Forest Park / South Avondale Neighborhood Association
Tuesday, March 1, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
AVONDALE LIBRARY
Per Mayor Woodfin's Executive Order, Face Masks will be required

March Agenda items include:
1. Monthly Report from the South Precinct
2. Monthly Report from Fire Department
3. Monthly Report from Friends of Avondale Park (Neal Flum)
4. Rose Garden Restoration update (Chris Morrow)
5. Restaurant Retail Liquor License recommendation, “The Goose”, 4100 4th Av. S.
6. Discussion about Noise in the neighborhood related to leaf blowers and a proposed solution to this issue (Tom Cosby)
7. Monthly Report from District 3 Board of Education Representative (Mary Boehm)
8. Monthly Report from District 5 City Councilor, (Darrell O'Quinn)
9. Monthly Report from District 3 City Councilor, (Valerie Abbott)

Forest Park / South Avondale Brush and Trash Pick Up Dates.

• TUESDAY, March 8

• TUESDAY, March 29

• TUESDAY, April 19

https://www.birminghamal.gov/bulktrash

Missed Pick-up - Dial 311

Report Illegal Dumping - Dial 311

Forest Park South Avondale Neighborhood Association
Feb. 1, 2022
Avondale Library

The meeting was called to order by President Jeff McGee at 6:31pm.

No report from Birmingham City Police.
No report from Birmingham Fire Department.
No report from Birmingham Public Works.

President Neal Flum of the Friends of Avondale Park (FOAP) reported on the status of the organization and Park.

• We are still at 300 + members

• We’ve just added April Merritt of Regions Bank to our board. April will be the chair of our membership committee. She’s already working on a members’ newsletter.

• info@avondalepark.org

• We’ve edited our website to make the process of joining as a member, renewing as a member, or making donations easier avondalepark.org.

• New windshield decal for FOAP members available.

• We will be holding elections for our board of directors this coming April – May as prescribed by our by-laws. We approved an update to our process at last night’s board meeting. We’ll have a full members meeting on May 16. Location TBD.

• If you are interested in serving as a board member or know someone who would be a positive addition to our board, please email us at: info@avondalepark.org

• You must be a current FOAP member to vote and/or run for our board of directors.

• There’s a significant amount of positive activity and improvements taking place in the park. Chiefly the repair of the drainage and flooding issues in the pond and King’s Spring. Thank you! to Director Shonae Eddins Bennett, Stanley Robinson, and Charles Brundige of Birmingham Parks, Jay Kasten and Nick Sellers of the World Games, and Councilors Abbott and O’Quinn for all the park positivity

• If you get a chance, go take a look at the erosion-control project by the cement bench area, west side of the amphitheater, designed and implemented by Eagle Scout Ellis Henderson. The FOAP is considering expanding that project in the future.

• Last and certainly not least--great news: the Friends of Avondale Park is partnering with the city of Birmingham to dredge the Avondale Park pond. Making the pond deeper will make it more difficult for sunlight to get to the unwelcome algae, which as you know is unsightly and malodorous. This action should keep us and/or the city from spending close to $2500.00 every three months to treat the algae.

In response to a question, Mr Flum stated that membership dues renewal notices will be emailed to members. The preferred practice however is for all members to renew in January to help this volunteer-led organization run more efficiently. Pay online at avondalepark.org or mail a check.

Avondale Adult Department Librarian Ms Ellen updated the neighborhood on the book drive for Avondale Elementary students. The Library is giving a brand new book to every student participating in the upcoming intersession enrichment reading program offered in partnership with Avondale Elementary. As stated last month by Children’s Librarian Carla Perkins: Due to Covid, in-kind donations of books are not helpful right now. Monetary donations will go much farther, especially because Ms Carla can purchase books through educational wholesalers. If you would like to donate to the book drive, make checks payable to Birmingham Public Library, and put Youth Department/Avondale School in the subject line. Checks may be dropped off at the Library or mailed to Avondale Library attn:Youth Department or Carla Perkins. In other library news, the Avondale Library is offering appointments for AARP tax filing assistance. Appointments are offered on a first come basis and are open to all ages with no income requirements. Call (205)226-4000 to make an appointment. You may also make an appointment for passport processing at the same #, (205)226-4000. In addition, Avondale Library continues to offer quality live and virtual programming for all ages.

Mary Boehm, District 3 Board of Education Representative, reported to neighbors on the City Schools. With great sadness, Ms Boehm stated the City Schools had lost 3 students to gun violence this past month. It’s been very difficult. Some teachers protested the lack of protections available during covid with a sick out, and the Board has been listening and responding to concerns. 5% of teachers have Covid right now. The system has a threshold of 10% infection rate among teachers and schools will be closed accordingly. BCS requires masks, offers vaccination clinics, and tests weekly for Covid. The High Dose Tutorial Program is going well, with 100 university students placed throughout the school system offering tutoring to students in need. The next intersession term will be in March. The Freedom Prep Charter School out of Memphis received a poor rating from an independent reviewer so did not get approval from the Board. They will likely appeal that to Montgomery. And finally, Ramsay Mathematics and Engineering teacher, Jennifer Gilbert, was awarded a $6000 NASA Program Growth Grant for FIRST Robotics Rookie teams. Way to go!

Councilor Darrell O’Quinn acknowledged his new Chief of Staff, Myeisha Hutchinson, reported back to him that we had questions last month regarding the 21st St bridge. As background, he explained that ALDOT proposed an ugly, industrial replacement for the bridge. Citizens objected and we have a much more attractive design now. The bridge is named rainbow bridge after the WWI Rainbow Division. In addition, there is a firefighter memorial plaque honoring lost lives under the bridge which will be preserved. The bridge closed because we cannot constantly supervise traffic to prevent 18 wheelers from crossing over and collapsing the bridge. His office has received positive acceptance of the closure for the most part. Renovation of the bridge is pending. In answer to a question regarding the City’s constant water breaks and torn up roads, Councilor O’Quinn said he is hopeful that BWWB has applied for Federal help. He reminded neighbors that his office cannot help ensure road repairs are done correctly unless they know who made the mess. ALWAYS ask who is doing the work, get a photo if you can- only then can they be held accountable. Temporary patches are supposed to be fixed within 30 days. Our roads are evidence that this routinely does not happen.

Councilor Valerie Abbott reported to neighbors on the City Council meeting she attended earlier in the day. Several political appointments were made. Of note, the World Games are coming and there is hope that the Parks hosting events will get maintenance that they rarely see. Sam Parker stated that there is finally a plan for planting the rose garden in Avondale Park. Councilor Abbott stated that water mains are slowly being replaced around town. No new paving happens in Winter, so don’t expect that til March. The City bids out paving, even patching, so it takes a long time to get the road repaired. Call 311 and report bad roads. Councilor Abbott knows by experience that the City operates by complaint. Nothing gets done unless you complain about it A LOT. Discussion of the City’s new app that will soon replace the 311 telephonic reporting followed. Learn to use it to mount grass roots campaigns to improve our neighborhood roads!

Councilors responded to questions from neighbors. Per trash dumping, Ms Abbott is unaware of any formal program to address roadside trash problems. BPW is short-staffed, volunteers do what they can, when they can. If you witness illegal dumping, snap a picture. It’s a crime. Dr O’Quinn spoke to the Birmingham Rapid Transit status. The City and Council stepped up with money, and there is hope that it may be operational by Summer. The app metered parking in Downtown has not made a huge economic impact over the last year, particularly in light of the pandemic and reduced driving. The Landbank progress has been underwhelming and only 600 properties have been moved. Avondale remains at the end of a long list. There are 20,000+ tax delinquent properties in the City, and taxpayers spend millions to cut weeds and tear down worthless structures. More info at birminghamlandbank.org

There being no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 7:29pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Crawford
Secretary