Homewood City Council voted unanimously Sept. 29 to adopt the city’s 2025–26 budget, approve several contracts for public-safety and infrastructure projects and pass local parking and surplus-property ordinances. Two measures that drew extended debate — a proposed ordinance regulating encampments on public property and a proposed 10-year fiber franchise with Lumos Fiber — failed to gain unanimous consent on first reading and will be carried to the council’s Oct. 13 meeting for a second reading and final vote.

The budget adoption was the night’s most consequential vote. Councilor Smith, chairing the finance committee, summarized the package and the council’s priorities. “We are giving our employees a 4.5% COLA,” Smith said during his presentation, noting the city also will cover a requested 5% merit pool set by the Jefferson County personnel board and absorb an estimated 4.75% increase in employee insurance costs. The budget includes a tiered employee bonus program contingent on an end-of-year surplus, funding for design of Fire Station 2, purchase of three fire trucks and “several new police officers,” and the city’s share of a long‑running divergent-diamond interchange project on I‑65.

Why it matters: the budget sets pay and benefits for city employees, funds new public-safety facilities and vehicles, and allocates money for multi-year capital projects that affect traffic flow and emergency response across Homewood.

Key details and council action
- Budget: The council approved the full 2025–26 budget in a single resolution (approved by voice vote, 11–0). Council statements said the package was balanced, includes a 4.5% cost-of-living adjustment and covers merit increases and insurance cost increases for employees. The budget also funds design work for Fire Station 2 and budgets construction in subsequent years.

- Fire-station design: Council authorized the city manager to execute a contract with Burchfield Architects for design services for Fire Station 2. The finance committee recommended approval (committee vote 4–0); the council approved the resolution 11–0.

- Diverging-diamond reimbursement: The council authorized an intergovernmental agreement with Jefferson County that will reimburse part of the city’s costs for the I‑65 Lakeshore diverging-diamond project; committee recommended approval (4–0) and council approved 11–0.

- Shades Creek Greenway trailhead: Council set a bid date of Oct. 2 for the new trailhead pavilion by the soccer fields (committee recommended, council approved 11–0).

- Surplus property and fleet items: An ordinance declaring certain fleet and traffic department items surplus was approved on first reading and passed by roll call (ordinance 2953, 11–0); the council authorized sale by public auction.

- Edgewood parking: The council amended city traffic rules to impose a two-hour parking limit in defined Edgewood commercial blocks and city lots; the ordinance passed after unanimous-consent procedure (ordinance 2954, 11–0). Council members discussed timing and coordination with the planned Dawson parking deck opening and signage/enforcement details.

- Cybersecurity/email filtering: The council authorized a one-year agreement with Mimecast for email filtering and incident response (committee recommended 4–0; council approved 11–0).

- Local street lights: Council approved funding for seven new street lights along South Lakeshore and three lights at a nearby trailhead parking area; committee and council approval were unanimous (resolution 25173, 11–0). Finance staff cited an approximate annual cost to Alabama Power of about $2,972.

Lumos Fiber franchise and public questions
Lumos representatives presented a proposed city franchise (a 10‑year franchise described in the first-reading ordinance) and said the company intends to build fiber to all of Homewood as part of a larger Jefferson County build. A Lumos speaker described the company as a joint-venture owner with T‑Mobile and said: “We are all fiber, broadband fiber broadband to the home ... It is all of it is what we were intending to build, all of it.” Council members and residents raised questions about construction methods (directional boring vs. open trenching), marking and contact procedures for residents, the frequency and placement of underground utility boxes, and use of subcontractors; Lumos said it will use boring equipment, potholing for utilities, and will provide resident contact numbers and mailings before work begins.

The council declined to grant unanimous consent to adopt the franchise ordinance on first reading; the item will be carried to the Oct. 13 meeting for a second reading and vote.

Encampment ordinance debate
The council held a contentious first reading of a proposed ordinance to prohibit camping on public property, establish a pre-removal notice procedure and allow confiscation of abandoned personal property after a 24‑hour posted notice. City Attorney Mike Kendrick read the ordinance aloud. The ordinance would make certain acts on public property unlawful, require warnings before arrest or confiscation, create a 24‑hour pre‑removal notice process and include exemptions for medical emergencies, short-term picnics, permitted events and official duties.

Council debate was extensive. Supporters said the ordinance gives police a consistent “toolkit” to address recurring encampments, unsanitary conditions and safety risks. Opponents and several newly elected council members sought more time to review the draft and requested clearer language on items such as sleeping in vehicles and whether the ban would apply to city streets. Several members emphasized that officers typically prefer counseling and warnings before enforcement. Councilor Guatney noted the Public Safety Committee worked with the chief and residents and recommended the draft (committee vote 5–0). Multiple council members and residents urged adding resource referrals (shelter/mental‑health information) when officers contact individuals.

Unanimous consent to adopt the encampment ordinance on first reading failed; one councilor voted no and another indicated they could not support unanimous consent because they wanted more time to consider constituent input. The ordinance will be carried to the Oct. 13 council meeting for a second reading and final vote.

Votes at a glance (selected formal outcomes and identifiers as stated at the meeting)
- Minutes, Sept. 15: approve dispense with reading — passed 11–0.
- Appointment: Karen McClure to Ward 4 beautification board — passed 11–0.
- Resolution 25168 (602 Ward Road retaining wall; right-of-way work): adopted 11–0.
- Public-nuisance matter, 109 Hanover Road (case 280825): hearing closed; matter dropped — passed 11–0.
- Resolution 25169 (amend contract with Kimberly Horn for A trip design): adopted 11–0.
- Resolution 25170 (budget amendments/transfers): adopted 11–0.
- Resolution 25171 (contract with Burchfield Architects, Fire Station 2 design): adopted 11–0.
- Resolution 25172 (intergovernmental agreement, I‑65 Lakeshore reimbursement): adopted 11–0.
- Shades Creek trailhead bid date set (Oct. 2, 3:00 p.m.): adopted 11–0.
- Ordinance 2953 (surplus property): adopted 11–0.
- Resolution 25173 (additional streetlights, South Lakeshore and trailhead): adopted 11–0.
- Resolution 25174 (Mimecast email filtering, 1‑year agreement): adopted 11–0.
- Encampment ordinance (first reading): unanimous-consent request failed; carry to Oct. 13 for second reading.
- Fiber franchise ordinance (Lumos) (first reading): unanimous-consent request failed; carry to Oct. 13 for second reading.
- Ordinance 2954 (two-hour parking limit, Edgewood): adopted 11–0.
- Budget adoption (single resolution for whole budget, 2025–26): adopted 11–0. Major line items noted by finance: 4.5% COLA; coverage of merit increases and insurance increases; funding for Fire Station 2 design; three new fire trucks; additional police officers; continued funding toward I‑65 interchange.
- Resolution 25176 (approval of vouchers): adopted 11–0.
- Resolution 25177 (late appropriation to Exceptional Foundation to reimburse prior-year omission): adopted 11–0.

Quotes and attribution: all direct quotations in this story are taken from the Sept. 29 council meeting and are attributed to speakers who spoke on the record at that meeting.

What’s next
Several items that drew public comment and council concern — notably the Lumos fiber franchise and the encampment ordinance — will return for a required second reading and a final council vote on Oct. 13. Council members asked staff to continue community outreach (franchise construction notices, resident contact numbers) and to work with social-service providers to add resource referrals to any enforcement procedure that involves unhoused people.

Ending: The council adjourned after proclamations and farewells to multiple outgoing council members; canvassing of election results was scheduled for the following day.