City Council Meeting Recap 9.3.19

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 1 — MiniStorage Public Hearing

A public hearing of an appeal from Farris Marie Properties LLC, d/b/a Farris Properties and its wholly owned subsidiary 2nd Avenue Properties LLC for its development of a climate controlled storage facility at its property located at 1716–2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, in accordance with Ordinance №19–86.

Once again, the Birmingham City Council held a public hearing regarding a self-storage facility that is appealing the July 2 vote to place a six-month moratorium on such facilities in the city.

As of July 2nd, the Farris Properties had invested approximately $2.2 Million into the project, and the project was approximately 70% completed. Considering these factors, the City Council voted to allow Farris Properties to continue their self-storage facility development.

Item 16 — Foreign Trade Subzone

A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Foreign-Trade Zone Operator Agreement between the City of Birmingham and MercedesBenz U.S. International, Inc. (“MBUSI”), under which the City will grant MBUSI the right to utilize a subzone site known as Subzone 98-A, which is located at 1 Mercedes Drive, Vance, Alabama, Tuscaloosa County (1,024 acres) as a foreign-trade zone subzone for a term of five (5) years, to automatically renew for successive five (5) year terms and MBUSI will pay annual operating fees to the City or its Administrator for routine foreign-trade zone operations.

This item is a renewal of the original 1997 agreement with Mercedes Benz that grants the car manufacturer a subzone, under the Foreign Trade Zone designation that Birmingham is the administrative entity for. A Foreign Trade Zone is an area where commercial merchandise is not subject to tariffs and other taxes, thereby lowering the costs of international trade. Although Mercedes is located in Vance, Alabama, the City of Birmingham authorizes the use of a subzone because of the significant positive economic impact that they have had in central Alabama for over two decades.

Items 23 and 24 — Board Appointments

A Resolution confirming the appointment of six (6) annual members to the Birmingham Museum of Art Board, said term expiring August 31, 2020,

A Resolution confirming the appointment of two (2) member to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Board, one term expiring September 1, 2022 and one term expiring September 1, 2020.

The Birmingham City Council has confirmed the following appointments, submitted by the Birmingham Museum of Art, to serve on the Board:

James Outland, Joel Piassick, Maye Head Frei, and Mark Drew to serve second terms.

Norman Davis, and Randall Minor to serve full 6 year terms.

Carol Clarke, John Montgomery, Kimberly Richardson, Andy Robinson, Sonja Smith and Nick Willis to serve annual memberships on the Board.

The Birmingham City Council has also confirmed the following members to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Board:

Reappointments:

Rosilyn Houston

Danny Markstein

J. John Oros, Jr.

Jonathan Porter

Rev. Thomas L. Wilder, Jr.

Appointments:

Cassandra Adams

William Burgess

Tamera Coyne-Beasley, MD

Nyesha Black

Yolanda Clayton

Robert Dickerson

Daryl Grant

Angela McKenzie

Richard Rice

John Saxon

David Thomas

Rev. Gwendolyn Webb

Full Agenda

Upcoming Meetings

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

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

Monday, September 9, 2019

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

Tuesday, September 10, 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 Special Called Public Improvements Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — Conference Room “D”

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

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

8:30 a.m. — Joint Planning and Zoning Committee and Special Called Committee of the Whole Meeting — 5th Floor Conference Room

1:30 p.m. — City of Birmingham Firemen, Policemen, Retirement & Relief System Board Meeting — Conference Rooms “D & E”