City Council roundup: Repairs at BMA, grant for farmers market

The Birmingham City Council, at its regular meeting for Tuesday, June 5, dispensed with the bulk of a relatively light workload as part of its consent agenda.

The consent agenda contains items that are considered non-controversial or have been discussed previously in committee.

Here a few highlights:

-- Members accepted a lump sum bid for $683,000 from The Smith Group and Associates in Trinity, Alabama, to replace the chiller at the Birmingham Museum of Art. It was the lowest and best bid submitted on the job, according to the text of the resolution.

-- The council also voted to accept a lump sum bid for $81,500 from the same firm, The Smith Group, to replace the backup hot water boiler at the BMA.

-- Members passed an ordinance to amend the city’s grants fund budget for Fiscal Year 2018 and appropriate $100,000 to the mayor’s office to reflect a grant the city received from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to help provide residents with healthy food.

The city, in partnership with MAX Transit, will use the money to open a new year-round farmers market in a shed to be constructed at the MAX Birmingham Central Station -- a part of the Birmingham Intermodal Facility on Morris Avenue downtown. The purpose, according to Mayor Randall Woodfin, is to increase access to fresh fruit and vegetables for transit riders.

The project was approved by the Council at its meeting on May 15.

At that time, officials said that the $100,000 includes a $50,000 grant from the ADECA Healthy Food Financing Program and a $50,000 city match.