News You Can Use

Jan. 7, 2021 

• Printed City of Birmingham 2021 calendars, which contain important city numbers and city holidays, are now available for pick up at City Hall. They may be found on a table outside the City Council chambers on the third floor and at the security guard station on the first floor. If the stack has been depleted at these locations, please send an email to Chanda.temple@birminghamal.gov. An image of the calendar is attached.

• Absentee voting for the District 7 Birmingham Board of Education seat remains available for Birmingham registered voters living in District 7. Residents may vote absentee, in person, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at City Hall, Conference Room A on the third floor. To request an absentee ballot, call 205-254-2290.

District 7 Election Dates to Remember

*The last day to register to vote for the election is Monday, Jan. 11, 2021.

*The last day to make an application for a regular absentee ballot is Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.

*The District 7 Board of Education election will be Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

 *Canvass Election results to declare a winner will be Tuesday, February 2, 2021.

*A Run-off Election Day will be Tuesday,  March 9, 2021.

*Run-off Canvass Election results to declare winner will be Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

 

Warming Station at Boutwell will be Open Jan. 8 - 13

The City of Birmingham will host a warming station at Boutwell Auditorium Friday, Jan. 8 – Wednesday, Jan. 13.

The warming station will open each day at 5 p.m. and close at 7 a.m. each morning. Anyone entering the Boutwell must wear a face covering.

The following items will be accepted as donations:

• Washable blankets in twin and full sizes

• Individually wrapped breakfast-type items such as honeybuns, muffins, nutrition bars, oranges and bananas

• Cleaning supplies such as paper towels, toilet paper, spray disinfectants and air fresheners

• Socks, scarves, toboggans, hand warmers and gloves

*Crews will accept donations Jan. 8, Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Boutwell.

*Crews will accept donations on Jan. 9 and 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Boutwell.

*Coats and other type clothing WILL NOT be accepted.

 

COVID-19 Updates

• A call center is now available for people with questions about getting vaccinated for COVID-19. Call 205-858-2221. Telephone calls will be answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please see attachment for more info. 

• Looking for a local COVID-19 testing site? Please go here. 

• New posters have been created to go up in city break rooms and break areas to remind visitors to remain COVID-19 aware and follow certain guidelines. Guidelines include but are not limited to covering your coughs and sneezes and wearing a mask at all times. Only remove your mask when eating or drinking. If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19, notify your supervisor. See attachment. If you’d like a poster for your break area, please send an email to Chanda.temple@birminghamal.gov.

• As a city employee, if you have been around someone with COVID-19, immediately notify HR. You may even contact HR after hours and on weekends. Call 205-254-6471. Send emails to covid19@birminghamal.gov. 

Other Announcements

• Did you know that the City of Birmingham offers a program that will allow individuals previously convicted of unlawful possession of marijuana, which is a second degree, Class A misdemeanor in Birmingham Municipal Court, to apply for a pardon? Known as Pardons for Progress, this program is an opportunity for individuals to apply for relief from the marijuana conviction to help remove a potential barrier they may have been facing when they’ve tried to apply for a job. There are rules connected to the pardon. For more info on this program, please visit www.birminghamal.gov/pardons or see the attachment. 

• The bulk trash schedules for January, February and March may be found at www.birminghamal.gov/bulktrash. Residents should call 311 to get the pick-up dates for household trash in their neighborhood. 

• Applications for the Birmingham Promise are now available for high school seniors attending Birmingham City Schools. The applications may be found at www.birminghampromise.org. Also, please know that March 1 is the deadline to complete the application and the FASFA application. 

• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons. SAD symptoms usually start in the fall and continue into the winter months, zapping your energy and making you feel moody. If you think you are experiencing SAD, please check out the January mental health employee newsletter, which is attached.

• City offices, except for police, fire and 911, will be closed on Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

• The City’s Community Development office has announced that public hearings for the 2021 Action Plan, which outlines the City of Birmingham’s objectives and priorities for spending approximately $9.3 million of fiscal year 2021 HUD funds, will be held in a virtual format on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Please see attachment for more info.

City of Birmingham Employee Blood Drive will be Held on Jan. 20

The American Red Cross will host a blood drive for City of Birmingham employees on Wednesday, Jan. 20  from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Boutwell Auditorium. The goal is to collect 60 pints of blood. 

To sign up, donors can:

Call 1-800-733-2767

Go online to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: BHM

Or utilize the link below:

https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=BHM