Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting - November 2, 2023
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Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting - November 2, 2023
The Huntsville City Council met on Thursday, November 2, 2023, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting was called to order by President David Little with Councilmembers Jennie Robinson, Bill Kling, John Meredith, and Devyn Keith (arrived late) present. The agenda was approved, and minutes from October 26, 2023, were approved. Mayor Tommy Battle recognized outgoing Board of Zoning Adjustments member Fred Coffey with a proclamation declaring November 3, 2023, as Fred Coffey Jr. Day. The presentation from the Huntsville Museum of Art was postponed to November 16, 2023.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the agenda and minutes of October 26, 2023.
- Seven public hearings were set for December 21, 2023, for various zoning and rezoning requests (Items 10A–10G), all approved unanimously.
- Mayor Battle appointed Kimberly Ford to the Board of Zoning Adjustments for a partial term expiring March 9, 2024.
- Finance Committee: Resolution 23-920 authorizing expenditures of $27,796,941.07 was approved. Finance Director Penny Smith presented a cash and investments update, noting that the city had recently invested in instruments with yields above 5% and that a $205 million borrowing was being managed through PFM Asset Management.
- Board reappointment: Garrett Coyne to the Huntsville Tennis Center Board of Control, Place 3, for a three-year term (Resolution 23-921).
- Huntsville Utilities: Ordinance 23-876 authorizing a $5,635,000 Subordinated Water Revenue Warrant, Series 2023-DWSRF-DL, for water system improvements, approved unanimously.
- Legal items: Vacation of two easements (Ordinances 23-922 and 23-923) approved.
- Unfinished business: Ordinance 23-903 approving a lease agreement with BJLAC, LLC for a downtown garbage collection facility (Clinton Avenue garage) and Ordinance 23-904 annexing 94.82 acres on Swancott Road, both approved unanimously.
- New business items (20A–20C, 20E–20F, 20H–20S) were approved as a consent agenda, including resolutions for procurement, donations, District 4 improvement funds, modifications to agreements with Rippleworx and Barge Design Solutions, an easement for the new federal courthouse, a contract for hydrologic modeling, a change order for the Western Area WWTP expansion, a digital billboard services agreement, an ATRIP-II grant application, a West Publishing agreement, and four letters of credit invocation for subdivisions, as well as special employee agreements for Earl Malcome Davis and Woody Maples.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Four Scouts from Troop 343 (Clay Falkner, Coehn Hill, Jack Dilduco, Zo Falkner) attended as part of their Citizenship in the Community merit badge and introduced themselves to the council. No formal testimony was given.
Discussion Items
- City Hall Naming (Ordinance 23-902): Councilmember Robinson proposed naming the new City Hall the "Huntsville City Hall" rather than after an individual, arguing it should belong to all residents. Councilmember Kling preferred to wait for an Attorney General opinion on naming options, noting that other facilities have been named after individuals. Councilmember Keith supported the ordinance, cautioning against naming a building after a living person and suggesting a formal program to memorialize individuals inside City Hall. City Administrator John Hamilton confirmed that space exists for such memorials. The ordinance passed 3–2 (Little, Robinson, Keith in favor; Kling, Meredith opposed).
- Coca-Cola Redevelopment (Resolution 23-927): Director Shane Davis presented a second amended and restated development agreement with Rocket Development Partners and Front Row Huntsville Owner, LLC, for a 13-acre mixed-use project on the former Coca-Cola bottling site. The project includes 500 residential units, 36,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant space, 35,000 sq ft of office, a conference hotel (phase two), and public parking. City infrastructure commitments were reduced, and the return on investment improved to 3 years (from 4.2). The resolution passed unanimously.
- Huntsville Northern Bypass (Resolution 23-930): Director Davis reported that Wiregrass Construction Company, Inc. was the low bidder at $33.5 million ($42 million estimate) for 3.4 miles of limited-access divided highway (State Route 255). The project includes an accelerated intersection near Bob Wade Lane to support the Food City development. The resolution passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- City Hall Naming: Ordinance 23-902 passed, officially naming the new City Hall the "Huntsville City Hall." (3 ayes, 2 nays)
- Coca-Cola Redevelopment: Resolution 23-927 approved, authorizing a second amended and restated development agreement. (Unanimous)
- Northern Bypass: Resolution 23-930 approved, authorizing the contract with Wiregrass Construction Company, Inc. (Unanimous)
- Finance: Expenditures of $27,796,941.07 approved. (Unanimous)
- Public Hearings Set: Seven zoning/rezoning hearings set for December 21, 2023. (All unanimous)
- Board Appointments: Garrett Coyne reappointed to the Tennis Center Board; Alvie Garrett nominated for Place 5 (to be voted on November 16).
- New Business Introductions: Three ordinances introduced for first reading: naming a road in John Hunt Park as Steve Ivey Drive SW, amending the Police Citizens Advisory Council ordinance, and authorizing a surplus property development agreement with BREG HSV, LLC. All due back on November 16, 2023.
Meeting Transcript
All right, well, here we are again. It is five thirty on November second, two thousand and twenty-three, and we are meeting in the City Council Chambers of Huntsville, Alabama, and all but Mr. Keith is present. All council members other than Mr. Keith is present. We are convening in this this session in the Huntsville City Council, and the meeting will be called to order. And we'll begin our meeting tonight with an invitation led by Pastor Milan L. Burwell of Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council Member John Meredith. And please stand as you're able to get it. We ask him to find out that you would give them wisdom to govern tonight. The presentation, please note that the presentation from Huntsville Museum of Art has been postponed until our November 16th meeting. Does anybody have any additions or deletions they'd like to make? Move to approve the agenda. Moved uh approved by uh Dr. Robinson, second by Mr. Mr. Kling. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed say nay. Hearing none, the agenda stands approved. Council members, you have a copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Huntsville City Council held on October 26, 2023 before you. Are there any changes or additions to be made to the minutes you've received? Hearing none, those minutes will stand approved. And this brings us to special recognitions from the mayor. Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr. President. If I could ask uh Fred Coffey, Martin Sisson, and Thomas Nunez to come forward. We have uh come on up, Travis. You come on to Travis Cummings is up here too with us because Travis handles part of this. We have a proclamation tonight, and the proclamation is about Fred Coffey. Uh it talks about Fred uh where he went to school, and it talks about that he is regularly advises clients on government contracts, real estate, health care. He was listed in the 2021 edition of Best Lawyers in America, and his business and managerial experience have been valuable assets to various boards and commission, and he has served to that he has served, including the downtown rescue mission, hospice of Huntsville, Huntsville Youth for Christ, the Historic Huntsville Foundation, and Five Points Historic District Association. He served at Central Presbyterian Church as elder and trustee. The reason we have him up here tonight with us is he served the last 15 years, and 15 years is a long time to serve on the City of Huntsville's boarding and zoning adjustments. Now 15 years times 12 meetings is 180 meetings times meetings that like usually last three to four hours. He has it at minimum 540 unbilable hours out of this, and uh and Fred is really he has been one of those stalwarts on there. Martin Sisson is chairman of the board. Martin, thank you for your service. Uh and uh Travis administered along with Thomas Nunez. But uh Fred, this is more to say uh thank you for your service and what you've done, and therefore I, Tommy Battle, mayor of the city of Huntsville, Alabama, do hereby proclaim today, tomorrow, Friday, November 3rd, so you get a full 24 hours as Fred Coffey Jr. Day in Huntsville, Alabama. Well done. You take all you want off. You got the whole day. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mayor.
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