Clean up your community with us Saturday, Aug. 3

Mayor Randall L. Woodfin has announced the City of Birmingham will stage a Pride Where I Reside city-wide cleanup for Saturday, August 3. The day will be a work day for multiple city departments and divisions, including public works, code enforcement, and parks and recreation. Residents, organizations and businesses are encouraged to take time during the day to clean up around their property, their streets, blocks and neighborhoods.

City staff and contractors involved in the Pride Where I Reside work day will address overgrown lots, blighted properties, illegal dump sites and more.

To encourage residents, businesses and organizations to do their part, the Department of Public Works will set-up additional roll-off dumpsters in each public works quadrant of the city to add convenience for individuals conducting their own cleanup. The roll-off dumpsters will be in place from August 3 to August 9.

Click the button below to learn locations of roll-off dumpsters, landfills with extended hours and more

We want to share your involvement! Residents who conduct their own cleanups are encouraged to showcase their work on August 3 with the social media hashtag #CleanUpBham.

District 3 Town Hall on July 30th

Reminder: Short Term Rental Public Hearing Tonight at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers

7.16.24 6pm, City Council Chambers

The City of Birmingham’s Zoning Advisory Committee (ZAC) will hold a public hearing to consider amendments to the City’s Zoning Ordinance for short-term rentals. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 16th at 6pm in the City Council Chambers. HERE is a draft of the proposed zoning amendments.

HERE is a draft copy of the short-term rental regulations for the City Code. A public hearing for these amendments will be held later in the month, after the ZAC meeting.

If you cannot attend the ZAC meeting and wish to provide written comments, you can bring them to City Hall, Room 210 OR email them to Kim Speorl at Kimberly.Speorl@birminghamal.gov.

Are you ready for fireworks? Bham Now

Bite-sized News 

📸 THIS IS YOUR SIGN: Are you a creative self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment? We're looking for our next Instagram Manager—could it be you?.

📚 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: These UA students are scoring big real estate jobs + making connections across the country—find out how.

📚 READ ON: Sharing the love of reading with the next generation—here's how.

🧠 BRAIN SAVER: Seconds can make a difference in the outcome for people with concussion + traumatic brain injury (TBI). Find out how one local startup is using innovative technology to get an accurate diagnosis quickly. 

🎭 ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE: Give your kids a healthy dramatic outlet—sign them up for summer camp at Red Mountain Theatre. 

🎣 GONE FISHING: If you haven't been on a fishing trip to Alabama's Beaches, snapper season is the perfect excuse to plan your trip today.

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Top Story: Concerts, fireworks + more, oh my!

THE STORY: July is bustin' out all over, with plenty of things happening for you to check out now.

• LOCAL SHOWS: We've got not one, but 67 local musicians' shows this month. 

• BLACK ARTISTS: The BJCC has 11 shows featuring Black artists, including Nicki Minaj + Katt Williams.

• TRANSPLANT GAMES: They're here July 5-10. Check it out.

• FIREWORKS: You've got 12 options to choose from, including Thunder on the Mountain. 

• JULY EVENTS: Here are 21 July events you don't want to miss.

• Stay in the know—follow us on Instagram.  

Week In Review -- June 24th to July 1st

Councilor JT Moore Welcomes Global Logistics Company Kuehne+Nagel to District 4

Welcome to Birmingham, Kuehne+Nagel! Last week we celebrated another win in District 4 -- a brand new Air Cargo Facility at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

This $27 million building will be a new line of business that includes weekly cargo flights from Stuttgart, Germany.

The flights are geared toward the automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries. Mercedes-Benz, which manufactures automobiles and lithium-ion batteries in Alabama, is expected to benefit from improvements in supply chain efficiency.

This partnership with Kuehne+Nagel represents a new era of business development at the airport and we’re excited to see how it will expand the city of Birmingham!

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Council President Darrell O'Quinn Presents $150,000 Check to Upskill Workforce Initiative at Sloss Tech

Here is what Council President Darrell O'Quinn had to say about this important investment:

"I’ve had a lot of conversations lately with business leaders -- talking about how one of the biggest hurdles the Birmingham metro region faces is brain drain.

Over the last few decades we have been losing too many of our young people to other Southern cities like Nashville, Atlanta, and Chattanooga.

We all know it’s not because we don’t have homegrown talent here. We have that in spades.

The problem that we need to tackle is: how do we increase access to opportunities for our local workforce in the tech industry? Unfortunately, we know that an opportunity gap exists here.

But today, I’m honored to be able to contribute $150,000 from my office’s American Rescue Plan Act funding to help close that gap and establish the Birmingham Upskill Workforce Initiative.

By focusing on creating tech opportunities for local talent, we can build up the local workforce to recruit new companies, and expand on the thriving tech ecosystem in our own backyard.

Not only will this initiative strengthen Birmingham’s workforce, it will play a crucial role in diversifying our local economy, helping to reduce the dependency on a single industry or sector.

Diversity is one of our greatest strengths here in Birmingham and this program will open a lot more doors for our local talent, so they can be a part of the city's evolution from an industrial relic, to a leader in technology and innovation for decades to come."

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Councilor LaTonya Tate closes out Gun Violence Awareness Month with important message

"Did you know that Guns are the leading cause of death for African-American men between the ages of 18-34?

And did you know that in an average year, nearly 1,200 people die by guns and another 3,000 are wounded in Alabama?

Guns are now the leading cause of death among children in Alabama.

We can and must do better, Birmingham. Thank you to everyone who rose to the occasion this June in observance of National Gun Safety Awareness Month.

No problems are going to be solved by you pulling a trigger. So think it through and put down your guns before you become another gun violence statistic.

I hope you all will continue to join me in the fight to end this epidemic of violence. That starts with breaking the culture of silence and making Birmingham an uncomfortable place for those who choose violence.

If you see something, say something."
 

--District 9 Birmingham City Councilor LaTonya Ta

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Jefferson County Councilors Coalition Breakfast 

Council President Darrell O'Quinn and Councilor Carol Clarke, joined the Jefferson County Councilors Coalition this morning to discuss regional topics of interests. This included public transportation updates, opioid settlement funds, the Red Rocks Trail System and real estate developments with guest speaker Dick Schmalz, President of RGS Properties.

These meetings are crucial for ongoing regional cooperation and we’re so grateful for the support of our local partners!

4th of July Family Festival at Railroad Park

Join Us This Thursday
at Railroad Park's 4th of July Family Festival

Join us on Thursday, July 4th from 5 PM - 9 PM for a FREE family festival including live music, food trucks, kids' activities & more. Plus you'll have a view of the Vulcan Park & Museum fireworks following the show.

Check out all of the details below!

Thank you to our sponsors: Piggly Wiggly, VIVA Health, Maynard Nexsen, Ward Construction, 1918 Catering, Zion Memorial Gardens & Advanced Eye Care

Celebrating Homeownership Month With Woodlawn United

Homeownership Month Spotlight

At Woodlawn United, we view homeownership as essential for community stability and personal prosperity. To support more families in achieving this goal, we offer various programs in partnership with several organizations.

1. Homebuyer Education Workshops: These workshops provide guidance on budgeting, credit improvement, mortgage options, and home inspections to help potential homeowners make informed decisions.

2. Down Payment Assistance Programs: We partner with city and state agencies to offer grants or low-interest loans, easing the financial burden of down payments.

3. Affordable Housing Initiatives: By collaborating with developers and nonprofits, we increase the availability of affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families.

4. Financial Literacy and Credit Counseling: Our programs offer personalized advice to improve credit scores, manage debt, and build savings, creating a strong financial foundation for homeowners.

5. Community Land Trusts (CLTs): CLTs keep housing affordable by holding land and ensuring homes on this land remain affordable for future generations, promoting long-term stability.

6. Home Maintenance and Repair Assistance: We provide resources and assistance for home maintenance and repairs to help homeowners maintain their properties and prevent costly damages.

Through these initiatives, Woodlawn United is committed to making homeownership achievable and sustainable for all residents. For more information, please visit our website or contact our office.

Birmingham City Council Highlights 6.18.24

Here are some of the highlights from the Birmingham City Council Meeting

ITEM 2

The Birmingham City Council voted to refer a show cause hearing item -- which was to consider the revocation of a business license for CRU Lounge -- back to the Public Safety Committee following a lengthy discussion.

The Council voted 7-1 (Councilor Crystal Smitherman abstained) to send the item back to committee for additional fact finding and due diligence.

During the hearing, which revealed several complex discrepancies with the business’s licenses and ownership, representatives with CRU Lounge said that the majority ownership had relinquished their Alabama State Liquor License earlier this week.

As it stands, the business owners will need to meet local and state legal requirements for their licensing.

“In order for this business to be in compliance, they are first going to have to reapply with the City of Birmingham, which will be part of the Public Safety Committee’s agenda at a future date,” Councilor Hunter Williams told reporters after the meeting.

In the meantime, city officials have said that CRU Lounge will be able to remain open but will only be able to serve food.

ITEM 15

The Council voted to approve an amended agreement with Jones Valley Teaching Farm for an additional 12 months of the Good School Food Program.

The $805,000 for the program, which is being funded by American Rescue Plan Act funding from several council districts, provides Birmingham youth with employment and training to sustainably grow healthy food for the community while connecting them to career and postsecondary education opportunities, workforce development, and professional support.

“This is a great opportunity for our young people to learn about sustainable, healthy food and how that can fit into their daily lives,” Councilor Crystal Smitherman said. “Jones Valley Teaching Farm has been an outstanding partner in helping our young people get a better understanding of urban agriculture and all the programing that goes along with that.”

Council President Darrell O’Quinn abstained.

New and Old Business

City offices will be closed on Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth. In 2021 the Birmingham City Council approved a recommendation by Mayor Randall L. Woodfin to make June 19 --Juneteenth -- an official city holiday.

"Enshrining Juneteenth an official holiday in Birmingham honors the resilience and contributions of African Americans in our nation. It’s a day that we can pause to reflect on our legacy here and where that fits into the ongoing efforts to make sure we are living up to the promise of a nation that stands for liberty and justice for all people,” Councilor JT Moore said.

Magic City Spotlight: U.S. Department Of Labor solidifies partnership with city

Birmingham welcomes the Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su to solidify partnership

The City of Birmingham welcomed Acting Secretary Julie Su to the Magic City to solidify the city's partnership with the Good Jobs Alliance.

The city will be working closely with the U.S. Department of Labor to create more productive and inclusive employment opportunities, as well as opening doors for small businesses and underserved communities.

Watch a replay of the press conference on our official YouTube channel to hear from city and Department of Labor leaders. Then check out a few photos on our official Facebook page.

More Stories from the Newsroom

Art On The Rocks is back!

Don’t miss out on Birmingham’s most popular summer event, featuring funk rapper Ric Wilson, DJs, artist demos, pop-up performances, specialty cocktails, and much more. VIP tickets include access to an exclusive indoor lounge and private bar. 

Member Price: $25 General Admission // $40 VIP
Non-Member Price: $50 General Admission // $80 VIP

Becoming a member is easy! Visit us at artsbma.org/membership, create an account, and select the membership level that fits you best!

Your member discount will be automatically applied at check out if you are logged in and your account is linked to an active membership. Discounted tickets are limited based on your membership level: Solo members can purchase one ticket at half price; Duo members can purchase two tickets; and Family members and up can purchase up to four tickets.