Mayor Randall L. Woodfin has launched an aggressive clean-up schedule to address overgrown lots, litter, missing street signs and more in Birmingham. The initiative, which is designed to be a group effort between the city, citizens and community partners, is known as the “99 for the 150th: Taking Pride Where I Reside.”
This effort will consist of a weekly blitz in the four quadrants of the city to focus on cleanliness, overgrown lots, trash and brush. It will also tie into the city’s 150th anniversary because neighborhoods have remained at the core of the city throughout its 150-year history and they will continue to be at the center. (The state legislature officially declared Birmingham a city on Dec. 19, 1871.)
Plan of Engagement for “99 for the 150th”: Taking Pride Where I Reside”
Four Birmingham communities will be “swept” each week; one in each quadrant of the city- North, South, East and West.
This project cannot be accomplished alone. Residents are encouraged to clean up their communities prior to city crews visiting and maintain their neighborhoods once city crews leave. Notices about which neighborhoods will be visited the next week will be shared with neighborhood leaders, shared on the city’s social media outlets and posted to www.birminghamal.gov/takingpride.
People with interests in doing a neighborhood clean-up project should contact Keep Birmingham Beautiful at 205-254-2662 or send an email to kbb@birminghamal.gov. Those who want to report illegal dumpsites, should send an email to customerservice@birminghamal.gov.
Do you have a complaint or issue you’d like addressed in Birmingham? 311 can help. Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about 311.
1. When can I call 311?
311 operators staff the phones from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. During after hours, including weekends, citizens can still call 311 and leave a message. Operators will retrieve those messages the following business day. People may also create and submit their issue via the 311 portal. To use the online portal, you must create an account, by visiting www.birmighamal.gov/311-portal.
2. What information must I have to report a concern to 311?
Your contact information
Location of the problem
Description of the problem
How long the problem has existed
3. How can I submit a request that is not listed on the 311 Portal?
If you do not see your case type on the site, please select “other” and provide the details of your request. The
311 call operator will route your request to the appropriate department.
Also, you may dial 311 during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.) to be connected to an operator, who can assist in submitting your service request.
4. What happens after I call 311?
Once you talk to a 311 operator, you will be given a case number for tracking purposes. The operator will forward it to the proper department. Your request will be logged into an advanced tracking system to be reviewed and addressed by the proper department. Please know that some issues may take longer to address than others.
5. How can I track my existing request in 311?
A service request can be tracked using the case number the 311 operator gives you. You can create an account on the city’s 311 portal to check the status of your service request at https://www.birmighamal.gov/311-portal or as a reference when calling 311.
6. What should I do if I call 311, and I am calling from outside the city limits of Birmingham?
If you are outside of the city limits, you may reach a 311 operator by calling 205-254-2489.
7. When do I use 311, and when do I use 911?
Call 311 when reporting a non-emergency issue such as missed household trash, potholes, stray animals and road repairs. 911 is an emergency number to be used to contact police, fire and paramedic services.
8. What types of services can I request through 311?
Missed Trash
Traffic Light Repair
Illegal Dumping
Stop Sign Request
Stray Animals
Pothole Repair
Road Repair
Blocked Storm Drains
Sidewalk Repair
Overgrown Vacant Lots
*Any non-emergency complaint
9. I called 311, but I could not get through. What should I do?
If you called during regular business hours, it is possible that operators are dealing with other callers. Please know that an operator will get to you shortly. If you’ve been put on hold, you have the option to push a button to leave a message or wait until an operator is available. If you have called during off hours, you may leave a message and an operator will retrieve the message and process it. Callers should leave their name, number, address and a brief description of their problem. Callers may also send issues to 311@birminghamal.gov.
The 311 portal is available for you to submit and track your complaint anytime by creating an account on www.birminghamal.gov/311-portal.
Keep Birmingham Beautiful is planning several cleanups this summer. We encourage our communities and neighborhoods to organize more cleanups this summer. If you’d like to spearhead a cleanup, send emails to KBB@birminghamal.gov or call 205-254-2662 for details.
This initiative will not change residents’ weekly garbage schedule or bulk trash and brush schedule
