City Council Roundup: Additional money for demolition

The Birmingham City Council, at its regular meeting for Tuesday, April 9, voted to amend the city’s capital fund budget for fiscal year 2019 and allocate additional money to tear down dilapidated houses in the city, a major part of Mayor Randall Woodfin’s ongoing push for neighborhood revitalization.

As part of its consent agenda, the council passed an ordinance that will transfer $180,000 from animal control and $393,862 from undesignated neighborhood revitalization projects and appropriate $573,862 for demolition.

The council also authorized the mayor to execute an agreement with Bridge Ministries Inc. under which Bridge will provide services to poor and needy citizens — temporary housing, transportation, job readiness skills and rent and utility assistance — and the city will pay Bridge a sum not to exceed $40,000 for a period ending Sept. 30, 2019.

Members approved an agreement with the GSBC Community Development Corporation under which that entity will assist the city in facilitating various economic development projects for poor and needy citizens through job skill development, neighborhood environment empowerment, youth enrichment initiatives and health and wellness initiatives. The city will pay GSBCCDC a sum not to exceed $60,000 for a period ending March 31, 2020.

As part of its regular agenda, members voted 9-0 to grant a junk dealer’s license to Birmingham Recycling and Recovery LLC to be used at the company’s existing facility, which is located at 9 41st St. S. in Avondale. The facility has already been in operation for more than a decade, according to Chris Bartlett, the company’s general manager. The city of Birmingham, as well as numerous other area municipalities, currently take the recyclables they pick up from their citizens to Birmingham Recycling and Recovery, according to councilor Hunter Williams. Williams is the chairman of the council’s Public Safety Committee.