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The Jefferson County Commission renewed its commitment to the Birmingham Gateway Project, but not before President Jimmie Stephens suggested that the agreement should be revisited.
“The Gateways Project was for The World Games and The World Games have come and gone,” the commission president said. “These interchanges, most reside in the city of Birmingham, or in Mountain Brook or Homewood, and the county is utilizing its taxpayer dollars for something now that has come and gone. I think that’s something that we need to look at.
“They’re doing Birmingham’s gateway,” Stephens said. “They need to do Jefferson County’s gateway. If we keep up our gateways going into the county, Birmingham would be more likely to keep up their gateways because ours would look good. It improves the entire county.”
County Manager Cal Markert reminded the commission that the county is part of a multi-group agreement with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham and the Alabama Department of Transportation. Thursday’s resolution was for a one-year renewal of a contract between the county and Rotolo Consultants for $1,315,241.50 for landscaping maintenance, mowing, pruning and trash pick-up in ALDOT rights-of-way.
“We were the lead on bidding out the contract,” Markert said, adding that the other entities reimburse the county for their share of the cost. Jefferson County, ALDOT and Birmingham each pays $389,900, or one-third each for their footprint of the service area. UAB pays only for the exit into UAB off Interstate 65.
“I would just recommend we deal with our agreement with the other three entities,” he said. “The contract has a 90-day notice. If you want to cancel the contract, we could deal that way. The other three entities may choose to pay the difference and continue with the contract, but the contract language requires a 90-day notice. That’s what I recommend.”
The gateways project also was discussed during a committee meeting of commissioners on Tuesday, when Commissioner Joe Knight also raised the need for mutual funding for City Walk BHM maintenance.
County Workers Recognized
Also Thursday, the commission recognized Chief Deputy Coroner William “Bill” Yates for his lead role in identifying Bryant Keith Bates, who had been missing for 38 years.
After remains of a homicide victim were found in a South East Lake house in 2004, Yates repeatedly resubmitted forensic evidence that eventually led to identifying Bates, who went missing in 1988 at the age of 21, WVTM 13 reported.
Amy Stephens, Bates’ sister, was on hand Thursday as the resolution was presented and echoed her feelings about Yates.
“I told him he’s invited to the (family) cookout,” she said.
There were also recognitions for the Purchasing Department’s retiring principal buyer, Dorothea Robinson; the county’s budget and finance departments for the county’s recent Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award and Triple Crown status from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada; and a Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil Award for the “Keep It Clean” campaign.
