Residents press council on Firehouse Shelter funding, jail care and data center concerns

Several residents used the council’s public-comment period on July 7 to press for stronger oversight of city services and to question recent policy choices.

Patricia Todd, a Firehouse Shelter volunteer, thanked the city for funding and invited council members to tour the shelter, saying the facility is “much more than a shelter” and highlighting its outcomes and fundraising needs. Todd left flyers and asked council members to schedule visits.

Terry Michael sharply criticized the council and administration for perceived silence and lack of accountability around a data center conversation. Michael alleged she was removed by police at a prior meeting and demanded to know “At whose orders?” She said the council’s silence risks the city’s history and resources and urged officials to “put our children, our health, our natural resources, our homes first.”

Rev. Eric Hall raised concerns about care and oversight at the Birmingham City Jail, asking council members to visit the facility and review the wellbeing of incarcerated people with severe mental-health disorders and other disabilities. Hall referenced past grants and questioned fiscal responsibility, citing $146,000 given to Cornerstone in 2021 for a project that he said never happened and alleging misappropriation reported in local media.

Madeline Green called on the council and mayor to act in the public interest and criticized conduct at a June 9 meeting, urging officials to remember the city “is for the people.”

None of the public comments resulted in formal motions or immediate council action during the July 7 meeting. Council president Alexander acknowledged Todd’s remarks and encouraged councilors to visit the shelter; no on-the-record commitments of staff follow-up or investigations were produced in the session.