Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting – October 12, 2023
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Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting – October 12, 2023
The Huntsville City Council met on October 12, 2023, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. All five council members were present. The meeting included presentations on the Mill Creek Choice Neighborhood Initiative and a proposed multi-day music festival, passage of a hands-free driving ordinance, and election of council officers. Numerous routine items were approved, including expenditures, annexations, and easement vacations.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the agenda and minutes of September 28, 2023.
- Resolution expressing the City of Huntsville’s unequivocal support for Israel (Resolution 23-825) – passed unanimously.
- Public hearing and resolution for assessing costs of cutting overgrown grass/weeds on 75 properties totaling $22,357.87 (Resolution 23-826) – passed 4-0 (Councilmember Keith absent for the vote).
- Resolutions to set public hearings for November 16, 2023, on: vacation of right-of-way on Hagey Drive; zoning of 9.83 acres at US Hwy 72 W and Springhill Road; rezoning of 64.68 acres on Liberty Hill Road; rezoning of 0.50 acres on Governors Drive. Also set a hearing for October 26, 2023, for Carol Boyer d/b/a American Cab for five taxicabs. All passed unanimously.
- Finance Committee resolution authorizing expenditures of $32,422,108.79 (Resolution 23-837) – passed unanimously.
- Six easement vacation ordinances (18A–18F) – all passed unanimously.
- Surplus equipment auction ordinance (19B) – passed unanimously.
- Three annexation ordinances (19C–19E) – passed unanimously.
- New Business items (20A, 20C–20W) approved in one motion, including travel expenses, the Navistar Amendment, the City Hall naming resolution, department head appointments, various contract modifications, and grant agreements.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Agenda-Related Public Comments
- Doug Smoot (Huntsville resident) spoke in support of tougher distracted driving laws, recounting his personal experience of being injured in a parking lot crash caused by a distracted driver.
- Frances Akridge (Huntsville resident) urged the council to postpone the hands-free ordinance until the state law is publicized. She also advocated for the re-election of Councilmember John Meredith as Council President, citing his emotional intelligence and nonpartisan approach.
- Second Roster Public Comments
- Jerome Dees (Birmingham, representing Southern Poverty Law Center) encouraged the council to continue work on citations in lieu of arrest, noting a 2023 state law that requires coordination with the local legislative delegation.
- Andre Wilson (Huntsville District 1 resident) proposed a vision for a new electric vehicle (“My Car”) with a Rolex engine, to be produced in Huntsville, emphasizing efficiency and innovation.
Discussion Items
- Mill Creek Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI) – Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development, presented an update on the redevelopment of the Butler Terrace public housing site. The project plans to replace existing units 1:1 and add 750 total units of mixed-income housing (senior, resident, median-income, and market-rate). A $50 million federal implementation grant application is due December 11, 2023. Community meetings are scheduled for October 17–19. Councilmembers discussed workforce housing, resident displacement, and the need for transitional housing. Councilmember Keith emphasized that 67% of displaced residents are African American women with children. The project is expected to take 7–8 years to build out.
- C3 Presents Music Festival – C3 Presents executive Ted Heinig introduced the proposal for a large-scale, multi-day music festival at John Hunt Park, with a target capacity of 30,000–35,000 attendees. The festival would be held the last weekend of September annually, beginning as early as 2024 but likely 2025. The city’s agreement includes a loss allocation cap of $1 million per year for the first three years, with unused funds reinvested into John Hunt Park. Councilmembers discussed local vendor participation, diverse artist lineups, traffic management, and the economic impact. Resolution 23-845 was approved unanimously.
- Hands-Free Driving Ordinance (19A) – Councilmember Little proposed an amendment to the original ordinance, reducing fines from $100 to $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second, and for a third offense within 24 months, a fine of up to $150 and/or community service (no jail time). The amendment was further amended by Councilmember Keith to remove the 10-day jail option, leaving only a fine of $150 and/or community service. The police chief confirmed a six-month education period before enforcement begins. The amended ordinance passed 4-1 (Councilmember Meredith dissenting).
- Annexation of 88.78 acres (Drake Farm) – Shane Davis requested unanimous consent to consider the annexation at this meeting, citing the need to begin the planning process for a planned improvement district similar to Village of Providence. The annexation was approved unanimously. The property, located on Cecil Ashburn Drive, will eventually include commercial and residential development, but the first residents are likely 24–30 months away.
Key Outcomes
- Officer Elections – David Little was elected Council President (3-2 vote: Keith, Little, Robinson in favor; Meredith, Kling against). Jennie Robinson was re-elected President Pro Tem (4-1 vote: Keith, Little, Robinson, Kling in favor; Meredith against). Bill Kling was elected Third Presiding Officer (unanimous).
- Hands-Free Ordinance – Adopted as amended (fine structure: $50 first, $100 second, $150 and/or community service for third within 24 months; no jail time; primary enforcement; six-month education period). Effective January 1, 2024; enforcement begins July 1, 2024.
- Music Festival Agreement – Approved; city contribution limited to up to $1 million per year in loss allocation for three years and matching marketing funds up to $200,000 per year.
- Mill Creek CNI – Next steps: community meetings (Oct 17–19), finalize grant application by December 11, 2023, select developer, and begin 30% design.
- Board Appointments – Amanda Burns’ nomination to Beautification Board was referred to the October 26 meeting. Council President Little noted that all other board appointments and committee assignments are postponed to the October 26 meeting.
- Mayor’s Appointments – Reappointment of Sally Warden to the Madison County Communications District Board (911) for a term ending April 30, 2026. Appointment of Randall Stewart to Water Pollution Control and Darlene Dewar to Natural Resources was approved via the consent items.
Meeting Transcript
All right, it's 5 30 p.m. on October 12th of 2023, and we are meeting in the City Council Chambers of Huntsville, Alabama. Thank you to all of you who are with us here in person as well as those watching remotely. Please note for the record that all council members are in attendance, and we are convening this session of the Huntsville City Council, and the meeting will be called to order. We will begin our meeting tonight with an invocation led by Pastor Troy Gardner with the Fellowship of Faith Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilwoman Jenny Robinson. Please stand for the invocation and the pledge. God, in you we have hope, and you we have help, and you we have a hedge of protection, and you we have our happiness. This afternoon we pause to tell you thank you for your blessings bestowed upon us. We don't take your loving grace for granted. We thank you for this place called Huntsville, where we are providentially planted. We thank you for your gift of wisdom upon Mayor Battle and the councilpersons. Bless each district, the home, and the families therein. Also this afternoon, may you be pleased with the discussions and deliberations in your strong and sovereign name we pray that everyone say amen. Amen. I thank you. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Pastor Gardner. And thank you, Councilwoman Robinson. Council members, you have the agenda before you for this regular meeting of the City Council on October 12th, 2023. There will be a second presentation tonight, and that item 7B will be a short presentation by C3 Presents, after which council will take the item 20B out of order. I'm sorry, 9A be withdrawn, and that has happened. And finally, the administration has requested that an item 21A be considered at this meeting, and that will require unanimous consent of the council. Are there any other additions to be made or deletions to be made to the agenda? Hearing none, I'd like to make a motion to accept the agenda as uh discussed. Second by Mr. Kling. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say nay. Um motion is uh the agenda will stand approved and accepted as presented. Council members, you have a copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Huntsville City Council held on September 28th, 2023 before you. Are there any changes or additions to be made to the minutes that you have received? Hearing none, those minutes will stand approved. The mayor has a special recognition tonight. 5A is the presentation of community planning month proclamation. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Ms. President. Uh, if I could ask Thomas Nunes and Lady Casimo come up and all the rest of the planners uh who are out here. Um usually when we invite all the planners, we have lots of planners in the city of Huntsville, people who plan daily on how we're gonna grow, what we're gonna do, how our roadways are gonna function. Um, and it's very exciting to see it see them, but these are the people with degrees who are planners here. So uh they have degrees in planning and they work in planning every day, and this is community planning month. Uh and the city of Huntsville would like to offer a proclamation for community planning because uh there are a lot of activities that tie into the American Planning Association, but they also tie into what we do on a day-to-day basis. Um these folks right here make sure that we grow, we grow in the right way, uh, that we grow with some wisdom as uh behind it. And um, and and they make sure that we have a very special community. And uh, I want to say thank you to each of them for the job that y'all do. You make it uh you make it work very well. And we also have people on our planning commission, uh, about 15-17 people on a planning commission who come in and volunteer each month and they spend long, long hours uh discussing how we're gonna make sure that our community grows and grows in the right way. Uh and it's great to have that many people who will give of their time and give of their time freely. Thomas, I'd like to present to you the community planning month resolution that talks about now, therefore I, Tommy Battle, mayor of the city of Huntsville and the Huntsville City Council do hereby declare the month of October 2023 is designated as community planning month in conjunction and celebration with the National Community Planning Month.
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