Council Meeting Sept. 29, 2025
September 30, 2025

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: https://bit.ly/4nt7n1m

  • 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.


More

October 7, 2026
More federal funding is coming to Homewood to address stormwater issues. U.S. Representative Terri Sewell presented a check for $250,000 to the City of Homewood. This funding was obtained through the Fiscal Year 2026 federal appropriations process and is designated for stormwater improvements. It will be used to provide upgrades and expand culvert capacity in the residential neighborhoods surrounding Edgewood Elementary School to help reduce localized street flooding and better protect nearby homes and infrastructure. This follows an earlier $1 million federal allocation from Rep. Sewell in 2024 that will be used for a drainage culvert project along Griffin Creek in the Huntington Road area. That project continues to work its way through the required process, with construction currently hoped to begin in 2027.
October 6, 2026
The Planning Commission approved a resurvey at 215 West Valley Avenue, where a small restaurant is proposed. The Commission also considered changes for a proposed Dutch Bros too be placed at 832 Green Springs Highway, recommending approval of a reduced landscape buffer, but voting 4 to 2 against allowing full access for traffic to flow to and from Raleigh Avenue. That request now moves to the City Council for the final decision. Agenda: https://bit.ly/4zeIxYR
October 5, 2026
Have a lost pet, need to report a stray or have a wildlife issue? There are several important changes to Homewood Animal Control services beginning Monday, October 5. REPORT A STRAY To report a stray , call Homewood Police non-emergency dispatch at 205-332-6200 . The City of Homewood, Homewood Police Department and Homewood Animal Control are partnering with Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) for these services. FIND YOUR PET If you think your animal may have been picked up by Animal Control, call the Greater Birmingham Humane Society at 205-591-6522 . Stray animals picked up in Homewood are taken to 6227 5th Ave. North in Birmingham until GBHS opens its new facility opens on Sydney Drive, and then they will be taken there. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to 11:30am. GBHS is closed Sunday. Fees for picking up an animal may include $50 if the animal is unaltered, a $30 impound fee, a $20 rabies fee if proof of vaccination is not available and a $50 City fee. wildlife issues Call Complete Animal Removal at 205-208-7777 . Homewood Animal Control will not respond to wildlife calls involving animals such as raccoons, possums, snakes, coyotes or foxes. after hours Stray animals will not be picked up after hours. If you report a stray after hours, Animal Control will handle the call the next business day.
September 30, 2026
Concerned about speeding or other traffic issues on your street? There is a process to look at what is happening and determine whether traffic calming measures are needed and what those measures could be. One example is now moving toward a vote. The City received traffic concerns involving Hambaugh Avenue between Columbiana Road and Dixon Avenue, and Dixon Avenue between Broadway Street and Hambaugh Avenue. Traffic data was collected and studied, and both streets qualified for traffic calming measures. The current proposal calls for speed cushions at two locations on Hambaugh Avenue and two locations on Dixon Avenue. The design also takes emergency response into consideration, allowing fire trucks to travel through the middle of the cushions. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal October 12, 6pm at City Hall, 2nd floor Council Chambers . View Drawings of Cushion Locations Visit Traffic Calming Page
September 30, 2026
Concerned about speeding or other traffic issues on your street? There is a process for looking at those concerns and determining whether something should be done and what measures may be appropriate. Traffic calming is not simply putting in a speed hump or adding a sign. It is a process that uses traffic data, engineering standards and input from several City departments to look at what is happening on a street before deciding what, if anything, should change. It starts with a resident submitting a traffic calming request identifying the location and concern. City Engineering reviews the request and collects traffic data so the street can be evaluated using the City’s standards. If the request continues through the process, it receives additional review from the Complete Streets Advisory Committee. Planning, Traffic, Police and Fire also have an opportunity to look at the request. That is important because a possible solution has to consider more than vehicle speed. Things such as the street itself, pedestrian safety, traffic patterns and emergency response can all be part of determining whether a particular measure makes sense. The mayor and the councilor representing the area also review the request before it can advance to the resident petition stage. If the location qualifies and the request continues, affected residents take part in the petition process required by the City’s traffic calming policy. Only after those steps and required approvals are completed can a location move toward an appropriate traffic calming improvement. The goal is not to assume every traffic concern has the same answer. One street may have different conditions and needs than another. The process gives the City a way to collect information, hear from the people who live in the area and determine whether a traffic calming measure is appropriate and safe. Submit a Traffic Calming Request Visit Traffic Calming Page
September 29, 2026
A city budget is more than a list of numbers. It’s a vital infrastructure that reflects the City’s priorities and determines how resources are used to provide services, support employees and invest in the community. On September 28, the Homewood City Council approved the City’s FY2027 budget. The General Fund is approximately $77 million and supports the day-to-day services residents rely on. Sales and property taxes provide much of the revenue, while personnel costs account for approximately $42 million. The approved budget adds three police officer positions and includes investments in street paving, stormwater projects, sidewalk repairs, replacement vehicles and equipment, and other infrastructure needs throughout the City. In addition to the revenue that supports City operations, one cent of Homewood’s sales tax is dedicated to the Homewood Board of Education. That penny is expected to generate approximately $11.5 million for Homewood City Schools this year. This was the first budget developed under Homewood’s new council-manager form of government. City Manager Cale Smith worked with department heads to identify operational needs and priorities and presented a proposed budget to the City Council. Council members then reviewed the budget through a series of public budget hearings, asked questions and made revisions before approving the final budget. The work does not end with this vote. The City plans to provide monthly reports on revenues and expenditures throughout the year, providing a clearer picture of the City’s financial position on a regular basis. City leadership will also continue evaluating ongoing expenses and revenues to work toward a sustainable budget that provides the services residents expect while responsibly managing the City’s resources. View the September 28 meeting below. View Approved Budget View All Details Inlcuding Budget Hearings
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