Irondale mayor, council proclaim January 2023 'Human Trafficking Awareness Month'

By Crystal McGough, Associate Editor

IRONDALE – Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. presented a proclamation during the Irondale City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, to Trudi Rollan of MPYD, proclaiming January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city of Irondale.

 

The proclamation states that “the City of Irondale seeks to enhance public welfare, protect public safety, and promote human flourishing for all residents and visitors by declaring that freedom from human trafficking is a fundamental human right; and … human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which victims are forced to work in various forms of exploitation, including debt bondage, forced marriage, labor and commercial sexual exploitation of adults and minors, that are induced through force, fraud, or coercion. The City of Irondale, Alabama is committed to ensuring that our community is prepared to recognize signs of human trafficking; and … due to its isolating nature, many individuals remain unaware that trafficking is a threat to their neighborhoods, families, and children. The first step in eliminating human trafficking in our community is to educate others.  We must work diligently to ensure that all front-line industries, educators and first responders are aware of this issue and how to spot it; and … we will continue our efforts to make the City of Irondale a Trafficking Free Zone by combating the human trafficking of our children and vulnerable adults and mitigating the associated public safety, economic and health risks to our community in collaboration with the Child Trafficking Solutions Project and other anti-human trafficking organizations.”

Furthermore, the proclamation asks the citizens of Irondale to join the city in promoting zero tolerance towards human trafficking.

“My husband and I are residents of Irondale,” Trudi Rollan said. “I am the founder of an organization known as MPYD – basically, what that is, is we work youth development, meaning that we can do anything that improves the life of a youth. The division that I work with is the human trafficking side of that organization.”

Rollan encouraged people to look up a film made by The WellHouse called “I-20: The Sex Trafficking Superhighway,” which talks about how I-20, which runs through Irondale, plays a major role as a sex trafficking corridor.

“Which is why the city of Irondale is so important for us to get the training that we have done in this city,” she said. “They're stopping at our gas stations and using our hotels.”

Additionally, Rollan said that Irondale Police Chief Jason Wiggins, as well as Mayor Stewart, have already played huge roles in supporting the efforts against human trafficking in Irondale.

“Trudi had been very instrumental in helping us to go through training here in the city of Irondale,” Stewart said. “We support the work that she's doing here in the city, and we also plan on going into the schools this year to be able to make an impact, as well.

Stewart said that in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day being Monday, Jan. 16, the city is offering funding for citizens to do “Martin Luther King Jr. Service Projects” under $1,000 (each). Citizens must submit their service project application to the city by no later than Jan. 12.

“I know there are some people out there who have some projects that they want to do around the city,” he said.

In accordance with this, the city council later approved Resolution 2023-R-02, authorizing the allocation of public funds from the 2022-23 FY Discretionary Fund of Mayor James D. Stewart Jr., in an amount not to exceed $3,000, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Service Project Grant, to be given to selected public service project submissions to assist in bringing such projects to fruition and that will be announced on January 17, 2023.

The council also approved the following:

• Resolution 2023-R-01, authorizing the execution by Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. of a Certificate of Authorized Signers for the City's Escrow Account for Wells Fargo Bank
• Resolution 2023-R-03, authorizing the execution by Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. of an agreement with Mobile Communications America for the servicing of Irondale Police Department communication equipment in an amount not to exceed $16,947 annually
• Ordinance 2023-01, approving the rezoning of property located at 6001 Old Leeds Road, Irondale, Alabama 35210 from an Inst.-1 Institutional Zone District to a C-1 Commercial District
• Resolution 2023-R-05, declaring property at 1020 Navarro Lane, Irondale, Alabama 35210 a public nuisance and ordering its abatement
• Resolution 2023-R-06, authorizing the use of McGriff Insurance Services as the City's Insurance Broker and the execution of any documents necessary for such purposes and for securing insurance on behalf of the City

Council President David Spivey added two additional items to the agenda, which were both approved:

• Resolution 2023-R-07, amending a date on former Resolution 2022-R-236, which was approved at the council's last meeting
• Resolution 2023-R-08, authorizing a liquor license for Marty's GM for a festival on Jan. 18, 2023.

The next regular meeting of the Irondale City Council will be Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at Irondale City Hall, beginning at 6 p.m.

Contact Crystal McGough at [email protected]