Council to hire firms to refinance bond issue
The Homewood City Council voted 5-1 Wednesday to hire six investment firms to handle refinancing a 2001 bond issue, if the council determines refinancing would save money.
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The Homewood City Council voted 5-1 Wednesday to hire six investment firms to handle refinancing a 2001 bond issue, if the council determines refinancing would save money.
Even the 1940s-era toilet Amy Vickers used as a planter behind her Homewood home is in dispute.
She says it was a gift from a thoughtful neighbor. The city claims she scavenged it when a not-so-supportive neighbor left it on the curb for pickup.
Homewood officials say they could have an Edgewood woman arrested and her yard cleared if she continues to ignore city laws on weeds and litter.
But Amy Vickers, owner of Red Rain, a Homewood store specializing in natural and environmentally friendly products, says the organic garden in the front yard of her Edgewood home is anything but weeds. She has lived on Valley Place for seven years.
Construction of Hallman Hill, a $100 million-plus development in central Homewood that blends retail and residential properties, is slated to start this summer, says Bill Dobbins of Arlington Properties, the developer.
The project, to be built in two phases, will be 194 condominiums and 12,500 square feet of commercial space, Dobbins says. It is located at the present Homewood Gardens apartment complex site.
Monday, December 11, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
OLD bUSINESS:
29.09.06 Request to consider eliminating longevity pay for eligible employees (Referred back to the Finance Committee – Council meeting 9/25/06) (The Committee at its 10/16/06 meeting recommended referring this item to the next Council Work Session) – Danny panos/ Finance Director/ Ginger busby/ Council president
47.09.06 Request to consider extension of sidewalks on broadway (The Committee at its 10/16/06 meeting recommended referring this item to the next Council Work Session – Greg Cobb/ Engineering Department/ Allan Trippe/ public Works Committee
23.10.06 Request for consideration of a Cost Recovery program/ police and Fire Departments – Mayor barry R. McCulley
44.11.06 Request for consideration of Request for proposals for the sale of property owned by the City at 2535 19th Street South on December 8, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. (Formerly the request for consideration for Habitat for Humanity to purchase property located at 2535 19th Street South) – Anthony Smith
NEW bUSINESS:
02.02.06 Request for consideration to increase mileage reimbursement to current IRS rate for City employees who use a personal vehicle for City business – Allan Trippe
08.02.06 bid Opening December 11, 2006 at 5:30 p.m. for Rifle bid/ police Department – Chief burke Swearingen/ police Department
09.02.06 bid Opening December 11, 2006 at 5:45 p.m. for Taser bid/ police Department – Chief burke Swearingen/ police Department
10.02.06 bid Opening December 11, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. for personal protective Equipment/ police Department – Chief burke Swearingen/ police Department
12.02.06 Request for consideration of Tuition Reimbursement for Sergeant Wade Green/ police Department – Chief burke Swearingen/ police Department
22.02.06 Request for consideration to amend Line Item No. 01-13-5-104.00/ Wages/ Engineering Department/ General Fund 2006/2007 budget – Greg Cobb/ Engineering Department
24.02.06 Request to consider the purchase of two vehicles for the Narcotics Unit from Seized Narcotic Funds – Chief burke Swearingen/ police Department
25.02.06 Request for consideration to transfer $7,564.80 from Line Item No. 01-20-5-104.00/ Wages to Line Item No. 01-20-5-204.00/ Contractual Services/ parks and Recreation board/ General Fund 2006/2007 budget – Holli Watts/ parks Director
05.03.06 Request for consideration to amend the 2006/07 budget to reflect transfer of remaining bond money to appropriate projects to repay the Capital projects Fund – Ginger busby/ Council president
09.03.06 Request for consideration to clarify bond Counsel – Anthony Smith
Tabled Items:
36.09.05 Request for consideration to set a bid opening date for the Fern Street Drainage project (Referred back to the Finance Committee – Council Meeting 9/26/05) (Tabled – Council Meeting 4/24/06) – Greg Cobb/ Engineering Department
29.12.05 Request to consider new funding sources for sidewalks and greenways (Tabled – Council Meeting 11/28/05)m– Anthony Smith/ Thomas Hamner, Jr.
01.01.06 Request for consideration to amend the General Fund 2006/2007 for Maintenance expense for City Hall Facility in the amount of $35,192 (Tabled – Council Meeting 11/13/06) – Jerry Crowe/ Inspections/ Allan Trippe/ Finance Chair
07.01.06 Request to consider a Lease purchase plan for Fire Department vehicles (Tabled – Council meeting 10/23/06) – Chief John bresnan/ Fire Department
Finance Members: Allan Trippe (Chairperson), Anthony Smith, Allyn Krall, J. J. bischoff, and Sam brasseale.
Homewood incident reports, which have cost $5 for more than a decade, went up to $15 effective Tuesday.
Police Chief Burke Swearingen asked the City Council last week to consider increasing the cost of incident reports to $10.
The increase will help cover the costs of handling the reports and of software to make the reports available online, he said.
"We want to enter into a contract with a software company to make accident reports available on the Internet," Swearingen told the council.
"Once the software is in place, accident reports will be available on the Internet 24-7. It costs us about $2.50 to produce the paper reports."
It's more of a nuisance to police station employees, council members agreed. "Let's make it $15," said council President Ginger Busby. Another council member yelled an offer of $12.50, but the group agreed to stick with $15.
Swearingen didn't argue.
"Guidelines of the Web-based information will be regulated if the council approves the request," Swearingen said after the meeting.
The city expects revenue from reports to increase from $25,000 to $60,000 for the remainder of this fiscal year.
Here's how Homewood compares to other cities' price for police report copies:
$15: Homewood.
$6: Hueytown.
$5: Bessemer, Birmingham, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville.
$3: Pleasant Grove, Vestavia Hills.
E-mail: kbryan@bhamnews.com
© 2006 The Birmingham News
Developer Frank Keasler Jr.'s vision for an urban renewal project in Homewood's Edgewood community was met with audible groans and outbursts of disdain by an audience of more than 150 people Thursday night at Samford University.