[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86,98,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6473257,"mediaKeyId","5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d","parentId",5753763,"title","Homewood IT director proposes ThinkGuard co‑managed backup system; item to be added to council agenda","audioSeconds",432,"startMs",1658000,"endMs",2090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d&start=1658&end=2090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d/thumbnail_1658000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6473257/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Homewood-IT-director-proposes-ThinkGuard-comanaged-backup-system-item-to-be-added-to-council-agenda","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473257-583807fe6611c041d63e54455b6a4fee/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440279&Signature=oavl8LxiSLSQigfqA26EfyCFJXMQxEcl0isOIScRG~sARirXsNnE2nKxetwwt6RjLSN1gVz7OFZ8iSeBrNFND8jsdGwbGM~OP9IyPorEyac9766F3zoPj7LKJEQcx3mLpxkpkqDOdkXDHkEczVrZhsja1Qw4CfmOr40Ekhuk~lw9RmteOLWBY40BeetWRPoRyGUZpDGiUZHL7HeMtJC5VuRMRR2iqUOHSk8rATdCEn2ZbjTIZacw-e8zGr6fZkok7XpIIZkxy6fzKgb892vo-Pu~H5vSNxH3WBLZ3sOPiM9hAh-mX8wW318r-JXyVAAJ8wzrm3cxDrCpRPNCGKW~tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Homewood, AL","date","2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","article","Homewood City’s IT director presented a proposal on Sept. 8 to replace the city’s existing backup and disaster‑recovery systems with a co‑managed solution from ThinkGuard and asked that staff add the contract to a future council agenda for approval.

Justin Stevens, the city’s IT director, told the committee that the current on‑premises appliance had failed to restore reliably earlier in the year and that the department spent roughly 72 hours working with vendor support to recover data. He described that incident as “the nail in the coffin” for the current solution and said the city needs shorter recovery point objectives for critical servers and faster, more reliable recoverability.

Stevens said the ThinkGuard proposal offers continuous or near‑continuous replication options (staff said they would likely schedule critical servers to replicate every 30–60 minutes and mid‑tier servers every four hours, with daily schedules for low‑priority systems). The proposal includes an on‑site appliance plus replication to multiple cloud providers and a co‑managed service with 24/7 monitoring and support. He said the contract would allow the city to fail over and run operations from the vendor’s data center for a limited period (reported in the contract as 20–30 days) without additional fees.

On cost, Stevens reported that the ThinkGuard solution would be roughly $60,000 annually to cover server backups and Office 365/OneDrive/Teams/SharePoint archiving. He told the committee ThinkGuard’s price was about $20,000 cheaper annually than two other solutions the city evaluated. Staff said the current solution’s renewal would occur at the end of October and the vendor lead time for appliances can be roughly two weeks; for that reason Stevens asked the committee to allow the item to be added to the city council’s new‑business agenda so contracts could be executed without a service gap.

Committee members asked operational questions about replication schedules, whether an appliance would remain on site, and the off‑site/cloud replication approach. Stevens confirmed the plan included a local appliance and off‑site replication to multiple clouds and emphasized that the co‑managed service would perform test restores (not simply rely on green “backup succeeded” indicators), and would not charge extra for 24/7 managed restores as part of the agreed service. Stevens also said the vendor would provide run‑time from their data center for the 20–30‑day contingency window before additional charges would apply.

Ending: The committee agreed to place the ThinkGuard contract proposal on the upcoming council new‑business agenda for final consideration; staff will return with the contract documents and procurement details for council action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Homewood Committee Meetings - Sept. 8, 2025 @ 5pm","oneSentenceSummary","Homewood City’s IT director told the Sept. 8 committee he wants council authorization to move the city’s backups to a co‑managed ThinkGuard service to shorten recovery windows and provide 24/7 managed restore support.","taxTitle","Homewood City, Jefferson County, Alabama","taxId",65544,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473261,"Homewood committees approve several contracts, traffic changes and sponsorships in unanimous votes",0,545000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d&start=545&end=545","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d/thumbnail_545000.jpg","/articles/6473261/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Homewood-committees-approve-several-contracts-traffic-changes-and-sponsorships-in-unanimous-votes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473261-ed233352d959f59cb26b41d6d2953977/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440279&Signature=LRlv3Sr0QUxiUGw6LquvXjxhITbfh1r-EI0yNpJ49ceyimSK17nv8TVS1OHUKCZYdwwTYeqhIvrDWFT4pfoPV1cxBvdP91dKZG57oVKwQ6fJwD-FLEdRhujb-wj4VJwOVqZWA2McDNVQ3itJJOjARa9vGrKLqoEgO9qtvnDSrbTw8wEd1l~LtjevYlQZyO6BcBGHVyrTkP77l~RCGtJSTrORBPmcpK2iXBbkZFWJxXCtRAsL4e9LZx0aEZ-PpibJlj9l1obHmvw02aF-cnrRrt9ry43m2p3TVcMco59NBC8AocPjUtgL3u03FcawP51bqSRdAo2KvdGSf0G~HhRPww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Homewood City’s committee meetings on Sept. 8 produced a series of unanimous approvals on construction, traffic and sponsorship items, and a procedural action to remove a business-license waiver request from further consideration.

The approvals include awarding a construction contract for a Green Springs Phase 2 project, hiring a construction engineering and inspection (CEI) firm for the same project, a change order for a residential fence installation, an agreement to replace two Patriot Park parking spaces with compact-car signage, a small sponsorship of the Birmingham Bowl media guide and formal removal of a business-license penalty-waiver request from the committee docket.

City staff reported a competitive bid opening for the Green Springs Phase 2 project, with multiple bidders close in price. The committee voted to award construction and separately approved CEI services. The committee also approved a change order authorizing additional fence work on Kenora and approved a contract to remove two Patriot Park parking spaces — later amended in committee discussion to instead pilot designated “compact cars only” signage for the two end spaces near the park crosswalk. A sponsorship of the Birmingham Bowl media guide was approved as submitted.

The committee also considered a request from the city clerk regarding a business-license penalty waiver for Southeast Veterinary Partners. City staff told the committee that the company had submitted payment and subsequently rescinded the formal waiver request; the committee voted to drop the item from the docket.

Votes at a glance (committee motion, mover/second, tally, outcome):
- Award construction contract for Green Springs Phase 2 to Gillespie Construction (bid amount as stated at the meeting: not specified in committee materials). Motion by Mr. Brandt; second Mr. Guatney. Vote: 5–0; approved.
- Approve contract for construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services with Sain and Associates for the Green Springs Phase 2 project for $85,000. Motion by Mr. Harden; second Mr. Aleman. Vote: 5–0; approved.
- Approve change order No. 1 for Gothic Construction to resolve additional field work for a fence on Kenora (homeowner privacy/fence extension). Motion by Mr. Brown; second Mr. Alemon. Vote: 5–0; approved.
- Request regarding Southeast Veterinary Partners business-license penalty/waiver — motion to drop the item after staff reported payment was received and the applicant rescinded the waiver request. Motion by Mr. Galtney; second Mr. Alemon. Vote: unanimous; item dropped.
- Motion to pilot compact-car signage (and paint) for the two end parking spaces at Patriot Park nearest the crosswalk, followed by an ordinance if enforcement is required. Motion by Mr. Almon; second Mr. Harden. Vote: unanimous; approved to pilot signage and forward for ordinance consideration.
- Birmingham Bowl sponsorship ($1,198 as reported at the meeting) — motion by Mr. Galtney; second Mr. Brandt. Vote: unanimous; approved.

The committee record shows these votes were unanimous at the committee level. Several of the items (for example the Green Springs contracts and the compact-car signage) will return to the full council or appear on a future agenda for final council action as required by city procurement or ordinance processes.

Less urgent procedural notes: the committee approved minutes and dispensed with their reading at the outset of the meeting.

Ending: Committee chairs said staff will place several items on upcoming council agendas for final action: the Green Springs contract documents and the ThinkGuard IT backup procurement (presented at the committee; to be added to council new business). The compact-car signage will be piloted and reviewed for effectiveness before any further permanent changes to parking configuration are made.","On Sept. 8 committees of Homewood City approved contract awards for a Green Springs road project, engineering oversight work, a fence change order, signage for two Patriot Park parking spaces, a Birmingham Bowl sponsorship and authorized removal of a business-license item from the docket.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473242,"Public Works approves removal of overgrown junipers and trimming at 1 West of Lakeshore Drive",208,2910000,3118000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d&start=2910&end=3118","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d/thumbnail_2910000.jpg","/articles/6473242/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Public-Works-approves-removal-of-overgrown-junipers-and-trimming-at-1-West-of-Lakeshore-Drive","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473242-76210cc676520bf1badeaf500ba02cef/orig.mp4?Expires=1770412313&Signature=mCjLEJmT9Yx5FTturOH8yeUdbi6zx0ix4G4NORTAztLsVHkKd2qt2hoGMAkXLEG7ZcJOSDrXJfV7Y1HMIoRHU0tQXksZG5c7aITt~Nv4RuCG-ONG5YNz~00ehC28MXLFQCiIcKpORgj~CutiR9XGqO71iDaPTxbnWHiYNE9eFGSfGckeu6mVw71u7YzZIola3WKs5usBnIG8pgdW5ngFyTnPmvdenpryKFuu~FmtBlxcDFEa6C5USzDrenSmZe56XeS0vPZXEc~winmfm6mDtz~qfWe0F2mA99HK970jNQf9GHUPcuptNnSxcDBw8ywu42L24nBAwbVHLWglVxr2TA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Public Works committee on Sept. 8 approved a request from a private party, at the party’s cost, to remove overgrown junipers and limb up a magnolia at the southwest corner of Comiana Road and Lakeshore Drive (near the Lakeshore circle). The request, presented by staff, cited recurring homeless encampment activity and public‑safety concerns in the dense shrub area.

Staff said the junipers were poorly suited to the site, had been used historically as a dense screen and regularly conceal activity that requires police response. Public Works staff recommended removing the juniper plantings and limbing the magnolia while leaving the magnolia as a feature. Committee members approved a motion authorizing the work subject to a city tree permit and directed staff to coordinate removal to the bridge end of the designated exhibit shown in meeting materials.

Ending: Staff will process the tree permit and schedule the work at the requestor’s expense; Public Works will monitor the area after removal and return if additional plantings or design changes are needed to maintain visibility without removing the magnolia.","Public Works committee authorized removal of overgrown junipers and trimming/limbing of a magnolia at the southwest corner of Comiana Road and Lakeshore Drive to improve visibility and reduce recurring homeless encampment concerns.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473247,"Homewood committee opts to pilot 'compact cars only' signage rather than permanently remove Patriot Park parking spaces",730,740000,1470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d&start=740&end=1470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d/thumbnail_740000.jpg","/articles/6473247/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Homewood-committee-opts-to-pilot-compact-cars-only-signage-rather-than-permanently-remove-Patriot-Park-parking-spaces","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473247-307c294db8efc1e687a8293615ab29ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440279&Signature=AOegQ8s5je~-KlaRAjjnIEYrahaNccFw81Ql8jN11dc3VkMHsxqC-4FvU4w16Av3DX0kQVmd~kwUHwmYN9RXuATuTxE0rU2NJh7HyoxwTyMQcYhK6jtVYaOj8kUpureRaOLdq2KRK6qGT00J540GoH8OwWbxCJeySl7V14vE2ma3n3U81OZVifIAGrEKwejbF0k8UDxVtrosa47H2xpmtBD4U3~AgZmXgqvqICblY60VwpWF~OYMtVM6bThHERKOwhxHe6oUP9I~EHANv8icZqnPfZVUXox9AcwEoe5LzKL~ktscUY6nC1f7xxRqxZaQIomjtSWdm4qPhIOLDlQ1nQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Homewood committee members on Sept. 8 discussed a staff recommendation to remove two parking stalls nearest the Patriot Park crosswalk to improve pedestrian visibility. After an extended discussion about tradeoffs — including the difficulty of measuring the safety benefit of removing spaces and concerns about diverting traffic into residential streets — members agreed to pilot signage and pavement markings instead of immediate removal.

Staff noted the two stalls in question are the end stalls closest to the crosswalk across from a nearby ice cream shop. Committee members said angled parking and other reconfigurations had been discussed previously but could shift traffic patterns and remove a similar number of spaces without guaranteeing improved safety. Councilors emphasized that children using the adjacent playground may run into the street and that retaining parking near the park is valuable to residents.

The committee approved a motion to install signage and paint the two end stalls as “compact cars only,” with staff to monitor whether visibility and crosswalk use improve; council will consider an ordinance if the pilot indicates a ticketing/enforcement regime is needed. Staff will define the exact stalls by map and install signs and pavement markings; the pilot will be reviewed at a later committee meeting.

Ending: Public Works will install pilot signage and pavement markings at the two identified stalls and report back on effectiveness; if enforcement is requested, staff will prepare ordinance language for council consideration.","After discussion about crosswalk visibility and tradeoffs with parking loss, the committee approved a pilot to mark two end parking stalls near the Patriot Park crosswalk as 'compact cars only' (paint and signage) and to evaluate safety effects before any permanent removal.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473252,"Committees approve repositioning and consolidation of Oxmoor Road crosswalks in Saint Charles",271,2339000,2610000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d&start=2339&end=2610","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753763-5f26b3f4e8f10fc79695917005b1028d/thumbnail_2339000.jpg","/articles/6473252/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Committees-approve-repositioning-and-consolidation-of-Oxmoor-Road-crosswalks-in-Saint-Charles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473252-e1bc5dfcd81049b7389ae5e2fb029ae2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440279&Signature=kV-nsJS90GBCD-Rq6pPy5uiDpTQOncJPArZ4Krw4abC84M2no8ZniKGiuIdYVowJz1wb8JD3gXT68PTNugsAqA-xROiDE0~Ez0CcJGVtf3LNI-14EpNj3P5wKpBCzNVZc3RqgURfk9-w1M5YED3aumTCbBaBlCqmWQik4cIF8Xn-d87bmHxTv8Z9ip7sXVPSVHxc-qhWJpw1lkEIYcVGud9Y2QhKNvscHn277bqD5RqrvBM~GuQN-BtAzUwK0iEHArChGk~wMwpO7bsv1PSc2a074HCYuXDWyrvyG-WKbouH1WfiyBNZVgbdETxB35h~TqTDCRN6qbs68l7PTvl92w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committees of Homewood City on Sept. 8 voted to adjust several crosswalk locations on Oxmoor Road in the Saint Charles commercial area to make pedestrian crossings more direct and to remove an existing crosswalk that deposited walkers into a parking area.

Staff presented satellite imagery and engineering options showing an angled crosswalk that currently connects mid-block and lands near parking stalls. Committee members and staff discussed ADA curb‑cut implications and the need to add or relocate signal/crossing poles. Public‑safety concerns and past accidents at the intersection informed the proposal.

The committees approved motions to move the crosswalks so they are straighter across the roadway, to remove the east‑side crosswalk that currently lands into a parking space, and to add any required poles and curb ramps to maintain ADA compliance. Public Works staff said the work may require a curb cut and that sidewalk and decorative‑paving funding is in the planned budget; staff will coordinate ADA compliance and final striping. Committee members noted that one configuration (phase 1) that had been considered earlier would have required eliminating a turn lane and could impede deliveries, so staff will proceed with the straighter alignments and remove the conflicting crosswalks.

Ending: Staff will prepare final design plans and budget adjustments as needed and coordinate striping, curb ramps and signal pole work to implement the approved crosswalk changes.","Homewood committees approved shifting and consolidating crosswalks on Oxmoor Road at Saint Charles to straighten crossings, remove an angled crossing that landed in a parking area and add poles/ADA curb cuts as needed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Homewood IT director proposes ThinkGuard co‑managed backup system; item to be added to council agenda

Homewood committees approve several contracts, traffic changes and sponsorships in unanimous votes

Public Works approves removal of overgrown junipers and trimming at 1 West of Lakeshore Drive

Homewood committee opts to pilot 'compact cars only' signage rather than permanently remove Patriot Park parking spaces

Committees approve repositioning and consolidation of Oxmoor Road crosswalks in Saint Charles