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Record of Proceedings

Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting – November 21, 2024

City Council — Thursday, November 21, 2024
BodyHuntsville, Alabama
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, November 21, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
3:11

All right, it is five thirty one on Thursday, November twenty first, twenty twenty-four.

3:18

And I'd like to welcome all those here and those watching at home to the regular meeting of the Huntsville City Council here in the City Council Chambers.

3:29

Today we're going to be led off with the invocation offered by the Huntsville, Alabama Public Safely Chaplains, and followed that by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Cub Scout Pack Seventy Six O Nine of Union Hill Primitive Baptist Church.

4:38

May their actions reflect you as they strive for fairness and compassion.

4:50

May we never take these blessings for granted.

4:54

Amen.

5:07

Attention, salute, pledge.

5:09

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

5:14

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, in a visible with liberty and justice for all.

5:40

I am Asher Jendro.

5:43

Thank you, Asher.

5:45

My name is Jameson Locke.

5:47

Thank you.

5:47

Thank you both for leading us in the pledge.

5:50

And chaplain, thank you for that kind invocation.

5:53

At this point, uh we are at the approval of the agenda.

5:58

Tonight, we will uh be deleting item 20J.

6:03

We will be adding another item as 20AA.

6:11

If there are no objections, can I get a motion and a second?

6:14

Move to approve the agenda.

6:15

Motion by Mr.

6:16

Little, second by Dr.

6:18

Robinson.

6:19

All those in favor say aye.

6:20

Aye.

6:21

All those opposed say nay.

6:22

Motion carries.

6:24

Brings us to the approval of the minutes for previous meetings.

6:27

Um the meetings minutes of the regular meeting of the city council held on November 7th, 2024.

6:35

Is there a motion to approve the minutes?

6:39

A motion to approve.

6:40

Motion by Mr.

6:41

Little, second by Dr.

6:42

Robinson.

6:43

All in favor say aye.

6:44

Aye.

6:45

All those opposed say nay.

6:47

Motion carries.

6:48

At this point, uh, the mayor would like to uh make a special presentation.

6:55

5A is a presentation of a life-saving medal.

6:59

Mr.

7:00

Mayor.

7:01

Thank you, Mr.

7:02

President and Council.

7:03

Uh, if I could ask Chief Giles to come forward, and Deputy Chief Hudson.

7:09

Uh, we have life-saving uh medals to present, and they're always um it's always great actions by our officers out there.

7:18

Thank you.

7:19

Thank you, Mayor and City Council.

7:20

We appreciate the opportunity to present this.

7:23

And if you'll bear with me just a minute, let me read to you the what happened.

7:26

So on July the first of this year, officers responded to an address on Highway 53, uh, a Chevron service station in reference to a shooting in progress.

7:35

So upon arrival, the officers observed a large crowd and a very chaotic scene.

7:41

They approached the front of the store and they observed one male with multiple gunshot wounds bleeding profusely.

7:47

So if the three officers I would identify in just a minute, Officer Welbin ran to his patrol car and got his first aid kit.

7:53

Officer Welbin and Chandler applied a tourniquet to the victim's left arm and began to pack another wound with cause.

8:01

Both officers continued to assess the victim wound and apply pressure.

8:06

During this time, Officer Blue was talking to the victim to try to keep him alert and observe an additional gunshot wound to the victim's right arm.

8:14

Officer Blue then applied a tourniquet to his arm to his arm.

8:19

So Officer Chandler, while trying to assess the victim, observed another wound on his abdomen and packed it with gauge and apply pressure.

8:28

Additionally, the officers apply pressure to an exit wound on the victim's back.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety███████████████15%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Procedural██████████10%
Transportation Safety█████████9%
Fiscal Sustainability███████7%
Zoning And Land Use██████6%
Historical Preservation█████5%
Mental Health Awareness████4%
Housing and Property Maintenance████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting – November 21, 2024

The Huntsville City Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. All five council members (President John Meredith, Jennie Robinson, Bill Kling, David Little, and Michelle Watkins) were present, along with Mayor Tommy Battle, City Administrator John Hamilton, City Attorney Trey Riley, and City Clerk Shaundrika Edwards. The meeting included special recognitions, public hearings, presentations from outside agencies, a financial update, and action on numerous resolutions and ordinances. Notable items included the approval of a greenway easement on Redstone Arsenal, a federal grant for Slaughter Road improvements, formation of an energy task force (postponed), and the sale of land in Cummings Research Park.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the agenda (with deletion of item 20j and addition of 20aa) and minutes of November 7, 2024.
  • Approved resolutions recognizing the 150th anniversary of Church Street Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Resolution 24-870) and honoring Staff Sergeant John Brashears (Resolution 24-908).
  • Approved public hearings: grass cutting assessment for 21 properties totaling $6,430.89 (24-871); demolition of unsafe building at 404 Greenacres Dr (24-872); nuisance abatement at 2609 Skyline Dr (24-873); rezoning of 2.6 acres from C-5 to C-4 (Ordinance 24-743); and setting a public hearing for revocation of licensure case 402 on December 5 (24-874).
  • Approved consent agenda items under New Business (20a, 20b, 20d, 20g–i, 20s–z) including travel expenses, donations, GovOS renewal, professional services, worker’s compensation settlement, Jefferson Hotel amendments, Marsh & McLennan insurance, Terry Heights survey, special employee agreements, and agreements for concrete work, drainage projects, and more.
  • Approved expenditures resolution (24-875) for $34,677,830.46.
  • Approved District 1 Council Improvement Funds ordinance (24-876) for parks and recreation.
  • Approved board appointments: Janice Vaughn and Tammie Hammons-Figures to the Human Relations Commission (24-829, 24-830).
  • Approved nominations for Angela Mead and Steve Rowley to boards (referred to December 5 meeting).
  • Approved legal department items: vacation of rights-of-way and easements in Mundy Meadows Phase 1 and 2 (Resolution 24-791 and Ordinance 24-792).
  • Approved unfinished business: ordinance amending MidCity Arts and Entertainment District to add 33.7 acres (24-868) and annexation of 25.08 acres near Bibb Garrett Rd (24-869).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Eunice Ennis (2609 Skyline Dr, Huntsville): During the public hearing on a nuisance pool at her property, she stated financial hardship and requested more time to address the issue. The council approved the abatement resolution.
  • Marissa Allison (District 2): Expressed concerns about library censorship and materials being moved due to state code changes, and urged the council to pass a ceasefire resolution regarding Gaza.
  • Moni Ahmad (Madison): Called for the council to pass a ceasefire resolution, criticized U.S. funding of Israel, and referenced recent Senate votes and ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
  • Sarah Colletti (Huntsville): Spoke about accessibility issues, lack of closed captioning on the city website, and criticized the council’s record on accountability and transparency.
  • Alyx Kim-Yohn (District 3): Offered historical context on Thanksgiving from an indigenous perspective and urged the council to pass a ceasefire resolution.

Discussion Items

  • Presentation – Huntsville-Madison County Rescue Squad: Director David Young reported the squad responded to 192 priority EMS assist calls in the city in 2024. The squad has 38 volunteer staff, operates 24/7, and recently added a dive team with $115,000 in equipment. Councilmember Robinson noted the city’s appropriation is 19% of the squad’s budget.
  • Presentation – WellStone, Inc.: Jeremy Blair reported WellStone served 12,064 clients in FY2024 (6,462 from Huntsville), with 309,274 total services. The city’s funding ($1.3M total) covers care for uninsured clients ($21.90 per service), jail diversion, co-responder program, and the new pediatric crisis center. Councilmembers praised the partnership.
  • 20c – Redstone Arsenal Greenway Walking Track Easement: Shane Davis explained a 50-year no-cost lease for a 1.5-mile missing link to complete a 15-mile loop. Approved 4-0-1 (Watkins abstained).
  • 20e – Slaughter Road at Madison Boulevard Federal Grant: Resolution authorizing acceptance of $4.3 million federal grant for engineering and construction. Approved unanimously.
  • 20f – Energy Task Force Formation: West Kelly (Huntsville Utilities) presented the need for a community energy resource plan to address changing energy landscape. Councilmember Watkins proposed an amendment to add one member appointed by the Madison County Commission and one by the Madison City Council, increasing the task force from 12 to 14. The amendment passed, but the resolution was postponed to the December 5 regular meeting for further refinement.
  • 20k – Huntsville and Madison County Railroad Authority: Chairman Mark Lum requested consent for a $3 million line of credit for a federal CRISI grant and refinancing of $600,000 debt. No city liability. Approved unanimously.
  • 20p – Mill Creek Choice Neighborhood Initiative Contract: Resolution to rescind prior contract and approve a corrected version with indemnification language. No change in scope or funding ($10 million, 100% HUD). Approved unanimously.
  • 20r – Skyfire AI Drone Agreement: John Hamilton explained the agreement supports the city’s small unmanned aerial system program, including “drone as first responder” capability. Approved unanimously.
  • 20aa – Cummings Research Park Land Sale: Resolution to sell 13.04 acres to the Industrial Development Board for $932,360 ($71,500/acre, set by ordinance) for Auburn University’s new research institute. Councilmember Watkins expressed concern over lack of appraisal and late addition; she voted nay. Approved 4-1 (Watkins against).
  • Financial Update: Finance Director Penny Smith reported a Triple-A bond rating from Moody’s, sales tax growth of 2.9% over prior year, and conservative 2% growth projection for FY2025. Lodging tax in October was 8-9% above prior year. The city will issue bonds on December 5.

Key Outcomes

  • All consent items and most separate votes passed unanimously (5-0) unless noted.
  • Resolution 20c (Redstone Greenway) passed 4-0-1 (Watkins abstained).
  • Resolution 20f (Energy Task Force) was amended and then postponed to the December 5, 2024 regular meeting.
  • Resolution 20aa (CRP land sale) passed 4-1 (Watkins nay).
  • The council set a special session for December 5 at 3:00 PM for the licensure revocation hearing.
  • Mayor Battle announced a groundbreaking at Lewter's Hardware, Light Up Bridgestreet on November 22, and One Table Thanksgiving on November 25.
  • Councilmembers reported 135 citations and 63 warnings under the hands-free ordinance since July 1.
  • The next regular meeting is scheduled for December 5, 2024 at 5:30 PM.

Meeting Transcript

All right, it is five thirty one on Thursday, November twenty first, twenty twenty-four. And I'd like to welcome all those here and those watching at home to the regular meeting of the Huntsville City Council here in the City Council Chambers. Today we're going to be led off with the invocation offered by the Huntsville, Alabama Public Safely Chaplains, and followed that by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Cub Scout Pack Seventy Six O Nine of Union Hill Primitive Baptist Church. May their actions reflect you as they strive for fairness and compassion. May we never take these blessings for granted. Amen. Attention, salute, pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, in a visible with liberty and justice for all. I am Asher Jendro. Thank you, Asher. My name is Jameson Locke. Thank you. Thank you both for leading us in the pledge. And chaplain, thank you for that kind invocation. At this point, uh we are at the approval of the agenda. Tonight, we will uh be deleting item 20J. We will be adding another item as 20AA. If there are no objections, can I get a motion and a second? Move to approve the agenda. Motion by Mr. Little, second by Dr. Robinson. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. Motion carries. Brings us to the approval of the minutes for previous meetings. Um the meetings minutes of the regular meeting of the city council held on November 7th, 2024. Is there a motion to approve the minutes? A motion to approve. Motion by Mr. Little, second by Dr. Robinson. All in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. Motion carries. At this point, uh, the mayor would like to uh make a special presentation. 5A is a presentation of a life-saving medal. Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr. President and Council. Uh, if I could ask Chief Giles to come forward, and Deputy Chief Hudson. Uh, we have life-saving uh medals to present, and they're always um it's always great actions by our officers out there. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor and City Council. We appreciate the opportunity to present this. And if you'll bear with me just a minute, let me read to you the what happened.

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