Executive Director Chloe Cook.
Item 46
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Funding Agreement with the Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority (“BJCPA”), in substantially the form attached, under which the BJCPA shall (1) develop Public Private Partnership Agreements (P3) to implement a P# construction of a 20,000 square/foot warehouse; (2) identify and develop funding programs; (3) market the BJCPA to vendors both foreign and domestic; (4) develop a strategic plan for the future BJCPA expansion and other professional services as needed to carry out its duties and responsibilities and other services that are required to fulfill the intent of the Port Authority Act as defined in Chapter 94 of Title 11 of the Code of Alabama (1975) and the purposes of the Funding Agreement; and (5) the City will pay the BJCPA an amount not to exceed $300,000 for such services, provided that such funding has been approved and included in the City’s General Fund Budget for FY2018–2019.
The Birmingham-Jefferson Port Authority is an inland port facility on the Black Warrior River that develops waterfront property for recreational, transportational, agricultural, industrial, and commercial purposes.
The port has significant revenue-generating potential for both the City and for Jefferson County, and is pursuing various avenues through which to capitalize on that potential.
One of those means is the development of a 20,000 square foot warehouse that will be build with the help of a private company. The total cost of the development of the warehouse will be $600,000, and the costs will be slit with the private partner. Once it is built, the warehouse will belong entirely to the BJCPA.
The BJCPA intends to become self-sustaining, and believes that this agreement with the City is a step in that direction. To hear a presentation from the BJCPA’s Board Chair at the April 22nd Budget and Finance Committee, please watch this video starting at the 7:30 mark.
Full Agenda
Upcoming Meetings
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
8:30 a.m. — Special Called Planning and Zoning Committee Meeting — 5th Floor Conference Room
3:30 p.m. — Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E”
Thursday, April 25, 2019
2:30 p.m. — Agenda Meeting — Conference Room “A
