Staff Shortages Delay Trash and Brush Pickup in Birmingham
Mayor Randall Woodfin speaks to the City Council. (Source: Facebook livestream)
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin told the City Council on Tuesday that staffing shortages were the root cause of recent delays in bulk trash and brush pickups throughout the city.
Woodfin was responding to a question from District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott, who said she’d received “tons of calls” from residents upset that their trash had not been picked up on schedule. “We actually have some citizens who wait until the night before, like the law says, to put all their (trash) out, and then nobody comes and picks it up,” she said.
Woodfin said that he had discussed the issue with public works employees, “and what they shared was that it’s not just an equipment problem … We’re short truck drivers.”
The city has worked to improve retention and recruitment in that department, Woodfin said, and has increased the pay rate for bulk trash truck drivers. Even so, the city has had to decrease its bulk trash pickup schedule from twice a month to every three weeks.
Now, Woodfin said, the city is focused on communication, with plans to use social media, the city’s website and 311 services “to communicate to the public and actually be vulnerable and honest enough to say, ‘We missed this date. We’ll make it up to you. We’ll be back.’”
“I expect that gap in hiring will close at some point,” he added. “I expect a lot of this to ease up.”
“We’re still in trouble, but thank you,” Abbott replied.
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The Embrace Mothers program is a pilot program created for the City of Birmingham to ensure a guaranteed income for single mothers. Approved by the City Council, 110 participants will receive $375 over a 12 month period.
The application process will take place between January and February 2022. Though an exact date has not been determined, the city encourages those interested in participating to continuously check the link below for more information.
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News You Can Use
The Birmingham Police Department will host a virtual seminar on sexual assault on Wednesday, May 19 from 6 to 7 p.m. on the department’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/bhampolice.
BPD will host a book drive for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, May 24-31. Officers will accept new and slightly used books at BPD headquarters from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. See flyer for more info.
Learn how to become a vendor for the World Games 2022 by joining a 1:30 p.m. webinar on Monday, May 24. To register, visit: bit.ly/TWG22Part1 .
A restored vintage Greyhound bus will be at the downtown Birmingham Public Library on Wednesday, May 19 as part of the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides commemoration. The bus, which is part of the Freedom Rides Museum collection, will be open to the public at 3 p.m. Two, local Freedom Riders will speak during a program that will start at 5 p.m. The 1961 Freedom Rides were public bus trips undertaken by racially-integrated groups through the Deep South to test the enforcement of a new court order prohibiting segregation in interstate bus terminals. See attached press release and flyer.
BPD will host a promotions and graduation ceremony today, May 14, at 10 a.m. at Boutwell Auditorium. Congrats!
The next countywide paper shredding and electronics drop-off event will be Saturday, May 15 at the Center Point Satellite Courthouse from 9 to 11:30 a.m. For more info, please go here and here. Questions? Call 205-325-8741.
If you missed Wednesday’s live WebEx update on the federal stimulus money the city is slated to receive, you may catch a replay on YouTube at https://youtu.be/rM8uid0Yb34.
The Birmingham Legion soccer team will play Memphis at Legion Field on Saturday, May 15 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 at www.bhmlegion.com.
Birmingham renters unable to pay rent or utilities bills due financial hardships caused by COVID-19, may be eligible to apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Please visit www.birminghamal.gov/renthelp to access the link to start the application process. A call center is available at 1-844-287-1250.
60th Anniversary Freedom Rides Event on May 19, 2021
Birmingham City Council votes to extend citywide mask ordinance until May 24th
Birmingham City Council votes to extend citywide mask ordinance until May 24th
PRESS RELEASE Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Contact: Kim Garner
Email: kimberly.garner@birminghamal.gov
On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted to implement a citywide mask ordinance. The statewide mask order that has been in place since July of 2020 will expire on Friday, April 9th.
The City's ordinance is similar to the ordinance passed by the body last year in the early months of the pandemic. The ordinance will remain in effect until 11:59pm on May 24th; however, the ordinance can be evaluated prior to May 18th as needed to determine if changed conditions warrant it's amendment or repeal.
Health experts warn that another wave of infections is possible as case numbers continue to rise in states across the country. In Jefferson County, the number of new daily cases has plateaued at roughly 70 cases a day for the last several weeks.
President Parker urges residents to remain diligent as vaccination efforts continue to outpace new cases in Jefferson County.
“This has been a tough year for all of us and I know wearing a mask in public has become tiresome, but now is not the time to relax our efforts,” Parker said. “The science is clear: wearing masks and social distancing works in preventing the spread of this virus.”
Here is a copy of the ordinance: https://www.dropbox.com/s/otpkrmzwzfnd7t4/ap06oca28jb%20-%20Mask%20Ordinance%202021%20-%20final.docx?dl=0