New Voices, Big Ideas

In this episode, we recap the key decisions and discussions from the Birmingham City Council meeting on February 24. Council President Wardine Alexander sits down with our newest council members—Sonja Smith, Brian Gunn, and Josh Vasa—for a lively conversation about leadership, early challenges, and the changes they hope to bring in their new roles. Plus, Councilor Darrell O’Quinn joins us to answer our Mailbag Question of the Day!

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:04

Welcome to Motion to Adjourn, the podcast about the work that continues with the Birmingham City Council. Beyond what happens on Tuesdays during council meeting.

SPEAKER_03 0:13

All in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

SPEAKER_06 0:15

Or in the committee meeting. After the official motion to adjourn, the council's continue work on behalf of the city and its residents. Welcome to the Motion to Adjourn podcast. I am your host, Anaya Kenyan, a service project manager for the Birmingham City Council. On today's episode, you will hear our council highlights, a deep dive featuring our Council President Alexander and our three newest counselors, and our mailbag question of the day. Today we are diving into some of the most significant items that were mentioned during Tuesday's council meeting. Starting with Councillor Vasa, who explains the council's recent vote to update the city's zoning ordinance. Birmingham's zoning ordinance guides how land is used, whether for homes, businesses, or industry, to support organized growth and community safety. It also sets standards like building heights and lot sizes to help protect neighborhood character and promote sustainable development. One of the five new amendments introduces updated height standards for residential buildings.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

You know, what was on the agenda today for item two related to zoning for D5. So what this really uh this item is really about is right sizing the zoning for D5 to match what the previous zoning was for R5. Uh R5 allowed for a maximum cap on height for residential buildings to be at 35 feet. So this is really just right sizing that zoning as we switch from R5 to D5 to make sure that the height restrictions are the same. So another way to think about it is the max cap is 35 feet. That's essentially three stories high, right? So if you see sort of a mid-rise building that is three stories high, that's what that cap is. Uh if we allowed V5 zoning residential areas to max height of 60, that's six stories high. That's really a really high building. Um what that means is that if you live in a single-family home, or if you live in a three-story building, then next to you there can be a multifamily unit that is six stories high. That's really high. Uh it makes sense. You know, the reason zoning codes exist exist is to make sure that the right height is in the right areas, um, and that there is sort of a similar uh nature and fabric in terms of what the zoning and the buildings look like and provide resources for these updates aim to strengthen planning, support thoughtful development, and bring greater clarity to zoning across the city.

SPEAKER_06 3:06

On Tuesday, the council voted to dissolve the Highway 280 Public Road Cooperative District. This vote opens the door for a pedestrian infrastructure expansion across the bridge that goes over Highway 280 at Hollywood Boulevard. The dissolving of the cooperative will also transfer the remaining funds to Jefferson County to begin work on phase one of this major intergovernmental project, which touches Homewood, Birmingham, and Mount Brook, and crosses a state highway. The first phase of the project, the pedestrian access portion of the bridge, is expected to begin this summer. The project will also include a new traffic signal to help ease congestion and improve safety. The council also approved improvements for the Edwards Lake Road located in District 1, which will include a full repaving of the roadway. This project is expected to enhance safety and improve transportation for everyone who relies on this corridor. Let's hear from Councillor Woods as he explains the impact these upgrades will have on residents.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

So really excited about that. We've been creating intergovernmental uh partnerships as related to street paving for the last few years. And so this last week we've been able to announce some pretty significant projects, and Elworth Lake Road is one of those. Uh it's a well-traveled road uh that drives through District One. And uh honestly, there's been some traffic safety issues. There's been a center lane in the past that people have used to uh pass each other, it can be dangerous if people are improperly using that road and so uh part of the repaving project will include a road guide, a new strike, and to condense that to a two-lane road. And one, we want to encourage traffic if you're just cutting through, uh use Highway 11, use Highway 35, and cutting through this neighborhood. But uh just excited about it. One is a much needed project to be able to go ahead and pave that entire road, the road guide I think will go a long way into making that street safer. And that's something that residents have been asking for for a long time. So we're excited to get that done now. Uh, I think also uh partnership and collaboration with the county is impactful because uh 40% of that road is in Birmingham, about 60% of the road is in Jefferson County, and so it makes sense that we work together to accomplish this to ensure that the residents get the best possible product on the back end of getting a fully paved street while also addressing a lot of safety concerns.

SPEAKER_06 5:39

District 1 residents who travel Edwards Lake Road, stay tuned for updates as these improvements move forward. The council has approved housing rehabilitation programs in districts 5 and 9 to support qualified, low and moderate income homeowners. Funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, these programs will help residents in the areas of Greymont, College Hills, Smithfield, and North Birmingham with exterior upgrades and minor repairs. House Proud Atlanta has partnered with several districts in Birmingham and brings 20 years of experience with helping seniors stay safely in their homes. Now, let's hear from President Pro Tim, Latanya Tate, and Councillor O'Quinn on the impact these programs will have in our communities.

SPEAKER_04 6:38

So far, I've gotten um an impact report. It's been about over 30 plus houses throughout District 9. I can only speak for District 9, it's been done in District 9, and I know Councillor Quinn had quite a few.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

What we elected in District 5 to do was to use $500,000 to supplement homeowner renovations. Um these are specifically aimed uh at helping present homeowners stay in their homes. And so that that means a lot of elderly residents living on a fixed income who may not necessarily have to have the ability to replace their roof or make ADA accessibility adjustments or anything, any issue that might result in them being displaced from their home. So this project is all about helping long-term residents stay in their present housing.

SPEAKER_06 7:37

Programs like this help longtime residents stay safe and comfortable in their homes. If you live in District 5 or District 9, be on the lookout for more details as these improvements move forward. The council has approved an agreement with the Hurricane Group to bring the FIS World Series to Birmingham. For those unfamiliar, FIS is an international urban sports competition featuring more than 2,000 athletes from around 40 countries, competing in BMX, skateboarding, mountain biking, parkour, and more. This year marks FIS return to the United States with a major stop right here in Birmingham. Let's hear from Councillor O'Quinn on what this means for our city.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Last year the competition was in Shanghai and you know in previous years other locations. This is an international high-level urban sports competition that will just by virtue of what it is, will be bringing people in from other countries. Giving Birmingham, downtown Birmingham, great visibility, highlighting City Walk as a very unique space that it is. You know, this is uh a good investment for the City of Birmingham to continue to tell the world who we are.

SPEAKER_06 9:16

The FIS World Series will take place August 7th through the 9th at City Walk. This is an exciting moment for Birmingham's sports and tourism scene. The council also approved a resolution to appoint five members to the City of Birmingham's Stormwater Appeals Board. The new appointees include environmentalists, engineers, neighborhood leaders, and residents. The city maintains our stormwater drainage system to help keep local creeks, rivers, and lakes clean. To do this, they follow environmental rules set by the state and the federal government. If someone is told they've broken a stormwater rule, they have the right to ask for a review. And that is where the Stormwater Appeals Board comes in, because it gives residents and businesses a fair place to appeal and share their side before any penalties are decided. We're going to take a short break, but when we come back, you'll hear from Council President Alexander and you'll get our mail-back question for the day. Stay tuned. Happy Black History Month. Welcome back to Motion to Adjourn. Up next is our one-on-one with Council President Alexander as she gets to know our three newest counselors.

SPEAKER_07 11:04

Hi, this is Councillor Wardine Alexander. As we welcomed in the new year, we also welcomed a new leadership. Today I have the pleasure of sitting with three of our newest members of the Birmingham City Council. I want to take this opportunity so we get to know them, and I want you to know them as well as I do. And so I'm gonna have them to introduce themselves. And so, counselors, just introduce yourselves and tell us about the district that you represent. And I'll start with ladies first.

SPEAKER_05 11:30

Okay, well, um well, thank you for having me. I am Sonia Smith. I am the current District 8 City Council representative. So that is the West Side of Birmingham. And yeah, I had to catch myself from saying school board, but yeah, City Council.

SPEAKER_07 11:46

Well, welcome. Welcome. Councilor Vasa.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Glad to be here. Thank you, President. Um so Councilor Vasa, uh, I am uh in District 3, so we consider that sort of the South Side. If we got West Side over here uh with Councilor Smith, we're South Side and uh yeah, love living in the community. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 12:05

Well, welcome to you. And I know we talk about tomato tomato, so let's see. We want to be sure to pronounce your name correctly, and it is Vasa, correct?

SPEAKER_02 12:12

Yeah, I often say Vasa like Casa, not Vasa like NASA.

SPEAKER_07 12:15

Oh, thank you. We'll remember that one. So welcome, welcome. And last but not least, Councillor Gunn.

SPEAKER_03 12:21

Yes, thank you so much, Madam President. Uh hello, everyone. My name is Brian Gunn, and I serve as the city councilor for District 4. Uh District 4 consists of neighborhoods, some neighborhoods on the north side, uh, neighborhoods behind the airport, and then on eastward toward Roebuck Parkway. We have Roebuck, Kilo Springs, and then of course we have neighborhoods in Kingston, Woodlawn, South Woodlawn, and in between. So I'm so happy to be here today.

SPEAKER_07 12:43

Well, I'm so happy to have the three of you. And again, we all know that here, we're here as a common goal, and that is to represent and advocate for the residents that we represent in each of our various districts. I know that we have nine districts, you represent three of those, and um each of our districts has a little bit that's different about them, as well as what you all bring to us as counselors. So I'm just gonna start with a few questions, again, trying to be sure that our residents and members of the council and everyone out there gets to know each of you kind of up close and personal. So I want to start with our first question. If you could share one message with people outside of your district about your vision for Birmingham, what would it be? We're talking about your vision and sort of what your goals are. So just give me um again, just one message that you want to give to the people that you represent.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

So I think for me, when I think of Birmingham and and District 4 and some of the neighborhoods in District 4, um, my vision for Birmingham is for it to become a beacon of thriving, interconnected neighborhoods where everyone knows each other, businesses are thriving and flourishing, and people are just getting to know each other. Uh that at its core to me represents community. And one of my colleagues, Darrell Quinn, used to say this all the time: common unity. And that's some of the things that we I look forward to in neighborhoods. Perfect, perfect.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

I agree. I I love what Councillor Gunn just said, and um, and you know, I want to just follow that up that you know uh the three of us, uh Councilor Smith, Gunn, and I come from sort of community work, right? And so we have spent a lot of our time kind of uh in community, doing the work, listening to to folks and and learning how to advocate. And, you know, lesson number one is you've got to understand what's important to people first. And and just like Councilor Gunn said, um, you know, when we went door knocking in District Three, and I'm sure you all found that too, people got really excited about the idea of engaging more often, right? So what does it look like to get together, to uh to listen to one another, to have forums in spaces that we're familiar with where we can engage and kind of talk to one another. And I think when we do that more, we focus a little bit less on what we don't agree on and a little bit more on what we do agree on, and find sort of what our common ground is. So I'm excited about finding common ground um both inside District Three uh in our seven different neighborhoods and outside of District Three as well.

SPEAKER_07 15:05

Great. Counselor Smith?

SPEAKER_05 15:07

All right. Well um kind of hard to follow those two. Those were wonderful, uh wonderful visions. I think for me when I think about my vision for Birmingham, I think about us as being um a city of growth, of being a city where we, you know, you have you have businesses that are coming in, you have neighborhoods that are thriving, you have houses and developments that are being that are being erected. Um and more importantly though, that um you have those centers, those city centers or those areas within your neighborhood that people can commune and that um and just have like your own little village there. And so I see it as someplace where, or I hope to see it as someplace where people can stay within their within our city to find everything that they need.

SPEAKER_07 15:59

Well, thank you for that also. Uh what I love about the three of you is that you all have a strong background in community and service to the community, and you've brought that with you into this particular role. And you each sort of had a little bit of a different path of how you got to this place. Um Councillor Vasa, you had endorsement from the prior long-term member, uh seating member of um District 3, and then both of you actually were were in a runoff. So I know you've got some superhuman powers that have shown how you've got to here, but tell me a little bit about what about your background gave you that defining moment that made you want to enter into public service.

SPEAKER_03 16:40

Yeah, so so I think for me, I've always had a passion for people. Even growing up, uh, when I think about it, um naturally I wanted to be a doctor when I was younger.

SPEAKER_08 16:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:51

Um my parents supported that. So that kind of helped me to transition into um what I where I'm at now. So thinking about my life's mission, my life's mission has always been centered around seeing people um having access to, you know, different things that have an overall state of well-being in life. And so just thinking about my progression through college, childhood, and where I'm at now, all of it has been centered around community and and uh working with people and serving people. Um when I started college, of course, I was pre-med, changed my major to political science, um, had a bad experience. When I was shadowing a doctor, a friend, a family friend who was a doctor, took me in the operating room, saw blood, passed out. Um, to where I'm at now. Um I came back to Birmingham in 2012. I was born here. Parents were born here. My mom was born in uh and brought up in Collegeville, dad was born and brought up in Kingston. And so I was born and brought up uh until we moved in Norwood. Um and so just understanding that um and just seeing my mom and dad serve and give back to community, uh, my mom and dad are both licensed and ordained ministers, so I saw them serve and give to people uh all the time. So that was something that, you know, that was instilled in us as a at a young age. And I always tell people instead of us going to like Disney World or Six Flags all the time, my parents would have us volunteering and serving. So I was serving at the American Red Cross. I was serving at Habitat for Humanity and giving back to community. That's one thing that they instilled in us. So that transitioned to my adult adulthood. And so when I came back to Birmingham in 2012, I had an opportunity to serve in AmeriCorps and give back to my community in my city, um, which is something that I always wanted to do. And then, of course, it transitioned to where I'm at now. So I'm really thankful for the opportunity to serve and represent citizens of the city of Birmingham.

SPEAKER_07 18:33

Well, you know, it doesn't seem that you fell too far off that pathway, even though you said you wanted to plan pre-med and you wanted to, of course, that's a big service in working and helping others. So I think that your detours and um your experience still brought you into this.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 18:49

And so I'm very excited to know that that's part of your background. I wanted to be a doctor too, but I didn't throw that one. But um I think that's wonderful, wonderful. And it shows, again, that wanting to be that servant leader in what your parents instilled in you. So great, great. Councillor Vasa? Uh thank you.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

And that was great to hear, Councillor Gunn. And we sort of had somewhat of a similar experience in that we uh also, my sister and I grew up in a household that was very community and service oriented. Uh my parents came to the U.S. uh in in the late 70s, uh, my mother on a work visa, my father on a student visa. And uh, you know, when you come to a new country, you don't really know folks. And so what you have to do, step one is kind of create community where you are, right? And so uh that's what they did. We grew up around them hosting people at the house. Uh dad was involved in the Indian Cultural Association in Birmingham at the time, and mother involved with Bible studies and philosophy groups. And so we we grew up inviting people over, man, having having lots of food, running around, you know, and and and being silly little kids. And so, you know, that manifested as we got older, uh, also volunteering locally, Jimmy Hale mission, other places, and um and and fast forward ended up doing a career of 20 years in the nonprofit sector. Uh it's what it's something I've enjoyed as well. And um, you know, and and community is sort of at the heart of of of of what we've been doing. And so that naturally translated to uh being interested in seeing sort of another level of community service through uh city council work, as you said, listening and advocating on behalf of residents. And so it's been an interesting journey for sure. And and you mentioned something earlier about being, you know, what your superpower. And I would say one thing one thing I love doing, uh I I I'll I'll mention two things here. One is is being having the ability to pull people together, even people who might disagree on issues and still find that common ground. It's something I think is so important in this day and age more than ever. Um and then the second is, and Tony Chief Tony King's over here, chief of staff, uh we have a philosophy, we say say the hard thing first, kindly. And so so we we we um we really kind of lean into saying saying what needs to be said um so that we can address the issue and kind of move forward, and I'd say that's that's something that's a bit of a superpower uh within our office too.

SPEAKER_07 21:14

Well, thank you. I think we're continuing to see this theme of community service, servant leadership, wanting to help others. And I think a great superpower is being able to bring people together and to, even with people, I won't say are from opposing sides, but they may have different priorities and different um it ways that they think you should address an issue. So I think that you should be applauded on having that ability to be able to work with others and bring people together and kind of make them see we're all in this together, and um there are ways and solutions that we can work out with those issues and that thing of transparency, I think that's very good. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right, Councillor Smith. Now give us we want to know that superpower and just sort of again, what led you into this service?

SPEAKER_05 21:58

What led me into the service? So So actually my background is um as an educator. Well my background is in music and so I served as an educator. I taught for a little while and when I returned to Birmingham started working in nonprofits and um really learned at that time that for me personally what was important was being able to help people and what was important was being able to um allow people to have their voices to shine. And in that time I was working with the Affordable Care Act and really got the opportunity to see how government can work to help people and um just working to have that uh an improved quality of life for individuals. So um I think that's when I really started thinking about it and saying, okay, well, maybe like maybe being elected is a way that you can do something. And then um as things transpired transpired, just seeing like oh okay, well, if we don't have quality people that are elected, who knows what's gonna happen and it really needs to happen at the local level. So for me personally, that's that was my journey to making the decision to run for um run for for public office like this. Um my superpower. My superpower probably should be flight because I'm always late.

SPEAKER_07 23:19

Well, we don't notice that, so I think you're doing a pretty good job. Well, again, and I wanted to say just for me personally, I was very excited when I learned that you would be joining us on the city council because I know that we both have served as school board members, and um that brings its own set of um things about our journey to to being in this level of city government. And I wanted to reflect on again your being a music instructor, and um that gives a certain amount of patience where you're also training people, and so a lot of the work we do is having to train people and make people aware of what we do and what we do, what we are capable of doing as a city counselor. So now you've been in this position for just about three months, going into your fourth month, and you're learning, and you're in a position of learning and having to um gain knowledge of how it is to actually operate as a city counselor. Um, share with me just as you've gone through this journey yourself for three months, what and as you're learning about your role, what's one thing you wish more residents understood about the work of the council? What do you think if you just think of one thing that as you've gone out and talked with residents? Of course, we know it's different being a political candidate than it is winning the seat and actually serving in that role. You go from, I tell people that also, it goes from being um an activist to uh a candidate to now you're in that role. So as you're working with individuals and as you're learning and impact and all of this knowledge, what is one thing that you'd like for residents to know and really understand about the work that we do as city counselors?

SPEAKER_05 24:54

So I can I have like one and a half. Yes. So I think the first thing, and this is something that I did say on the campaign trail, is one thing is to understand that as a resident, you have a bit you have more authority and more ability than an elected official does. Because we our hands are tied and we can't just call anybody within within the city and say, hey, do this or do that. So I think it's really important for residents to realize that they have power. They have more power in a lot of ways than we do, and that we can't just like snap our fingers and something will happen. So that's that's like that's my half-piece. Yes. Um and then I guess and adding to that would just be the need for residents to be involved, um, and understanding that as elected officials, we can't fix everything. We can't do everything for everyone, we can only do but so much. And so, but our our authority really lies within our neighbors stepping up and stepping aside us and helping us to do the work that needs to be done.

SPEAKER_07 26:00

Very good. And I think you reflect on something that I know that we deal with often as city counselors, and even though you're new to this role, you're already seeing this, and it's that we uh if although we advocate for our residents, we're as strong and useful as uh it is with the voices that bring these issues and work with us and try to find the solutions to those problems. And you also hit on something very um think of I wish residents would know, even having served for the terms that I've served, is that again, we don't have that power and authority to go to any department or any director and tell them what to do. We have to work within the confines of um certain protocol and systems, but it doesn't mean that we're not working and advocating for you. Absolutely. Thank you so much. Councillor Vasa.

SPEAKER_02 26:45

Thank you, President. Yeah, no, uh you you still mind, Councilor Smith, but you know, I have a different kind of way I say it is uh, you know, judge uh Supreme Court Judge uh Sotomayor can't call the head of you know DOG or the head of DOJ or the head of any uh department, DOT, et cetera, and say, hey, I need this to move because there is a what? A separation of powers. And so, you know, the city council acts as the legislative body, and so we work uh to advocate for just like Councilor Smith said, what the needs are in the community and say, hey, you know, our our residents, and each district has roughly 20,000 residents, as we know. Not not everybody knows that. But 20,000 is a lot of people, right? So um so so A, how do you how do you like gather that info? How do you understand what the priorities are, and then how do you then turn that into an actionable item to try to advocate for that? So I think that's the challenging part. And it's no lie that residents have in fact do have a lot of power, man. And that's that's showing up at neighborhood meetings, that's uh emailing your counselor and or or you know, school board member or appropriate party and and trying to get things done. And we know that the most effective way to do that is to state the problem, present some solutions, and present oneself as an opportunity to do that. And so it's been neat to see that confirmed through this process and see that again, you know, I'm I'm one person, Council Gunn's one person, Council Smith's one person, president's one person, uh 20,000 people in a in a district. Uh but uh but you know, that's the part that gets me excited, and this is that half piece that Council Smith was talking about is like I'd say the additional half-piece is that um it's amazing, you know, once people know the resources and feel empowered that they can actually start moving some mountains themselves, and that's something that that uh I've enjoyed seeing, and it's great to see at neighborhood meetings folks taking an issue seriously, forming a group, maybe they form a 501c3 to address a park like we see at the Triangle Park Common Ground in Forest Park, um, or you know, any number of issues where where residents really take uh the helm of of whatever the thing is. So um so that's been uh neat to see and also understanding the challenges around what we can and can't do.

SPEAKER_07 28:58

Wonderful, wonderful. Counselor Gunn.

SPEAKER_03 29:00

Yeah. Uh so I echo the sentiments of both of my colleagues, but I also want to add in uh for residents to communicate, um, we don't know what we don't know. Um for me, particularly in District 4, I have 19 neighborhoods. Um sometimes I have four neighborhood association meetings on a Monday or Tuesday, and I can't make all of them. Um so it's imperative that uh residents communicate um and attend those neighborhood association meetings. So when we have uh when you have issues in your neighborhood, communicate those to your council representative. Make sure that they're aware of the items or issues in your neighborhood, and then uh they will be do the best that they can do to advocate uh for those issues, uh, getting you know a swift resolution or solution uh for those. So I I think communication is key for residents, and that and that's something that I learned since I've been uh on the council is that communication is key and we don't know what we don't know, and we can't be everywhere at one time. I wish I could. I wish that was my superpower, and I could be at 14. Yeah. But yes, communicate. Communicate.

SPEAKER_07 30:06

Well, I think each of you have really uh talked about a central thread here, communication using their own voices. Yes. Uh again, I love what you said. We don't know what we don't know. And so we have so many tools. One thing that I like to try to make residents aware of, we've got my beham 311, we've got different um staff that support us, so don't be bashful about calling our offices. And so I think you all are already on a good path of um wanting to really serve your residents and serve them well, just listening to the things that you're talking about. Um, my last question, I know you've just had these three months and you were on the campaign trail and you were making all kinds of promises and um telling people what you wanted to do for them. Tell me your biggest priority just for 2026. If you can think of what your biggest priority for this year, we're not gonna try to talk about the next three years we have ahead of us, but what about this year? Anybody want to start?

SPEAKER_02 31:01

I'll start, and I'll start just because, you know, as y'all know, we we did a survey out to residents in District 3, and you know, it's really interesting what you might hear knocking on doors, that's one-on-ones, what you might hear at a neighborhood uh meeting where certain people come. Not everybody in the neighborhood comes, but certain people come and they they have their voices. And on this third part, we we kind of wanted to democratize the feedback that we receive. So we wanted folk we wanted to hear from everybody, not just those that we knocked doors on, not just those that you know are doing a great job of showing up the neighborhood meetings. We wanted to hear the other category too. Maybe those who can't get out of the house, can't make it to the meeting, you know, can't find a babysitter, you know, all the all the uh impediments to coming to a neighborhood meeting. And so we did the survey and it was great and and clear by far that the number one issue for District 3, drum roll piece, is uh is is infrastructure, right? So it's sidewalks and roads. And so, you know, the reality is, and I often remind folks, we live in a 150-year-old city. And so, you know, uh this ain't like a city that just popped up a few decades ago. Um and so we we naturally have roads that have been traveled on by by by all sorts of things and uh you know, horses and cars and all sorts of stuff through through the years, and so we're gonna have um issues to deal with on that front. So so sidewalk repair and and roads, and and and one thing I'll point out is um I I if it's okay to say uh you know we have a a new chief, and I I believe it's a chief, it's uh James Fowler, who's in charge of capital projects and infrastructure. And just to shout out, you know, uh, you know, we've already seen in the the few months that he's been in a position um some some forward movement in that in that way. So I do want to, you know, call call a good thing a good thing and say that that's been a move in the right direction. But loud and clear, the residents have spoken and they've said uh infrastructure is the number one.

SPEAKER_05 32:58

Thank you, thank you. Counselor Smith? I would say the the uh item that uh almost everywhere you hear would be with the lots, the overgrown lots. Um and trying to get ahead of that this growing season so that we don't have best we can, and it's not quite as overwhelming as it has been in the past. But that is definitely a huge um concern that has come from neighbors and uh anything we can do to try and mitigate that for sure.

SPEAKER_07 33:32

Well wonderful. I think the three of you, you obviously listened to what residents were telling you when you were knocking on those doors and talking to people, and you've put that into work by what you're doing currently. And so I applaud the three of you. I only can only think of when Counselor Woods, Smithman, and I, we came in as a new team within a month. We had three new counselors on the council. And um, I can definitely say that the three of you have hit the ground running, and I'm very proud to serve with you and proud of the work that you do. And so um it we had a counselor once that used to say, uh, Counselor Hoyt would always tell counselor Abbott that uh she was the oldest servant on the council. She would always remind him I'm the longest servant. Well, I am the oldest on the council. So I'm gonna say in age, and so I'm gonna say that it is a pleasure to um have you all join us and that I look forward to working with you and anything I can do to help you in this role. But I think you've got it all together, and so I really, really applaud you for the work that you're doing.

unknown 34:36

Give you a ready.

SPEAKER_07 34:37

I'm so sorry, dude. I miss you from artists. I'm just gonna jump in there right away. Come on, counseling, give us that. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 34:43

Absolutely. No, you can I'm ready to wrap it up. So just me thinking about uh priorities for 2026, I like to look at it through the lens of if I were a a person that was recently hired uh to come work in the city of Birmingham by a company that we have here, um, what would I want in a city or neighborhood that would keep me to that would allow me to move into this uh neighborhood? And so what I think of for my for my 2026 priorities is going to be centered around quality of life, uh making sure that we improve the quality of life for residents uh and new residents to the city of Birmingham. And so that's through the looking through the lens of community development, looking through the lens of uh public wellness, community safety, and um also business growth, making sure that we attract businesses to the city of Birmingham so residents can say, like, hey, I don't have to go out of the city to have fun or to do certain things. I can do stuff right here in the city of Birmingham. And so that's why I look through the lens of improving the quality of life for residents and new residents in the city of Birmingham, all centered around regrowing our population.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 35:49

Great priority, and I apologize that I missed it because you really hit it on the nail. I think your residents wanted that so much for their district. And when you look at some of the environmental issues and um just different things that are going on in that district, just to hear you say that that's your biggest priority. You obviously were listening, as I think all three of you were. So I again I wish you all well. This has been a great opportunity. I hope that everyone has gotten learned just a little bit more about you, other than those doors you knocked on, and they heard about you all summer, right? Well, we're glad to introduce you all to our residents, and that people can learn a little bit more about you. And again, I enjoy serving with you and I wish you well in this endeavor.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

Thank you. And I just I think we can all agree that President Alexander, it's been great to follow your leadership, and you've been great at like pulling the council together, and you know, your approach, your vibe, your uh energies has been great. So thank you for that.

SPEAKER_07 36:45

Thank you so much. Well, I want to thank everyone for tuning in, getting to know your city councilors a little better, and a big thank you to our counselors for sharing your vision and those superpowers with us. Bye, everyone. See you soon.

unknown 36:58

Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_06 36:59

Don't leave just yet. We'll be right back after this quick message.

SPEAKER_00 37:08

Hey everybody, Counselor Clinton Woods. We are celebrating Black Owned Business Month uh right here in District One. We are at play date. This is a brand new business right here in District One. Uh, the importance of supporting black owned businesses is paramount, and so we want to make sure that uh you support this business and so many others that are making an impact right here in Birmingham. Thanks for tuning in to motion to adjourn.

SPEAKER_06 37:31

Welcome to Mailbag, the segment where your opinions matter. This is your chance to connect directly with your city. Got a question, suggestion, or concern? We want to hear from you. Send us an email at BHAMAL City Council at gmail.com and let your voice be a part of the conversation. Here's a question that we got this week about the council's vote to set a public hearing on data centers. I was reaching out because I've been following the proposed data center moratorium. I know it passed the committee last week, and I saw tomorrow the council is voting to set another public hearing date. Would you be able to share why the council decided to possibly hold another public hearing versus voting on the moratorium tomorrow?

SPEAKER_01 38:20

Yeah, so we met with staff, uh Councilor Bassa and myself were the two co-chairs of the planning and zoning committee. We met with uh Katrina Thomas, who's the director of the planning and engineering permits um department, and uh Julie Bernard, who's one of our city attorneys here, and discussed uh the moratorium, which is actually uh suspension on permitting. Um they their recommendation based on their experience in previous um moratorium, um namely the car wash, the automated car wash moratorium. Um based on that experience, their recommendation was that we have another public hearing for the revised uh ordinance. So in the next iteration or the iteration of the moratorium is that it will only have permitting on facilities that are 40 megawatts and over. Um that was what we heard in the initial public hearing was the concern of the community was about these megafyths and facilities that use lots of water and power and could potentially produce a lot of air pollution. So we asked staff to find a way to classify the different tiers of data centers, and let's just really focus on the one that people think concerned about. And so the the ordinance that we will be voting on contains that language. And yes, we did not, you know, our preference was not to not have another public hearing so that we could go ahead and get this ordinance in place. You know, best practice to guard against any potential uh litigation, you know to go ahead and hold another public hearing.

SPEAKER_06 40:56

Remember, your input shapes the future of our city. Email us at bhamalcitycouncil at gmail.com with your questions, feedback, or ideas. We hope to hear from you. We know that local government sounds boring, but with motion to adjourn, we work to provide a platform that is the perfect balance of informative and engaging. During our weekly segments, we will take a closer look into what happens here at City Hall after the meetings have adjourned and help make things easier to understand. Twice a month, we will also dive deeper into conversations where we hear more from our city leaders, experts, and most importantly, you. So sit back and join us for all things local government with a little dash of fun. Thanks for listening to Motion to Adjourn. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast to learn more about your city and local government. Also, follow us on our socials on Instagram and Facebook at City Council Beham. Until next time, stay informed and stay engaged.