2026-11-02 - Arts and Parks Committee Special Meeting

00:00receive the minutes from the last

00:01meeting.

00:03Last week.

00:09>> I move for approval of the minutes.

00:12>> All right, all those in favor of the

00:13minutes, say aye.

00:15>> Aye.

00:15>> Okay, any opposed? No. Thank you.

00:19All right, so next we'll go to our

00:20updates from starting out with the

00:22Birmingham Public Library and Ms. Janie

00:25Langston.

00:28And while she comes up, I'll say if

00:29you've never attended the library's

00:32classic event, Cocktails and

00:34Classics event, it's really, really

00:36nice.

00:38>> Good afternoon. I'm Janie Langston and I

00:40have the pleasure of serving as the

00:41executive director of the Birmingham

00:42Public Library and with me I have Karin

00:45Davis West who serves as our deputy

00:47director.

00:48Today she's going to share some

00:49information. We're both going to share,

00:51but she's going to share particularly

00:52information about

00:54our public services and what we have

00:56going on at the library.

00:59All right.

01:00So we're getting ready. The very first

01:01thing that I'm going to show you is last

01:03Friday and those are pictures from our

01:05staff who greeted the kids when they

01:07came in for Halloween. And so many times

01:10they'll come in, the kids will come in

01:11dressed and they're expecting treats. So

01:13that was just a great Friday. Okay, next

01:16we have Avondale Library and we did the

01:19Birmingham Dad Meetup, which is a great

01:22program and I think I've mentioned that

01:23before where dads come out to Avondale

01:25once a

01:27once a month and then able to bring

01:29their kids. And then we're going to move

01:31over to East Ensley Library who's

01:33sewing, sewing, sewing, and sewing. So

01:35that's just just a great program that

01:37they have and they've just started a new

01:39one called All Stitched Up for

01:41introducing people who don't have any

01:43idea about sewing. That's the one I

01:44would have to do. Okay, and so next

01:46we're going to go over to East Lake

01:48Library and East Lake did Halloween

01:50crafts for adults and kids. And then

01:53over to Five Points Library and Five

01:55Points had a special treat from

01:56Arlington. Chef Murphy was there.

01:59Okay, so next to look at uh Ingle-Nook

02:02Library and their um their branch head

02:05knows sign language and she has been

02:06teaching sign language to the kids. So

02:08that's just been very great and they

02:09always do a lot of great uh programs

02:12with the kids and with adults and

02:14they're also doing a gardening uh from

02:16the sides of teaching the kids how to

02:17garden. Okay, North Birmingham Library

02:19had a special plastic spoon craft

02:21program and they did their family night.

02:25Next we're going to take a quick look at

02:26Powderly and I hope I'm not going too

02:28fast for you. Okay. Okay. [laughter] In

02:30our Powderly Library they had a special

02:32Hauntings and Treasures of Alabama

02:34program. That was a very good program

02:36there. And then Pratt City Library they

02:38did a Lunch and Learn Home Buyers Basics

02:42and Smithfield did a special voter

02:44registration drive.

02:46Our Springfield Road Library had

02:48programs from child for children uh 1 2

02:513 Play with Me. Um also they had their

02:54quilting programs and so they do a lot

02:56with quilting a lot with crafts.

02:58Okay, moving over to Titusville and even

03:00though this happened at the end of the

03:02month I included this because Titusville

03:03had their grand reopening and um they

03:06were closed for a number of months, you

03:08know, but they're back open, running and

03:11doing a great job. They have a lot of uh

03:14of devoted customers that come out

03:16there. So they're just doing a great

03:17job. So you can see with their senior

03:19fitness.

03:21Okay, West End Library they have Miss

03:23Mary's fitness class there and they did

03:25a Talk with the Doc program. Great

03:27programs. Wylam Library they're with

03:30their book club which they have had that

03:31book club for years and years and it

03:34continues to go strong.

03:36Right. Next Central Library we had

03:38volunteer lawyers and ask an attorney.

03:41It well attended. People waiting just to

03:43see them. Okay.

03:44And then we had a special passport fair

03:47um that we haven't had in years, but

03:50this is something that was heavily

03:52attended and so we we really need to do

03:54this more often. But as you if you don't

03:55know we do have passport services there

03:58Monday through Friday um 10:00 to 4:00

04:01and basically you just come in walk in,

04:03service. You don't have to make an

04:04appointment.

04:06Okay, we also had the Black Child Book

04:08Fair event. And then we partnered with

04:11Small Magic to do our Ready Saturdays

04:13program.

04:15Um Fall Festival 2026. We did that along

04:19with Trunk or Treat and that was our

04:20outreach programs.

04:22And then we also had something special

04:24from Turning Fact into Fiction. That was

04:26with our Archives Department.

04:29And one of our regional managers

04:30attended the Tech Birmingham presents

04:32Code the Classic, which was a great

04:35program last week. And then artists, we

04:37had an artist talk and demonstration

04:39with Carl Smith. And if you've been to

04:41the library later, you've seen some like

04:43wood sculptures when you come in. And

04:45he's the one who did the sculptures.

04:48And then I just want to mention that we

04:50are highly into training. Highly into

04:53training. Every month we have something

04:54going on with training. Um this past

04:56month did a special JCPLA Staff Day,

04:59which many of our staff members

05:00attended. And then we had our Library

05:02Assistants Meeting.

05:04Okay, now Janine's going to talk.

05:06>> Good morning.

05:07>> Okay.

05:07>> Yes.

05:08It's Korean whizzed through lots of the

05:11programs we have going on. Um I do want

05:13to share that on the October 21st we

05:15hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the

05:18Central's uh Create 205 Lab. BPL in

05:22partnership with Ed Farm, Target, um

05:25Shift, and Hands On Birmingham was

05:27selected to participate in Target's

05:29Signature Bullseye Build Initiative. And

05:32so what they did is they came in,

05:34brought 100 volunteers um on one day,

05:37and they really transformed that space.

05:39Every day after school we welcome about

05:41100 students from Phillips Academy. So

05:44they transformed the Create 205 Lab as

05:46well as the Story Castle. So we have a

05:48space for the older children and a space

05:50for the littles. And there's podcasting,

05:53there's gaming, there's basketball in

05:55the library. So um all of that is a

05:57great partnership that we did and had a

06:00great ribbon cutting.

06:01And as you mentioned, on the 27th we

06:04hosted last Tuesday, we hosted our fifth

06:06annual Classic Cocktails event. Thank

06:08you for attending.

06:10Councilors, we appreciate your support

06:12and is it was a sell-out event and all

06:15the proceeds from that event support all

06:17of the many programs you saw going on

06:19throughout all of our libraries. So

06:21that's what that does.

06:23And then on April the 11th, 2027 next

06:27year,

06:28the Linn Henley Research Library turns

06:30100 years old.

06:33For a century, this architectural

06:35landmark has stood as the intellectual

06:37and cultural treasury of Birmingham and

06:40the state of Alabama.

06:42It is more than a library. It is where

06:43family histories are traced, civic

06:46legacies are preserved, and the story of

06:49our region is safeguarded for

06:50generations to come.

06:52We recently launched our centennial

06:54campaign to raise funds to provide some

06:57much-needed upgrades including fire

07:00suppression and our rare book room. If

07:02you've never visited our rare book room,

07:04it's

07:05schedule a

07:07a visit tour. Tomorrow, the Japanese

07:10consulate will be there to see Ms.

07:12Iwate. So they've called and scheduled a

07:14visit. So please schedule a visit and

07:16come check us out. But we need a

07:17much-needed fire suppression in that

07:19area in our rare book room. We want to

07:22move the archives out of the basement

07:24and create a memory lab where our

07:26community can preserve their family

07:28histories

07:29by providing access and education to

07:31free digitization. We want people to

07:33bring in their home movies, their

07:36photographs, and be able to digitize

07:38them instead of sending them off into

07:40the great beyond. They can come in and

07:42do it themselves and take that home with

07:44them in a digital form. And if they so

07:46desire, they can leave that with us in

07:47our archives to help build up our

07:49archives.

07:50So this reimagined space was the subject

07:53for Auburn's University's interior

07:55architectural students' summer projects.

07:58So the students were invited to imagine

08:00the third floor of the Linn Henley

08:02Research Library as a community memory

08:04lab and expanded archives,

08:07a space where preservation and

08:09participation,

08:10scholarship and storytelling, history

08:13and contemporary life could intersect.

08:15Their designs are currently on display

08:18in our exhibit area on the fourth floor

08:20of the Central Library and the exhibit

08:22is called Building Memory. And so it's

08:25really interesting to see what the

08:27students

08:28created and thoughts of how we could

08:30reimagine our archive space.

08:32So that is just a snapshot of the many

08:35activities. Bards and Bruce is this

08:38Friday night at the Central Library. You

08:39can see on the last page

08:41a list of many of our upcoming events

08:44that we have going on throughout the

08:45library system.

08:48Thank you.

08:50>> Thank you. A lot has happened and then a

08:52lot is to come. So this is really really

08:55good and really appreciate you for

08:56coming. All that you do at all of the

08:58branches. Something for everyone, truly.

09:02But yes, this is wonderful. So

09:04appreciate all that you all are doing

09:05and especially look forward to the 100th

09:07anniversary of the

09:09that particular room.

09:11>> Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity

09:12to share and we invite you to visit us

09:14at any of our locations

09:16>> Yes.

09:16>> and check out our library of things.

09:18Karen mentioned the sewing classes. We

09:19were talking to the attorney back there.

09:21You can check out a sewing machine from

09:23the library. So please know there you

09:26we're more than books. Please come check

09:28us out.

09:28>> Love it. All right. My colleagues have

09:30any comments?

09:30>> Just thank you for

09:34all that you've done over the past few

09:36years. I know during the pandemic we

09:38discussed different ways for

09:39fundraising, adding more programming

09:41initiatives and you guys have really

09:45exceeded I think our expectations for

09:47that. So congratulations. I'm so proud

09:51of Classic Cocktails because it really

09:53has grown from just you know food and

09:55drinks to whole programming and

09:58everything. So congratulations and I'm

10:00just so proud of you all. Thank you.

10:02>> you. Thank you for your support. We

10:03appreciate you.

10:04>> Yep. One more one more comment.

10:06Thank you all so much for the work that

10:08you all do.

10:09I know I saw Eagle Nook in here and I'm

10:12curious if Woodlawn had anything

10:14uh that happened in October. Uh and then

10:16the second question to that is let us

10:18know how we can support programming uh

10:20as counselors too. So that would be

10:22helpful. And then I know you mentioned

10:24about the Lynn Henley Library turning

10:26100 years old. That's incredible. Um

10:29I've often used the the library to

10:30research especially for like my house. I

10:33had an opportunity to go in and see

10:35records for my house. My house is over

10:37100 years old and I was able to find the

10:39photos of the house and just do a

10:41comparison of what it looked like then

10:43and what it looks like now and that's so

10:45amazing. I don't know if uh residents

10:47know uh of the value that the Lynn

10:49Henley Library provides especially for

10:51archiving uh the city's history.

10:54>> It is. We are the city's archives.

10:55>> Yes. Yes, absolutely. So thank you for

10:57all the work that you're doing there.

10:59And I know you mentioned fire

11:00suppression for the archives. So

11:02whenever you have an an opportunity kind

11:04of share with us uh what that looks

11:05like.

11:06>> Sure. I'll send you the link. We just

11:07got our website up with the centennial

11:09campaign. So I'll be

11:11sure to share that with you. It it said

11:13has some of the treasures that are

11:14available and some of our needs.

11:16>> Okay. Awesome. Thank you so much.

11:18Absolutely.

11:19>> Thanks again.

11:20>> Thank you.

11:20>> Thanks.

11:22All right. So next we will go on to our

11:25update from the Arlington Historic

11:27House. I saw Ms. Toby just get here. Are

11:29you good?

11:30>> Yes, we have the Japanese delegation uh

11:32luncheon. Uh pardon my tardiness.

11:34>> Oh, you're fine.

11:35>> But I feel like I'm right on time. I

11:37have a

11:38gift.

11:39Um I'll leave this with you. Okay?

11:41Vegetables from the garden.

11:43Our last harvest.

11:48All right.

11:50Good afternoon.

11:52My name is Toby Richards and I humbly

11:54serve as executive director at Arlington

11:57Historic House and Gardens. Thank each

11:59of you on the Arts and Parks Committee

12:02for the opportunity to share Arlington's

12:04updates. So I'll jump right in.

12:07Currently the Department of Public Works

12:09um our horticulture team at Arlington

12:11who's led by Ms. LaShandra Brundage, and

12:15her teammate is Mr. John Underwood. Um

12:19we are about to start planting our

12:22winter vegetables.

12:24She gave me a little in on everything

12:26today. She said that they're going to be

12:28planting some turnips, collards,

12:29broccoli, Swiss chard,

12:32just to name a few. And our continued

12:35partnership with Jefferson County Master

12:37Gardeners Association, they've also

12:40started planting their winter

12:42vegetables, and they have some cabbage

12:46planted. So I'm going to just pause for

12:48a second. This is our last harvest week.

12:51I think this week and then and Ms.

12:53LaShandra said possibly the beginning of

12:54next week.

12:56We have we can we're going to harvest

12:58our eggplant,

13:01the

13:02bell pepper I have, and some cucumbers.

13:05We have pepper teeny peppers, some

13:08Tabasco peppers.

13:11And some jalapeños, if you guys like

13:13those.

13:14Please come out. Please Please come and

13:17harvest. It's for the community,

13:19and it's for our neighbors, and it's for

13:21our kitchen garden. We use

13:23some of the vegetables and herbs to

13:25infuse with our menu for our public

13:29guests.

13:32Let's see. Where are we now? Our last

13:34vegetable donation, we do harvest this,

13:37and we donate to our community. And the

13:40last community was Arlington West End

13:43and Wylam Library Book Club. And all of

13:46our guests who come during the time,

13:48anytime of the year that we have

13:49vegetables, they are

13:51welcome to grab some herbs from the

13:54garden or whatever that's growing, and

13:56they love it. It's like a win for us.

13:60And it's part of the City of

14:01Birmingham's healthy and thriving

14:03neighborhoods initiative.

14:05And I'm going to move into just a few of

14:07our events. I know you probably heard

14:09about our Ghost Girl Ghost

14:11Hunt event and our Murder Mystery

14:14dinners.

14:15They're

14:17scheduled on Fridays and sometimes

14:19Saturdays, but the next one is November

14:2130th at 6:00 and after that December

14:2411th

14:25um

14:26same at 6:00. Now, we introduced these

14:29two particular programs back in 2019

14:32um just wanted to um

14:35to engage audiences uh in a very

14:38different kind of way historic houses.

14:40We were having a a really difficult

14:41time. So it's a just a different way to

14:43engage our audience to engage with our

14:46collection.

14:48Uh Thursday at Luncheons um our Thursday

14:50Luncheons at Arlington. Uh the next one

14:53is scheduled for November 12th at 11:00

14:56and guess what we're having chicken pot

14:58pie. Y'all got to come come and visit

15:00with us.

15:01Our senior food service uh supervisor we

15:04affectionately call him Chef Matt.

15:06He's um also um our community outreach

15:11where he has community outreach um

15:15uh dedication to

15:17uh

15:18uh Five Points West Library and usually

15:21he goes on the first Wednesdays of the

15:23month and uh the next one is November

15:254th. So if y'all have a chance you can

15:27go and over on November 4th to Western

15:30Library and again December 2nd um both

15:33at 11:00. That audience we they're

15:36mostly retired uh professionals, some

15:38educators, but they love for him to come

15:40out and we appreciate that. We

15:42appreciate the partnership with BPL.

15:45Um the last Wednesday of the month Chef

15:47is here at um City Hall with the healthy

15:51with healthy bites for uh Department of

15:54Human Resources Health and Wellness

15:57Wednesday's Initiative and we'll start

15:59back. He won't be here in November or

16:01December. We'll start back in January

16:03due to the holiday schedule.

16:05Now finally for just an update on some

16:08um some of our programs we have

16:11Christmas at Arlington Open House and

16:14it's scheduled for December 5th from

16:1610:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

16:18and it's hosted by the Arlington

16:20Historical Association. And if you want

16:23to do some sing-alongs with Toby, y'all

16:25just know the 12 day of days of

16:26Christmas, just practice them cuz I am

16:28going to do them. Y'all want me to

16:30practice now?

16:31[laughter]

16:32But please know

16:34and some cider, some holiday cookies,

16:37and some holiday cheer. You know we all

16:38need that right now. So we're gearing up

16:40for that. I left some bookmarks for you

16:43as a reminder.

16:45And there are several other private and

16:47community engagement events as well as

16:50educational efforts scheduled through

16:522026.

16:54Finally, for my finale, I know you guys

16:57are going to love this. We are actively

16:59working with Winona High School Academy

17:02of Hospitality and Tourism as well as

17:04their um uh advisory board.

17:07Their 11th These are 11th and 12th grade

17:10students, about 25. They came over to

17:12Arlington about a week or so ago and

17:15they learned safety uh kitchen tips.

17:18Well, they came back about a week later.

17:21All of them brought a chicken, a raw

17:22whole chicken, I kid you not.

17:25Matt um led that um teaching them how to

17:29butcher a chicken.

17:31[clears throat] Now, I have to tell you

17:33I was kind of wondering if I if this was

17:36a leg or a thigh or a thigh or a leg or

17:38breast, whatever it was, but they

17:39learned and that's what we want them to

17:41do. That's um

17:43why we are partnering with them. Um

17:46they're also gearing up for

17:49two major uh competitions in February

17:51and March. The Pro Start competition,

17:54that's in Orange Beach uh uh Florida.

17:57And the other one is FCCLA,

18:00which means Family, Career, Community

18:02Leaders of America. That's going to be

18:04at Jefferson State Community College.

18:06That's in February. So we want to get

18:09them prepared for these events and we're

18:11providing mentorship to ensure that

18:13students have real-world experience and

18:16career opportunities, preparing them for

18:18future employment in culinary arts as of

18:21the City of Birmingham's workforce

18:23development program.

18:24That's all for now. I'm pretty sure I

18:26could keep going, but for time's sake,

18:28um if you have any um any questions

18:31about our upcoming events, please feel

18:33free to visit the City of Birmingham's

18:35website.

18:37>> Wonderful. Thank you.

18:39>> Thank you.

18:40>> Any comments, questions?

18:42Okay.

18:43Wonderful. Yes, um yeah, I definitely

18:47I've said before, I love your show.

18:48So I love your chef that you have there.

18:50So I'm glad to see that he's doing

18:52activities with the library, um but then

18:54that you're continuing to have your

18:56Thursday luncheons.

18:57>> I wish you would bring back the

18:58hamburger that you so love, our

19:00Birmingham Birmingham Burger initiative.

19:03We will one day. We're going to do it.

19:04We're going to try the chili and grill

19:05with for Father's Day next uh year, but

19:08we're working. Thank you so much for

19:10this opportunity. I appreciate each of

19:12your support, continued support to

19:14Arlington and to the City of Birmingham

19:16and our citizens.

19:17>> Great. Thanks for coming.

19:20And Alexander, will you

19:22Okay.

19:28All right. So we're going to move along

19:29to create Birmingham and we have Ms.

19:32Mrs. Valerie.

19:35>> I got the reinforcements.

19:37>> I see.

19:39>> Well, I think I felt like since there

19:40had been some transitions since we were

19:43here last year that I would just kind of

19:45reintroduce you and introduce you to

19:47who's new. Um I'm Valerie Thomas and I

19:51am the interim since

19:54uh interim executive director since

19:55January the 11th.

19:58And um the good news is, you know, I as

20:03a board member, it did become necessary

20:06for someone to step in and lead the

20:08organization until we could

20:10uh hire a new executive director. And

20:13and as a serving the board,

20:17um you learn you you don't know all the

20:19things that go on when you sit in the

20:22director's seat.

20:24So, um

20:26that has been an experience and I have

20:28found myself even more inspired by the

20:31work that this very talented team is

20:35doing. So the good news for me when I

20:38walked in, yes, lots of administrative

20:41things,

20:42um how we're going to be more efficient

20:44managing our books, how we're going

20:47apply for a lot of grants, um how do we

20:51track that automatically so that it's

20:54less burdensome for the team. So one of

20:56the reasons I've been there so long is

20:58because we've done all of that and that

21:00probably should have been done five

21:01years ago. So it's going to be much

21:03easier for them to do the things they

21:06need to do to serve our creative

21:08community with a very small team. This

21:12is Create Birmingham. And in a minute

21:15I'm going to have Viola tell you all the

21:18things we've done and what we have

21:19planned for 2027.

21:21But Viola Ratcliff has been with um

21:26Create for four years. She is our

21:29executive uh our senior director of

21:32creative enterprises and she pretty much

21:35runs all the programming uh related to

21:40empowering our creative

21:43uh services so that we are growing

21:46businesses and economic impact in the

21:49city for creatives, period. I had no

21:52idea how impactful Co. Starters was

21:55um until I came inside and realized how

21:58many of our talented small businesses

22:02um feel like without Co. Starters they

22:06would have wandered off and not been as

22:08successful as they are today.

22:11Other longstanding my oldest employee

22:15is the manager of our film office,

22:17DeShawn. DeShawn started with Create

22:20during college. He is very talented

22:23filmmaker in his own right. He's grown,

22:26expanded, is currently a recipient of a

22:29fellowship through um Prosper. But you

22:33know what we need as far as managing

22:36film in the city of Birmingham,

22:39it's not glamorous. It's the street

22:42closings. It's impossible things a lot

22:45of times of people making huge demands,

22:49which I didn't know again until I sat in

22:51this seat. And uh DeShawn is exemplary

22:57in making sure they have what they need,

22:59but at the same time holding them

23:02accountable and not getting pushed

23:04around as you [snorts] can imagine

23:06dealing with filmmakers from all across

23:09the country to being at Vulcan. Um she

23:14is our grants manager. When I walked in,

23:16we didn't have one. And we're quite

23:18grant dependent as you are aware.

23:21So I did find a grown-up

23:25to uh do grants management. She also

23:28agreed to carry the title of manager of

23:30operations.

23:32So my days are probably pretty short.

23:35I'm hoping to not be the executive

23:37director by January 2027. They are in

23:41the process of hiring someone. I will

23:44say honestly,

23:45you know, some of you know me pretty

23:47well, I really consider staying because

23:50I love the work. I love how important

23:52this is uh to our city. Birmingham's a

23:55small business city, right? So we need

23:58this investment. And this team is doing

24:02that work. The one person that's not

24:03here is Alan

24:06uh who is contracted to do our comms. So

24:09our newsletter, all those kinds of

24:11things, he does that and it works for us

24:13to have that

24:15um

24:16as a contracted position rather than a

24:18full-time position with benefits. So I'm

24:21going to ask Viola to talk to you about

24:24all the things we manage to

24:26accomplish in in serving in that

24:29accomplishment is serving

24:31our a creative entrepreneurs in our city

24:35uh for so far for 2026 and then we'll

24:37talk about we've already got our plans

24:40for 2027 so I am really setting up our

24:43very new talented executive director

24:46whoever here or she is for tremendous

24:50success so Viola will give you the

24:53the deeds.

24:55>> Good afternoon. Thank y'all for having

24:57us. It's an honor to be here and to

24:59represent this incredible organization

25:02that I have had the pleasure of serving

25:03for four years. Um what you have in

25:06front of you we gave y'all a handout of

25:08just a quick snapshot of the impact of

25:11our programming so far this year and

25:13it's also on the screens for those who

25:16are in the audience but really quickly

25:18Create Birmingham is comprised of about

25:21four pivotal programs so we think of

25:23ourselves in the sense of like four

25:25buckets. That looks like Film

25:27Birmingham, Birmingham 365, Community

25:30Arts and Creative Entrepreneurship. Film

25:33Birmingham is uh our film office. We

25:36help and assist productions when they

25:38come into town um helping them navigate

25:41the various systems and regulations that

25:43they find filming in the Birmingham

25:45region. A lot of folks don't realize

25:48when they're in Birmingham sometimes

25:49they're in Homewood or Mountain Brook

25:52and we're here to assist them in that.

25:54But as you can see these productions

25:56generate so much income and revenue for

25:58our community. So so far this year we've

26:00seen 24 million in film productions come

26:03through generating 15 million dollars in

26:05local spend and that's the money we can

26:07see and count of dollars generated

26:09locally far more um than that is

26:11actually generated in revenue. In

26:14addition to assisting productions we

26:16also hold workshops so we are very much

26:19invested in the building and the growing

26:21of our film community here. We have a

26:23lot of extremely talented filmmakers.

26:26DeShon being one. He is very in tune

26:29with the film community and so we do

26:31workshops. We're actually going to hold

26:33one this Wednesday at Redmont Hotel. Um

26:36it's a business of film for any uh

26:39producers or anyone in the community

26:41that is a filmmaker, aspiring filmmaker,

26:44and they want to know what does it look

26:45like to be in the film business, what

26:47does distribution look like, what is the

26:49budgeting look like. We'll have a panel

26:51of experts to speak on those things. And

26:53we hold these kinds of workshops

26:55throughout the year. We also do film

26:57networking nights in partnership with

26:58Sidewalk um Cinemas. We'll hold one on

27:01the third Thursday of this month. That's

27:04an opportunity for the film community to

27:06come together, to connect, share

27:07resources. And it's also an opportunity

27:09for folks who are interested in getting

27:11engaged with the community or Create

27:13Birmingham to meet with us as well.

27:16Birmingham 365 is our art and culture

27:18calendar for our city and also beyond.

27:21We host our a post events that happen

27:24outside of Birmingham in the county as

27:25well. Today over 2,000 events have been

27:28added to Birmingham 365. It is an

27:30incredible resource. It is free to use.

27:33It is free to post. We like to share

27:35that because as we know, so many event

27:37sites these days are not free anymore.

27:40We still are and that is something we're

27:41really proud of. We want to make that

27:43accessible to the community always. And

27:45so if y'all have events happening in

27:47your districts, if you know of folks who

27:49are doing public events, they can be

27:51free, they can be ticketed. We want to

27:52make sure we get them on 365 so folks

27:55can know that they're happening.

27:56Community Arts is another pillar that we

27:59have. Community Arts is the City of

28:02Birmingham Poet Laureate Initiative. It

28:04is also the City of Birmingham Community

28:05Arts Grant. Currently Salem Green is

28:08serving as Poet Laureate until the end

28:10of this year. However, we will announce

28:12a new Laureate for 2027-28.

28:15We're really excited for that

28:16announcement to happen. Uh we have a

28:19review panel who's in the process of

28:20reviewing applications. And so in

28:22December or January that announcement

28:24will come through and we'll have a new

28:26Laureate and there'll be programming

28:28that they'll be able to facilitate as

28:30well. We also are the administrators of

28:33the City of Birmingham Community Arts

28:35Grant.

28:36That is the grant program that we do in

28:37collaboration with the city where every

28:40year uh four grants are awarded to

28:42nonprofit organizations in Birmingham to

28:45do community arts programs. The grants

28:47themselves are the amount of $10,000. To

28:50date, $160,000 has been awarded over the

28:53course of 4 years to support this

28:55program and we'll announce our new slate

28:57of awardees for 2027 very soon, so we're

29:00excited about that. But the programs

29:03that are occurring are really impactful.

29:05They are allowing art to be more

29:07accessible in our communities. They're

29:09allowing for artists to be paid to do

29:11work in our communities and they're

29:12helping fund programming that happens

29:14through arts organizations and non-arts

29:16organizations as well. So it's a really

29:18valuable resource and we've gotten so

29:21much positive feedback from community

29:22members who really are appreciative of

29:24the fact that this program is happening

29:26and we're grateful for the funding and

29:28grateful to the council for their

29:29support in that. And then Creative

29:31Entrepreneurship is Co.Starters,

29:33Business of Creating and Create Consult,

29:36and a new initiative called Creative

29:38Communities, which I'll speak a little

29:39bit about. Co.Starters is our longest

29:41running program. It is probably our most

29:44notable. Um if you flip to the back of

29:47your handout, you'll see some logos for

29:48some businesses that have gone through

29:50Co.Starters, many of which y'all may be

29:52familiar with. Um but we've had over 400

29:54graduates, close to 500, 483 as of now.

29:58We'll be graduating another six folks in

30:00the cohort we got going on right now, so

30:01we're really excited about that. Um and

30:04so that is a really impactful program.

30:06So many businesses have come through. A

30:08lot of businesses have gone on to have

30:10great success, but it's open to anyone

30:12with an idea for a business. You don't

30:14have to be a business owner. You can

30:16just have an idea for a business you may

30:17want to start one day or maybe you have

30:19an idea for a solution to an issue that

30:22you see in your community and you would

30:24like more support in figuring out how to

30:25tackle that. Co.Starters is a wonderful

30:27way to do it. It's a 10-week cohort.

30:30It's led by an experienced facilitator.

30:32Um we've done it for uh uh 10 years and

30:36we highly recommend it for anyone who

30:37wants that type of experience. And it's

30:40community engaged. So the cohort itself

30:43is made up of people who are from the

30:45community, who are right where you are.

30:47They're either in business or they have

30:48an idea for one, and you're able to

30:50support each other through that process.

30:52And so

30:53it's a highly successful program. It's

30:55one of the most impactful that we've

30:57been able to facilitate. Create Consuls

30:59is a one-to-one consulting program for

31:02Co. Starters alumni. So once you go

31:03through Co.Starters and you're seeking

31:05more resources, we have Create Consuls.

31:08If you know after going through

31:09Co.Starters, oh, I still need help with

31:11my books. I still need help with

31:12marketing. I'm still struggling to

31:14figure out who my customer is.

31:16This is where Create Consuls comes into

31:17play, and we'll pair you with a

31:19consultant who can take you through that

31:21process a little more in depth over a

31:22series of workshops or one-on-one

31:24sessions over a course of about six four

31:27to six weeks. And then also it's really

31:29a successful program for us. Currently

31:31we're partnering with Welch Financial

31:33Group on this program, but in the past

31:35we've worked with consultants throughout

31:37the city, and it's been really a

31:38wonderful opportunity. And then Business

31:40of Creating is a series of workshops we

31:42hold throughout the year. Um the film

31:44workshop we're holding is an example of

31:46that, but we'll hold more workshops in

31:472027. We always choose the topics based

31:51on what our community is wanting to know

31:52about. So folks come to us with needs in

31:55marketing, if they come to us with needs

31:57in social media, if they come to us

32:00wanting to know how can I sell more

32:01things or raise my prices, we'll do a

32:03workshop on it. And those workshops are

32:05typically free to the public, and if we

32:07charge it's very nominal for that.

32:09Um and then Creative Communities, which

32:11is a new initiative for us. We're

32:12partnering with the city

32:14Department of Community Development on

32:16that with Erica Chissom um

32:19and Megan Thomas, and it's really an

32:21impactful program. The idea behind it is

32:23to provide artists and creatives in

32:25Birmingham with the opportunities, but

32:27also the skills for them to be able to

32:30continue to do what they do successfully

32:32as an artist entrepreneur, to partner

32:35with municipalities. And so when RFPs

32:37and RFQs come down from the city for

32:39artist projects like the mural project

32:42that just came down and others that will

32:43be happening in Smithfield, they're

32:45better prepared to take those on. And

32:47it's working. We have artists who have

32:49gone through creative communities who

32:51are now going after those types of

32:52proposals and actually getting those.

32:55And so it's adding to their uh

32:57portfolios and it's also allowing for

32:58them to increase their revenue and have

33:01a greater impact in their community.

33:03Currently, there's a creative

33:04placemaking project that's happening in

33:05Erskin Hawkins Park and Ensley. And so

33:08that will be announced soon and there's

33:09a team of artists who are affiliated

33:12with creative communities and Birmingham

33:13Creatives for Impact helping to make

33:14that happen. Um and we're able to pay

33:16the artists for their work on the

33:18project. We're able to help them get

33:19other opportunities. And you can kind of

33:21see some of the numbers there. The

33:2232,000 in artist compensation is mostly

33:25generated through creative communities

33:27and that number is growing as we're able

33:29to do more with that.

33:31Um and then in the back, we have all the

33:34wonderful things we have planned for

33:35next year.

33:36So, we already have our co-starters

33:37dates on the calendar.

33:40Um three cohorts are planned for now. Uh

33:43the one that we're kicking off first is

33:45in January. We still have seats

33:47available. If y'all know folks in the

33:49community who would be interested or you

33:51think this is a good program for them,

33:53let us know. We will be happy to talk

33:55with them and help get them enrolled

33:56because we absolutely want to make sure

33:58folks have an opportunity to take part

34:00in it. Uh there'll be an April cohort as

34:02well and September. We're excited about

34:05the opportunities to bring cohorts

34:06further into Birmingham communities and

34:08to partner in that way as well.

34:10Currently, we host cohorts in our

34:11office, but there's opportunities for us

34:13to go into districts and do that and

34:15we're thrilled for that because that's

34:16what we want. We want it to be

34:17accessible. Of course, we have business

34:19of creating workshops happening.

34:21Creative communities will continue

34:22create consults. Film, as I mentioned,

34:25will be doing workshops and networking

34:27nights with Sidewalk Film Center and

34:29Cinema. Another thing we do with

34:31Sidewalk uh Film Festival is the

34:33Filmmakers Luncheon and that is a big

34:35event for us. We welcome the filmmakers

34:38that come into town for the the Film

34:39Festival every August. Host a luncheon

34:41for them. It's really fun. We've held it

34:43at a lot of different locations. This

34:45year it was Vulcan. In the past, it's

34:47been at Woodlawn Theatre,

34:49um a variety of places throughout

34:51Birmingham. But we use it as a way to

34:52show off with the many incredible spaces

34:54in our city. Filmmakers are coming from

34:56all over the country and the world, and

34:57so it's a chance for them to learn about

34:59Birmingham cultural spaces through the

35:01luncheon and eat really wonderful food.

35:04Um and then community arts, we have a

35:06new poet laureate and the City of

35:08Birmingham Community Arts Grant will

35:09continue.

35:10Um and so that is what we have on the

35:12docket right now for 2027, and there

35:15likely be a few more things that we'll

35:17add, but we're excited to get the work

35:18started and really excited about uh

35:21what's to come.

35:22And if there's any questions, we're

35:24happy to answer them.

35:25>> Thank you. Y'all see you all um do a

35:27really good job of keeping us in

35:29involved and knowing what's happening,

35:31sending out messages to us and um

35:33sending your flyers. Do you have a

35:35question about the January Co-Starters

35:38cohort? What's the deadline for someone

35:40to apply for that?

35:41>> Um there really isn't a hard stop. We'll

35:43take applications or applicants up until

35:47like the week before if the cohort's not

35:49full. We encourage people to apply as

35:51soon as possible just so that they can

35:53guarantee a seat, but we don't

35:55necessarily cut it off unless we've hit

35:57capacity.

35:58>> Okay, great. Thank you.

35:59>> I will mention two other things. Um you

36:02know you all remember Joe Mentor, and it

36:07does seem that Create is the facilitator

36:11forever. Everyone is still continuing to

36:14come

36:15to Viola and asking uh Create to

36:18coordinate what's happening next. You

36:21know we we have the skill, and we are

36:23not necessarily specifically invested in

36:27we want to be the conservationist. So

36:29the rest of the country is looking to us

36:31to continue to fill

36:33facilitate what are the next steps. Um

36:37and you know we did have that Mellon

36:38grant for work two years, and we're

36:41wrapping that up now, but there

36:44questions and they seem to still be

36:47coming back to create Birmingham for the

36:49next steps. And we are in early

36:52conversations with the department of

36:55community development to uh partner with

36:58them on the A. H. Roberts family home

37:03with having an

37:05a a true art space there as well as

37:08there is capacity there for us to

37:10actually have a film production office,

37:13which will give us another significant

37:15way of generating uh revenue. Um there's

37:20going to be a conversation with the

37:21board, so um I know how I feel about it,

37:24but I'm sitting in this seat right now,

37:26so we'll just see what happens.

37:29But we continue to just do more. And we

37:32appreciate your support. The city of

37:34Birmingham is the largest supporter of

37:36Create Birmingham and the film office.

37:39So.

37:41>> I do have a question. Thank you all for

37:43all the work that you are

37:44continuing to do, especially when it

37:46comes to uh advancing public art in the

37:49city of Birmingham and then

37:50strengthening the film Birmingham uh

37:52initiative. I do have a question

37:53regarding the film Birmingham

37:55initiative. I went to college or

37:57undergrad um

37:59in Louisiana and I seen how Shreveport,

38:02Louisiana became like this uh

38:04entertainment hub. Uh

38:06you know, they were offering incentives

38:07left and right from the city,

38:09municipality. They built wave pools,

38:12sound stages, and everything to support

38:14the burgeoning film industry in that

38:16area. And then as quickly as it came in,

38:19it left. So what are we doing

38:21sustainability wise to make sure nothing

38:24like that happens through um

38:27in Birmingham?

38:28>> Well, [clears throat] with me sitting

38:29here, you know, less than a year and

38:32DeShawn, come up here if I say something

38:35that's not quite right, um

38:37I would say we've been very careful.

38:40Um DeShawn, he is young, but he's very

38:43bright. We've been very careful about

38:47not making those missteps. There was a

38:48whole big thing with me sitting on the

38:51board about us doing a sound stage, and

38:53we were this close in investing in one

38:55in Smithfield.

38:57And then it went uh the the the project

39:00the the space went away, but it was good

39:03that it did. We just finished a two year

39:07grant analyzing what we can really

39:10support and what we can afford. And we

39:12ruled out sound stage officially. The

39:15production office makes more sense. I

39:18didn't even know or understand that, but

39:20when I you know when Deshaun educates

39:23me, they're spending money other places

39:25and it's split all over town. If we have

39:28a space that we can that everybody can

39:31use, when big filmmakers come into town,

39:34they'll give us a lot of money for it.

39:36And that you know that would be one way

39:38of earned income. Then if it doesn't

39:40happen uh if it there's nothing

39:43happening, we can still use the space

39:45for other activities in our city. Am I

39:47right or do you have anything else to

39:49>> and that's absolutely right. And then

39:50just to specifically address like how

39:52are we making sure that uh our spaces

39:55are protected and last for a long time.

39:57We're moving slowly and uh

39:59intentionally. So in our study, we found

40:01places like Atlanta, Louisiana, those

40:03places that grow really fast, they get a

40:05lot of transplants that aren't from the

40:07local economy. So that can really drown

40:09out the local talent. I'm sorry if I'm

40:11too loud. Um so that's what we're doing.

40:13That's why we're starting slow and

40:14starting with a production office

40:16because if we can start growing where we

40:17are now again, we've made I mean since

40:20I've been at Film Birmingham, we've

40:21probably done almost half a billion

40:23worth of films in Birmingham, um which

40:25is just a drop in the bucket. But uh by

40:28staying in the indie level where we're

40:30doing these smaller productions, we're

40:32we've protected our crew. So our local

40:35crew is who is receiving you know 60 to

40:3890% of the local spend that comes from

40:41these productions. If we keep keep doing

40:43that part, keeping wrenching the local

40:44community, it becomes more sustainable.

40:46So that why we're just trying to stay

40:48stall small and slowly grow. Is because

40:50when we grow too fast, then those other

40:52things uh start to to to impact that and

40:56then we turn into LA where nobody wants

40:57to to film there anymore.

40:59>> Exactly.

40:59>> And we're really focused on investing

41:01and building the local crew. Right now,

41:03we can have one and a half large films.

41:07We need to get to two cuz that could

41:09happen any moment now after we did that

41:12um Matthew McConaughey film last year.

41:15You know, our economy our film economy

41:17is built off of word of mouth. We've

41:18done no mass We've done no mass

41:21marketing. So, it's really grown by word

41:25of mouth. And now that we've had two

41:28fairly big films in succession, um we're

41:31really focused on building that crew so

41:33that they're not bringing crew here cuz

41:35that's probably what killed Shreveport.

41:37We want the crew We've got want to have

41:40rock solid talented crew here. So, and

41:42and it is a a growth pattern from high

41:46school, you know, not having to

41:49necessarily go to UAB. Um DeShaun did,

41:52but if we do it right, we can take kids

41:56just like the farming. You know, we can

41:58take them economically to grow so that

42:01they can support themselves and have

42:03families and and do a creative career

42:06and be successful. And that's what we're

42:07focused on.

42:08>> Okay. Thank you for sharing that. I

42:10appreciate that. Uh one other Well, two

42:12other questions. Um one is centered

42:14around the Port Lorient. Uh is anyone

42:17from the City Council represented on the

42:18review review panel?

42:21>> Let me think.

42:23No. No.

42:25>> Okay. Is there a possibility that we

42:27could get someone uh from the City

42:29Council?

42:29>> already reviewed, but

42:31>> Okay. Well,

42:32>> Yes. Going forward, absolutely. I will

42:34say the way we did it this time, we kind

42:37of

42:38used

42:39recommendations uh from Salem and a few

42:42other folks, but yeah.

42:44>> Yeah. I I just think if someone's going

42:46to be representing the City of

42:48Birmingham,

42:49you know, just want to give our input.

42:51And I would love for Madam Chair if, you

42:54know,

42:55uh, if she's open to that, too.

42:56>> Okay. That would be fantastic.

42:58>> Yeah. And then my last question is in

43:00around pub- public art. Um, I'm a huge

43:02proponent of public art. I know what it

43:03does for communities. Um, what can we do

43:06as a as the City Council to, uh, advance

43:09public art initiatives throughout the

43:11city of Birmingham?

43:12>> Uh, that's a wonderful question and

43:14thank you for asking that. Definitely

43:16continuing to share about opportunities

43:19that are happening in the city. If

43:21there's opportunities that can come

43:23through the council even or through

43:24different communities and districts,

43:26that would be a really great way to

43:28continue to do that. Um, if support is

43:31needed and like how do we make an

43:32opportunity available, we can assist

43:34there. We understand the RFP, RFQ

43:36process and the administration of that.

43:39And so if it comes up in a community or

43:41neighborhood meeting, like we would love

43:42to see something happen at this school,

43:44at this park, on this wall,

43:46that is absolutely doable. If it's a

43:48matter of how do you budget for that,

43:49who are the artists that would be a good

43:51fit for that, how do you do a call for

43:52artists, we'd be happy to have that

43:54conversation. But, um, absolutely more

43:57collaboration in that way, even with

43:59local businesses. If there's a business

44:01owner that wants a mural on the side of

44:03their building, um, or larger

44:05corporation that's interested, we

44:07definitely want to be able to help with

44:09that relationship because it's really

44:12important, of course, for the artists to

44:14have these opportunities, but for the

44:15community, too. I mean, we all see the

44:17impact of what that looks like. Uh, for

44:19example, about a month Well, not even a

44:21month ago. Was it two weeks ago there

44:22was Yonder Walls and Urban Supply and

44:25that Yeah. Um, and so that impact in

44:27real time seeing that many people, that

44:29much footprint, that much economic, uh,

44:32development happening in terms of like

44:35my daughters and I went to a boba shop

44:36that I didn't even know was over there

44:37because there was a mural festival

44:39happening and now we know about a boba

44:40and a ramen shop, which is very

44:42exciting. So we That can happen anywhere

44:45in Birmingham. Um, and we would love to

44:47have those conversations with the

44:48council and with anyone at the city

44:50who's interested.

44:51>> So let me ask you do then. Uh, and this

44:53is coming not from a municipality's

44:55standpoint, but as a city, right? Is

44:58there a public art strategy for the city

45:01of Birmingham?

45:03>> That is an excellent question. To my

45:05knowledge, I don't know of one in which

45:08we're in conversation. That being said,

45:10we're in conversation with Erica Chism

45:12and the Department of Community

45:13Development about what does something

45:15like that look like. And I do think

45:17that's a phase two, like a quick phase

45:19two of how do we do that cuz we've seen

45:22it work and we know now from artists

45:25what is needed from the municipality in

45:28terms of conversations we've had with

45:29their department of what is needed and

45:31what support they can provide. And we've

45:33also had a lot of artists from outside

45:35of Birmingham do workshops with us this

45:37year from Atlanta and other cities who

45:39do have those policies and they've been

45:41giving us guidance on like, okay, if

45:43Birmingham wants to continue to scale

45:45this, this is what y'all need to have in

45:47place. And so we are really primed for

45:49that conversation right now.

45:51>> Okay. Love it. Thank you.

45:52>> I would love to loop you in like you

45:54could work Yeah.

45:55We would love to work with you on that

45:57too.

45:58>> Also Huntsville has a really good model

46:00to check out.

46:01>> Mhm.

46:02>> Mhm. I was telling him.

46:05>> Thank you. Any other comments?

46:07>> Thank you for [clears throat] what

46:08you're doing. Thank you for helping to

46:09grow talent within our area. I know

46:11other

46:12organizations have spoken of the need to

46:14have that in-house production talent. So

46:18thank you for what you're doing to help

46:19make that happen.

46:20Appreciate you.

46:23All right. Last but not least in our

46:25updates, we have Jefferson County

46:27Greenways. And we have Ms. Samantha

46:29Arsenault.

46:35And hopefully I said that correctly.

46:43>> Thank you guys so much for having me

46:45today.

46:47I'm here with Jefferson County

46:48Greenways, which was formed recently

46:51between Ruffner Mountain, Red Mountain

46:53Park, and Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.

46:55Thank you for Crystal for being on the

46:57Commission previously. I'm sure

46:59everybody will get a turn.

47:01Um,

47:02right now Hunter Williams is our

47:04wonderful person on the Commission.

47:06Our mission statement is to preserve and

47:08care for Red Mountain Park, Ruffner

47:10Mountain, and Turkey Creek Nature

47:11Preserve as sanctuaries for our

47:13neighbors, native plants, and animals.

47:17So we have our state agency side which

47:19is the Commission and make sure our

47:21parks are safe, our trails are

47:23maintained, and we have public access.

47:25And the foundations are a 501c3

47:27nonprofit ensuring we have enriching

47:29programming, access to educational and

47:32recreational resources, and we're doing

47:34community development through

47:36conservation, education, and access to

47:38health and green infrastructure.

47:41So Ruffner Mountain, Red Mountain Park,

47:43and Turkey Creek all have these

47:45wonderful amenities if you haven't been

47:48there before. Got miles of hiking

47:50trails, scenic overlooks, public nature

47:52centers,

47:53pavilions, dog parks, historic mining

47:56sites,

47:58falls at Turkey Creek, and fishing.

48:01No fishing yet at Red Mountain Park, but

48:03maybe one day.

48:07So we do

48:10a lot of work with our community. We've

48:12got almost 300,000 visitors a year

48:14between all of our parks. We've got

48:16community education from field trips,

48:19public programs, volunteers,

48:21conservation and land management,

48:23restoring and reclaiming our land that

48:25has been mined and making it beautiful

48:27for people to visit again,

48:29and improving that infrastructure that

48:31allows people to visit our parks and

48:33have a nice space. So this year we

48:36opened a bathroom at Red Mountain Park,

48:39which it has never had.

48:41So we are so excited about that. Come

48:43visit. It's really nice.

48:47And increasing that accessibility makes

48:50people feel welcome in the park.

48:53So [snorts] for your constituents,

48:56public programs can range from history

48:58programs, nature and health programs.

49:00They're for individuals and families.

49:02They are free or inexpensive.

49:04We've got a lot of volunteer

49:06opportunities, including garden work

49:08days, events and outreach, and

49:10administrative support.

49:13are curriculum based. I have a quote

49:15from Hayes K-8 School last week that

49:18said, that's what we've been learning in

49:20our books.

49:22Favorite quote. Um

49:24and there are free field trips for

49:26Birmingham City and Jefferson County

49:28Public Schools.

49:30Our community partners program works

49:32with other nonprofits in our community

49:34to bring um students and learners to our

49:37park space and make them feel welcome

49:39and familiar in them. And so we've

49:40worked in the past with places like

49:42Grace House, Glenwood, Girls Inc., and

49:45the Housing Authority of the Birmingham

49:47District.

49:49Uh specifically for your constituents,

49:52we have supporting memberships, but if

49:54someone's a city of Birmingham resident,

49:56they can take advantage of our Nature

49:58for All program and sign up for a free

50:00membership.

50:01So that'll make sure anything that was a

50:03um inexpensive program pretty much comes

50:06to be free.

50:07So they've got the benefits there and

50:10we'd love for people to join and help

50:12them feel welcome at our park spaces.

50:17Uh just some of our programs that we

50:20have had and have upcoming um are

50:23Pilates and hiking at Red Mountain Park.

50:26Um we have mindful nature walks coming

50:29up at Red Mountain Park as well.

50:31And then

50:34lots of volunteer and garden work days.

50:36Um we just finished our fall native

50:38plant sale.

50:40Um it happens every week every Saturday

50:43in April and October.

50:46And Birdability, which we partner with

50:48Alabama Audubon, and again like a

50:50welcoming experience for birding in our

50:52parks.

50:54Can any questions?

50:55>> No, this is good. I I guess um I would

50:58just ask and I'll pass this to my

50:59colleagues. I would just ask if you have

51:01like

51:02a flyer of your upcoming events that we

51:04can then share. If you can email that to

51:06us, that's helpful so that we can get it

51:08out to residents and they can know

51:10what's happening.

51:10>> Absolutely. Yep.

51:13>> Does anyone have anything?

51:16>> Thank you so much. Um and I do want I do

51:18want to thank Create Birmingham for

51:21directing film revenue to us twice. So

51:25thanks.

51:26>> I love the collaboration here. Everyone

51:27at some point has worked together, so

51:29that's really good. So thank you all for

51:31that um for working together like that.

51:34[clears throat]

51:35So announcements. I have two

51:37announcements. One I just want to say

51:39thank you and congratulations to the

51:41staff of Legion Field and Parks and Rec

51:44for all of their hard work and efforts

51:46this weekend. Um

51:49also want to mention that we are

51:51receiving applicants or applications for

51:53the park board. Um so those would need

51:56to be submitted by Friday, November 6th

51:59at 5:00 p.m. Those need to go to d8help

52:02at birminghamal.gov

52:04and we ask that you submit a resume and

52:06letter of interest.

52:08And again that's Friday, November 6th at

52:105:00 p.m.

52:13And those are all of my

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