City Council Meeting Recap 6.19.18

Here’s the video from today’s meeting:

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

Item 6

An Ordinance “TO FURTHER AMEND THE GRANTS FUND” for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, by appropriating $60,000.00 to Parks and Recreation, National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA) for Bessie Estell Park inclusive playground per award received

The City of Birmingham was recently awarded $30,000 from the National Recreation and Park Association and Disney towards creating a play space conducive to children with varying degrees of ability. You can learn more about this program at: https://www.nrpa.org/our-work/partnerships/initiatives/meet-me-at-the-park/meet-me-at-the-park-play-space-grants/. This is a step towards actualizing Parks & Rec’s vision of transforming the modest and ADA incompliant play space at Bessie Estell Park into the City’s first Inclusive playground. The grant requires that the project be complete by November 1, 2018.

Historically, the City of Birmingham has gone through great lengths to ensure equal access to all amenities. However, when a local mother of a child living with Cerebral Palsy voiced her concerns about her daughter’s inability to play in the City’s parks, it became clear that the City needed to rigorously expand our thinking beyond black and white to include able and disabled. Our playgrounds were designed with one type of child in mind, and by default it does a injustice to the mosaic of youth who call this City home. The Bessie Estell Inclusive Playground Project has the propensity to finally provide recreational options to some of our most resilient citizens. By design, it will encourage a level of independent play whereby children experiencing physical or cognitive difficulty (and their caregivers) can be empowered to explore. Employing the expertise of doctors, parents, designers, children with and without special needs, and a host of others, the City envisions the instillation of the type of equipment that will be welcoming to children with a broad spectrum of physical and mental challenges.

For more information, please contact the Office of the City Council at 205.254.2294

Item 10

An Ordinance “TO ADOPT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET” for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, as presented by the Mayor on May 1, 2018 with amendments.

The Birmingham City Council unanimously passed the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget that will go into effect July 1 and totals $436,126,771 — marking $8 million in revenue growth from the FY 2018 Budget.

Both the General Fund Budget and the previous Capital appropriations passed unanimously.

Since Mayor Woodfin first proposed the FY 2019 budget to the Council, there have been four budget work sessions/Budget and Finance Committee meetings to discuss various recommendations and funding requests submitted by each Councilor.

Notable changes from the Mayor’s proposed FY 2019 Budget that was submitted on June 5, include increased funding for the following:

· $175,000 for Vulcan Park Foundation (from $300,000 to $475,000)

· $125,000 for Ruffner Mountain Agency (from $0 to $125,000)

· $100,000 for Sports and Tourism Development

· $35,000 for Rickwood Field (from $75,000 to $110,000)

· $59,104 for McWane Center (from $100,000 to $159,104)

The Birmingham Jefferson Transit Authority received $5 million and an additional $5.8 million was allocated for future transit projects.

Below is a full copy of the FY 2019 Budget that was passed:

For more information, please contact the Office of the City Council at 205.254.2294

Item 36

The Birmingham City Council appointed Mashonda Taylor to the Birmingham Planning Commission to fill the unexpired term of Dr. Douglas L. Ragland, ending October 6th, 2020.

The Birmingham Planning Commission is the official planning agency for the City of Birmingham. Under Title 11, Chapter 52 of the Alabama Code as amended in 1975, its broad responsibility is to plan for the orderly physical development and/or redevelopment of the City, including its transportation network, community facilities, and the arrangement of land uses. Specifically, the Planning Commission is responsible for preparing and maintaining, on a current basis, a Comprehensive Plan which serves as an overall guide to coordinate private and public development within the City.

In the course of its work, the Planning Commission acts on a variety of different planning-related issues including:

-Reviews and approves all construction projects by federal, state or local governments or agencies within Birmingham including: police and fire stations, libraries, public schools or colleges, parks, public utilities, airport facilities, etc.

-Considers appeals of Subdivision Committee decisions.

-Recommends initial zoning for properties annexed into the City.

-Approves and adopts neighborhood improvement plans identifying specific revitalization strategies and programs

-Approves master plans for the overall layout and development of public institutions within the City including: colleges, hospitals, airport, zoo, civic center, public housing projects, etc.

-Adopts and amends various elements of the City’s Comprehensive Plan including: land use, transportation, housing, community facilities, economic development, etc.

-Reviews and recommends the adoption of urban renewal and urban redevelopment plans, commercial revitalization plans and comprehensive rezoning plans.

For more information, please contact the Office of the City Council at 205.254.2294

Full Agenda

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

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

Thursday, June 21, 2018

3:00 p.m. — Birmingham Central Business District Public Space Stakeholder’s Meeting — BJCC Forum Building, Forum E, 950 22nd Street North — Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, District 5

Saturday, June 23, 2018

12:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. — City of Birmingham Residents are invited to participate in Color BHAM and join in on painting a wall (more than 140’) — All supplies will be provided — 1316 1st Avenue North — Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, District 5

Monday, June 25, 2018

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

Tuesday, June 26, 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”

3:00 p.m. — Joint Economic Development Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E”

4:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. — 41st Street Streetscape-1st Avenue South to 5th Avenue South — Avondale Regional Library, 509 40th Street South — Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, District 5