The Huntsville City Council held its regular meeting on December 7, 2023, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. All five council members were present. The meeting included presentations, public hearings, discussion on naming policies, and approval of numerous resolutions and ordinances. The session lasted approximately two hours.
All right. Good evening, everybody. It's uh five thirty on December seventh, twenty twenty-three, twenty twenty-three, and uh we're calling this meeting of the Huntsville City Council to order, and please note all council members are present. We will begin our meeting tonight with an invocation led by Dr. Sprite E. Simpson the third with the West Maston Lake Baptist Church, and he's also one of our public safety chaplains, and that will be followed by the pledge led by council member uh Dr. Robinson. So please stand as you're able for the invocation and the pledge. Let us pray. Our father and our God, while the memories of family gathering and thanksgiving are still fresh in our minds, we come with thankful hearts for our larger family, the people that make up this great city of Huntsville, Alabama. Thank you for our leaders for their contributions and their sacrifices, and bless their families as they humbly lend us their loved ones. Bless our citizens from the oldest upon whose shoulders this city was built to the youngest who will one day inherit the accomplishments of those who came before them. As we continue in this season of giving and cheer, Lord, please bless this gathering with productivity and a fulfillment of your will. Um the presentation honoring Dr. Kayler will be postponed until the December 21st council meeting. Any opposed say nay. Gary, we have a proclamation that talks about Project Share and its partnership with the Salvation Army and Huntsville Utilities and how we're providing funds to qualified applicants to lower and fixed incomes and making sure that their power stays on. Can you tell us a little bit more about it? Thank you, Mayor. Since 1988, Huntsville Utilities and Salvation Army have been in partnership during the winter time and also during the cooling season to ensure that our friends and neighbors here in our community stay warm and they have power during the winter season. So through donations from the public and all of our friends and loved ones, we're able to help our friends and neighbors. Thank you so much for what y'all do. Thank you. Thank you, buddy. There are, or thank you, Mayor. There are no council special special recognitions tonight. Um so that brings us to announcements. Uh 7A will or announcements in her presentations, excuse me. It's 7A is a presentation from the uh Huntsville Museum of Art. And there'll be uh Laura Smith, the director of education up front. Good evening, Mayor Battle and the Council. Thank you for having us this evening. The Huntsville Museum of Art is a nonprofit municipal corporation established by the City of Huntsville in 1970 and governed by the city-appointed HMA board. The HMA seeks to foster understanding of the visual arts and appreciation for artistic achievement. The mission of the museum is to bring people and art together through acquiring, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting the highest quality works of art. HMA is located in Big Spring Park, the epicenter of the dynamic and evolving city center that is downtown Huntsville. HMA works as a magnet for cultural activities and tourism, augmenting the already blossoming downtown atmosphere of Huntsville's HMA's vision is to engage the community by inspiring all generations through art. Our core values create creativity, relevance, excellence, accessibility, trust, and education. Through the appropriation ARPA funds, we received 405,000. We've been able to add additional programming and exhibitions at Huntsville Museum of Art. We have our five after five program on Thursdays offering docent-led tours, live music, fine wine, and more. Has gone very well. We've had a great number of attendants with this program. Also celebrating Black History Month, co-chairs Bobby Bradley, Diana Reynolds. One of our most significant works of art, as you see here, is by Luigi Luciani, Ethel Waters. It will be on loan to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, an exhibition opening on April 10th, 2024. In addition with our education programs, we have a very active academy located downstairs in the Art Museum building. And as you can see here, our attendance and Museum Academy camps classes and programs, over 2,000, as well as over 7,000 attending school and group lesson-led tours throughout the year. We offer many classes, workshops, and camps with all different media, including exhibitions and this year and next year. In addition, through ARPA support, Ronnie Imatar, she currently on view until February 11th.