🌱 Mayor Speaks Out On 'Nasty' Property Owners + Water Bill Changes

Hello again, Birmingham! Danielle Fallon-O'Leary here with your Thursday edition of the Birmingham Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, today's weather:

Humid with a shower or two. High: 86 Low: 67.

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Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin spoke out about "nasty" absentee property owners in a recent Facebook post. In his post, Woodfin clarified that the city is not responsible for cutting the grass on private lots, and he advocated for improved state and local laws to hold absentee property owners accountable for the state of their lots. He continued his comments on this topic at Tuesday's city council meeting, saying it's time to "shift this energy" toward property owners rather than the city, which has issued millions of dollars in fees for overgrown lots. Woodfin stressed that the city does not have the resources to maintain each overgrown private lot, and he announced two new upcoming campaigns, "Take Pride Where I Reside," and "Adopt Your Block," which will encourage residents to beautify their neighborhoods. (Birmingham Times)
2. A Mountain Brook man has been on a mission to beautify Birmingham's highway entrance and exit ramps. Ralph Yielding got his start by picking up trash in advance of last year's World Games. After the games concluded, he kept going and began cleaning graffiti and planting flowers with a group of volunteers. Yielding has partnered with the city, growing plants in the city's greenhouse and using city equipment to till soil. He is continuing to expand his efforts and is looking for more volunteers. Anyone interested in helping can contact him at [email protected]. (WVTM)
3. Residents may notice changes soon to water bills as the Birmingham Water Works Board will be rolling out a new design for monthly bills. The changes are part of the department's "Bill Better" campaign, which aims to improve customer trust following last year's issues with billing and customer service. Bill Better will include line-by-line breakdowns on bills so customers understand what each charge is for, as well as increased transparency, and quicker resolutions for customer issues. (Subscription: AL.com)

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Today in Birmingham:

• Happy Hour At Carrigan's Beer Garden (4:00 PM)
• Craft Chocolate 101 At Honeycreeper Chocolate (6:00 PM)
• Sheila E At Alys Stephens Center (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Commencement ceremonies for all Birmingham City Schools will be available via live stream at this link. Graduation ceremonies for local high schools are set for today, Jun. 1, and tomorrow, Jun. 2, at the Birmingham CrossPlex/Bill Harris Arena. (Birmingham City Schools via Facebook)
• The Birmingham Zoo is seeking donations for the Cougar Crossing Habitat for Bob the bobcat and a new cougar. Individuals who donate $1,000 or more will be recognized with a personalized paw print at the habitat. Learn more here. (The Birmingham Zoo via Facebook)
• The Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service responded to a small plane crash recently. The plane successfully crash-landed on train tracks near Vanderbilt Road, and there were no reported injuries to the pilot or passenger. You can view pictures of the plane at the link. (Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service Department via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! See you all soon for your next update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.