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Commission approves routine grants, ARPA reallocations and accepts HUD ESG funds; sheriff helicopter lease discussed

Jefferson County Commission · January 7, 2026

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Summary

Commissioners approved multiple routine finance and contracting items, including community grants, ARPA EMS reallocations, acceptance of HUD Emergency Solutions Grant funds for homelessness and housing rehab programs, and an engineering contract for a county building; the sheriff's office discussed a helicopter lease and an MOU with Birmingham for shared pilots and assets.

The Jefferson County Commission approved a slate of finance, contract and grant items covering multiple departments and districts, and discussed proposed asset arrangements involving the sheriff's office.

Finance and contracts: Miss Dixon presented nine finance items including an elevator maintenance contract and purchasing reports; the items were approved by voice vote. Miss Wilkins presented a structural engineering contract for MBA Professional Engineering Services to inspect the domestic relations building after staff observed foundation and veneer issues; commissioners approved the contract by voice vote.

ARPA and HUD allocations: The county manager and staff described reallocations of ARPA funds for EMS (ambulance and training equipment) and explained that as contracts close staff is reallocating underspends within the same ARPA categories. Staff also explained acceptance of HUD Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds to support homelessness providers and the county's housing rehab program; staff said the ESG funds support providers for people at risk of homelessness and that roughly $500,000 of those funds go to housing rehab activities.

Community and district grants: Commissioners considered and amended several district community grants, adding modest amounts to organizations such as the Legacy YMCA and the Playhouse and approving grants for police and fire equipment in municipalities. Senior center grants (items 2–8) of $20,000 each and HOME program uses were discussed; staff estimated HOME funds could support roughly 20–25 individual homes if used for single‑family units or be directed toward senior living development.

Sheriff assets: Sheriff staff discussed relocating a leased helicopter base closer to Birmingham to reduce costs and improve deployment; lease figures were discussed in ballpark terms (figures noted near $52,000–$70,000 for the lease and roughly $4,400 monthly in one comment). Staff confirmed an MOU with the City of Birmingham for shared pilots and asset use, but the transcript did not record detailed financial contributions by the city.

What happens next: The transcript records voice approvals for the listed contracts and grants; detailed contract terms, ARPA reallocation worksheets, and HUD ESG award documents were not included in the recorded segments and will require staff follow‑up or posted documentation for full terms.