City Council Roundup: New brush trucks, new park board member

The Birmingham City Council, at its regular meeting for Tuesday, Oct.  9, voted to buy six new brush trucks for the Department of Public Works to facilitate the regular pickup of debris in the city’s neighborhoods.

The vehicles will cost $916,540, according to the text of the agenda item.

The measure passed by the council took the form of an ordinance that amended the Neighborhood Revitalization Fund Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, taking the money from that fund and transferring it to Public Works.

Woodfin, along with Director of Public Works Walter Gibbins, also told the council today that the city, temporarily, will pick up brush and debris in the neighborhoods every three weeks rather than every two weeks.

According to Woodfin and Gibbins, this change will at least allow Public Works — which they said is understaffed and lacks enough good equipment — to at least stick to a pick-up schedule reliably.

The city has gotten “lots of complaints” from citizens about missed pickups recently, Woodfin said.

He also assured City Council President Valerie Abbott that the schedule will go back to every two weeks when the department has enough workers and equipment.

“I can live with that,” Abbott said.

Councilor Lashunda Scales raised concerns about the appropriation.

She said that she recalled the council passing two $5 million appropriations in successive budgets under the previous administration for Public Works.

“The $10 million was for equipment,” she said. “Why are we still in need of equipment?”

“We bought equipment and now it’s worn out,” Abbott said.

The administration “determined if they did not buy new equipment we will not be able to pick up brush and trash in our neighborhoods,” she said.

Abbott and Woodfin also said that the money Scales referred to was meant for other equipment, not for trucks.

NEW PARK BOARD MEMBER

Attorney Carly Miller was named to the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board after a vote by the council. Her term will expire Oct. 8, 2022.

Miller was nominated by Councilor William Parker, who is chairman of the council’s Park and Recreation Committee and is also a member of the Park and Recreation Board.

Lashunda Scales nominated David Russell, and Councilor Steven Hoyt nominated former Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid, who is currently a member of the park board.

Miller was selected after one round of voting by members with five votes.

CARRAWAY PROPERTY MEETING

Members passed a resolution encouraging citizens to attend a public forum regarding the future of the former Carraway Hospital campus to be held at the BJCC Forum Building, Room J, on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 4-6 p.m.