Tag: Jefferson County
‘We’re in the Jobs Business,’ JCEIDA Leader Says in Announcing New North JeffCo Industrial Park
Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority has added about 1,100 acres to its inventory of developable land to create its latest industrial park in north Jefferson County.
JeffMet North Industrial Park, off Interstate 65 at Exit 275 near the Gardendale/Morris area, sets the stage for the creation of an estimated 4,700 new jobs and is expected to be a lure for auto suppliers. Read more.
For the First Time in 37 Years, Jefferson County Makes Major Change to Tax Maps
For the first time in 37 years, the Jefferson County Tax Assessor’s Office has completed a comprehensive countywide resurvey that has modernized parcel data that will impact more than 600,000 residents and departments such as the Board of Equalization.
The tax map is the foundation for some of the county’s most important functions, from emergency services to the U.S. Postal Service and every municipality in the county. Read more.
How Jefferson County Pulled Off a Billion-Dollar Refinancing to Help Stabilize Sewer Rates and Regain Trust
Jimmie Stephens remembers he wasn’t proud of Jefferson County when he took office as a county commissioner in 2010.
“I was embarrassed and ashamed of what Jefferson County had become and what its reputation was, in the state and in the nation,” recalled Stephens, now the president of the commission.
Jefferson County had become by most accounts one of the worst financially managed governments in the nation laying off more than 1,000 of its employees and filing the then-largest municipal bankruptcy in November 2011.
But Stephens, his fellow commissioners, county manager and department heads no longer feel that sense of shame and embarrassment, they say.
Last month, Jefferson County got positive reviews from investors and financial publications that would have been unimaginable more than 10 years ago. Read more.
Ethics Commission Ruling Keeps Parker, Allen Off Ballot for Treasurer
The Alabama Ethics Commission ruled this week that persons who were removed from the ballot of the March 5 primary cannot be their party’s nominee in the general election. That ruling means the Jefferson County Democratic Party cannot nominate incumbent Eyrika Parker or challenger Mara Ruffin Allen to be the party’s candidate for Jefferson County treasurer. The party will be meeting next Saturday to select a new candidate. Read more.
JeffCo Asks Court to Release It From Its Last Consent Decree
The Jefferson County Commission Tuesday filed a motion to be released from the 1996 consent decree over the Jefferson County Sewer System.
It is the next step in the county being released from all the consent decrees imposed on it.
“We were successful in getting out of the employment consent decree,” County Attorney Theo Lawson said. “The next consent decree was the environmental consent decree. We have made tremendous strides in ensuring that we are in compliance and beyond with federal law and continue to be committed to that because our sewer system is one of our biggest assets. Read more.
Judicial Funding Fight Likely to Continue in Upcoming Legislative Session
An additional eight circuit court and five district court judges are needed in various parts of Alabama, including Madison and Baldwin counties, according to a recent report.
That same report also says Jefferson County has more judges than caseloads there require.
But reallocating judgeships has become a politically complicated issue in recent years. Fiscal conservatives in the State House have balked at spending millions on additional seats when Jefferson County and other districts have a surplus. Jefferson County’s well-muscled delegation has protected its judicial seats.
But now, more lawmakers, including the new chairman of the House General Fund budget committee, appear willing to spend on at least a few new seats. Read more.
Jefferson County Enlists Zoning Officials in Battle Against ‘Poop Trains,’ Littering
The Jefferson County commissioners Thursday enlisted the aid of county personnel to fight illegal dumping, littering and violations involving “poop trains” in the county.
And those they enlisted are already on the frontlines.
“We designated the sanitation and ordinance inspectors, the zoning inspectors, the zoning supervisor and the zoning administrator as solid waste officers,” County Attorney Theo Lawson said. “By being designated as solid waste officers, that then gives them the authority under the code to write citations for criminal littering. Those folks are now able to enforce criminal littering through issuing citations. That should be a huge increase in our folks’ ability to enforce criminal littering.” Read more.
Work Scheduled to Tear Down Cooper Green Parking Deck, Building New Clinic
Demolition of the old Cooper Green Hospital parking lot is expected to begin later this year or early next year to make way for building a new indigent care clinic in that location, officials with Jefferson County and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System announced Tuesday.
Designs for the new clinic, planned to be about 150,000 square feet, are being worked on, and those involved hope it will be ready to open in 2½ to 3 years, David Randall, chief strategy officer for the UAB Health System, said during a press conference.
The project is expected to cost between $55 million and $65 million, Randall said. Read more.
JeffCo’s County Manager Plans Retirement After 10 Years Helping to Navigate Rough Waters
Tony Petelos, the only county manager Jefferson County has had, told county commissioners at their committee meeting today that he will soon retire.
“After 34 years of public service in many different jobs throughout the years and 10 years here at the county, I’m going to announce my retirement this year,” he said from his seat at the end of the board table. “I don’t have a date set, but I just want to give you a heads up that I do plan to retire this year. I’ve got a couple of projects I’m still working on and I want to get those done, but it’s been a pleasure and an honor to work with you.” Read more.
Jefferson County Emerges From Consent Decree After 45 Years
After 45 years of scrutiny, five years in receivership and two years in monitorship, Jefferson County has been released from its consent decree governing hiring and employment practices. Senior U.S. District Judge Lynwood Smith signed the order that brought the decree to an end.
“It is a validation of what we have done since we’ve arrived here in Jefferson County,” Commission President Jimmie Stephens said at a hastily called press conference Monday afternoon. “It validates the actions that we have shown you and shown the citizens of Jefferson County, that our hiring practices are progressive, they are color blind, they are gender blind and they represent the population of Jefferson County, whom we serve.” Read more.
