State Rep. Fred L. Plump Jr., D-Fairfield, has been charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice and has agreed to resign from the Alabama House of Representatives. Plump is accused of conspiring to funnel taxpayer money from a community service fund to a nonprofit of which he was executive director, then paying about half of the money in kickbacks to another individual. Read more.
Birmingham residents living in single-family homes can now order a second city-issued garbage cart. The Birmingham City Council approved revisions to the city’s garbage ordinance on Tuesday that will allow single-family residences to procure a second uniform trash bin for a $120 fee, which will cover the cost of the cart, delivery and one year of once-a-week pickup service. Some non-residential properties also now can purchase up to two uniform trash bins. Read more.
Mayor Randall Woodfin revealed his proposed budget for the 2024 fiscal year on Tuesday, highlighting its “laser focus commitment” on neighborhood revitalization and youth support services. The proposed $554.8 million budget is significantly larger than last year’s $522.3 million budget, thanks in part to projected increases in business tax revenue (up $12.3 million from last year) and property tax revenue (up $2.8 million). But Woodfin’s proposed budget reflects few differences in priority from the previous year. Read more.
It’s tempting to put the cart before the horse when it comes to determining a successor to District 5 Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons.
But prospective voters will have to hold their horses before learning the specifics of the special election that will take place this summer.
Probate Judge James P. Naftel II said the process begins when there is actually an opening. Ammons gave his notice of resignation May 5 to become CEO for the Birmingham Business Alliance. His resignation is effective May 31, so the clock starts then. Read more.
Ammons Resigns from Jeffco Commission, Will Head Birmingham Business Alliance
Ammons Says It Wasn’t His Day Despite the News of His Resigning to Become BBA CEO
A Birmingham restaurant will receive $1.3 million in city incentives to renovate part of a downtown parking deck into a 5,760-square-foot eatery. Yo’ Mama’s, a counter-serve restaurant that has operated on Second Avenue South since 2014, will take over the ground floor of the city-owned Birmingham Parking Authority Deck 3, at 2098 Fourth Avenue North. The deck was initially constructed in 1976 and expanded in 2009, but that expansion left an incomplete, street-level retail space that the Birmingham Parking Authority unsuccessfully attempted to lease out over the subsequent 14 years. Read more.
Steve Ammons said he is not a bad father looking to upstage his daughter on her graduation day.
“This is her day,” the Jefferson County Commissioner said. “This is her day and it's Cinco de Mayo. I am the last.”
A host of journalists seeking comment from Ammons might disagree. On the day that daughter Taylor McGill received her associate degree in veterinary tech from Jefferson State Community College, Ammons resigned from the commission and was named the new CEO for the Birmingham Business Alliance, the region’s primary economic development agency.
Ammons leaves his post as District 5 commissioner at the end of the month. A special election will be called to select his replacement. He’ll start his new role at BBA on May 30 and will be responsible for leading collaboration among BBA and its community partners across the seven-county region. Read more.
Ammons Resigns from Jeffco Commission, Will Head Birmingham Business Alliance
Steve Ammons resigned Friday from the Jefferson County Commission and has accepted the position of CEO for the Birmingham Business Alliance, the region’s primary economic development agency. “I am proud of the work the commission has done and for the support of my fellow commissioners in making Jefferson County a great place to live,” Ammons wrote in his resignation letter. “I have great respect for each of you and am confident in the decisions you will make down the road.” Read more.
The Birmingham City Council has paved the way for a new restaurant to open in Highland Park, despite residential concerns over traffic and parking capacity. The council approved Tuesday a request to rezone the vacant property at 2614 Highland Ave. to allow for George’s, a new “city tavern” that developers said would hearken back to the nostalgic age of dining. Residents said they already have trouble parking and doubt the neighborhood’s capacity for a full-service restaurant. Read more.
The Birmingham City Council has officially announced its opposition to a state bill that would cut two council-appointed seats from the Birmingham Water Works Board, with some councilors saying the Legislature is trying to wrest home rule from the city. House Bill 177, sponsored by Rep. Jim Carns, R-Vestavia Hills, would reduce the number of BWWB seats from nine to seven, removing two of the four currently appointed by the council. Appointment authority over the remaining five seats on the board — two by the mayor of Birmingham and one each by the Jefferson County Mayors Association, the Shelby County Commission and the Blount County Commission — would remain unchanged. On Tuesday, the council unanimously approved a resolution of opposition to the bill. “This bill directly takes away two appointments from the council,” said District 1 Councilor Clinton Woods, who chairs the council’s Governmental Affairs and Public Information Committee. “That basically dilutes our ability to represent our ratepayers, who are the (board’s) largest bloc of ratepayers.” Read more.
MONTGOMERY — The nonprofit organization Voices for Alabama’s Children is asking state leaders to expand social services for children who are faring worse economically when compared to over a decade ago. Meeting with several state department heads – including Barbara Cooper, secretary for the state Department of Early Childhood Education, Eric Mackey, state superintendent and others – Voices is advocating for a number of policy proposals, including Medicaid expansion, increased funding for mental health services and the state’s First Class Pre-K Program, and more. Read more.
