Latest news with #SB330
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Birmingham mayor, city council file lawsuit against state over water utility board changes
The skyline of Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham officials have filed a lawsuit against a new state law that would reduce the number of appointments from the city to the Birmingham Water Works Board. (John Coletti/The Image Bank) The Alabama Legislature's 2025 session is over, and the lawsuits have begun. After state lawmakers passed a bill reducing Birmingham's appointments to the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB), Birmingham officials filed a federal lawsuit to try to protect their controlling interest in the utility. The city government currently appoints six of the nine directors on the board; SB 330, sponsored by Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, converts BWWB into a regional authority with seven members and a single appointment from the city. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A hearing on the lawsuit, filed before Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill on May 7, was scheduled for Thursday but postponed. The law does not explicitly mention BWWB but its provisions reflect the make-up of the water utility. Currently, two directors are appointed by the mayor while the Birmingham City Council appoints four members. A message was left with Gov. Kay Ivey's office Thursday seeking comment. Proponents of the legislation said it was necessary to impose changes. In the past, the water utility has been beset with issues with billing, oversight and concerns over public trust. Customers reported concerns with unread meters and inaccurate water bills. Under Roberts' bill, the governor, lieutenant governor and counties that own a major reservoir would each get an appointment. Birmingham's mayor and the president of the Jefferson County Commission also get an appointment. The governor's appointment must come from one of the counties served by the utility. Another county located outside the area where the utility is based gets to also appoint a board member. The governing body of the municipality where the regional water utility is located appoints a director. Finally, that law states that a resident where the water utility is located may also be a member of the Board. The remaining members are selected, respectively, by the Jefferson County Mayors Association, the Shelby County Commission and Blount County Commission. The lawsuit alleges the bill the equal rights and due process protections in the U.S. and Alabama constitutions. The lawsuit says that lawmakers in the Legislature, most of whom are white, reduced the power of officials in Birmingham whose population is 67% Black and forms 41% of the utility's customer base. The lawsuit also notes that other areas with representation are mostly white. In Blount County, it says, only about 2% of the residents are Black, and in Walker County, only 6% are Black. 'SB330 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution,' the lawsuit states. Plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit also stated that the law violates their right to due process because any changes to the board require changes to the Certificate of Incorporation, which is not part of the legislation, that must be approved by Birmingham City Council. The law changes the Certificate of Incorporation by reducing the number of members that the city council may appoint, which members of the Council did not approve. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Regional Birmingham Water Works Board invalidates sale of assets to City of Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The new regional board of Birmingham Water Works met for the first time Wednesday night. Half of the meeting's agenda items were tabled, but the board did vote to invalidate the sale of water work assets to the city of Birmingham. The seven-person regional board of directors say tonight's meeting is the first time they were all in the same room, which is the reason they voted to table the appointment of officers for the board. 'I know one, maybe two people up here. I have no knowledge, no experience, no background of who's who, what's what and what skill sets are,' said Jarvis Patton Sr. That's not the only item that was tabled. Half of the agenda items had no action taken. One of the items that was voted on is a resolution to invalidate the sale of BWWB assets to the city of Birmingham –the sale was approved by the former water works board after SB330 was signed by the governor. 'As a board, as a body, we need to send the message, 'we have not agreed to sell the assets of the Birmingham Water works board to the city of Birmingham,' and we need to make that statement strong, because that last board was dissolved the second the governor signed it,' said Jeffery Brunlow. That resolution passed 5-2. Both 'no' votes came from the city of Birmingham appointed directors, Sheila Tyson and Jarvis Patton Sr., who both wanted to table the resolution citing pending litigation. Tyson says her position is that the BWWB still belongs to the city of Birmingham. 'All day long, this is Birmingham Water, this is Birmingham Assets. Every pipe, every drip of water, dirt, it belongs to Birmingham,' said Tyson. The board is scheduled to meet again on May 19 for what they have called a work session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
All 7 appointments made to new regional Birmingham water works board ahead of first meeting
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Ahead of its first meeting Wednesday, all seven appointments have now been made to the newly restructured regional Birmingham water board. On Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that she had appointed Jefferson County resident Thomas Hudson Jr. to the new board, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin appointed Jarvis Patton Sr. and the Birmingham City Council tapped Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson. Additionally, Jefferson County Commission President Jimmy Stephens has picked Phillip Wiedmeyer, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth picked Bill Morris and the Shelby County and Blount County commissions picked Jeff Brumlow David Standridge respectively. These selections come just before a federal judge in Montgomery will hear from Birmingham city officials on Thursday morning regarding their request to temporarily halt SB330 from being enacted, despite Ivey already signing it into law. City officials have argued that the law is political overreach, violating both the U.S. Constitution and the constitution of the state of Alabama. Birmingham City Council Board President Darrell O'Quinn said the council's hand was forced due to the new regional board's first meeting already being scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, a day before the court hearing. 'Under duress, in a hostile situation, you know we feel that our hand is being forced,' O'Quinn said. 'Again, we want the citizens of Birmingham represented in any conversation involving them and their water system.' O'Quinn said he Tyson was going to be the best representative on the board for the citizens of Birmingham and the ratepayers. However, he said the council would have preferred to have taken up the matter after the court hearing Sheila Tyson released the following message Tuesday: 'I want to say thank you to Birmingham City Council for giving me the opportunity to represent them, as well as the citizens. I did not go out seeking this appointment, nor did I campaign for it. When it was first offered to me, I thought long and hard about it. After conversations with my husband, legal experts, my staff, and some trusted community advocates, I decided to accept the appointment, if confirmed. I have always fought for the citizens and this time will be no different. With this appointment, ratepayers can rest assured, I will be your voice and make decisions with you in mind. Just as I have in the past.' The board's first meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WATCH: City council holds special meeting on Birmingham Water Works
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Birmingham City Council is holding a special called meeting Thursday morning to 'take action related to the Birmingham Water Works Board.' Control of the board and who gets to appoint members has become hotly contested following the drafting and passage of SB 330. The law, which Gov. Ivey signed Wednesday afternoon, takes the Birmingham Water Works Board mostly out of the city's hands and restructures it to include regional members appointed by both the state and surrounding counties. Additionally, the previous board would be dissolved and new members are to be appointed. Hours after Ivey signed the bill, the Birmingham Water Works Board voted to sell the utility company to the city of Birmingham for $1 by a vote of 5-2. In response to the water works board voting to sell, Phillip Wiedmeyer, a member of the newly formed Regional Water Works Board, filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Birmingham. Weidmeyer is asking for judge to invalidate all action taken by the Birmingham Water Works Board after SB 330 was signed and affirm that the new board is in full control. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BWWB votes to sell utility company to city of Birmingham for $1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A motion to sell the Birmingham Water Works to the city of Birmingham for $1 was approved by the board with a 5-2 vote. This comes after the Birmingham City Council approved a resolution to buy the company, which is worth millions after the state legislature voted to restructure its board. Governor Kay Ivey signed SB 330 into law, effectively taking the Birmingham Water Works Board mostly out of the city's hands and restructuring it to include regional members appointed by both the state and surrounding counties, just hours before the board's vote. Michael Davis' capital murder trial day 2: Who pulled the trigger first? Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson feels the vote should have taken place a day sooner. 'They had an opportunity yesterday before the governor signed the bill you know but it's too late to point fingers,' said Tyson. Some residents remain hopeful the board's approval could help the city regain control, despite the governor signing the law. 'We should have been come together and did this, but I also think that we're going to fight because it's our water and we know that right now it's always been top ten in the country. So, if they think they're going to come here and treat us any type of way at the end of the day, we know that this is an overreach,' said Birmingham resident Richard Franklin. Some fear the city owning the water works could negatively impact residents even more. 'Years ago, Birmingham city owned the water works and it got into so much debt they sold it. Now how can we trust you all to get the water works back,' said Birmingham resident Susan Palmer. 58 criminal cases involving Hanceville Police Department dismissed 'This whole thing was tore up from the floor up from day one and nobody is at the table trying to find common ground,' said Birmingham resident Keith Williams. Birmingham Waters Works released a statement saying in part quote: 'The actions we took tonight were to ensure that every one of our customers, from all five counties, continue to feel the tremendous improvements the system has made in the last 10 months. We remain committed to our customers, making improvements to the BWW and to leading ethically, with dignity and respect.' In response to Wednesday night's vote, Phillip Wiedmeyer, a member of the newly created Regional Water Works Board, filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Birmingham. Weidmeyer is asking for judge to invalidate all action taken by the Birmingham Water Works on or after SB 330 was signed and reaffirm that the Regional Water Works Systems is now in control. Wiedmeyer was appointed to the regional board by Jefferson County Commission President Jimmy Stephens. Lawsuit filed against city of Birmingham by Phillip WeidmeyerDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
