Government

Jeffco Commission to Consider Mortgage Assistance

The Jefferson County Commission is expected Thursday to amend its disbursement of Cares Act funds to include mortgage assistance for residents adversely affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic. At their last meeting, commissioners approved federal funds for use in helping residents with COVID-related expenses related to rent and utilities. “We’d like to amend that moving forward to include mortgage assistance also,” Commission President Jimmie Stephens said Tuesday. “This truly expands the scope of help to include all of our citizens. It is much needed and necessary. I think this is something that will extend the reach of our COVID funds and allow us to help many, many more people.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Birmingham Bringing Back Up to 132 of Its Furloughed Employees

The Birmingham City Council has approved a plan to bring up to 132 furloughed city employees — mostly from the Birmingham Public Library and the city parks department — back to work. The workers were furloughed in September due to budget cuts necessitated by COVID-19’s impact on city revenue. The plan, described as a compromise between mayor and council, will be funded by $4.85 million borrowed from the city’s general fund reserve. That’s far less than the $7 million requested in Woodfin’s initial plan, which would also have restored two paid holidays for city employees and reversed some salary reductions to appointed staff. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Council Postpones Vote on Holiday Pay, Says Woodfin Expects Them to Make Budget Decisions “Blindly”

Black Friday will be an unpaid holiday for Birmingham city employees after the City Council delayed a proposal by Mayor Randall Woodfin to pay employees out of city reserves. In a last-minute addendum to Tuesday morning’s meeting agenda, Woodfin called for the city to take $807,333 out of the city’s general fund to restore the paid holiday, which had been nixed due to COVID-19-related budget cutbacks. Employees still will receive their regular paychecks next week but without payment for Nov. 27. Councilors balked at Woodfin’s proposal because it was brought to them without warning and without details on the health of the reserve fund. One objected to the mayor’s asking the council to make major financial decisions while figuring out the budget numbers “on the back of a cocktail napkin.” Read more.

by Sam Prickett

House OKs Apprenticeship Program Opposed by the GOP

Voterama in Congress WASHINGTON – Voting 246 for and 140 against, the House on Nov 20 passed a bill (HR 8294) that would authorize $3.5 billion over five years to expand federally funded apprenticeship programs. While the bill would prepare workers for jobs in traditional industries such as manufacturing, transportation and construction, it also would fund instruction and on-the-job training for specialized fields such as early childhood education, advanced health care and green energy. The House also rejected a Republican-backed alternative to the plan. The Senate, meanwhile, approved President Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Court of International Trade and rejected his nominee to the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

Commission OKs Cares Act Funding in Quick Session

Tuesday’s committee meeting of the Jefferson County Commission was so fast you would have thought commissioners were trying to beat a deadline. In a sense, they were. As they have for months, commissioners continued their efforts to dole out federal funds related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The light agenda included 18 resolutions from county manager Tony Petelos to distribute Cares Act funds to help cities, towns and entities in the county address needs of citizens that arose from COVID-19. Petelos said the items that were moved to Thursday’s meeting agenda leave just a few who have not gotten requested money. “We’ll have those next meeting,” Petelos said. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Birmingham Council Balks at Mayor’s Plan to Bring Back Some Workers, Wants More Information

The Birmingham City Council is mulling a proposal from Mayor Randall Woodfin to bring back up to 132 furloughed city employees by taking $7 million from the city’s reserve fund. The proposal also would reinstate two paid holidays and reverse some salary reductions to appointed staff, both of which, like the furloughs, had been cut due to a city budget shortfall caused by COVID-19. Although Finance Director Lester Smith assured councilors he was confident the money would be reimbursed with Cares Act funding that is awaiting action by the Jefferson County Commission, the proposal was met with deep skepticism from councilors, who criticized the proposal’s lack of detail and argued that it could damage the city’s financial standing. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Baxley Predicts Jones Will Get the AG Nod From Biden

What is the next step for Alabama’s soon-to-be former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones? “I fully expect that Doug Jones will be the next United States attorney general,” said Bill Baxley, himself a former Alabama attorney general and a key piece of the church-bombing “cold case” solution that brought Jones to national attention. Baxley cited Jones’ long-time relationship with Biden and his bipartisan approach to politics. Several publications also have listed Jones among top picks for Biden’s cabinet. Read more.

by Nancy Wilstach

Birmingham Library Exec Returns to Work After One-Month Suspension

Birmingham Public Library Executive Director Floyd Council was back at work Friday after one month of being suspended without pay. Council was suspended by the BPL board of trustees last month for undisclosed reasons. As with most details regarding Council’s employment, the board refused to provide details about the decision to the public. The board did not discuss Council during its regular meeting Nov. 10. Multiple BPL employees confirmed Council’s return to the library Friday, though under condition of anonymity. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Efforts to Keep Jones In U.S. Senate Sets Records

The effort to re-elect U.S. Senator Doug Jones fell short. However, organizers say Black women, who were credited with helping him win the seat in 2017, are preparing for the future. Read more.

by Janae Pierre, WBHM

Concerns Raised About COVID at Horizon Church Polling Place After Worker Tests Positive

Voters who cast their ballots last week at Horizon Church had to endure some very long lines. Now they’ll have to endure concern about possible exposure to COVID-19. A press release from the office of Jefferson County county manager Tony Petelos says there is a chance persons who voted at Precinct 5120, otherwise known as Horizon Church in Vestavia Hills, on Election Day may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Coincidentally, that is the polling place of Jefferson County Presiding Probate Judge James P. Naftel II, who fielded an Election Day call from his wife about her waiting in the line or returning later. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.