Government

Three Indictments Handed Down in Investigation of Birmingham Water Works

The state grand jury investigating Birmingham Water Works Board and other aspects of Birmingham and Jefferson County government yielded three indictments Wednesday. The attorney general and FBI officials announced the arrests of Sherry Lewis, the chairwoman of the Birmingham Water Works’ board of directors, Jerry Jones, a former vice president at Arcadis, and Terry Williams, the owner of Global Solutions International, Inc., on felony state ethics charges. All three surrendered Wednesday at the Jefferson County Jail. The charges stem from allegations Lewis used her office for personal gain of herself, a relative or companies with which she is associated, took part in decisions that could benefit her or a relative, and solicited or received something of value to influence her official action. Jones and Williams are accused of aiding and abetting Lewis and offering something of value to influence official action. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Jefferson County Commissioners Agree to Root Out Sewer Problem

Dec. 5, 2017 – The Jefferson County Commission on Tuesday approved plans to use chemical treatment to clear sewer lines of damaging roots, reduce sewage spills and prevent back-ups into homes and businesses. The county will award Dukes Root Control Inc. a contract for $1 million to perform the service. “In a lot of cases, we will send a mechanical rod (into the line) that turns and rips out the roots,” said Department of Environmental Services Director Daniel Denard. “But six months later, those roots are still alive and growing.” Read more.

by Cheryl Slocum

Senate Candidate Doug Jones Disses Roy Moore, Says People of Both Parties Need to Work Together

U.S. Senate candidate Doug Jones in a speech Tuesday didn't mince words about his opponent and the ramifications of electing a man embroiled in a scandal, while also stressing a need for unification, civility and a willingness to work across the political aisle to move Alabama forward. The Democratic Senate hopeful was in Birmingham for a campaign stop at Pepper Place on Southside. Jones told the crowd of about 100 supporters that electing former state Chief Justice Roy Moore could have dire consequences for the state’s business climate as it tries to lure automobile makers Toyota-Mazda. Alabama and North Carolina are in the running for a $1.6 billion plant that would create about 4,000 new jobs. Jones also said Moore was an “embarrassment” to the state, and he said he supports the women who have complained that Moore had inappropriate sexual contact with them as minors. The candidate said the “extreme partisanship” in Washington has hampered the government from making progress on critical issues, and he would work with Republicans as well as Democrats to find solutions. Read more.

by Anita Debro

Birmingham City Council Delays Proposed $30 Million Renovations to Legion Field

Dec. 5, 2017 — The Birmingham City Council discussed a proposed five-year, $30 million renovation to Legion Field during Tuesday’s meeting. Though parks and recreation committee Chairman William Parker eventually elected to withdraw the measure from consideration, members of the council indicated that discussions of the proposed plan would continue. Parker’s plan, which he said was “in the infancy stage,” would spend just less than $30 million dollars on improvements to the stadium, which opened in 1927. Though 2015 renovations to the stadium improved its scoreboard and sound system, Parker’s proposal would take a more holistic approach over the course of five years, starting with the 2018 fiscal year and ending in 2022. “I really applaud Councilor Parker … for coming up with this plan, because whatever revitalization is employed with respect to Legion Field, then it needs to be a comprehensive plan,” Councilor Steven Hoyt said. “We’ve still got some things to figure out, but at least we have a starting point, and we have a facility that can be transformed to something even greater and better.” Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Doug Jones and Roy Moore Vary Widely on Top Issues in Senate Race

Alabama voters will choose between candidates with contrasting views on topics ranging from health care to abortion, and taxation to immigration when they vote for a new U.S. senator on Dec. 12. Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones have outlined their positions on a broad array of issues as they campaigned for votes in the special election. The winner will succeed Sen. Luther Strange, an Alabama Republican who was appointed to the seat by former Gov. Robert Bentley after Jeff Sessions resigned to become attorney general. Following is a look at the stances of Jones and Moore on several leading issues, drawn from their comments on the campaign trail and in various media reports, as well as from material posted on their web sites. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Alabama’s Coming Road Quandary

Alabama's roads and bridges are in relatively good condition compared to other Southeastern states. More of the state’s roads are in good condition compared to other states, fewer are in poor condition, and the percentage of its bridges that are deficient and need to be replaced is about average for the Southeast, according to the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. But in its “How Alabama Roads Compare” report, PARCA found that the state has devoted an increasingly large share of its budget to preserving existing roads, and it has a shrinking pool of money available for new projects. In fact, in recent years Alabama has borrowed more than $1.3 billion, but the authority to borrow has been exhausted. In 2018, Alabama will have about $250 million less to spend on roads than it had in 2017 because of the loss of money to borrow and an increase in the state’s debt service. PARCA in its report notes that Alabama has not raised its 18-cents per gallon motor fuels tax in 25 years. Meanwhile, improved fuel economy of cars and trucks means less gas is being bought in Alabama, and so the tax revenues have dropped. Read the full report here.

by Virginia Martin

With First Demolition, Woodfin Promises “Aggressive” Approach to Blight

Dec. 1, 2017 — Mayor Randall Woodfin oversaw the demolition of a dilapidated house in Rising-West Princeton on Friday morning, an event that he said would exemplify his administration’s more aggressive approach to combating blight. Woodfin said the issue of abandoned structures was “easily” one of the top two complaints he had received during the course of his mayoral campaign. “People want their property value protected. They want to feel safe where they live,” he said. “The minimum we can do is getting more aggressive about getting rid of these dilapidated structures.” Woodfin said his administration was beginning to inventory dilapidated structures across the city and then determine which should have their demolition prioritized. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Police Chief A.C. Roper Retires as Mayor Woodfin Looks to Make Personnel Changes at City Hall

Nov. 29, 2017 — Less than 24 hours after Mayor Randall Woodfin took office, Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper announced his retirement. Roper, who has been chief since 2007, said in a statement that he’d informed Woodfin of his decision on Nov. 8. He said he had decided not to reapply for his position “after a considerable amount of prayer.” Roper said he’d stay on for the next few months as the search process begins for a new chief. Roper’s future with the department had been in question since Woodfin’s election, though Woodfin stressed Monday that Roper’s resignation was voluntary. Throughout his campaign, Woodfin expressed concern over the increase of crime in the city. The city logged its 100th homicide of 2017 on Monday — roughly on track to tie 2016’s homicide count of 109, the highest number since 2006’s 110. Woodfin when he spoke with BirminghamWatch on Monday described gun violence in Birmingham as an “epidemic” and said the city would have to combat crime “in a different way” than it had been. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Woodfin Takes Office as Mayor, Promises Spirit of Collaboration at City Hall

Nov. 28, 2017 — “Truthfully, this is not my inauguration,” Randall Woodfin said shortly after he was sworn in as Birmingham’s 30th mayor. “This is our inauguration.” That sentiment — that Woodfin’s administration will be a collective effort to improve the city — extended throughout most of the inauguration ceremony Tuesday afternoon. Before Woodfin took the oath of office, political commentator and motivational speaker Jeff Johnson urged attendees to ask themselves what they could do to improve the city. Singer-songwriter Sebastian Cole performed a cover version of John Legend’s “If You’re Out There,” a call-to-action anthem that quotes Gandhi’s “be the change you want to see.” After Woodfin was sworn into office by Judge Nakita Blocton — with his mother, Cynthia Woodfin-Kellum, holding the bible — he, too, emphasized the importance of community collaboration. He cited the “grassroots movement we built from scratch” as having propelled him into office. For much of his speech, Woodfin referred to himself and the nine members of the City Council as a unit, at one point calling them up to join him at the podium. “The 10 of us collectively not only represent you, are dedicated to fighting for you, but wholeheartedly we believe in you,” he said. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

As He Takes Office, Mayor Randall Woodfin Looks to Hard Decisions Ahead

Randall Woodfin was officially sworn in as the 30th mayor of Birmingham today, beginning a four-year term that he has promised will bring major changes to the organization and operation of city government, including pushes to increase transparency and reduce crime. He’ll start his tenure with an audit of city finances and reassessment of the structures of all city departments — which, he says, is going to lead to some “heavy” decisions. There are other challenges ahead as well, he said, in working to reduce the city’s rampant gun violence, advocating for an increased minimum wage, and improving the quality of life for Birmingham citizens. Read the Q&A with the new mayor.

by Sam Prickett