Council declares local emergency to clear hazardous overgrowth; authorizes contractors and $3 million effort

The Birmingham City Council declared a local emergency and authorized the mayor to engage private contractors to remove hazardous vegetative overgrowth across the city, citing excessive rainfall that produced public-safety risks and a backlog of long‑standing nuisance lots.

Mayor Randall Woodfin said the emergency declaration—effective for 45 days unless extended—is intended to speed work on parcels that pose immediate health and safety risks to neighbors, particularly seniors, and to allow the city to marshal additional contractors and public‑works resources.

Why it matters: Council leaders framed the vote as an emergency response to extraordinary weather and a chronic, citywide code-enforcement challenge. They emphasized that the measure is intended to address the most hazardous and longstanding cases quickly while the city pursues longer-term legal and policy tools to compel private owners to maintain their land.

Key facts and numbers: Pro Tem Alexander and staff said the city’s land and code datasets show roughly 14,820 tax-delinquent parcels that correlate with the overgrowth problem; the mayor said 3,583 private properties already had been declared public nuisances and were awaiting assignment to contractors. City staff reported that since January 1 public crews have cut more than 10,740 blocks, PEP contractors have cut about 1,691 private lots, city crews have cut 4,036 acres and 1,099 city-owned lots. The council had previously approved a $3,000,000 allocation that city leaders said must be distributed quickly.

Administrative and legal issues discussed: Council members asked whether property assessments or liens would be imposed during the emergency. The mayor and staff said the city will not pursue administrative assessments against owners while the emergency process removes hazards; the city will use liens and other follow-up collection tools afterward. Council members highlighted the 45‑day emergency window, the city’s new foreclosure-lien authority enacted by the state legislature, and possible non-financial measures to compel compliance (for example, linking outstanding liens to vehicle registration or other administrative holds was discussed as a policy idea).

Procurement and implementation: Chief Chaz Mitchell and procurement staff explained the plan to issue an RFP and to recruit up to 16 contractors; the procurement window was described as a quick turnaround (approximately 30 days open for vendors) so contractors can be selected and assigned nuisance properties. City staff said operations will combine public-works crews, PEP teams and Birmingham Land Bank assignments so multiple areas can be worked simultaneously in a “blitz” rather than a single-district sequential approach.

Environmental and operational clarifications: Councilors asked whether herbicides would be used. City staff and the mayor said they do not plan to use herbicides as part of the emergency cuts and emphasized “clean and green” goals rather than leaving lots brown or burned. Staff said gates and signage would be part of some neighborhood responses, but that the emergency work focuses on clearing hazardous vegetative growth that blocks sidewalks, invites rodents and creates safety hazards.

Council vote and next steps: The council approved the emergency declaration and the mayor’s authority to contract for hazard removal. Staff said they will provide district-level lists of targeted properties, daily public updates on blitz areas and a procurement timeline to the council. Councilors asked staff to prioritize truly hazardous lots and to coordinate with neighborhood associations and community groups for volunteer and pro‑bono support.

Ending: The emergency declaration provides a temporary, expedited path to cut hazardous overgrowth and bring immediate relief for affected neighborhoods while the city pursues longer-term legal and programmatic reforms.