Photo courtesy of Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Carlos Aleman
The Public Safety Committee of the Homewood City Council laid the groundwork for the entertainment district in West Homewood to expand.
The committee sent to the agenda of next Monday’s council meeting a recommendation to extend the limits of the district to include two establishments that are on the way.
“Because of the development that's occurring at the (former) Econo Lodge in which we anticipate both the Paramount and El Barrio opening sometime in the next year, we would like for them to be able to benefit from the existing entertainment districts,” Carlos Alemán said. “That's the purpose.”
If the council doesn’t expand the entertainment district, those two new businesses would be outside the district’s border.
“They would not have been able to participate in the entertainment district,” Alemán said. “It's anticipating that they'd be able to serve (an alcoholic) beverage in which someone could carry it out and walk to another establishment within the district.”
The Public Safety Committee sent other recommendations for passage to the agenda of Monday’s full council meeting. Those matters were:
A request for the mayor to sign an agreement with the City of Mountain Brook for fire equipment.
A request for the mayor to sign an agreement with the Regional Training Institute for clinical rotations with the Homewood Fire Department.
To authorize an ordinance to prevent non-authorized vehicles – including motorcycles and golf carts – on Shades Creek Greenway.
The Finance Committee recommended accepting IT Director Brandon Sims’ request to upgrade a PC network tech position to a network systems administrator.
Sims said in a review of the department’s data center that a PC tech in that position would be quickly overwhelmed.
“I think it would be better for us to upgrade that position to someone who can not only serve better in the immediate role to support the police department but can also pitch in and help support infrastructure,” he said.
The department head said that while the network systems administrator would earn about $15,000 more than the PC tech, the action would be a net savings for the city, which is currently outsourcing those duties to someone from a contracted company.
Council President Alex Wyatt alerted committee members and other members of the council that other changes are afoot in information technology.
“A much longer discussion about the staffing of the IT department is coming up in budget,” Wyatt said. “He (Sims) is triaging right now.”
The Finance Committee also recommended:
Making budget amendments in Public Works to transfer to street materials and supplies, and a Parks transfer to provide for some staffers to travel to a conference.
Adopting the Division G multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan and having the mayor sign a validation statement.
The Public Works Committee dropped an item regarding granting permission for three trees to be removed in the right of way at 310 St. Charles Street.
The Special Issues Committee set public hearings for June 24 for requests for sign variances at The Edge at 817 Green Springs Highway and Luxury Motors at 190 Vulcan Road. Each was scheduled for a public hearing without a recommendation from the committee.
