Christy Barrett, a Birmingham resident, used the Aug. 25 public‑comment period to urge the Birmingham City Commission to pause and re‑examine the 400 East Lincoln Project, a proposed facility for Next (a regional YMCA operator). Barrett said the process lacked transparency and that key decisions were made in private meetings before public notice.

"This entire project was driven by a date Next needed to vacate Birmingham schools," Barrett said, adding that the city’s purchase and related memoranda of understanding occurred quickly. She said the project decision was "not based on validated data," and called for an independent review of membership, space needs and operating costs.

Barrett disputed some stated demographic claims about Birmingham’s aging population and Next’s space requirements, and she raised concerns about operating funding. She said Next’s membership in Birmingham equates to a small share of the population and questioned assumptions used in planning. Barrett asked the commission to "stop and take a real pause and look at the real data" and to consider what residents might lose if the existing Next facility closes. She also said some appointed community members had questioned the project and cited a project cost figure raised in discussion.

City staff provided one immediate correction during the meeting: the city manager noted that senior millage funds collected to date had not been spent. The manager explained that the city and the Baldwin Public Library are still negotiating the library’s administrative services contract, and he also told the commission the city would continue providing existing services while those negotiations proceed.

The commission did not take action on the project during the Aug. 25 meeting; Barrett’s remarks were recorded as public comment for the record.