Jefferson County has completed its refinance of $2.24 billion in sewer revenue warrants for a gross savings of $1.17 billion, which reduces the county’s payments on the overall sewer debt. Additionally, the refunding was accomplished without extending the maturity of the sewer debt. The refinance includes a provision for a customer assistance program and stabilizes rate increases. Read more.
The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday forgave about $1 million of debt owed by a development authority, setting the stage for the county coroner’s office to move to that authority’s industrial park. County Manager Cal Markert said Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority developed the Jefferson Metropolitan Park Lakeshore industrial park on Lakeshore Parkway. One of its three remaining lots was targeted as the new home of the coroner’s office. “Instead of paying for it, we're forgiving the debt,” Markert said. “It's all ours anyway. We loaned them the money. They bought all the property, set it up, developed the whole industrial park and created a tremendous number of jobs.” Read more.
A resolution moved to the agenda of Thursday’s Jefferson County Commission meeting would forgive more than $1 million owed to the county from Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority. The county would also execute a purchase agreement with JCEIDA for land in the Lakeshore Jeffmet Park for the new office space of the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner. The purchase agreement for the land, valued at $700,000, would not be a cash transaction but would help offset the remaining JCEIDA debt being forgiven. County Manager Cal Markert called the authority “one of the most successful economic development groups in the state, if not the most.” Read more.
The longest-sitting members of the Jefferson County Commission on Tuesday recognized the 10-year anniversary of the county being removed from bankruptcy. Commission President Jimmie Stephens and Pro Tempore Joe Knight were reminded of the occasion by text messages from David Carrington, a commissioner with them at the time of the bankruptcy along with Sandra Little Brown and George Bowman. “It was a very traumatic experience that we went through,” Stephens said during Tuesday’s commission committee meeting. He said the anniversary “has a great deal of significance to us.” Read more.
UPDATED — A Jefferson County allocation of ARPA funds could provide healthier grocery options for residents along the U.S. 78 corridor. County commissioners on Thursday approved spending American Rescue Plan Act funds to address food insecurities. The pilot program supports a food pantry to create a low or no-cost grocery store. Federal funds totaling $472,782.96 will enhance a program that’s in place and sponsored by Daniel Payne Legacy Village Foundation. “It's focused on areas where there's no grocery store,” County Manager Cal Markert said. “If you've only got Dollar Generals and gas stations, there aren't as many fresh fruits and vegetables. This will kind of try to supplement that and get packages of more healthy foods for families to have.” Read more.
UPDATED — It ain’t over. Jefferson County’s efforts to escape an environmental consent decree took a bit of a hit Tuesday, with the U.S. District Court denying its motion to declare the county sewer system in compliance with the decree. That ruling came hours after the Jefferson County Commission moved to Thursday’s agenda an agreement to pay $2.223 million in fines to the Environmental Protection Agency. Read more.
The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday authorized its support of Innovation Depot and the Birmingham Business Alliance, but not without Commissioner Sheila Tyson voicing her objection. “I feel like both of those organizations do not address the businesses in the minority community,” she said. “(They) don’t reach farther out from downtown.” Read more.
Commissioner Joe Knight interrupted today’s committee meeting of the Jefferson County Commission with a quiz. "Tell me what the four H’s are,” he said, referring to the 4H Club, a staple of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Knight stumped the room, acknowledging, “I don’t know them.” That was strangely appropriate as many people know little, if anything, about the extension system, including that the 4 H’s come from the organization's original motto of head, heart, hands and health, which were later incorporated into the fuller pledge officially adopted in 1927. Read more.
The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday amended its zoning ordinance to increase the penalty for violations. As a result of recent state legislation, the commission was able to make violating the county’s zoning ordinance a Class B misdemeanor. Such violations are now punishable by as much as 180 days in jail and a fine of as much as $3,000. Previously, the penalty was a $100 fine and no more than 10 days in jail. Read more.
Jefferson County doesn’t see eye-to-eye with its sheriff concerning a recent budget change. In a release Thursday, Sheriff Mark Pettway said the Jefferson County Commission had frozen 30% of the Sheriff’s Office Budget for fiscal year 2024. Pettway equated the action to “defund(ing) law enforcement.” The public information officer of Jefferson County responded with its own release that said Pettway misstated the county’s action. According to the county release, the commission requested a freeze of 30% of all funded existing job vacancies throughout the county system for fiscal 2024. “As has been well documented throughout multiple industries, including local government, filling positions is challenging,” the county release read. “Tying up public funds by budgeting for positions that you are unlikely to fill within a fiscal year prevents us from using those funds to instead address operational or capital needs. Read more.
