City Council to host town hall about North Birmingham Superfund site
The Birmingham City Council will host a town hall meeting in November with city residents regarding the 35th Avenue Superfund Site in North Birmingham, and members passed a resolution at their regular meeting for Tuesday, Oct. 1, asking that the entire Alabama Congressional delegation attend the event.
No date has been set for the town hall, according to Council President Pro Tempore William Parker, who submitted the resolution. Parker said that he would consult with his fellow councilors “the next week or so” regarding possible dates.
The 35th Avenue Superfund Site — administered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency — contains decades of contaminated soil from industrial pollution.
In August 2018, Mayor Randall Woodfin announced that he wanted the EPA to place the site on its National Priorities List, which can make more money available for clean-up.
Parker’s resolution originally mentioned only U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D) and U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D). However, Councilor Steven Hoyt suggested that the council also invite U.S, Senator Richard Shelby, a Republican, in order to solicit “bipartisan support” for the cleanup efforts. Parker then changed the wording of the item to refer to the entire delegation.
For more information about the Superfund site, go to epa.gov/north-birmingham-project or to cumulis.epa.gov.
Other business
Most of the Council’s business was dispensed with as part of its consent agenda. All items placed on consent are thought to be routine and non-controversial and are approved by members as part of a single motion.
—A manufacturer license was approved for Redmont Distilling Company, to be used at its new location in the Continental Gin facility at 4550 Fifth Ave. S. The item was recommended by the Public Safety Committee and submitted by Councilor Hunter Williams, the committee chair.
—The Council approved the city’s vacation of 4,000 square feet of the alley that runs parallel to and between Fifth Avenue North and Seventh Avenue North and perpendicular to and between 28th Street North and 29th Street North. This will allow Stephen Upton to consolidate his property into a single lot. It also approved the vacation of 2,000 square feet of the alley that runs parallel to and between 49th Street North and 50th Street North and perpendicular to and between First Avenue North and Division Avenue, on behalf of Charles L. Commelin III and the owners, New Sellers LLC, so the company can consolidate its existing property into one lot. Both of those items were submitted by Councilor Crystal Smitherman, chair of the Council’s Public Improvements Committee. They were recommended by the Public Improvements Committee and by the Subdivision Committee of the Birmingham Planning Commission.
—The Council passed an ordinance to amend the city’s capital fund budget for Fiscal Year 2020 by transferring $475,000 from Richard Arrington Boulevard Five Points South to Vulcan Park Streetscape and appropriating $475,000 to Hanover Circle Repaving.
—Members passed an ordinance to amend the city’s grants fund budget for Fiscal Year 2020 and appropriate almost $192,000 in grant money from ALDOT to the Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits for work on the TIGER Connector Trail in Woodlawn. The city will supply a nearly $48,000 grant match, according to the text of the agenda.
—The Council passed an ordinance to amend the city’s grants fund budget for Fiscal Year 2020 and appropriate $10,000 in grant money to the Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits for a Norwood Architectural Survey and National Registration Nomination. The city is also providing in-kind services of $6,667 for a total project cost of $16,667
—Members passed an ordinance to amend the city’s capital improvement fund for Fiscal Year 2020 and appropriate a little over $1.6 million to Birmingham Fire and Rescue from an Assistance to Firefighters grant from Fiscal Year 2018. The Council also passed an ordinance to amend the general fund and transfer almost $148,000 from the mayor’s office to pay for the city’s grant match.
All of these budget amendments were submitted by Mayor Randall Woodfin and the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee and recommended by the city’s Director of Finance.
The Council authorized Mayor Woodfin to enter into an agreement with ALDOT for the construction of the Zoo Sidewalk Connector from Poinciana Drive to 20th Place South, along 20th Place South to Cahaba Road. The item was submitted by Woodfin and recommended by the Director of Planning, Engineering and Permits.