Jefferson County Commission Archives - Page 20 of 39 - BirminghamWatch
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Jefferson County Commission

JeffCo Commissioners Excited to Talk Smack After Thursday Development Vote

Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons was very careful when asked if a “sweet” deal was on its way to Jefferson County. “I’m not going there,” he said following Tuesday’s commission committee meeting. “I can neither confirm nor deny.” Commissioners moved to Thursday’s agenda three resolutions related to a business development that plans to come to Jefferson Metropolitan Industrial Park in McCalla. “I'd say it's a very good deal for everybody,” he said following today’s commission committee meeting, adding that while there has been some press about the development, identified on the agenda as Project 6449, county officials are under a non-disclosure agreement until the deal is done on Thursday. Ammons was referring to a Birmingham Business Journal article that said public records show 6449 LLC shares an address — One Strawberry Lane in Orrville, Ohio — with the corporate headquarters of J.M. Smucker Co., a major producer of jam, jelly, peanut butter and other food and drink products. “It's gonna be a good day,” Ammons, the chair of the commission’s economic development committee, said of Thursday’s announcement. “I am so stinking excited. I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for Thursday for the last three or four months, excited about what this means for Jefferson County.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Jeffco Commission Approves $500,000 for USFL, Plan to Adjust District Lines

The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday unceremoniously approved providing $500,000 to help bring the United States Football League to Birmingham. With much more consternation, commissioners settled on a plan for redrawing commission district lines. The USFL money, which will pay for personnel to operate Protective Stadium on game days, was passed without discussion, along with 48 other resolutions on the agenda. The City of Birmingham also will provide $500,000 to aid the USFL operation. Most of the meeting was comprised of a public hearing discussing three options for redrawing commission district lines to reflect changes in the population of the districts. Lines are adjusted every 10 years to keep populations of the districts as even as possible. Commissioners voted 4-1 for a plan that Commissioner Steve Ammons said was needed without making additional changes. He noted that Districts 3, 4 and 5 were the same in each plan. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Considers Kicking in $500K to Bring USFL to Birmingham

Jefferson County commissioners will give final consideration Thursday to a proposal to chip in $500,000 to bring the USFL headquarters and teams to Birmingham. They’ll also take up maps for new commission districts. In Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners also said efforts to get a disaster declaration approved for Oct. 5 flooding are proceeding and discussed other topics. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Tyson Assures Ensley Residents She’s Not Trying to Get Rid of Them in Commission Redistricting

Commissioner Sheila Tyson said today she has fielded phone calls from Ensley residents who think she’s trying to cut them from the Jefferson County district she represents. Nothing could be further from the truth, she said during a brief meeting of the commission at the Bessemer Justice Center. “It wasn't that if you're underpopulated, you try to get rid of what you've got,” Tyson said. “It makes no sense. I just wanted to straighten that up.” During the Oct. 5 commission committee meeting, Board of Registrars Chairman Barry Stephenson presented three plans for evenly distributing the county population between its five districts using 2020 U.S. Census numbers. Commissioners advanced all three maps for public review. A hearing on the plans will be conducted during the Nov. 4 commission meeting. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Commission Seeks Info About Relief Fund Status

Jefferson County commissioners said during their committee meeting Tuesday that they want to be informed about federal rescue funds that they ultimately will be asked to approve. Commission President Jimmie Stephens told County Manager Cal Markert that the commission wants to know who has applied for the latest brand of COVID funds from the federal government and where those applications are in the system of approval. The commission also heard an update on the talks about the USFL being reestablished with its headquarters in Birmingham. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Stephens Left as Last Man Sitting, Recesses JeffCo Commission After Other Commissioners Had to Bolt

They say it’s lonely at the top. As Thursday’s meeting of the Jefferson County Commission neared its end, it was lonely on the dais. Commission President Jimmie Stephens was the only commissioner remaining after others were either absent or had to leave because of other commitments. “I guess I'm the last man standing on this particular deal,” Stephens said after recessing the session. “This is not the pattern, practice or the way we do business. We have commissioners who had other commitments, and this did run over very long. We wanted to give the citizens an opportunity to speak. “At the end of that, we did do what was needed and necessary to take care of the business of the county,” he continued. “We'll have a full quorum next meeting and continue the operations and business.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Commissioners Begin Redrawing District Lines

The give-and-take of county government will be apparent in coming weeks as Jefferson County commissioners consider how lines separating the five districts will be redrawn. Board of Registrars Chairman Barry Stephenson made a presentation during the commission’s committee meeting Tuesday, showing commissioners maps for three options for evenly distributing the county population using 2020 U.S. Census numbers. Commissioners, following the advice of Stephenson, will advance all three maps for public review. A hearing on the plans will be conducted during the Nov. 4 commission meeting. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Commissioners Just Won’t Let Go of Petelos

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” — Al Pacino from The Godfather Part 3 Tony Petelos could have recited Pacino’s famous line except the retiring county manager knew he wasn’t out. At least not yet. Cal Markert, the deputy county manager who was recently hired to be county manager, was called on to present the report of the county manager during Tuesday’s committee meeting of the Jefferson County Commission. Markert mentioned that Petelos was in his office, taking in the meeting via livestream. Hearing that, commissioners asked Petelos to join them for his final committee meeting. “I've said once and I've said it again and again and again,” Petelos said. “We have good staff in place. I feel confident about the staff in the county. You commissioners work well together. You don't agree on everything but you do work well together.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Employees Getting 3% Raises in Budget Passed Thursday

Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight displayed a more relaxed countenance Thursday when it became clear the 2022 Jefferson County budget would be balanced and approved. “Since about the middle of July, it's been one thing after another,” said Knight, who chairs the commission’s finance and budget committees. “The best part of my year is going to be Monday when me and my wife take off for a week.” The $882,750,611 budget, passed unanimously by the commission, includes a 3% across-the-board raise for county employees. That accounted for an additional $3.3 million to the payroll. “Then you add $1.7 million of merit raises in that next year,” Knight said. “That moves that starting point up $5 million." Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
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