Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting – October 26, 2023

The Huntsville City Council held its regular meeting on October 26, 2023, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. All council members were present: President David Little, Councilmembers Devyn Keith, Jennie Robinson, Bill Kling, and John Meredith. Mayor Tommy Battle and city staff participated. The meeting included seven public hearings on zoning changes and licenses, comments from the Mayor and councilmembers, approval of a large finance committee report, board appointments, a street renaming, several development agreements, and a procedural issue that delayed a Huntsville Utilities water revenue warrant. Public comments addressed code enforcement and driving laws.

Public Hearings

• 9A: Zoning of 1.01 acres on Old Big Cove Rd to Residence 1-B District – approved unanimously.
• 9B: Zoning of 1.18 acres on Huntsville Brownsferry Rd to Highway Business C-4 District – approved unanimously.
• 9C: Rezoning of 314.89 acres on Swancott Rd from Residence 1 to Residence 1-A, 1-B, 2, and 2-A districts – approved unanimously.
• 9D: Rezoning of 137.34 acres on North Memorial Parkway from Light Industry and Residence 2-B to Highway Business C-4 District – approved after discussion. Councilmember Keith inquired about the rationale; staff explained the change would improve corridor aesthetics and limit outdoor storage.
• 9E: Rezoning of 3.84 acres on Research Dr from Research Park District to Highway Business C-4 District with a use restriction – approved unanimously.
• 9F: Public hearing for Carol Boyer d/b/a American Cab for operation of five taxicabs – approved after staff confirmed background check passed.
• 9G: Authorization to assess costs for cutting overgrown grass/weeds on 103 properties (62 in city limits, 41 outside) totaling $33,437.22 – approved unanimously.

Public Comments

• Jerry Cox (Huntsville resident since 1966) reported code violations in his 245-home community, including overgrown properties and possible boarding houses with multiple cars. He requested city assistance.
• Andre Wilson (District 1 resident) argued against texting-while-driving laws, claiming "texting" is not a legal term and proposing his own vehicle safety system. He stated he would challenge the law in court.

Discussion Items

• MidCity Improvement District Expansion: Council approved two resolutions: (1) authorizing a preliminary assessment for $40 million in infrastructure improvements, and (2) expanding the district boundary to include properties such as the former Madison Square Mall area. City Development Director Shane Davis explained the district is self-funded through property assessments; the city has no financial obligation. The project has grown from a $350 million to a $1.5 billion build-out. Discussion touched on noise ordinance adjustments for live entertainment.
• Facade Easement for Lewter Hardware Building: Council approved Resolution 23-881, a $150,000 facade easement (paid in three $50,000 annual installments) to permanently preserve the exterior of the historic building at 222 Washington St. The developer will redevelop the site while maintaining the historic character.
• Parking Lease with Parkway Vesta, LLC: Council approved Resolution 23-882 to lease 300 parking spaces near John Hunt Park. The developer will construct and maintain the garage; the city will make lease payments rather than fund construction.
• City Hall Demolition Contract: Council approved Resolution 23-886 with Fuqua & Partners Architects to design the demolition of the current City Hall. City Administrator John Hamilton outlined the timeline: move to new City Hall by April 2024, demolition design by October 2024, demolition in fall/winter 2024-2025, followed by Big Spring Park expansion construction in 2025. Discussion included potential salvage of building materials.
• Affordable Housing at 2460 Mount Vernon Rd: Council approved Resolution 23-888 using HOME Investment Partnership funds to construct a three-bedroom, two-bath home (approx. 1,200 sq ft) for sale at market rate. Community Development Director Scott Irwin noted the city receives about $1 million annually in HOME funds and has built roughly 50 houses in Terry Heights; similar efforts are planned for Mount Vernon.
• Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant: Council approved Resolution 20-895 to authorize the Mayor to submit a $50 million grant application for the Mill Creek project. The city has committed up to $10 million in infrastructure. A separate resolution (23-896) approved a contract with Urban Strategies Inc. for application services. The grant deadline was extended to February 13, 2024, and the total available funds increased to over $400 million.
• Huntsville Utilities Water Revenue Warrant (Item 17A): Needed unanimous consent to be considered. Council suspended Rule 1E (requiring announcement at agenda adoption) by a 4-1 roll call (Meredith opposed). However, the subsequent motion to consider the item failed to achieve unanimous consent; roll call: Keith aye, Robinson aye, Little aye, Meredith nay, Kling aye but with a caveat (he later indicated he would have voted aye but requested a public explanation). Because unanimous consent was denied, the item was treated as an introduction and will be reconsidered at the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• All public hearing items and most new business items were approved unanimously, with exceptions noted.
• Finance Committee Report: Expenditures of $71,549,524.92 were approved (includes $50 million in investments). Councilmember Meredith voted nay on the motion to reconsider, but it passed 4-1. Finance Director Smith will provide details at the next meeting.
• Board Appointments: Amanda Burns appointed to Beautification Board (Place 17, term to Sept. 30, 2026); Cherie A. Miller appointed to Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council (Place 11, term to Aug. 1, 2027) – both approved.
• Street Renaming: Eagle Drive in Cummings Research Park West officially renamed Bob Stewart Drive, honoring retired General and NASA astronaut Bob Stewart – approved.
• Surplus Equipment Disposal: Authorized auction of a medium-sized bus and quarterly liquidation of obsolete electronic equipment via MARS, LLC.
• Council Committee Elections: Councilmember Meredith elected to the Planning Commission, Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Research Park Board. Councilmember Kling elected to the Historic Preservation Commission.
• New Business Introductions: Ordinance to name the new city hall building as "Huntsville City Hall" introduced (to be voted on Nov. 2). Ordinance declaring real property surplus and authorizing a lease with BJLAC, LLC introduced. Ordinance annexing 94.82 acres on Swancott Rd introduced.