Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting – November 17, 2022

The Huntsville City Council convened on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. Councilmembers John Meredith (President), Bill Kling, Devyn Keith, and David Little were present; Councilmember Jennie Robinson was absent. The meeting included public hearings on zoning changes and a sign ordinance, approval of pay increases for police and fire personnel, discussion of a quarterly report from the Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council, and several board appointments. Notably, two nominees to the Huntsville Tennis Center Board of Control failed to receive enough votes.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the agenda (motion carried 4–0).
• Approval of the minutes from November 10, 2022.
• Approval of new business items 20A, 20B, 20D, 20E, 20H, 20J–20S (consent agenda, all approved unanimously). Items 20C, 20F, 20G, and 20I were pulled for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tom Estes (211 Bel Air Road, Huntsville): Spoke about his nomination to the Huntsville Tennis Center Board, which was declined by the council. He read an email from Councilmember Robinson alleging he had been rude and disrespectful. Estes apologized and stated he had been professional. He urged the council to consider willingness and ability to serve rather than personal attacks.
• John Haskell (1613 Shropshire Drive, Huntsville): Supported Tom Estes, noting Estes had a professional background at NASA and UAH. Haskell disagreed with Councilmember Robinson on the Tennis Center’s need to be self-sustaining.
• Denny Reisner (Madison): Praised Estes’ character and professional background, stating he had never seen Estes act unprofessionally on the tennis court.
• Chad Chavez (7512 Clubfield Drive): Criticized the city’s reliance on Vimeo for streaming (which had gone down) and requested the meeting be put on Facebook. He expressed concern about the lack of an open search for a new police chief and the need for transparency, noting he had not received a reply from the police chief about crime statistics.

Discussion Items

• Presentation of Life‑Saving Medals (Item 5A): Sergeant McCarver and Officer Rogers were awarded medals for rescuing a 15‑year‑old girl from a burning apartment building.
• Resolution Honoring Kyle Wright (Item 6A): The council unanimously adopted Resolution 22‑936 honoring Huntsville native and MLB pitcher Kyle Wright, the only 20‑game winner in Major League Baseball in 2022.
• Quarterly Update from Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council (HPCAC) (Item 7A): Presented by Vicky Gareri. The HPCAC reported on citizen engagement, a public meeting on use of force, and the upcoming annual report. The HPCAC announced its majority support for appointing Kirk Giles as Chief of Police. Councilmember Little and Councilmember Keith discussed the high meeting burden on volunteers and requested a review of the meeting schedule. Councilmember Keith also suggested inviting an outside speaker on community policing.
• Public Hearing – Henderson Lane Zoning (Item 9A): 9.57 acres south of US Hwy 72 W and east of Henderson Lane zoned to Highway Business C‑4 and Residence 2 Districts, with a plat restriction prohibiting multifamily development in the C‑4 area. Approved unanimously.
• Public Hearing – Wade Road Rezoning (Item 9B): 0.61 acres north and west of Wade Road rezoned from Residence 2‑A to Highway Business C‑4, with plat restrictions. Approved unanimously.
• Public Hearing – Sign Control Regulations (Item 9C): Ordinance 22‑809 amending Article 72 of the Zoning Ordinance to update regulations for temporary signs, projecting signs, and signage in several districts. Thomas Nunez (Manager of Planning Services) presented detailed changes. Approved unanimously.
• Public Hearing to Set – Suspension of Licensure (Item 10A): Set a public hearing for December 1, 2022, regarding confidential tax‑related cases 381–387. Approved unanimously.
• Police and Fire Pay Increases (Item 19D): Ordinance 22‑934 raised the minimum hiring rate for Police Officer/Cadet and Firefighter/Cadet positions to Step 8 of their respective salary grades, allowed a four‑step progression upon certification, increased the physical fitness incentive pay from 2.5% to 5% for police, and established a similar 5% incentive for firefighters. City Administrator John Hamilton and Human Resources Director Byron Thomas explained the need to improve recruitment and retention. Approved unanimously.
• Board Appointments (Items 15A–15F): Robert Broadway reappointed to Public Building Authority (unanimous). Harold Weatherly reappointed to Tennis Center Board (3–0, Kling abstained). Missy Hanks appointed to HPCAC (unanimous). Elisa Ferrell appointed to Madison County 310 Board (unanimous). Kristin Wilson’s appointment to Tennis Center Board failed (1‑1‑2; Little aye, Keith nay, Meredith and Kling abstained). Keith Rice’s appointment to Tennis Center Board failed (2‑0‑2; Meredith and Keith aye, Kling and Little abstained).
• Council Committee Elections (Items 22A–22D): John Meredith elected to Planning Commission and Metropolitan Planning Organization; Jennie Robinson elected to Research Park Board; Bill Kling elected to Historic Preservation Commission (all unanimous).
• Council President Appointments (Items 23A–23E): Appointments made to the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (Robinson, Little), Community Action Agency (Kling), Advisory Commission on Accessibility (Little), Insurance Committee (Robinson, Keith), and Finance Committee (Keith as chair, Little as vice chair).

Key Outcomes

• Police and Fire Pay Ordinance Approved – Unanimously passed, effective upon adoption.
• Huntsville Tennis Center Board – Two Nominees Failed – Kristin Wilson (sponsored by Robinson) and Keith Rice (sponsored by Keith) both failed to receive enough votes; the seats remained vacant pending future nominations.
• Sign Ordinance Amendment Adopted – Unanimously approved, updating temporary sign heights, projecting sign limits, and signage rules for downtown and Airport Industrial Park.
• Public Hearing for Suspension of Licensure Set – Scheduled for December 1, 2022.
• City Council Committee Representatives Elected – Meredith (Planning, MPO), Robinson (Research Park Board), Kling (Historic Preservation).
• Postponement of Department Head Appointments (Item 20I) – Motion to postpone to December 1, 2022, carried 3–0 (Meredith abstaining).
• Expenditures Approved – $21,939,699.80 authorized for payment.
• Quarterly HPCAC Update Acknowledged – Councilmembers agreed to work with HPCAC on reducing meeting frequency and exploring a third‑party speaker on community policing.
• Guest Speaker at Future Council Forum – Council President Meredith announced a presidential forum on December 6, 2022, with the Transportation Department.