Mayor Woodfin believes that the city we leave behind should be better than we found it. Through collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, Jefferson County Department of Public Health, UAB, and community-based organizations, we’re tackling the root causes of poor health outcomes through holistic investment in community well-being. Improvements to our parks, the development of Birmingham’s first climate action plan and addressing persistent flooding and energy burden.
Policy Priorities
Funding climate action projects through fiscal year budgeting.
We cannot wait to address the effects of climate change in Birmingham. Mayor Woodfin believes City Hall has a direct role to play in improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and cleaning up our watersheds to protect Birmingham’s future. For the first time in city history, we’ve created the Office of Resiliency and sustainability to develop a citywide Climate Action Plan. We’ll follow through by baking sustainability into the City’s annual budget with funding for recommended climate resiliency projects that improve the quality of our neighborhoods, like funding tree planting, energy efficiency projects, and flood mitigation.
Subsidizing clean energy modifications for more efficient homes.
Energy efficiency is a public health issue, and one that deserves serious ethical consideration. Inefficient energy drives up utility bills and puts low-income families at greater risk for extreme indoor temperatures during the summer. In partnership with local nonprofits and utility companies, we will improve Birmingham’s Critical Repair Program to help Birmingham residents weatherize their homes, upgrade to high-efficiency appliances, and install solar panels on their roofs to capture the sun. By effectively reducing household energy costs, we’ll improve housing stability while advancing our climate goals.
Improving stormwater runoff with smart drain sensors.
Birmingham’s residents deserve a stormwater system that protects their homes and neighborhoods from floodplains in the Village Creek watershed. We have already begun piloting smart sensor technology to monitor drain performance and water levels in real time, preventing the effects of catastrophic overflow.
Converting vacant city assets into resilience hubs to co-locate municipal services.
In every neighborhood, city services should be accessible, responsive, and rooted in the needs of residents. In 2022, the City of Birmingham established a temporary critical services center during downtown sporting events. We’ll transform underused city buildings into resilience hubs that support residents year-round and offer critical support during emergencies.
Randall’s Record
- Expanded access to fresh produce in low-income neighborhoods.
- Offered competitive financial incentives for grocery stores looking to open new locations in Birmingham.
- Vigorously defended North Birmingham residents against coke pollution by idling harmful plants, ending decades of Clean Air Act violations, and undertaking massive residential cleanup efforts at the Superfund.
- Invited citizen feedback on the Birmingham Sustainability Plan as we protect our environment for current and future generations.
- Piloted guaranteed income to 100 single mothers across Birmingham through Embrace Mothers.
- Maintained city-wide recycling service using uniform carts.
- Bought out and relocated homeowners in repetitive loss floodplain areas along the Village Creek watershed.
