Docena is next up in Jefferson County’s bid to remove dilapidated houses. At its committee meeting Tuesday, the Jefferson County Commission moved to the agenda of its Thursday meeting a resolution declaring 29 structures in the unincorporated community off Minor Parkway public nuisances and targeting those structures for demolition. Those structures are part of Batch 3 of the county’s demolition program. Read more.
The Birmingham City Council needs more questions answered before it will officially lend its support to the financially struggling Birmingham-Southern College. A “resolution of intent” on the agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting would have seen the city promise to provide financial support to BSC — if the college could also secure binding funding commitments from the state of Alabama and the Jefferson County Commission. But some councilors were reluctant to make that commitment without further discussions with college administrators first. BSC President Daniel Coleman has said the board of trustees must decide the college’s future by the end of March to give students time to decide where to transfer and help faculty and staff make plans for their future. Read more.
People have been injured, even killed, in exhibition driving-related incidents in Birmingham. Now, lawmakers are addressing the issue on a statewide level. Read more.
Alabama only allows state funds for sewage infrastructure to go to public bodies. A civil rights complaint argues the policy hurts communities of color. Read more.
Last week, a judge sentenced two people to life in prison without parole in a federal kidnapping case that resulted in the death of Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney. The 3-year-old went missing in 2019 outside a public housing complex in Birmingham. Her body was found about a week later in a dumpster. A new podcast from
Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her State of the State address to Legislators Tuesday night, using the opportunity to call a special session on spending of pandemic relief funds and possibly giving state residents one-time tax rebates of up to $400 for individuals and $800 for families. In her address she also focused on the need to improve education, from kindergarten to college-bound students. Read her full speech.
Jefferson County Commission Finance Chairman Joe Knight repeated Tuesday his plan to continue on a conservative path that includes squireling away money in the county’s reserve accounts. Read more.
Lawmakers return to Montgomery at a time when money is flush thanks to federal COVID funds. Education is among the top issues expected to generate discussion. Read more.
After a contentious discussion, the Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to relinquish its interest in the historic Powell School building, which has been vacant for more than two decades. Though developers of the property told councilors that historic preservation is their priority, they expressed doubts that they’d be able to save most of the 134-year-old structure. Now, with the city stepping out of the way, they won’t be compelled to. Councilors split over the discussion. District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott said she was “aghast” at the idea of “giving the property away” to a developer with no guarantee of historical preservation. Mayor Randall Woodfin retorted that it made less sense to leave the dilapidated school building standing. “It is clear blight,” he said. Read more.
The Birmingham City Council has set its legislative agenda for 2023, establishing lobbying priorities for when the state Legislature convenes in March. New priorities for the city include battling exhibition driving and allowing local banks to buy tax-delinquent properties, along with a slate of recurring issues. The council’s list was approved without recommendation from Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office, which in the past has lobbied for its own separate list of legislative priorities. Read more. Read the full City Legislative Package for 2023
