Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting - December 5, 2024
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Huntsville City Council Regular Meeting - December 5, 2024
The Huntsville City Council met on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included presentations, approval of bond issuances, setting of public hearings for rezoning requests, passage of the Energy Task Force resolution, and votes on memoranda of understanding with Huntsville City Schools and Providence Classical School. Several new business items were approved en bloc, with two items drawing separate debate and split votes.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Agenda (as amended to delete Item 14c and take Item 8a out of order): Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Approval of Minutes of November 21, 2024: Approved as submitted.
- Finance Committee Report – Resolution No. 24-919 authorizing $37,018,463.70 in expenditures: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Ordinance No. 24-920 – Appropriating District 1 Council Improvement Funds for Jemison High School Athletics (basketball and football programs): Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Board Appointments – Resolutions No. 24-877, 24-878, and 24-922 appointing Angela Mead, Steve Rowley, and Ethan Walker-Jones to various boards: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Legal Department – Ordinance No. 24-923 vacating a utility and drainage easement: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- New Business Items (20a through 20w, 20aa, 20ab) – Approved en bloc unanimously (5-0). These included travel expenses, donation acceptance, budget amendment, procurement contracts, modifications, agreements for professional services, and employee compensation adjustments.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joy Johnson (District 1, Huntsville) – Expressed concern about the Memorandum of Understanding with Providence Classical School, citing potential separation of church and state issues. Her comment prompted the council to hold that item for separate consideration.
- Alyx Kim-Yohn (District 3, Huntsville) – Spoke during second roster public comments in solidarity with Councilmember Watkins' concerns about school security, noting historical disparities in policing of predominantly white vs. predominantly Black schools and advocating for investment in prevention (teachers, counselors) rather than additional surveillance.
Presentations
- Second Mile Development – Bill McDowell (Executive Director) and Tammy Jordan (Director of Terry Heights Hill and Dale Neighborhood Organization) presented a video highlighting 39 years of community work, including a reduction in boarded-up homes from 84 to 24 and over 50 homes improved. They thanked the city for partnership funding that covers approximately 70% of personnel costs.
- Huntsville-Madison County Public Library – Interim Executive Director Connie Chow presented statistics for FY2024 (Oct 2023–Sep 2024): 925,000 systemwide visitors (70% at Huntsville branches), 65,000 registered cardholders in Huntsville, and over 2,500 programs with 58,000 attendees. The North Huntsville branch saw a 75% increase in visitors and 86% increase in program attendance since merging from two smaller locations. The South Huntsville branch saw an 81% increase in visitors. The Downtown library scanned 9,000 digital objects, 7,700 for church congregations. Councilmembers praised the library as the busiest in Alabama and a vital community gathering space.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance No. 24-910 – General Obligation Warrants Series 2024-A ($75 million for parks and recreation) and Series 2024-B ($16 million taxable for TIF 5 at Redstone Arsenal). Taken out of order with unanimous consent. Finance Director Penny Smith and PFM advisor Marcy Lewis reported that Series A received a record 15 bids, resulting in a true interest cost of 3.51% (0.22% better than estimated), saving about $1.5 million. Series B received 7 bids with a true interest cost of 4.87% (57 basis points better than estimated). Bond counsel Rod Cantor noted the competitive bidding reflects the city's strong credit rating. The ordinance was approved unanimously (5-0).
- Public Hearings to be Set (Items 10a–10d) – Four resolutions to set public hearings for January 23, 2025, on zoning/rezoning requests: (a) 30.67 acres on Little Cove Rd to Residence-2; (b) 1.13 acres on Governors Dr to Neighborhood Business C-2; (c) 19.35 acres on Bell Rd to Residence-2; (d) 1.77 acres on Pulaski Pike for a swap between Highway Business C-4 and Residence-2. All unanimously approved.
- Unfinished Business: Energy Task Force (Resolution No. 24-887) – Postponed from November 21. The council first voted to reconsider a previously adopted amendment to the resolution; the reconsideration passed unanimously. They then voted on the amendment itself, which failed unanimously (5-0). The original resolution (as introduced) then passed unanimously (5-0). The task force will assist Huntsville Utilities in preparing a Community Energy Resource Plan. Councilmembers agreed to submit their district appointments by the December 19 meeting for approval at the January 9 meeting.
- New Business – Separate Consideration Items:
- 20x – Predevelopment Loan for Mill Creek Phase 1 (Resolution No. 24-947): Shane Davis (Urban/Economic Development) explained the $2.1 million loan from city housing funds for architectural and site work on the first two buildings of the Choice Neighborhood redevelopment (Clinton Ave to Governors Dr, west of Parkway). The loan is backed by future rental revenue from public housing vouchers, income-based, and market-rate units. Approved unanimously (5-0).
- 20y – MOU with Huntsville City Board of Education (Resolution No. 24-948): Police Chief Kirk Java explained the agreement allows HPD to access school cameras during emergencies and use electronic fobs to enter locked school doors. Councilmember Watkins raised concerns about privacy, FERPA, potential over-policing, and the federal consent order. She requested monthly reports on camera access. Councilmember Robinson and others supported the measure as a proactive safety step. City Administrator John Hamilton committed to providing regular audit reports. The resolution passed 4-1, with Watkins voting no.
- 20z – MOU with Providence Classical School (Resolution No. 24-949): Chief Java stated the school requested a camera-sharing and emergency access agreement similar to the city's existing programs for businesses and neighborhood watches. Councilmember Kling noted the school's community involvement. Councilmember Watkins requested similar tracking reports. The resolution passed 4-1, with Watkins voting no.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Ordinance No. 24-910 authorizing $75 million in Series 2024-A warrants and $16 million in Series 2024-B warrants (unanimous).
- Set four public hearings for January 23, 2025, on zoning/rezoning petitions.
- Adopted Resolution No. 24-887 establishing an Energy Task Force (unanimous after amendment failed).
- Approved Resolution No. 24-947 authorizing a $2.1 million predevelopment loan for Mill Creek Phase 1 (unanimous).
- Approved Resolution No. 24-948 (MOU with Huntsville City Schools) on a 4-1 vote (Watkins dissenting); monthly or quarterly audits will be provided to the council.
- Approved Resolution No. 24-949 (MOU with Providence Classical School) on a 4-1 vote (Watkins dissenting); tracking reports to be provided.
- Introduced three ordinances (Classification and Salary Plan amendment, Budget Ordinance amendment for departmental strength, and surplus property disposal) due back December 19, 2024.
- Deleted Item 14c (District 5 Council Improvement Funds) from the agenda.
Meeting Transcript
Hello everyone. It's 5 30 p.m. on Thursday, December 5th, and we are gathered here in the Huntsville City Council chambers for the regular meeting of the Huntsville City Council. Not working. Okay. Testing. You want to use mine? Hello, hello. I think it's on now. Awesome. Thank you. It's 5 30 on Thursday, December the 5th, 2024, and we are gathered at the Huntsville City Council Chambers for the regular meeting of the Huntsville City Council. We will start our meeting with an invocation offered by the by the by the Alabama Public Safety Chaplains, and that will be immediately followed by a pledge of allegiance led by Councilwoman Jenny Robinson. Please stand if you are able. Thank you, let us pray. Almighty and triune God, we come before you with gratitude. You are loving and good and gracious. We thank you for being with us here in this room. You never leave us or forsake us. We thank you for making each of us in your image with infinite dignity, value, and worth. Thank you for being uh that being made in your image. We exist to live in community with each other. Father, you founded our uh you guided our founding fathers to establish a nation with the goal of forming a more perfect union. We read in your word how precious this concept of union and unity is to you, as in Psalm 133, how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity, and how we are encouraged to be perfectly united in mind and thought in First Corinthians. It is impossible for our nation to form this more perfect union if that unity does not begin here at the local level in these city council chambers. So help us tonight to press towards a more perfect union. Jesus, we ask you to bless those here and those that are absent. We pray for our city leadership, our mayor, Tommy Battle, our city administrator, John Hamilton, our city attorney, Trey Riley, and for our city clerk, Chandrika Edwards. We lift up our council members to you, David Little, Janine Robinson, Bill Kling, Michelle Watkins, and John Meredith. Holy Spirit strengthen these with wisdom and grace for the heavy burdens they carry. May they manage their teams and projects with love. Keep their hearts pure and their eyes turned towards your face as they work in the best interest of the people they are called to serve. Finally, we pray for our city council meeting tonight. Give these leaders wisdom and guidance as they deliberate on the items before them. Father, tonight we pray for that supernatural unity for the announcements and presentations, the hearings, comments, for the reports and voting. May every decision tonight be precious in your sight for the benefit of Huntsville and for your glory. In your name we pray. Amen. Thank you, Chaplain, and thank you, Dr. Robinson. Brings us to the approval of the agenda. Um item 8A will be taken out of order. And that item is one that the administration has requested uh unanimous consent on so that we can act uh give consideration and act upon it today. Um are there any other additions or deletions to the agenda? Move to approve the agenda. Motion by Dr. Little, second uh Mr. Little, seconded by Dr. Robinson. All those in favor, all those opposed, say nay.
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