Council Meeting July 14, 2025

Council Meeting July 14, 2025


Summary: The meeting opened with Dr. Wayne Harris calling for the release of bodycam footage in the Jabari Peoples shooting and threatening a coordinated boycott on business owners in The Homewood community if demands for transparency and reform are not met. During the meeting, council approved a traffic calming ordinance for Oxmoor Road to slow traffic down, several IT and maintenance contracts, and approved the list of election workers. Mayor Wyatt reiterated legal limits on releasing the bodycam footage and urged ALEA to grant the family's request. Read his full statement here: https://bit.ly/3TZ5HQp


Agenda: https://bit.ly/4ngOSOa

Meeting schedules & archives: https://bit.ly/3bvufcT 

  • Details

    Item 18.05.25: The planned bid for U.S. 31 tunnel improvements was canceled due to scheduling concerns with construction and the school year. The project will be delayed until next summer. Dropped


    Item 11.06.25: The council approved allowing the city manager to sign a contract with Gossett Construction for stormwater infrastructure projects. Approved


    Item 12.06.25: A change order was approved for extra services from Hixon Consulting for work on City Hall and the parking garage restoration project. Approved


    Item 13.06.25: Several old city vehicles and fire equipment were declared surplus, including a 2016 Chevy Tahoe and 2015 International truck. Approved


    Item 14.06.25: The city manager was approved to sign a contract with Puma Inc. Approved


    Item 15.06.25: The city manager was approved to renew the IT contract with Huntress. Approved


    Item 16.06.25: The city manager was approved to enter a 12-month managed mobility service agreement with DataProse. Approved


    Item 17.06.25: Another 12-month agreement was approved with DataProse for mobile device management support. Approved


    Item 18.06.25: The city manager was approved to enter an annual service and maintenance agreement with Eaton Corporation for the battery backup unit at City Hall. Approved


    Item 22.06.25: The council approved payment of an insurance premium adjustment invoice to Cobbs Allen. Approved


    Item 23.06.25: The city manager was approved to sign a copier lease renewal with Dex Imaging. Approved


    Item 24.06.25: The council carried over a parking lease agreement with Dawson Memorial Baptist Church until the July 28 meeting so the church can finalize internal approvals. Carried over


    Item 35.04.25: After a public hearing with strong support from residents, the council approved installing traffic calming speed tables on the western end of Oxmoor Road near Northmoor and Oakmoor. Approved


    Item 19.06.25: The council approved placing a public fire hydrant at Oxmoor Road and Cook Street. Approved


    Item 20.06.25: An amendment to a three-road agreement with Jefferson County was approved. Approved


    Item 10.05.25: A public hearing was officially reset for July 28 to review Samford University’s updated development plan for new student housing. Carried over


    Item 11.07.25: A public hearing was set for August 11 to consider rezoning part of 1833 29th Ave S to allow a 4,500-square-foot restaurant, with the other portion kept for a public park. Approved (hearing scheduled)


    Item 12.07.25: The council approved a budget amendment for fuels and lubricants due to rising needs in that category. Approved


    Item 13.07.25: A business license refund for DaxCo was approved, though for less than the amount requested. Approved


    Item 14.07.25: The council approved a budgeted appropriation for Homewood Theatre to support programming that will offer discounted student tickets. Approved


    Item 15.07.25: A budgeted service agreement for the City Hall chiller with Trane was approved. Approved


    Item 16.07.25: An ordinance was adopted to appoint and compensate election officers for the upcoming municipal election and any needed runoff. Approved


More

Hot Wheels Swap Spot

December 9, 2025
The City Council approved a request to place a shared toy box for Hot Wheels cars along the edge of Morris Boulevard. Andrew Elliot, the driver behind this project, worked closely with neighbors and hopes it will become a small gift to children who pass by. The idea grew out of the Elliott family’s own story. Their boys love Hot Wheels, and they first saw something like this while visiting grandparents. Their five year old helped build the box with his grandparents, and both boys plan to serve as ‘Hot Wheel-brarians.’ They already have an inventory ready so empty spaces can be filled again. They have spent many hours racing cars at home, naming each one, and turning simple toys into fun family championships. They hope this box invites other families to get outside and enjoy the surprise of finding a new car on a walk or a bike ride. Their hope is simple: “We hope the box serves as a blessing to others in the neighborhood! What's the most exciting toy / hot wheels car for a kid? A new one that you don't already have! Part of the ambition is that it gets kids around the neighborhood excited to go out on a family walk, bike ride, etc. - knowing it will result in bringing a new hot rod home!” Stop by and feed your inner vroooom!

Pre-Council & Council Meeting Dec. 8, 2025

December 9, 2025
Pre-Council Meeting December 8, 2025 Council members walked through the upcoming agenda, and heard updates on items like restricting a few on street parking spots on Linden Avenue, adding a crosswalk at Shades Road and Westover Drive, tightening oversight of vouchers and credit card use, and cleaning up shared dumpsters behind downtown businesses. The highlight was an item to appoint Sam Gaston to serve as Special Assistant to the City Manager, bringing his decades of experience to help guide Homewood through its transition to the new council manager form of government and support long term planning. Agenda: https://bit.ly/3YdB0J5

Homewood Strengthens Its Leadership Team

December 8, 2025
Homewood has voted to appoint Sam Gaston as the Special Assistant to the City Manager. This is a steady step as our city moves into a new form of government. Sam will work with city leadership and help guide the transition as we look to find a permanent City Manager. Sam brings 45 years in local government management and planning. He recently retired after more than 32 years as the City Manager of Mountain Brook. His roots run deep in public service. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in public administration from Auburn University. He has served as president of the International City County Management Association, the Alabama City County Management Association, the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association, and the Homewood Mountain Brook Kiwanis Club. Mayor Graham Smith of Mountain Brook offered this statement, "Sam’s decision to serve in Homewood is a gift to our entire region. He is one of the most respected municipal leaders in Alabama," she said. "His experience and steady leadership will be exactly what Homewood needs as it moves into this new government structure. Mountain Brook has benefited from his wisdom for decades and now our neighbors in Homewood will share in that same strength." Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress shared this, "We are excited and grateful to welcome Sam Gaston to Homewood as Special Assistant to the City Manager," she said. "Sam is the gold standard for city managers in Alabama. He encouraged our move toward a Council Manager form of government and we are thankful to have him join Cale Smith in this important season." We are proud to welcome Sam and look forward to the experience he will bring to our city.

Sign Up For Text Alerts

December 8, 2025
Homewood is rolling out text alerts. You can sign up for as many as you like, or choose 'HWDALL' to receive all alerts. Even if you subscribed before, you will need to sign up again using the info below: Text HWDALL to 38276 to receive ALL alerts Text HWDINFO to 38276 to receive news alerts only Text HWDSTREETS to 38276 to receive street closure info only Text HWDEMERGENCY to 38276 to receive emergency alerts only Text HWDGARBAGE to 38276 to receive holiday garbage schedule alerts only.

BZA December 4, 2025

December 5, 2025
Board of Zoning Adjustments December 4, 2025 The Board of Zoning Adjustment approved three variance requests including a detailed appeal from the owners of 800 College Avenue to rebuild on their existing footprint with strong neighbor support, and granted requests to add a second story at 564 Forest Drive South and extend a front porch at 600 Handball Avenue. A fourth case for 1707 Reese Street was continued to the January 8 meeting. Case Packet: https://bit.ly/48M4fc3

Planning Commission December 2, 2025

December 3, 2025
Planning Commission December 2, 2025 The Planning Commission addressed items that included a pickleball court addition at Brookdale, a large two-part request from Homewood Community Church, and a Frisco Street re-survey. Most of the night centered on the church’s proposal, with neighbors raising concerns about traffic, construction access, buffers, lighting, and flooding; the applicant responded in detail, committed to no construction access on Columbiana, and the Commission sent both items to Council with favorable recommendations. Agenda: https://bit.ly/48M4fc3

Pre-Council & Council Meeting Nov. 24, 2025

November 25, 2025
Pre-Council Meeting November 24, 2025 The council moved through a handful of items including the TAP multimodal facility contract coming in under budget, a budget amendment to complete the project this year, and the continued 80% reimbursement through the TARP grant. They also discussed new fleet-maintenance tools that will help recruit and retain technicians, an ordinance to clear out old committee language that does away with the old style of committees and now has become one "Pre-Council" meeting, tiered year-end employee bonuses supported by a strong surplus, and a new agreement with Carr Riggs & Ingram to continue supporting the finance department. Agenda: https://bit.ly/4rhpXMe

Thanks & Thanksgiving for City Employees

November 19, 2025
City of Homewood staff and leadership enjoyed an early Thanksgiving meal thanks to the Homewood PTO. This annual tradition rotates around our elementary schools. Edgewood Elementary School hosted this year. It is their delicious way of thanking our city employees for all they do for us!

Want to Serve Our City? BZA Spot Open

November 13, 2025
The Board of Zoning Adjustments has an open supernumerary position and applications are welcome from anyone interested in serving the city. This is a meaningful way to assist the vision of Homewood and learn how zoning decisions can shape our community. The deadline to apply is November 24 . To apply, send your resume and cover letter to bo.seagrist@homewoodal.org If you have questions about the scope of the work itself, email emily.harrismiller@homewoodal.org

Council Meeting Nov. 10, 2025

November 11, 2025
Council Meeting November 10, 2025 The council opened with a proclamation honoring landscape architect Jane Reed Ross, announcing that the large Shades Creek Greenway bridge will be named for her, then moved through business, awarding the Homewood Public Library phase four renovation bid, approving contracts including one for acting city manager Cale Smith, and giving the city manager authority to sign contracts up to $100,000.  Agenda: https://bit.ly/3JV3BPS
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