The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday voted to apply for a $200,000 federal grant to offer mental health services to law enforcement workers in the city.

Before Tuesday’s vote, several councilors expressed their gratitude to city staff for compiling the application to the Department of Justice program.

“I just want to give you all your accolades for going out there and being creative with the process of going after these grants,” said Councilor Wardine Alexander.

The grant, which is part of the 2017 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, would require no matching funds from the city.

If approved, the city will contract with local providers to offer mental health and other wellness services to law enforcement officers, dispatchers and other interdepartmental personnel.

Councilor Carol Clarke asked whether the services would be required when workers experience certain kinds of trauma.

“I feel like law enforcement personnel see everyone at their worst; that’s what they do for a living. So, they may not know they need to go talk to someone,” she said.

Adrienne Stitt, director of Birmingham’s Grants Division, said the services would be completely voluntary.

The council passed the measure unanimously.

In Other Business

The council also:

• Approved a $65,930 emergency contract with Hydra Services Inc. to provide a dewatering pump to alleviate flooding along Messer Airport Highway. Councilor Darrell O’Quinn asked city staff whether the pump would allow for the removal of concrete blocks used to prevent traffic from entering the flood prone area of the highway. Workers answered, “potentially.” Before voting unanimously to approve the contract, the council went into executive session to discuss pending litigation.
• Approved an agreement under which the city will provide $50,000 in incentives to CModel Data Inc. to relocate from Vallejo, California, to 1500 First Avenue North #21 in Birmingham. According to city staff, CModel will make capital investments of $120,000 for equipment and bring approximately 80 jobs to the area. The incentive is part of Birmingham’s Retention Incentives for Success and Expansion, or Rise, Program, which established two funds in 2022 to provide resources for area businesses. According to the city’s website, “every time the city has a sales transaction that results from a price in excess of market value, a transaction that is tied to a redevelopment agreement, or is considered a surplus asset, 7 percent will be used to fund two new programs. Four percent will be used for a cash incentive fund and three percent will be for a revolving loan fund.”
• Set a public hearing for May 7 to consider changes to the city’s parking ordinances. Councilors said the hearing is part of the city’s Right Size Parking Initiative. According to the city’s website, the program aims “to adjust requirements for new development and to manage parking via transportation demand management practices.”
• Recognized April 7-13 as National Library Week.