A year after she was passed over for a slot on the board of the UAB Healthcare Authority, Commissioner Sheila Tyson has been put on the path to being the commission’s nominee to the board.

It is, she said, about time.

“They know that they should (have) appointed me from the very beginning,” Tyson said after today’s commission committee meeting. “I think that they were scared that I was going to shake the trees, what they call ‘shake the bush.’ That’s what they were afraid of but I’m only one vote.  But I will be there for the patients and for the employees.”

Last year, commissioners nominated county manager Tony Petelos and Commissioner Joe Knight each to a 1-year term on the board of the authority, and chief financial officer John Henry was nominated to a 2-year term. Commissioners Tyson and Lashunda Scales voted against that action, saying Tyson, who chaired the commission’s committee governing Cooper Green Mercy Health System, should have been on the board.

Henry recently resigned from the board, having left Jefferson County for the CFO position with the American Public Transportation Association in Washington, D.C.

Commissioners will nominate Angela Dixon, the new county CFO, to fill the remainder of Henry’s 2-year term. Petelos and Tyson will be nominated for 1-year terms.

Nominations from Jefferson County must be approved by the University of Alabama board of trustees. Tyson expressed concern that her nomination could be denied, but Commission President Jimmie Stephens said Tyson’s nomination will stand.

“There will be none,” Stephens said of possible objections to Tyson. “She was a member of our Jefferson County Commission (committee) over the Cooper Green Health Services. That’s her committee assignment and that’s the rightful place for her to be.”

Stephens said he voted to nominate Knight last year when the healthcare authority first was established because of his health experience and background. He said he assured Tyson that she would be appointed after that first year.

“I was good for my word and we did that,” the commission president said. “We’re satisfied, the entire commission is satisfied. It was approved unanimously.”

Concrete Batch Plant in Tarrant

Earlier, commissioners considered an application from Sherman Industries for a permit to install sanitary sewer facilities in the Alabama 79 right-of-way near Park Avenue­­ in Tarrant. Four commissioners approved moving the matter involving a planned concrete batch plant to the agenda of Thursday’s commission meeting. Tyson voted no and promised to object on Thursday.

“I’m just totally against it,” Tyson said. “They shouldn’t have a permit to do anything around residents and … affect the quality of life of the residents.

“I do have a great concern for Tarrant, even though it’s not in my district,” the commissioner continued. “You have people that live out there that have invested in their homes and their health. I am concerned about the quality of life that Sherman would bring into the community.”

Sherman Industries initially proposed moving its concrete batch plant from downtown Birmingham to a location near the Birmingham CrossPlex. That plan was quickly met with opposition from residents and city councilors, with District 8 Councilor Steven Hoyt saying pollution from the plant would endanger public health. The council voted to formally oppose the plan.

Grandview Office Building

Also moved to the agenda is a resolution for an incentive agreement with Daniel Realty Company. The plan calls for building a medical office building on the Grandview campus where AloStar Bank formerly sat. The nearly 200,000-square-foot structure would have 144,000 rentable square feet and underground parking.

“We expect to employ 400 people in great jobs,” said Patrick T. Henry, principal president of Daniel. “When we ran the numbers, we estimate that over the term of this (10-year) project agreement, that the county can expect to receive $24.78 million of tax revenue associated with this project. That’s a pretty substantial figure.”