Committee of the Whole Meeting 11.4.26

The City of Birmingham Committee of the Whole met on November 4, 2026, and unanimously advanced the city’s sustainability plan and a greenhouse-gas reduction goal of net zero by 2050 for full Council consideration. The plan includes 83 actions. Staff said a request for proposals for landfill methane-gas collection had received responses and interviews were complete; the city is working toward selecting a company, with the possibility of collecting royalties. Staff also described ongoing electric and hybrid vehicle purchases and plans for charging stations, while a councilor requested data on fleet costs to inform spending decisions. No contract award was made at this meeting.

The committee also advanced a draft public-camping ordinance for Council review; discussion focused on enforcement procedures, outreach, and storage for unhoused residents’ belongings, with no procurement action identified. A presentation on the Central Alabama Home Building Academy outlined a proposed one-time $20 fee on residential building permits to fund workforce training. The ordinance and fee schedule are still under review and will be considered through a committee; the academy estimated Birmingham could generate roughly $50,000–$75,000 annually, while city permit data discussed at the meeting suggested about $150,000 based on 2025 volumes. The academy also cited a $250,000 Lowe’s grant for its program. No vote on the proposed fee was taken.