By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Sheila Tyson, Jefferson County Commissioner and Jarvis Patton, aide to former Birmingham Mayor William Bell, were named to Birmingham Water Works Board on Tuesday as the utility enters a future that could be determined in a courtroom.
The City of Birmingham is still legally challenging a state law that took effect May 7 that regionalizes the BWWB, but that has not stopped new members from being named by various appointing authorities.
The City Council named Tyson as its representative to the board while Mayor Randall Woodfin named Patton, a former aide to previous Birmingham Mayor William Bell, as his pick.
Tyson said in a statement late Tuesday that, “I have always fought for the citizens and this time will be no different. With this appointment, ratepayers can rest assured, I will be your voice and make decisions with you in mind. Just as I have in the past.”
Meanwhile Patton told AL.com that it would be “an honor” to serve on the board.
“To me it is both and honor and privilege to be asked to serve, and that the system has enabled me to turn to the political arena when I can be of benefit to the citizens of Birmingham,” said Patton, who worked for former Birmingham Mayor William Bell.
Last week, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law legislation that re-shapes the Birmingham Water Works Board and takes it out of majority control of the City of Birmingham.
The new law regionalizes the BWWB and would give more power to suburban areas, creating a seven-member authority dominated by appointees from outside the city of Birmingham and reducing the city’s seats to two.
Birmingham had controlled six of the nine seats on the former board.
The city filed a lawsuit against Ivey on May 6 asking her not to sign the bill into law. She did anyway, but City Council President Darrell O’Quinn said he still expects a hearing in federal court on Thursday.
Chief U.S. District Judge Emily C. Marks set a hearing for May 15 on the request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
With appointing authorities naming their representatives the new regional BWWB is now fully assembled a day before its first planned meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
In addition to Tyson and Patton, the seven-member board will include:
- Jeffery Brumlow, an attorney and former county commissioner, appointed by The Shelby County Commission
- Thomas C. Hudson Jr. of Mountain Brook, appointed by Ivey
- Bill Morris, general manager of Leeds Water Works, appointed by Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth
- State Rep. David Standridge, a retired police captain, appointed by Blount County
- Phillip R. Wiedmeyer, a retired Alabama Power engineer, appointed by Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens
