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Library assess scope of reconstruction, city authorizes agreement for drainage issues

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Lindsey Gardner. Photo courtesy of Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

O’Neal Librarian Lindsy Gardner gave an update on progress to repairs at the library during the pre-council meeting of the May 22 Mountain Brook City Council,along with a plan for a temporary home for the library while recovery continues. 

Gardner said water mitigation is nearly complete and thanked all city departments for their assistance after a pipe burst in the building’s fire suppression system on May 5.

“We're currently working on scope of reconstruction and that will be put into document form and bid out,” Gardner said. “Hopefully, we can get the building open again as soon as possible.” 

In the meantime, the building the city purchased for the fire department on Overton Road is being eyed as a temporary alternate location for the library. An opening date for that site with limited services could be revealed as soon as May 24. 

“We're very focused on making sure that we have the summer reading program and all the children's programs but we'll also have a browsable collection,” Gardner said. “That collection will come from all the books that people have returned to other libraries that are now waiting for us at Birmingham Public. We're not moving a huge part of our collection from the building over; we'll use those returns as our collection sort of self-contained there.” 

The librarian asked patrons to continue to hold onto library materials they checked out rather than returning them to other libraries in the area.  

“It won't be too much longer before we can accept returns at this alternate location,” she said.  

During the regular council meeting, an agreement was authorized for consulting services with Schoel Engineering regarding the Mountain Lane and Montevallo Lane drainage improvement project, an action that was on the council’s consent agenda. 

Billy Pritchard, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Council President Virginia Smith, explained that items on the consent agenda have been previously discussed.

Resident Frank Long addressed the council during the public comment portion of the meeting and said he and others were confused as the matter passed without discussion, as they wanted to comment. 

“That was not clear at all, to any of us, because we all looked around and said, 'Oh, did they just pass it? Surely, they didn't just pass it,” Long said. “We were unclear on the procedure. When you asked – Does anybody want to take it off?’ – we assume you were talking to your fellow city council members.” 

The comment portion of the meeting included multiple residents who expressed their disappointment in the city’s treatment of flooding issues. A few said the city wasn’t serving them because of its concern for properties downstream. 

Resident Mitch Kessler cited a recent rain event that produced flooding, which Pritchard noted was 3.5 inches.

“I don't mean to argue with you, but we continue to look at all of the situations in our city in all areas that have issues with water,” Pritchard said. We will continue to do that.” 

In other actions: 

City Attorney Whit Colvin gave an initial report on a proposal for a building permit revision for large residential projects.

“We thought that a threshold of $3 million was about right,” Colvin said. “If the anticipated construction cost as permitted was $3 million, they will be required to put this bond in place.” 

The revision to the building permit will likely come back to the council at its next meeting. 

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