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Commission places moratorium on Multimodal Board meetings pending ordinance review
Summary
After members of the Multimodal Board expressed confusion about their authority, the Birmingham City Commission voted to pause the board's meetings while the commission reviews city code sections that define the board’s scope and duties.
The Birmingham City Commission voted Aug. 25 to place a temporary moratorium on Multimodal Board meetings while it reviews Birmingham City Code sections 110‑30 and 110‑31 to clarify the board’s scope, authority, purpose and duties.
City Attorney staff and the city manager reported that members of the Multimodal Board have expressed confusion about whether they are empowered to decide on agenda items or are advisory only. At the Aug. 7 Multimodal Board meeting, several board members said they would not make decisions on agenda items until they had a shared interpretation of the ordinance; the board then voted to schedule a special internal meeting.
City staff recommended the commission review the ordinance language and provide direction. Commission discussion emphasized that the Multimodal Board is an advisory body and that the commission values the board’s recommendations but must be the final decisionmaker. Several commissioners urged a prompt joint meeting or workshop to resolve the disconnect and recommended an expedited timeline.
The moratorium motion was presented to the commission to allow time for the commission to review and, if necessary, revise the relevant code sections and to plan a meeting with the Multimodal Board. The commission recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the temporary pause and requested staff to schedule a commission agenda item and a joint session with the board as soon as practicable.
