Gardendale
City Council District 1: Bryan Knox, Gene Walker
Government
Fultondale
Mayor Larry D. Holcomb Jim Lowery City Council Place No. 1: Josh Bryant, Patricia “Lynn” Carlton Place No. 2: Joe “Coach” Bolton, Kristi Jennings Place No. 3: Jimmie H. Lay, Terry Webster Place No. 4: Tommy Lynn Loden, Timothy McWilliams Place No. 5: Darrell Bates, Billy Hughes
Lowery, Fultondale
Jim Lowery Age: 71 Occupation: Superintendent, Fultondale Gas Board. Political experience: Mayor for 20 years. Main issue: Provide a safe, happy, productive city.
Holcomb, Fultondale
Larry D. Holcomb Age: 55 Occupation: Birmingham firefighter; owner of bail bond and home inspection businesses. Political experience: None. Main issue: Community safety, hiring more police.
Birmingham to Pursue Tax-Credit Plan to Aid Development in Low-Income Communities
The Birmingham City Council approved on Tuesday the creation of the Birmingham Region Community Investment Cooperative District, a new legal entity designed to apply for and allocate federal new markets tax credits (NMTC). This new organization will combine the efforts of the City of Birmingham, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority and the Commercial Development Authority in pursuing the tax credits, which can be allocated to fund small businesses and real estate development in low-income communities. Read more.
Birmingham Council OKs Al Fresco Dining as Hail Mary for Restaurants
Birmingham restaurants will now be able to use sidewalks and parking spaces for outdoor dining, the City Council decided Tuesday. The decision, described by District 2 Councilor Hunter Williams as a “Hail Mary from the mayor’s staff,” is intended to give restaurants greater seating capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
Jeffco Commission Delays Decision on Rocky Ridge Development
A request to rezone parcels in the Rocky Ridge area for a 25-unit condominium and a 10-lot single-family residential subdivision was delayed Thursday for two weeks for the developer and residents to settle on a possible revision. The Jefferson County Commission met for 2½ hours, with two hours spent on the requested rezoning. Overton Investments LLC asked to rezone property at 2468 and 2466 Rocky Ridge Road. Read more.
Birmingham Gives Tax Breaks for UAB-Area Student Apartment Project, Commission Expected to Follow Suit
The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to approve economic incentives for a new student housing development near the UAB campus, and Jefferson County commissioners indicated they would do the same Thursday. The seven-story development, which is expected to house up to 400 residents, will be built atop a brownfield site bordered by 13th and 14th Streets South and Fourth and Fifth Avenues South. Read more.
Scales Alleges She’s Left Out of Development Planning Despite Being Vice Chair of the Committee
Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales said she’s been left in the dark concerning development projects despite being vice chairwoman of the development committee. She knew nothing about a plan that came up before commissioners Tuesday to build more apartments near UAB. Read more.
House Takes Up Child Care Funding Bills
Voterama in Congress WASHINGTON — The House last week took up three bills that would provide help for child care providers or parents returning to work. The first, HR 7027, was passed on a vote of 249 for and 163 against. It would appropriate $50 billion to help child care providers stay in business during the pandemic so that parents can return to work. The funding would be used to subsidize in-home services as well as licensed child care operations of all sizes, and it could be used to prop up functioning centers or reopen those forced to close because of the pandemic. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., opposed the bill. "Child care is essential as parents begin returning to the workplace; however, this bill spends too much taxpayer money and places an undue and unworkable regulatory burden on facilities, federal agencies and, yes, on families," he said. Read more.