Councilor LaTonya Tate hosts 205 & Park, a youth-focused variety show for Birmingham City School Students
Last Friday, Birmingham City Councilor LaTonya Tate hosted a “106 & Park” inspired event for over 300 students from Jackson-Olin and Carver High School. The event titled “205 & Park” featured a variety of live performances and discussions about personal growth and dealing with trauma.
Several Birmingham City School students took active roles hosting portions of the event, which featured live music, spoken word and panel discussions on mental health, dealing with loss and how to rise above it.
“Providing children with safe spaces to discuss difficult topics is essential for their emotional well-being and development,” Councilor LaTonya Tate said. “Programming that encourages open conversations helps them process trauma in a healthy way, and equips them with tools for resilience. By supporting children who have experienced trauma, we are fostering a future where they can heal, grow, and thrive.”
Councilor Tate partnered with Birmingham City Schools, The Flourish Alabama to make this one-of-a-kind event possible.
Last month, Councilor Tate graduated with the second cohort of the University of Chicago's Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy. Part of that mission was aimed at building out Birmingham’s public safety ecosystem by hosting youth-focused events centered around violence intervention and conflict resolution. The 205 & Park event is part of that ongoing process.
“My office is committed to helping establish community-driven programs and policies that can be an outlet for our young people who often feel hopeless or lost,” Councilor Tate said. “Police are not there to solve all our problems -- that is the task of our community, our neighbors, friends and family. We must start treating this like the public health crisis it is. Gun violence causes serious harm to the mental health and economic opportunities for the entire community, especially our young people. We have to come together as a community – one voice – and say enough is enough.”
Councilor Clinton Woods hosts Donuts With Dads at Sun Valley Elementary School
Donuts with Dads was held at Sun Valley Elementary with District 1 Councilor Clinton Woods and the gym was packed with fathers and father figures who showed up for their kids.
“Now more than ever we know how important it is for our young people to have a positive male role model in their life,” Councilor Clinton Woods said. “Since we’ve been doing these events periodically, it’s been great to see the men of our community come together to celebrate and encourage each other. A lot of the issues we see in this city can be traced back to a lack of role models for kids to look up to, so we really want to highlight the importance of that with these events.”
Council approves funding agreement for Family Fun Center at the Crossplex campus
The Birmingham City Council unanimously approved a funding agreement for the long-anticipated Family Fun Center on the Crossplex campus.
The $15 million that was approved will support the build of this new facility which is expected to take upwards of 18 months to complete. Located directly adjacent to the current Crossplex campus, the Family Fun Center will feature a skating rink, a bowling alley, a food court, a space for table games, pickle ball courts, e-gaming and more.
In addition to the estimated roughly $85,000 per month in revenue generated, this new facility is expected to create 75 new jobs and will be managed by a third party venue management company.
Here is a breakdown of those revenues projections, as was presented to the City Council last year:
Bowing alley $20,000 per month
Skating rink $15,000 per month
E-gaming area $16,000 per month
Food hall $12,000 per month (4 restaurants with each paying $3000 per month)
Event rental space $15,000 per month (special events, weddings, receptions corporate parties, etc.)
General admission $5,000 per month (excluding skating, bowling, Esports)
“I’m really excited that we can bring such a huge amenity like this to the residents of Birmingham and families in the West End community,” Councilor Carol Clarke said. “This will be a huge draw for families, not just in Birmingham but the surrounding communities. It’s going to serve as another public anchor for this land on the Crossplex property that can spark additional development in Western Birmingham.”
According to the Mayor’s team, public safety will be paramount and a detailed safety plan will be presented in the coming months, however it was stated that the facility will have metal detectors.
As part of the agreement, the Council will be receiving regular updates on the construction and implementation of the safety plan.
Please post. Thanks
From: Birmingham City Council <citycouncil@birminghamal.gov>
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2024 11:13 AM
To: Abbott, Valerie A. <Valerie.Abbott@birminghamal.gov>
Subject: Birmingham City Council Week in Review: October 7th -- October 14th
Councilor LaTonya Tate hosts 205 & Park, a youth-focused variety show for Birmingham City School Students
Last Friday, Birmingham City Councilor LaTonya Tate hosted a “106 & Park” inspired event for over 300 students from Jackson-Olin and Carver High School. The event titled “205 & Park” featured a variety of live performances and discussions about personal growth and dealing with trauma.
Several Birmingham City School students took active roles hosting portions of the event, which featured live music, spoken word and panel discussions on mental health, dealing with loss and how to rise above it.
“Providing children with safe spaces to discuss difficult topics is essential for their emotional well-being and development,” Councilor LaTonya Tate said. “Programming that encourages open conversations helps them process trauma in a healthy way, and equips them with tools for resilience. By supporting children who have experienced trauma, we are fostering a future where they can heal, grow, and thrive.”
Councilor Tate partnered with Birmingham City Schools, The Flourish Alabama to make this one-of-a-kind event possible.
Last month, Councilor Tate graduated with the second cohort of the University of Chicago's Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy. Part of that mission was aimed at building out Birmingham’s public safety ecosystem by hosting youth-focused events centered around violence intervention and conflict resolution. The 205 & Park event is part of that ongoing process.
“My office is committed to helping establish community-driven programs and policies that can be an outlet for our young people who often feel hopeless or lost,” Councilor Tate said. “Police are not there to solve all our problems -- that is the task of our community, our neighbors, friends and family. We must start treating this like the public health crisis it is. Gun violence causes serious harm to the mental health and economic opportunities for the entire community, especially our young people. We have to come together as a community – one voice – and say enough is enough.”
Councilor Clinton Woods hosts Donuts With Dads at Sun Valley Elementary School
District 1 Councilor Clinton Woods
Donuts with Dads was held at Sun Valley Elementary with District 1 Councilor Clinton Woods and the gym was packed with fathers and father figures who showed up for their kids.
“Now more than ever we know how important it is for our young people to have a positive male role model in their life,” Councilor Clinton Woods said. “Since we’ve been doing these events periodically, it’s been great to see the men of our community come together to celebrate and encourage each other. A lot of the issues we see in this city can be traced back to a lack of role models for kids to look up to, so we really want to highlight the importance of that with these events.”
Council approves funding agreement for Family Fun Center at the Crossplex campus
The Birmingham City Council unanimously approved a funding agreement for the long-anticipated Family Fun Center on the Crossplex campus.
The $15 million that was approved will support the build of this new facility which is expected to take upwards of 18 months to complete. Located directly adjacent to the current Crossplex campus, the Family Fun Center will feature a skating rink, a bowling alley, a food court, a space for table games, pickle ball courts, e-gaming and more.
In addition to the estimated roughly $85,000 per month in revenue generated, this new facility is expected to create 75 new jobs and will be managed by a third party venue management company.
Here is a breakdown of those revenues projections, as was presented to the City Council last year:
Bowing alley $20,000 per month
Skating rink $15,000 per month
E-gaming area $16,000 per month
Food hall $12,000 per month (4 restaurants with each paying $3000 per month)
Event rental space $15,000 per month (special events, weddings, receptions corporate parties, etc.)
General admission $5,000 per month (excluding skating, bowling, Esports)
“I’m really excited that we can bring such a huge amenity like this to the residents of Birmingham and families in the West End community,” Councilor Carol Clarke said. “This will be a huge draw for families, not just in Birmingham but the surrounding communities. It’s going to serve as another public anchor for this land on the Crossplex property that can spark additional development in Western Birmingham.”
According to the Mayor’s team, public safety will be paramount and a detailed safety plan will be presented in the coming months, however it was stated that the facility will have metal detectors.
As part of the agreement, the Council will be receiving regular updates on the construction and implementation of the safety plan.
Councilors Crystal Smitherman and LaTonya Tate partner with District Attorney's office for Second Chance Job Fair
The District 6 office and District 9 offices were at the Boutwell Auditorium last week to support the Second Chance Hiring Fair presented by District Attorney Danny Carr and the City of Birmingham.
This job fair connected seekers with employers who were looking to hire qualified people with a criminal history and are in need of a second chance. We’ve heard so many exciting success stories already! Stay tuned for more opportunities like this coming to the city!
Council approves $15.8 million Police Officer Retention and Recruitment Plan to address public safety needs
The Birmingham City Council unanimously approved the Police Officer Recruitment and Retention Plan from the Mayor’s administration.
Some of the high points of these efforts include, but aren’t limited to: increasing the sign on bonus to $10,000 ($5k at graduation, $5k at 1-year mark), relocation bonuses of $2,000, approving additional take home cars for patrol officers, quarterly retention bonuses, a plan to compensate police trainees to prevent attrition, 12-weeks paid family leave, and up to 8 hours of mental health observance leave on a monthly basis.
The budget for these recommendations is roughly $15.8 million and will come from the City’s General Reserve Fund — as of 2023, that account totaled $290 million. Mayor Woodfin stated during the meeting this would not be a recurring $15.8 million expenditure.
This initiative is aimed at increasing the department’s ability to compete with surrounding municipalities to recruit and retain officers. Following recent events that have unfolded, the Council and the Mayor are focused on taking an accelerated approach to providing additional resources for law enforcement. In Birmingham, there is currently a shortage of patrol officers citywide. This upcoming class of officers in the Birmingham Police Academy has 53 individuals currently enrolled, which will make up a significant portion of the current staffing attrition.
These staffing numbers are in line with a national trend of police officer shortages in large cities across the country following COVID. In 2020, BPD hired 67 officers, and 35 retired; In 2021, BPD hired 51 officers and 47 retired that same year; In 2022, BPD hired 31 and 14 officers eligible for retirement took it; In 2023, 19 officers were hired and 12 retired.
“Addressing this issue is going to take a unified front,” Councilor LaTonya Tate said. “I’m not in the business of pointing fingers about how we got here, but I know that Birmingham is a resilient and beautiful city. We’re committed to giving our law enforcement officials the tools they need to succeed here and help Birmingham reach its full potential.”
Two weeks ago, 78 hopeful applicants took part in the BPD’s physical ability screening, the largest number since 2019. For those interested, the Birmingham Police Department is currently hiring.
People who wish to serve their community, please visit: https://police.birminghamal.gov/join-the-team/
