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Council discusses $20 trade fee for training program, requests delay and floor for small permits
Summary
Councilmembers debated Ordinance 11024 to add an Alabama Construction Trade Academy Fund fee (proposed $20 per building permit), with council support for workforce training, a request to delay the effective date to Jan. 1, 2027, a proposed $25,000 bridging contract, and an administration suggestion to set a $30 floor so small permits are not disproportionately affected.
Councilmembers discussed Ordinance 11024 on June 2, which would amend the Mobile City Code to allow a permit-linked fee to fund construction trade workforce training.
Councilman Woods described the Home Builders Academy as a workforce training program that "is training ... you spend time take the classes come out of that class ready to ready to go to work" and said the training can reduce apprenticeship time "from 2 years to 1 year" for participants. He supported establishing a $20 fee attached to building permits beginning Oct. 1 to fund the program and noted local training providers and recent activity, including a new executive director and a career fair.
Councilman Ronalds said he and the mayor supported the trades program but asked that the ordinance's effective date be moved "from October 1st of this year to January 1st of '27" to allow a consultant to review permit fees and clarify application. He proposed a $25,000 first-quarter performance contract to bridge funding until the fee takes effect.
An administration representative said the mayor would propose a $30 floor so the $20 trade fee would not be added to permits that are $30 or less, noting several residential permits currently priced at $10; a councilmember asked administration to provide a list of permit types and current fees so members could evaluate the floor.
No final vote on the ordinance was recorded in the excerpt; members described this as the ordinance's introduction and discussed amendments to the effective date and fee application.
