[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",5981051,"mediaKeyId","5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5","parentId",5792970,"title","Nonprofits ask Mobile council for support for middle‑school program and free dental day","audioSeconds",247,"startMs",1863000,"endMs",2110000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5&start=1863&end=2110","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5/thumbnail_1863000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5981051/Mobile-City/Mobile-County/Alabama/Nonprofits-ask-Mobile-council-for-support-for-middleschool-program-and-free-dental-day","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5981051-600769b71e7b29edfef2df949151b569/orig.mp4?Expires=1774853184&Signature=V1Qi5-HVq0tDenWAP6QofYCh-tdKfRp-4Zi5m~eHKWKp68aiBdU5TAGwjTY0rYGm2sXuLrbjdXuBsZP-piw3qfkEm5P3EXTYcsuyJeOzu~aLGuFB5GDWJVbcGogmQeZFjkpeGw6iD4GV0uSwkRHI9uBo6Nl00720P0iIzaxaEnFcgFqSw-~vdJMHg~mLgwce9iz-qEo4uv1-EhfPw00os9eXIaP0zg2Xh14g~Do2NkqWzieY4s2TvNXjpcYqnLwo8t-iv5Ua99ekpbPmvALftssV-ct4zmil7dbqYbr7xeuNvu9aqD9cjNFh0LQ8TVY7i5-wHbeC2EFpYrjVGF~iGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mobile City, AL","date","2025-09-17T05:03:17Z","article","Two community nonprofits addressed the Mobile City Council during public comment on Sept. 16 asking for local support for youth programming and free dental services.
Jabaria Dent, who identified herself as representing the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama, described the \"Bridges to Great Futures\" program aimed at preparing students for middle school. Dent said the program would begin the summer before sixth grade, provide 256 hours of summer programming plus out-of-school support during three years of middle school, and run at six sites across the city with a per-site capacity of 80 students, serving up to 480 students annually. Dent said combining summer and school-year programming would provide \"780 hours of support in out of school time for these kids.\" She presented cost figures from the Justice Policy Institute saying it costs about $161,000 per year to incarcerate a young person, and contrasted that with the club's approximate $4,725 per participant cost for the program.
Lindsay Blankenship spoke on behalf of Dedicated Dentist Inc., a charitable project started by Dr. Sonya White that runs a free dental day. Blankenship said the group provided about $54,000 worth of services to roughly 100 people at last year's free clinic and that local county commissioners contributed $5,000. She said the organization was short about $10,000 for the upcoming Oct. 11 clinic and asked the council to consider a contribution; she provided flyers to council members and offered to supply a PDF to the city clerk for distribution.
Both presenters framed their requests as preventive, education- and health-focused investments. There was no formal appropriation vote during the meeting; council members asked that the presenters send materials to the city clerk and review possible grant or discretionary funding paths.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Mobile City Council Meeting Sept 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives from the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama and a free dental clinic sought council attention and local support during public comment Sept. 16, outlining a middle‑school readiness program and requesting funding for a volunteer dental event.","taxTitle","Mobile City, Mobile County, Alabama","taxId",3866,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5981057,"National Weather Service designates Mobile as StormReady; city highlights preparedness work",136,568000,704000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5&start=568&end=704","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5/thumbnail_568000.jpg","/articles/5981057/Mobile-City/Mobile-County/Alabama/National-Weather-Service-designates-Mobile-as-StormReady-city-highlights-preparedness-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5981057-1149e3ca9decf93753de546b8361136e/orig.mp4?Expires=1774853184&Signature=dWZ1ghPV~7Fc1fkpxS7-aAnD~ntOICe7jCx2KtmCtXmfzoB5JGWAhJAFufwOyBAl8YPIl~yqSGNsH-4aR7AEXQcxZSPtEKcL72bqPnGZeSzsRiWHxqrh88tALBdSzdCTy0gdwr-sgeBKCap3-uxBVL5taI3v1YYF67tRpcbV06wDXGMMUExrzfz7zvzExeKFu9Ls2yrgGCQThJjhoQyKectHStSL64-s-tma1kBI4V~29o~vj~-m0XGGJzN7Xav77Crnj777gmez72QhVT3ccrdxB-~KEFYzL6E8nCaKOJtK5IS3SCppLEtVg8EPvDvF7WE8w0eMFsvRXjopBtXRNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The National Weather Service recognized the City of Mobile Sept. 16 as a StormReady community, marking what the city called a milestone in preparedness for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other hazardous weather.
Jason Beaman, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Mobile, told the council the designation \"is a testament to the city's commitment to public safety\" and cited requirements such as multiple ways to receive weather warnings, public readiness promotion and a formal hazardous weather plan that includes exercises.
Mayor William S. Stimpson and city staff thanked public safety personnel and the Office of Resilience for coordinating across departments. The mayor noted the designation joins other recognitions such as an ISO-1 fire rating and said the goal is to ensure city personnel are prepared to perform at \"peak capacity\" if a storm occurs.
Beaman said Mobile is the second community in Alabama to receive the StormReady designation and thanked the city's public safety team for meeting the program's criteria.
The city said further outreach and preparedness programs, including public education and interdepartmental drills, will continue as part of maintaining readiness.","The National Weather Service formally recognized the City of Mobile as StormReady Sept. 16, a designation the city said reflects interdepartmental coordination, warning systems and emergency planning.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5981062,"City council adopts FY25-26 general fund and CIP budgets after amendments",119,3441000,3560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5&start=3441&end=3560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5/thumbnail_3441000.jpg","/articles/5981062/Mobile-City/Mobile-County/Alabama/City-council-adopts-FY25-26-general-fund-and-CIP-budgets-after-amendments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5981062-64b1899f73d04f50301a9aba27ba8f29/orig.mp4?Expires=1774853184&Signature=OiHehvJnH3lCxZcXF78xd5V30SpsAvmHv1feXHZWOsdU1FG1iYBQ~8SnWkTDWZI-g6XeLXMsT5Y4q485HIVmaj9F0vCCdMnX9rlz0F80LGvMWVUyJEPjiRbGjK854FyXzSDrjlUaKhs-YucrmX50rj1vkq4Xk1hONvH3yic8hlvAzaxDnGYn4aYWTVg~wP8RIQdrKAKtG25FFBWu8t3jTDe-Jd~O~CO9SKqRlexudPPJITvXWJ3kXe6gVARn7KBWJdOLjNhXmNygFPQRy2d40Lvs9Ki8WzuWmsnDZfeM1BHDpIFJbeBZhtO6XdbiGc1hnTv1JsLZ3hR0YrfhtlaoQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mobile City Council adopted its 2025-26 general fund and capital improvement budgets on Sept. 16 after approving a set of budget-neutral amendments proposed by council members.
Councilman Days moved an amendment package that the council described and passed during the meeting. The motion decreased a $28,750 transfer out to grants to $0; reduced the Visit Mobile allocation by $219,658 (from $4,914,000 to $4,694,342); increased operational expenses in the permitting division by $17,800 and planning and zoning by $37,350; and increased personnel expense in the municipal enforcement division by $193,800. Council members said the set of changes was budget-neutral.
Council members and administration staff noted the statutory adoption deadline (Sept. 20) and said the budget had been subject to an open process that included a public hearing the prior week. Director Collins and Mayor Stimpson both thanked council members for timely action; Collins said the process included public input and that the administration would proceed with the adopted plan.
Council members also numbered amendments for the record and confirmed the package moved forward after a vote. The council approved the budget and several related CIP items and left some CIP resolutions for a later week as provided by council rules.
The budget vote closed a process the administration described as transparent and subject to the city's statutory calendar; council members said they expected the administration to implement the adopted appropriations and report back on progress.","The Mobile City Council voted Sept. 16 to adopt the city's fiscal 2025-26 general fund and capital improvement fund budgets, approving council amendments that reallocated specific line items while keeping the overall package budget-neutral.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5981067,"Mobile council approves new contract for transit operations with employee protections, nine‑month transition",294,3157000,3451000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5&start=3157&end=3451","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792970-a1ea6302daa101f75cccfa9895a28de5/thumbnail_3157000.jpg","/articles/5981067/Mobile-City/Mobile-County/Alabama/Mobile-council-approves-new-contract-for-transit-operations-with-employee-protections-ninemonth-transition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5981067-96e7d4b5f42d8e7842210b1c3f3b6b4e/orig.mp4?Expires=1774853184&Signature=XfDcpIq7yYTe602WNvOBw48TcMGPNmYCEXbTVihH8~Avjso85BbqHIoZYz0jrf0IUc3sk5Rwr4l1vrjWE0mf1co3tEFAfy6PiCkkJs~efr-YwKXJ6zuDA6TcWhleukHF~TfYKDa7JPjPuVv4HVfAkKzqwCII9d2aJhkrws6A4RYzYjs75gKxtujYytWkejJ0UqHV4Ty8n2DS6a2r65VUtIkC0dHPkw2-zmZUEwI6Hrq~gYEjHX5Lociuo2MT4hleu1oDuhF8PmYmAedG7PzDp-bGYv0W4Gif~oDxxlM-r~7hWnlkvaxVL6ivNpYBybuURU4laSiFTg8HCJ96O0MzHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mobile City Council voted Sept. 16 to authorize a contract for Port City Transit (via Via) to operate the city's transit system, approving amendments that the council and administration said will protect frontline employees and delay major service changes.
The move authorizes a multi-year operating agreement and includes council amendments that Collins said were intended to protect employees and promote cost savings while retaining service continuity.
Council discussion and staff remarks emphasized three elements: (1) the contract term was revised to a three-year initial term with two potential renewals before a longer five-year extension (described in meeting documents as a \"3,1,1,5\" structure); (2) transition language requiring that \"all service employees, absent of management, all service employees, will be transferred over\" pending standard reviews; and (3) a commitment that the first nine months of the contract would operate the same routes and schedules as the Wave system does on the day the contract starts.
Director Collins (administration representative) told the council that \"during the 9 months, there are no changes,\" a point council members said was intended to give time for public hearings and technical reviews before any permanent service alterations. Collins also said the city budget sets aside $200,000 in fiscal year 2026 to match Mogo microtransit service during the transition.
Unionized drivers and Wave employees who spoke during the meeting urged protections for existing benefits. Alfred Abrams, who identified himself as a Wave employee and a union member, asked the council to \"take consideration and compassion\" for employees and riders and requested that the contract preserve sick time, personal time, pension, insurance and other benefits. City and Via representatives answered during the public meeting that employees would retain paid sick days and insurance; when asked, Collins responded \"They will not lose their sick days. They will be paid for their sick days,\" and meeting staff confirmed vacation balances would be honored.
Council members framed the selection of Via as a move to bring additional operational expertise and technology to Mobile transit. Councilwoman Reynolds said the goal for the transition''including the nine-month interim period'was to \"increase the ridership, make it more convenient for the people that are out there using the services,\" and to find efficiencies that could reduce taxpayer costs. Councilman Woods sponsored an amendment package the council adopted that Collins described as focused on cost savings, contract length and employee transition.
The council also discussed limitations placed in the contract and in the budget documents: Woods noted a \"not to exceed\" amount in the budget language for payments to the operator, which he said constrained city spending. Council members and administration representatives said Via representatives were on site and would meet with employees and union representatives after the meeting to continue one-on-one discussions.
The item appears on the agenda as 21-11-49, \"authorize contract with Port City Transit for services to operate city's transit system.\" The motion and subsequent amendment carried and the council recorded the passage of the item.
Questions and next steps: council members said they expect public hearings and an operational review during the nine-month period, after which Via and the administration would present a recommended long-term service plan to the council. In the meeting, council members encouraged the public to submit suggestions for stop improvements and interim measures that could make the system more convenient while the transition proceeds.","The Mobile City Council authorized a contract to shift operation of the city's transit services to Port City Transit/Via with amendments that preserve frontline employee benefits and postpone route changes for nine months while public input and a transition plan proceed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nonprofits ask Mobile council for support for middle‑school program and free dental day

National Weather Service designates Mobile as StormReady; city highlights preparedness work

City council adopts FY25-26 general fund and CIP budgets after amendments

Mobile council approves new contract for transit operations with employee protections, nine‑month transition