DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Federal Court to Hear Local Traffic Ticket Case
02/20/2009

The city of Birmingham has been successful in having a local county resident’s lawsuit moved from state to federal court. The lawsuit accuses Birmingham of breaching the Code of Alabama and a federal law.

$10,000 Neighborhood Allocations Will Not Be Lost
02/16/2009

While stressing the need for reform, to simplify the completion process of projects, Mayor Langford has reversed his initiative to remove the $10,000 allocation for each of the city’s neighborhoods as an element of his plan to restructure the neighborhood association program.

HUD supports capital improvements and annually provides $1 million to compensate staff operating the neighborhood program. Langford said the workforce is hindered due to the fact that few ventures are in process. He also repeated his concern that Birmingham’s standing and federal grant funding is in jeopardy due to delays in completing projects.

City officials plan to meet with the neighborhood leaders this week to discuss restructuring.

Neighborhood Association Officers Told To Use Their Money or Lose It
02/10/2009

The swearing-in ceremony of the 2009 neighborhood officers was held last night at The Birmingham Museum of Art. Mayor Langford was in attendance to talk about any doubts regarding his plan to restructure Birmingham's neighborhood association program and how the city distributes nearly $1 million a year to the neighborhoods. He also brought news and delivered a personal appeal.

Langford has previously commented that $4.5 million in funds, accumulated by the city’s ninety-nine neighborhoods, needed to be spent. His restructure proposal states neighborhoods would no longer receive their annual $10,000 allocations and that instead, they would be asked to write grants and compete for the money. Neighborhoods leaders balked at the idea of competing for funding.

Although he did not address any details of his proposal, among the hand-outs was a memo asserting that Birmingham is in jeopardy of losing millions of federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, if unused money set aside for capital projects, is not spent. The correspondence was written by Jim Fenstermaker, Director of Community Development.

Langford called for the city’s neighborhoods to spend their money. He also stated the neighborhoods are due to receive another $1 million, since the city used the money over twenty years ago to build locker rooms for the now defunct Birmingham Stallions football franchise.

Digital TV Conversion Delayed to June 12
02/04/2009

President Obama said he would like to delay the conversion since the government’s coupons had run out and millions of American are not prepared for the switch. Senate and Congress have agreed and pushed the switch-over four more months. Since part of Obama’s stimulus package includes funds for additional coupons, stations now have until June 12 to convert.

If you receive your television signal by rabbit ear antenna, although you have a few more months to purchase a digital converter, be aware that when a channel appears snowy, chances are they have switched from an analog broadcast to a digital signal. Some channels have already announced their plans to proceed with the original February 17 conversion date. 

Street Paving Underway
01/28/2009

Downtown traffic has slowed since last week, when workers began milling and resurfacing twenty-five miles of streets from 12th Avenue North to Morris Avenue and between Carraway Boulevard and Interstate 65. Protruding manhole covers and deep drop-offs emerge and disappear hourly, due to the working speed of the crews. In the interim, exercise caution and patience. Work should be completed in March.

Lawsuit Claims Birmingham Wrongfully Collected Traffic Tickets
01/24/2009

Although a Jefferson County resident has paid his 2003 and 2004 tickets, he is arguing that the city was wrong to threaten arrest for unpaid parking and traffic tickets that were more than a year old. He cites the Code of Alabama, Section 15-3-2, which states that "prosecution of all misdemeanors before a circuit or district court must be commenced within twelve months after the commission of the offense." Birmingham’s city attorney had no comment stating the city had not yet been served with the lawsuit.

$11.6 million City Road Resurfacing Project Approved
01/22/2009

After several discussions, and in an election year for City Councilors, Mayor Langford managed to sway the Council to change their positions and approve paving, to be funded from a portion of the budget set aside to build the domed stadium at BJCC. Payment will be guaranteed from refinancing bonds committed to enhancements downtown; money accumulated from higher tax assessments when property owners make improvements on their land or building due to the downtown area’s designation of a tax increment-financing district. The project is expected to include twenty-six miles of downtown streets.

14th Street Improvements and Conversions Projected
01/05/2009

City officials anticipate efforts to perk up 14th Street from 8th Avenue North to Eighth Avenue South shortly. Converting the street to two-way on the northern end will be included. ALDOT is reviewing the diagrams and when they are approved, bidding will begin. Birmingham Regional Planning Commission will oversee funding at a cost of $1.2 million.

Other considerations are the thirteen one-way streets downtown. Seven are currently being considered for conversion to one-way thoroughfares with center turn lanes. These streets are 2nd, 3rd and 4th Avenues North and 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th Streets North. The City of Birmingham will host a public input meeting at 5:30 PM, January 27, at the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, 1731 1st Avenue North, 1st Floor Conference Room.

Birmingham Parking Ticket Amnesty, July 1 – 31
04/18/2008

The month of July has been designated a grace period for unpaid traffic and parking/non-moving tickets, without late fees or threat of summons or arrest. To pay a ticket by mail, send check or money order to Traffic Citation Division, P.O. Box 12905, Birmingham, AL, 35202-2905. Make check or money order payable to "City of Birmingham." To pay in person, the Municipal Court is located at 801 North 17th Street in the David J. Vann Municipal Justice Center. Municipal Court Hours are Monday - Friday: 7 AM to 8 PM and Saturday: 7 AM – 12 PM. For billing questions, phone (205)254-2152 or (205)254-2153 between 8 AM and 4:30 PM or contact a customer service representative by e-mail.

Digital TV Transition. Will You Be Ready?
01/02/2008

Are you familiar with DTV? Digital television (DTV) is an innovative type of broadcasting technology providing crystal-clear pictures and sound with more programming choices. Television sets connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service does not require a converter box. If you are not a cable or satellite subscriber, you need to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that plugs into your existing television set. The boxes, which cost between $40-70, are available for purchase at electronics retailers nationwide. While supplies last, households may request a maximum of two $40 coupons towards the purchase of converter boxes that will allow you to continue watching broadcast television on an analog set. You can apply for coupons at www.DTV2009.gov or call 1-888-DTV-2009. Cable and satellite subscribers should send their customers information regarding how they are handling the transition, prior to February 17, 2009.