Item 24 supports an effort to pursue federal funds that would allow the city to provide free wireless internet access throughout. NO word on when the

Item 26 will set an August 31 public hearing to determine whether or not “a fence and gate can be placed across 27^th Place South blocking vehicular access to Hanover Circle from St. Vincent’s Hospital.” while Item 27 will set a second public hearing on that date to determine if a second unimproved lot will be vacated to allow Woodlawn United Methodist Church to build a new structure (pictured to your left) to replace the one lost to a fire last spring. Both moves have been recommended by a council committee.

The meeting’s going right now (and is available archived) on the city’s website as is the agenda.

These and other questions will be the focus of a meeting taking place tonight in the Woodlawn neighborhood at Woodrow Hall (directions). We’re teaming with Main Street Birmingham to host this BYOB networking event from 6-7:30 p.m. Networking starts a 6 p.m.; the program at 6:30 p.m.

This is a follow-up from our coworking interest survey from this spring (which we’ve re-opened for those who are now learning about it). We’ve shared the results on a special section of the site as well as a video featuring some of coworking’s pioneers explaining exactly what it is that makes it different from just sharing office space.

We’re looking forward to seeing some of you there tonight (or hearing from you via the survey)!

Photo: Beaufort Coworking. khawkins04/Flickr

Apparently no one has found the phone yet, and that means it’s about to get very interesting here in Birmingham, AL.

Last week Verizon Wireless announced that 21 Droid X from Motorola phones had been hidden across the country. The phone is due to be released for sale to the general public tomorrow (July 15). Some of the clues that had been provided suggested that one of the phones is located right here in The Magic City. Here are the clues previously shared about phone #8:

• Five days until Droid X designate #8 will be in a city built on steel. Droid X is built on 1Ghz processing power.
• Workers here built the rocket that went to the moon. They might think Droid X designate #8 came back from there.
• Droid X designate #8 doesn’t wish it was in Dixie. Or connect in hdmi. Because it’s already both.

Apparently there have also been latitude and longitude clues provided via Twitter (@droidlanding to be exact). Which also means that there will be a few folks wandering the metro area looking for a new free cool smartphone… maybe.

They’re getting ready to talk to us after all…

The new ordinance was passed unanimously during this morning’s Birmingham City Council meeting. Those drivers found in violation of the the ordinance will be subject to a $100 fine.

Other cities currently considering a texting while driving ban in Alabama include Huntsville (which recently delayed their vote due to issues involving enforcement) and Decatur.

Alabama hosted the nation’s first statewide summit on distracted driving back in December (though an attempt to pass a statewide ban, while widely supported in the legislature, failed to pass in the Senate this spring). Sponsors of the bill hope to bring it up for a vote again during the upcoming legislative session.

Photo: Texting while at the wheel. OregonDOT/Flickr

Several things have changed since the last time we hosted one, including the number of people that are now on Twitter in Birmingham and those interested in this kind of a conversation. So it’s back, tonight, starting at 7 p.m. Anyone who has a Twitter account is invited to take part. We’ll be opening it up to those without an account in the coming weeks via this site.

Even if you don’t have an account, please feel free to follow along using our What the Hashtag? page, via Twitter search or using a service like Tweetchat.

In case you’re one of our followers on Twitter and you don’t want to be potentially bombarded between 7 – 8:30 p.m. this evening, please check out muuter as an option.

Le Tour de Birmingham will take place each Saturday of July (on July 3, 10, 17, and 31) with additional information available on the organization’s blog (you’ll also be able to help them out by letting them know that you’re willing to volunteer). The buy-in for the stages will be $5 each and it will benefit the 1+ year old organization. Le

They currently plan to announce each stage a few days before, providing information like altitude changes, et. al. They’ve already announced this week’s prologue stage; it will be a 2-minute TT from BiCi Coop‘s home on Southside to Parkside Café across from Avondale Park beginning at 8 p.m. There will be some prizes but as they’ve stated on the site, “this race is for the glory not a gift card.”

The council is preparing to take action based on an earlier pledge to deal with some of the rowdier clubs in the city. The revocation of the Continental Ballroom‘s license is Item 1 – front and center. According to this report in The Birmingham News last month, there have been 101 incidents at the club in the past year.

Other items:

Item 14 establishes new seats on the city’s Benefits Review Committee, sure to be a result of the continuing budget process taking place. Item 15 provides $25,000 to Vulcan Bike Week at the Birmingham Race Course (incidentally starting tomorrow and running through July 3). Item 16 makes investments in the infrastructure of two of the city’s cultural institutions, the Birmingham Museum of Art (chiller and alarm system) and Sloss Furnaces.

The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. and you can watch live (or archived) via the city’s website.