Birmingham City Council Highlights 11.7.23

ITEM 1

The Birmingham City Council has voted unanimously to deny a request for a rezoned property in the Oxmoor Valley Neighborhood following a lengthy public hearing.

During the meeting, over a dozen residents spoke against rezoning the currently undeveloped property located at 3100 and 3060 Oxmoor Road. The plans were to have this be a convenience store/gas station with a quick service restaurant. However, residents said there were already too many gas stations in the area and this was an unwelcomed addition to the corridor.

The Oxmoor Neighborhood Association had already voted down the proposed plan 32-4 of those in attendance. Of all the residents who spoke at the meeting, all of them were against the plan, signaling it would negatively impact the quality of life in the area.

“I have an immense amount of respect for the residents who came down to speak on this and raise the concerns they have with this development,” Councilor Clinton Woods said. “I think it shows what residents can accomplish when they unite and it’s what we love to see. We want to hear from y’all and we want y’all to be involved. I think we have a much better understanding now about what the community wants to see as a whole. I don’t see any overwhelming reason as to why we need to force this new development on a community that does not have a need for it nor do they want it.”

Council President Pro Tem Wardine Alexander, who represents the district, said she was proud of the residents who came and spoke about this issue because their opposition made a big difference.

“We want to ensure that the residents who live in these places where we consider rezoning parcels of land, they deserve to have their voices heard and to have a seat at the table. I want to be sure that we don’t get into a situation where we think we know what’s best for people who have to live by these developments. I’m very glad to see that not be the case here today,” Council President Pro Tem Alexander said.

Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:

ITEM 1. An Ordinance “TO FURTHER AMEND THE ZONING DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM” (Case No. ZAC2022-00001) to change zone district boundaries from MXD Planned Mixed-Use District to “Q”C-1 Qualified Neighborhood Commercial District, filed by Charles Beavers, applicant, on behalf of the owner, OXMORE USA, INC, for properties located at 3100 and 3060 Shannon Oxmoor Road, and situated - in the NE¼ of Section 06, Township 19-S, Range 3-West, and the hearing of all interested parties. [Second Reading] (Submitted by Councilor Abbott, Chair,

Planning and Zoning Committee) (Recommended by the Z.A.C. and the Planning and Zoning Committee)**

Magic City Spotlight: Relive the magic of the 2023 Morehouse Tuskegee Classic

Congrats to the Golden Tigers! The Morehouse Tuskegee Classic was a hit

Tuskegee defeated Morehouse 40-28 in a thrilling showcase of HBCU culture and pride.

Click the image above or the buttons below to watch a recap of the tailgates, concerts and more that lit up the Magic City this past weekend!

News You Can Use: 10-13-23

The City of Birmingham honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month 

• During the month of October, the City of Birmingham is honoring the strength, courage, and resilience of our Breast Cancer fighters, thrivers, and survivors. On Tuesday, Oct. 17, City of Birmingham employees are invited to an informative Lunch & Learn, themed Sheroes Wear Pink. The event will feature Dr. Erica Reasor, director of UAB’s Breast Cancer Program, and Raquel Owen, founder of Pinktopps LLC, in the Hall of Distinguished Citizens beginning at 11 a.m. Complimentary lunch and sweet treats will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Afterward, be sure to check out a special tribute mural that will be unveiled on the second floor of City Hall near the Boutwell crosswalk. See the attached for details. 

New food fest to celebrate Birmingham’s culinary scene now through Oct. 15   

• To further enhance Birmingham’s national reputation as a foodie destination, a major food event is coming to the Magic City in October. The Bham FOOD+Culture Fest, which is being held now through Oct. 15 at Pepper Place, Sloss Furnaces, and other venues, celebrates the city’s great chefs, delicious dishes, and diverse cultural traditions.  Each evening will have a theme and require a ticket. For tickets, visit www.bhamfoodplus.com. 
   

Operation Hope to host several workshops 

• Enroll today in the 2nd Annual Holiday Savings Challenge. Learn to be proactive, create a game plan, get through the season without breaking the bank, and start the new year with no new debt. 

• Upcoming workshops: 

• Homebuyer Education Workshop. Saturday, Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. Social Venture, 5529 1st Ave. S 

• Holiday Saving Challenge Workshop. Thursday, Oct 19 at 11:30 a.m. Online (Zoom) 

• D6 Financial Wellness Workshop. Thursday, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m. New Hope Baptist Church, 1740 Cleburn Ave. 

• Visit operationhope.org for details. 

Know someone who needs a second chance  

• Make plans to come out to the Second Chance Hiring Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Boutwell Auditorium. Attendees and employers are invited. Go to secondchancehiringfair.com for details and see attached.   
   

BMA hosts Art + Conversation 2023-2024 season 

• The Birmingham Museum of Art is presenting its reinvigorated Art + Conversation series for the 2023-2024 season. This is your invitation to step beyond the canvas and delve into the stories, the history, and the passion behind the BMA's collection. Their inaugural session for this season is set for next Wednesday, Oct. 18. Dive deep into the fascinating life of Zelda Fitzgerald in The Legend of Zelda: Alabama Artist & Jazz Age Muse, presented by Graham C. Boettcher, Ph.D., Hugh Daniel Director of American Art. Unravel the captivating journey of this Jazz Age icon and discover the eras and influences that shaped her artistic prowess. 

• When: October 18 at 11 a.m. (Arrive at 10:30 a.m. for coffee and light bites!) 

• Where: Main Lobby, Birmingham Museum of Art (Lecture takes place at 11 a.m. in the Steiner Auditorium) 

• Tickets: Series of 6: $60 for members, $75 for non-members 

• Individual Event: $12 for members, $17 for non-members 

• Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to register soon to secure your spot. Register here. 

Register for a Professional Development Day Conference  

• Learn business acumen, power skills, and more. Friday, Oct. 20. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at City Club Birmingham. Featuring Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and others. See attached for details. 

Mark your calendars for the Household Hazardous Waste event  

• Saturday, Oct. 21 from 8-11:30 a.m. For more information, call 205-325-8741. See flyer for details. 

The Get Down will take place at Avondale Park   

• Presented by Seasick Records and Yellowhammer Print Shop. Featuring arts, music, records, and vintage. With Cha Wa, Shaheed & DJ Supreme, and more. Sunday, Oct. 22. See attached for details

Don’t miss Classic Cocktails with Birmingham Public Library  

• The Birmingham Public Library will host Classic Cocktails, a kickoff party leading up to this year’s Magic City Classic football game. Classic Cocktails will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at downtown’s Central Library. The Second Annual Classic Cocktails will feature a tasting of locally distilled spirits, music from DJ Chris Coleman of Birmingham’s  V94.9 FM,  tailgate food, a cigar lounge provided by Cigars & More, a 360-photo booth, specialty cocktails, along with some surprises!  Event proceeds will fund programs at all BPL locations, which help the Birmingham Public Library continue to provide the community with the highest-quality experience of lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. Tickets are available online through Eventbrite: Classic Cocktails: A Magic City Classic Kickoff Party Tickets, Tue, Oct 24, 2023 at 5:30 PM | Eventbrite  
   

Come out to the Old School Magic City Classic Concert 

• Commissioner Sheila Tyson is presenting a free live concert featuring Bobby Rush, V.I.C. The Wobble Guy and Willie Clayton. Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. BJCC East Ballroom A&B. See attached for details.  

Make plans to attend the Magic City Classic Meet & Greet Day Party 

• Join the West End Community and Commissioner Sheila Tyson for free food and drinks (while they last). Arlington House. Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 12-4 p.m. Featuring DJ Bad Boy Butch. Voter registration on site. See attached for details.  

Come out to a free community family  

• Join the VFW Post 668 for a community fun day. All are welcome to come to their post located at 1801 11th Ave. North. Saturday, Oct. 28 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be kid activities, a bouncy house, a slide, and a dunking tank. Free food. All are welcome. See attached. 

Nancy’s Soul Food Sunday All Black Affair  

• Featuring High Energy Band. Sunday, Oct. 29. 3-7 p.m. Woodrow Hall, 5540 1st Ave. North/ $40. See attached for details.   

FORGING JUSTICE POSTER SERIES   

The city's 60th commemoration poster series continues 

• October is the month we reflect upon the acts of Social Justice. October's poster is themed “Growing in Solidarity" and features a proud fist sprouting from a bouquet of thorned roses. Free copies of this month’s poster are available in city hall. You can also check out the calendar of events for the 60th commemoration events happening all year at birminghamal.gov/forgingjustice. 

Upcoming Southside Community Framework Plan Meetings

City of Birmingham Awarded $8 million Rail Safety Improvement Grant to alleviate dangerous crossings at Harris Homes

City of Birmingham Awarded $8 million Rail Safety Improvement Grant to alleviate crossing hazards at Harris Homes

Press Release 

September 25, 2023 
 

The City of Birmingham has been awarded an $8 million federal Consolidated Rail and Infrastructure Safety and Improvements (CRISI) Grant, the first major step in helping to alleviate the dangerous rail hazards in the Harris Homes Public Housing Community.
 
Residents living in this area have, for the better part of a century, been forced to endure trains parked at both entrances, completely encircling their homes every 7-10 days for over fifty years.
 
Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who represents the neighborhood and who has spearheaded the Council’s efforts to secure this grant funding, hailed this as a huge win for the residents who’ve had to live with these unsafe conditions for years.
 
“It’s hard not to get a little emotional thinking about what this will mean for the residents of this area. This is an opportunity to drastically improve the quality of life for so many of my neighbors,” Councilor O’Quinn said. “I’d like to take a moment and thank our partners at Norfolk Southern, who own the rail corridor in question. They have been a tremendous partner in moving this initiative forward and will be committing $1.5 million in funding to this initial planning and engineering grant. It’s the largest financial commitment they’ve made to a project of this type, ever. My office has remained in close contact with their representatives over the last several years and we could not have gotten to this point without their dedication to improve the lives of those living near their tracks.”

“Norfolk Southern is committed to our communities, through the businesses we serve and the towns we call home," said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan H. Shaw. "Together, with the Cities of Birmingham and Trussville, we are making transportation infrastructure safer for residents, through the State of Alabama’s R.E.D.E.S.I.G.N Alabama program. This announcement is indicative of how businesses, communities, and local, state, and federal leaders can collaborate to improve safety.”

This isn’t just an issue about blocked train crossings. This is a project that is going to have far-reaching impacts on our local economy and the ability to construct more affordable housing.

For the last several years there has been well-documented global supply chain issues. Rail infrastructure is a big part of that and this corridor that passes through Birmingham is the most heavily trafficked in the entire state – 50 to 60 trains a day. These improvements will help address that issue on a local level and improve our capacity to move cargo.

“Today marks a major step forward in our fight against blocked railroad crossings in Alabama’s 7th Congressional District,” U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell said. “This funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law represents a critical part of our long-term strategy to alleviate blocked railroad crossings and will go a long way in improving the quality of life for those living in and around Birmingham. Securing this funding was truly a team effort, and I want to thank the City of Birmingham and our local leaders for their hard work in developing such a strong proposal and Norfolk Southern for their significant financial commitment to this project. I was so proud to advocate for this funding at the federal level and will continue working with our state and local partners to address blocked railroad crossings.”
 
The proposed project involves two segments of Norfolk Southern’s railway line and will help develop plans for various track, bridge, signal and road realignments to prevent the blockage of the roads leading in and out of Harris Homes. This will include grade separations and the closure of multiple crossings and will also have a positive impact on the freight and passenger rail operations in the city.
 
This is a multi-jurisdictional project and would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of multiple partners and agencies.
 
“This is a great example of the kind of impact that regional cooperation can yield, especially when you have multiple municipalities collaborating on a project of this size. Trussville City Councilor Lisa Bright has helped lead the way on their end. I’d like to thank all our partners who helped make this possible for our residents: Congresswoman Terri Sewell, HABD and their CEO Dontrelle Foster, FRA Administrator Amit Bose – who visited Harris Homes – my colleagues on the Birmingham City Council -- Councilor JT Moore for his ARPA contributions -- Mayor Randall Woodfin and Woodlawn United for their support,” Councilor O’Quinn said.
 
Federal noise abatement standards are a big factor when constructing new affordable housing. In addition to helping alleviate dangerous crossings and improving rail logistics in Birmingham, this grant will help bring the possibility for more revitalization efforts and affordable housing units in Woodlawn, a goal that Woodlawn United has been focused on in recent years.
 
Councilor O’Quinn and Councilor JT Moore both contributed American Rescue Plan Act Funding to assist with this project. This grant funding is the first major step in remediating this issue for Harris Homes. This is a developing story and more information will be presented when it’s available.
 

Community Arts Grant 2023: upcoming event w/ Barehands Inc.

One of the 2023 City of Birmingham Community Arts Grant recipients, Barehands Inc, is using the grant award to host free memorial alter box classes. Folks just have to register, so they can plan for supplies, before they attend. 

More Info and Registration for Next Classes HERE:

Carver High School, Saturday, September 16

MAKEbhm - Saturday, September 23 

Ensley Recreation Center, Saturday, September 30

Times for all classes are 1p.m. to 3p.m.

Making a memorial altar (ofrenda) for a lost loved one for the Day of the Dead is a creative and rewarding way to remember them.  We recommend using a small box, like a cigar box or shoebox.  Often a small altar box becomes the building block of A larger altar that you may want to create in the future. 

2023 FHCNA Newsletter

If you have any calls or concerns regarding fair housing rights within Northern Alabama, please call our office at (205) 324-0111 or come see us at 1820 7th Avenue N., Suite 110 Birmingham, AL 35203

---

A Note from the Executive Director

Greetings!

The Fair Housing Center of Northern Alabama (FHCNA) has been very busy. In addition to assisting victims of housing discrimination, we have provided training to a number of housing authorities in our service area and multi-family management companies. To highlight a few other activities, we provide fair housing information to participants of Neighborhood Housing Services and the Birmingham Urban League’s first-time homebuyers monthly seminars. FHCNA presented on a panel sponsored by the Huntsville Board of Realtors during Fair Housing Month. I was interviewed on WBRC-Chanel 6 News and have also participated in radio interviews. FHCNA was a contributor to the Turkey Classic Give-away sponsored by Cumulus Media. We have continued our fair housing billboard displays in most of our 29 counties service area. The Latino News continues to reach more than 75% of our service area.

April is National Fair Housing Month, and the center sponsored its Annual Fair Housing Month Seminar and Luncheon at the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Sessions relative to issues such as appraisal bias, reasonable accommodations, affirmatively furthering fair housing and other general fair housing topics were covered. Our speakers represented the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Governor’s Office on Disability Rights, Department of Community Development, Huntsville, Alabama, the National Fair Housing Alliance and two experts on appraisal bias, Ira Goldstein from Policy Solutions at Reinvestment Fund and Rachel Meadows, Director of Policy and Legislation, City of Philadelphia. The Fair Housing Education and Outreach Specialist presented awards to the top three students who participated in our fair housing poster contest. They attended Hatton High School in Town Creek, Alabama, and Meek High School in Arley, Alabama. There was a total of 51 virtual poster entries, just under 4,000 votes, and over 40,000 views of the online contest.

Additional activities have included a presentation to One Roof members, attendance at the Birmingham Realtist Association activities, and the Building Alabama Reinvestment Conference. FHCNA is represented on several local boards ensuring we take an active part in community activities. I am privileged to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama, and also serve on the board of the Consumer Financial Education Foundation of America. I am pleased to say that I have also been elected to serve another term on the Board of Directors of the National Fair Housing Alliance, Washington, DC.

We take pride in our community services in our efforts to affirmatively further fair housing, however, we accomplish our goals when we resolve acts of housing discrimination. Keeping families in their homes despite the efforts of landlords to illegally evict them based upon discrimination, informing landlords of their discriminatory acts when they deny reasonable accommodation requests to qualified persons, denying occupancy to families with children that are otherwise qualified, denying occupancy to persons with criminal backgrounds regardless of type of crime and number of years since incarceration, evicting women who have been impacted by domestic violence regardless of the circumstances, refusing to change policies that would address source of income, these are all examples of discriminatory acts that negatively impact our communities. We work to resolve these issues daily.

To support our work, we conduct tests to uncover acts of discrimination. Our testers conducted 58 race-based tests, 2 disability and 1 familial status test. Of that total, 20 were rental, 21 sales, 7 lending and 10 design and construction tests.  2 tests were based on rental complaints and 2 on reasonable accommodation complaints. We investigated 39 complaints by Blacks or African Americans, 12 by whites, 1 Hispanic, 2 who identified as other and 19 disability complaints. These numbers only reflect individual complaints and do not include the numbers of people or households impacted. This also does not include the hundreds of landlord/tenant calls and complaints we have received and the numerous referrals we make to other agencies.

This has been a busy year and a successful one. Several of our complainants received monetary settlements, housing units were opened, company policies changed, reasonable accommodation requests granted, evictions stopped, and numerous other solutions achieved.

If you are interested in assisting us in the eradication of housing discrimination and would like more information about our program, please visit us or call the center. We will provide printed materials or speak with you. We distributed more than 10,000 fair housing brochures in English and Spanish and will provide Braille upon request. If your organization or company is interested in a fair housing presentation or training, give us a call. Our services to the general public are free.            

---

Fair Housing in the News

HUD Issues Memo Clarifying

Recommended Practices Regarding

Persons with Criminal Backgrounds

In the summer of 2022, HUD issued a memo authored by Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which gives guidance about best practices for applying Fair Housing protections to people with criminal backgrounds.

Although people with conviction histories are not considered a 'protected class,' the disproportionate impact of the legal system on Black and Latino people and people with disabilities means that HUD recognizes criminal background screenings may violate the Fair Housing Act. Using an overly broad or unfair screening process to people with a criminal history is often a major impediment to them obtaining housing - a critical step to successful reentry.

The number of people in this category is staggering. According to FBI statistics, 70 million people in our country have criminal backgrounds - that's roughly 1 in 3 people. For clarity, not all of that number have been convicted of a crime. That distinction is an example of how people might be unfairly excluded from housing options since people are often automatically disqualified because of their experience with the carceral system even if their arrest did not result in a conviction.

To make matters worse, according to the DOJ, "More than 650,000 ex-offenders are released from prison every year, and studies show that approximately two-thirds will likely be rearrested within three years of release." Helping these folks find stable housing will go a long way to reversing this trend and HUD's new guidelines are a good start.

For more information click the link to HUD's memorandum and/or the digital toolkit called, "Fair Housing for People with Criminal Records" put together by The Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research a not-for-profit fair housing agency that promotes equal housing opportunities and positive race relations in Northeast Ohio.

Lila Hackett    

Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.29.2

Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.29.23

ITEMS 18-19

The Birmingham City Council has voted to delay considering proposed amendments to the City’s parking and towing ordinances following a public hearing at today’s Council meeting.

Several representatives from local towing companies addressed the Council during the hearing and raised concerns over the proposed language surrounding insurance coverage in the updated ordinance. In order to get the corrected language included into the ordinance, there will be a two-week delay.

Written submissions for public comments will still be accepted until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5th; the public hearing to consider the amended parking and towing ordinances will be held September 12th during the regularly scheduled Council meeting.

Written comments can be sent to Darrell.OQuinn@Birminghamal.gov

The Council will be in a position to consider approving the amendments at the conclusion on the public hearing on September 12th.

The Office of the City Attorney presented the proposed changes during a Town Hall held in June. Some of the key points of the updated ordinance include, but are not limited to, increasing insurance requirements for operators; clarifying proof of payment to help drivers with dispute options; prohibiting operators from towing/booting a vehicle while a driver is paying; additional payment options — the use of mobile and web payment systems; improved requirements for signage.

In addition to modernizing the way parking in paid for by phone, the updated ordinance also gives the Birmingham Department of Transportation purview to oversee parking signage placement and regulations.

Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, chair of the Transportation Committee, said he has been encouraged by the productive conversation and feedback from members of the public throughout this process.

“There were definitely issues that were brought up that we had not heard before when we heard from residents in June. It’s really great to get these comments into the public record,” O’Quinn said. “There were multiple people that have referred to the ambiguity of the signage that refers to overnight parking. I think that’s really valuable to for us to hear. I’m looking forward to this additional opportunity for people to provide feedback. I’d like to thank the Mayor’s team and our City Attorneys for their continued work and diligence on these important updates to our city code.”

---

ITEM 30

The Council approved a resolution for a grant application seeking $15 million for the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program with the U.S. Department of Transportation to convert 4th Avenue North from a one-way to a two-way street.

This would take place from 24th Street North to 9th Street North through the downtown corridor. This program is part of the bi-partisan infrastructure bill that was passed by Congress in 2021. These conversion plans are supported by the City Center Master Plan and Northside/Southside Framework Plans, which have shown a need to convert several one-way streets as a way to boost economic activity and help prevent incidents of reckless driving.

This corridor is the home of the Fourth Avenue Business District. According to representatives with the City’s Department of Transportation, national studies have shown that converting roads from one-ways is a big boon for local businesses. Two-way traffic allows for people to access these stores from both directions and allows for a slower pace of traffic.

“I know we have had many instances of collisions at the intersection by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and there is some confusion with drivers when they are passing through this area,” Council President Wardine Aleander said. “I think it’s so important for the City to support this historic Black business center. I am hopeful this grant application will be successful and we will be able to make our roadways a little safe and more supportive for local businesses.”

Most of the cost would be incurred from outfitting the intersections with new signals and ADA compliant features.

This corridor is located in an “area of persistent poverty” and therefore does not require the typical 80/20 percent grant match under federal guidelines. However, in order to strengthen the grant application, the City will be contributing $2 million towards the project in the event the application is successful.

Here is the item as it appeared on the agenda:

ITEM 30.

A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute any and all documents

required for the City to apply for a Reconnecting Communities and

Neighborhood (RCN) Program grant from United States Department of

Transportation in the amount of up to $15,000,000.00 to convert 4th Ave

North from a one-way to a two-way from 24th Street to 9th Street. This

grant requires matching funds in the amount of twenty percent (20%) of

the total grant received by the City and authorizing the Mayor to take any

and all actions and execute such documents as are appropriate and

necessary to accept and expend the grant funds on behalf of the City in

accordance with the grant documents. (Submitted by the City Attorney)

(Recommended by the Mayor and the Chief Community Planner)

PRESS RELEASE- BWWB Reaches Settlement on Water Source Protection