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.
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.