Birmingham Water Works Board

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The Birmingham Water Works Board is a public corporation, authorized under Title 11 of the Alabama State Code, which owns and manages the Birmingham Water Works utility. It was created in 2001.

As of January 2017, the Birmingham Water Works Board consists of nine members, who can serve no more than two four-year terms. Four of the members are appointed by the Birmingham City Council, two are appointed by the Mayor of Birmingham, one by the Jefferson County Mayor's Association, one by the Shelby County Commission and one by the Blount County Commission. Board members are compensated for their service at the rate of $1,000 per month, with limited opportunity to be reimbursed for related travel expenses.

From the time the independent board was created in 2001 until it was modified by the Alabama State Legislature in 2016, the board had five members which were appointed to staggered six-year terms by the Birmingham City Council. Board compensation was previously set at $285 per meeting with no clear limits on what constituted a meeting, and reimbursement for travel and other expenses was determined by the board itself.

Amid allegations of mismanagement, board chair Chris Rice announced his resignation from the authority in September 2022, but rescinded the announcement shortly afterward. In April 2023 the board adopted new bylaws requiring members to complete training in parliamentary procedure and state law relating to ethics, transparency, competitive bidding and public works. In December 2023 board member George Munchus filed a civil suit accusing the board of concealing the utility's legal expenses.

Members

2021–2024

  • Ronald Mims, appointed 2015 by the Birmingham City Council
  • George Munchus, appointed 2012 by the Birmingham City Council
  • Lucien Blankenship, appointed 2020 by Mayor Randall Woodfin
  • Butch Burbage, appointed 2017 by Shelby County Commission
  • Tereshia Huffman, appointed 2021 by the Birmingham City Council (elected chair September 2022)
  • Tom Henderson, appointed 2021 by the Jefferson County Mayors Association
  • Dalton Nesmith, appointed 2021 by Blount County Commission
  • Chris Rice, appointed 2021 by Mayor Randall Woodfin (elected chair January 2022, resigned September 2022)
  • Larry Ward, appointed 2021 by the Birmingham City Council
  • Mashonda Taylor, appointed 2023 by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin to Chris Rice's vacant seat through 2024

2017–2021

2017-2018

  • Sherry Lewis, chair (2017)
  • Tommy Joe Alexander, chair (2018), appointed by the Jefferson County Mayor's Association
  • Deborah Clark, second vice-chair (2017), first vice-chair (2018), appointed by the Birmingham City Council
  • Brenda Dickerson, second vice-chair (2018), appointed by the Birmingham City Council
  • Brett King, secretary-treasurer, appointed by the Blount County Commission
  • Butch Burbage, assistant secretary-treasurer (2017), secretary-treasurer (2018) appointed by the Shelby County Commission
  • Ronald Mims, assistant secretary-treasurer (2018), appointed by the Birmingham City Council
  • William Muhammad, reappointed by the Birmingham City Council
  • George Munchus, reappointed by the Birmingham City Council

2015-2017

Former board members

  • first term started before the 2016 state law went into effect, which limited board members to two terms on the Birmingham Water Works Board.

References

  • Bryant, Joseph D. (May 14, 2015) "Birmingham Water Works changes take effect today following governor's signing of legislation." The Birmingham News
  • Wright, Barnett (January 4, 2017) "Expanded Birmingham Water Works Board takes seat, elects Sherry Lewis as chair." The Birmingham Times
  • Rebman, Stephanie (January 12, 2021) "New board members appointed to Birmingham Water Works." Birmingham Business Journal
  • Hardison, Jonathan (September 8, 2022) "Birmingham Water Works Board chair resigns." WBRC.com
  • Gann, Heather (November 18, 2022) "Birmingham Water Works Board awaits trial with environmental groups over city’s watershed." AL.com
  • Gann, Heather (April 11, 2023) "Birmingham Water Works to vote on self-governance policy, Jefferson County sewer agreement." AL.com
  • Bryant, Joseph D. (December 11, 2023) "Board member sues Birmingham Water Works for allegedly hiding legal expense records from public." AL.com

External links

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