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Emily Featherston
Director of the Jefferson County Department of Environmental Services David Denard speaks about the department's efforts to identify the odor problem.
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Emily Featherston
Community members voice their concerns about the odor problem to the committee.
The Homewood City Council special issues committee heard from several members of the community at their Monday, Nov. 30 meeting.
Attending citizens were concerned about a strong-odor problem they claim is coming from the Barber and Mayfield plants.
“It is a pretty potent odor,” Ward 2 Representative Fred Hawkins said as he brought the issue before the committee.
Hawkins invited those present to share their concerns, which centered around the smell which was said to have begun six to eight weeks ago.
David Denard, the director of Jefferson County Department of Environmental Services, said the department has done testing and washing to try to identify if the odor is coming from the sewer system and identify any problems.
Denard said that while at this time there is no indication of a structural problem, the county will be doing smoke tests to look for any leaks.
Representatives from Barber and Mayfield were present at the meeting, but said that because of the short notice they were given about attending, they could not comment specifically or answer any questions.
Doug Hampton, who is the environmental health and safety manager for the plants, said that the group would like to see data that indicates they are not within regulation, but is more than willing to work with Jefferson County and the City of Homewood to address the problem.
“We want to be good corporate neighbors,” Hampton said.
The committee voted to carry over the consideration until their next meeting in order for research into the problem to continue and to allow Barber and Mayfield to bring comment as well.
The committee will next meet on Monday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.
Other committee business included:
Special Issues:
- The committee approved a request for consideration of a 4,000 square-foot tent for a special event at Trinity United Methodist Church.
- The committee carried over a request for consideration of the resolution to amend the number of members of the Homewood Redevelopment Authority board of directors.
Public Safety:
- After brief discussion, the request to consider patching services from PRI Systems was dropped, as the committee expects the consideration to come before the finance committee.
- The committee approved a request to consider school zone signage for streets near the Creative Montessori School.
- The committee voted to recommend amending the current liquor store ordinance requiring businesses be a certain distance from schools and churches to include vaping and tobacco shops, as defined by the new smoking ordinance.
- A request to consider addressing the growing coyote problem within Homewood city limits was carried over.
- After significant discussion and community feedback, a request for consideration of traffic issues at the intersection of West Oxmoor Road and Huntington Parc was carried over. Mayor Scott McBrayer said he would contact various representatives of the multiple jurisdictions along the road to discuss a traffic study and potential solutions.
Finance
- The committee voted to table a request for consideration of the Alabama Power Economic Development presentation.
- Bids for new landfill services will open Monday, Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
- The request for consideration of directional signage in downtown Homewood was carried over without objection.
- The committee voted to send out bids for further public improvements along Columbiana Road.
- The committee voted to approve consideration budget amendments to the Fiscal Year 2015-16 resulting from contract closing costs and other line items.
- The committee voted to approve a request for consideration of releasing lot Nos. 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 along Block No. 3 in Edgewood.
- The committee voted to recommend approving the private improvement of an alley at 414 Cliff Place, subject to the individual submitting and following city regulations.