Homewood City Hall
Mayor Patrick McClusky presented the budget for fiscal 2023 at the latest Homewood City Council meeting at City Hall on Monday, Aug. 22.
“The work that goes into a budget is long and hard,” Mcclusky said. “The goal is to bring you to a sustainable and balanced budget.”
Payroll is budgeted for merit increases of $305,473 before taxes and pension, McClusky said.
The mayor’s budget does not have money allocated for an annual bonus but a request will be made to the council to consider before the end of the year if there is a surplus, McClusky said.
He said the mayor’s budget does include a 5% cost-of-living adjustment at a cost of $1.2 million before taxes, workers compensation and pension.
The city’s pension factor is 16.39% at a cost of $3,755,293 for fiscal 2023, he said.
McClusky said the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) budget set aside $563,500 for creek wall repairs, $200,000 for a video truck for sewer infrastructure recording and $1.3 million for storm sewer drainage.
The GOW construction fund set aside $2.8 million for construction on the I-65 diamond interchange, $1.8 million for Greenway II construction and $850,000 for Green Spring revitalization, McClusky said.
The capital projects budget sets aside $750,000 for a new fire engine, $280,000 for the Samford pocket park and $700,000 sidewalk construction on Delcris, Central and Mecca roads, McClusky said.
The grand total of the budget, excluding the Board of Education fund, is about $98 million, he said.
The Board of Education fund has a total of about $20.8 million, McClusky said.
The City Council also approved a bid by Chilton Contractors to connect the existing Shades Creek Greenway trail that ends at the intersection of Columbiana and Lakeshore Parkway to the other side of Columbiana.
The trail will extend by the Crescent at Lakeshore apartments, behind the businesses in the Wildwood area and ending at BioLife Plasma.
The council also approved changes to the tree and landscape ordinance, while also sending that item back to the Planning and Development Committee, which will discuss possible further changes. Approved changes include exempting projects from the city's tree permit that involve building alterations on less than 50% of the total square footage of the area or exterior site improvements less than $5,000. It also allows those required by the city to plant trees to instead pay into the city’s tree replacement fund, a $750 payment per tree. It also creates a definition of artificial turf and states that if a detailed engineering description is submitted to and approved by the city engineer, artificial turf will not be considered an accessory structure. There is a 30% limit to backyard accessory structures, with anything over that requiring an appearance before the Board of Zoning Adjustments, City Engineer Cale Smith said. This move eliminates some of those cases that appear before the board each month.
The City Council also approved Dogtopia’s request for a sign ordinance on condition that an existing pole sign comes down.
In other business, the council:
- Approved the request to grant permission of an easement to C-Spire
- Approved the request for a one-time bonus to retired Homewood City employees
- Approved the request to become an “Official Fan Guide Sponsor” for the Birmingham Bowl
- Approved request amendments for FY 22-23 budget
