Council Meeting Sept. 29, 2025
Council approved a retaining wall, nuisance cleanup, a fire station design contract, and a Greenway pavilion bid. A new fiber optic franchise with Lumos and a sweeping encampment ordinance were delayed due to each failing to garner unanimous consent. Other approvals included new streetlights, two-hour parking in Edgewood, and a corrected appropriation for the Exceptional Foundation, before passing the 2025–26 budget with raises, bonuses, and capital projects. The meeting closed with moving tributes to outgoing councilors Andrew Woolverton, Jody Brandt, Carlos Aleman, and Andy Gwaltney, recognizing their years of service, leadership, and contributions across West Homewood, finance, public safety, and city development.
Agenda:
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Details
Item 130925: This was a request to install a retaining wall in the right of way at 602 Warwick Road. Public Works noted several homes in the area already have retaining walls due to steep grades, and this project would replace an older wall in place. Council approved the request.
Item 280825: A public hearing was held on declaring 109 Hanover Road a nuisance property. Staff showed before-and-after photos, highlighting major improvements to the yard and home since the last meeting. With issues resolved, council voted to drop the nuisance case.
Item 040925: Council approved an amendment to a contract with Kimley-Horn for design services. The Finance Committee had recommended approval, and the measure passed.
Item 050925: Council approved budget amendments and transfers as recommended by Finance. Approved
Item 060925: Council authorized a contract with Burchfield Perini Architects for the design of a new Fire Station No. 2, moving forward on a long-discussed project. Approved
Item 070925: Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with Jefferson County for reimbursement on the I-65/Lakeshore Diverging Diamond Interchange project. Approved
Item 080925: Council set October 2, 2025, at 3:00pm as the bid date for the Shades Creek Greenway Trailhead Pavilion near the soccer fields. Approved.
Item 090925: Council considered a fiber optic franchise agreement with Lumos (a T-Mobile joint venture). Lumos committed to build a buried fiber network across all of Homewood. Council discussion raised concerns about digging and utility impacts faced with previous companies. A motion for unanimous consent failed, so the ordinance was carried over to October 13.
Item 100925: Council declared surplus various fleet and traffic department equipment so it can be auctioned. Approved.
Item 110925: Council approved adding seven new streetlights along South Lakeshore Drive and three at the small trailhead parking lot near the street. Annual cost will be $2,635 through Alabama Power. Approved.
Item 160925: Council authorized a one-year contract with Mimecast for email filtering and incident response services. Approved, resolution 25-174.
Item 120925: Council considered an ordinance regulating encampments and sleeping on public property, drafted after heavy resident input and collaboration with police. It includes notice and removal procedures, bans sleeping in vehicles or public areas without permits, and provides for enforcement. Unanimous consent failed. The ordinance was carried over to October 13.
Item 030925: Council approved the full 2025–2026 city budget in one resolution. Highlights include a 4.5% cost-of-living raise, continued bonuses, full coverage of health insurance increases, new fire trucks, funding for Fire Station No. 2, new police officers, and capital projects like the I-65 interchange. Approved.
Item 290925: Council approved an ordinance setting a two-hour parking limit in Edgewood along Oxmoor Road, Saint Charles Street, and part of Broadway Street. The goal is to push longer-term parking into the Dawson parking deck while keeping street spaces available for restaurant and shop customers. Approved.
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