Good evening, everyone.

It is Thursday, October 23rd, 2025.

We are gathered here in the chambers of the Huntsville City Council in Huntsville, Alabama, and we welcome all of you to a regular meeting of the Huntsville City Council.

All council members are present, and we welcome everyone who is joining us this evening here in person as well as online on our many virtual platforms.

We will begin, as is our practice, with an invitation offered by one of our public safety chaplains, Ethan Ryan, and that will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance offered by Mr.

Meredith.

If you are willing and able, please stand for the pledge and the invocation and the pledge of allegiance.

Let's pray.

But Lord, I do pray it's a time of unity, a time of peace.

I thank you for those.

Really for why this city exists, uh, for those who went into deep space who have a heart to explore and uh to discover your good creation.

Lord, I thank you so much for the just the beauty that you've placed around us.

Lord, I thank you for those with second chance ministries, Lord.

Just uh the heart they have for the hurting and the and the broken, Lord, I thank you for the testimony uh of that ministry, and Lord, I pray that you'd bless them and in their efforts.

Uh Lord, uh just pray for each soul.

Uh they're your creation.

Uh you made each and every one.

You care for them, you love them, you died for them.

And Lord, I pray that we'd show that same love to them as well.

I just thank you so much for all those that are here.

Thank you for our council members, I thank you for our mayor.

I think you for our city attorney.

Lord, I pray that your hand would be upon them, and Lord, that we just feel your blessing today.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

And to the republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Chaplain Ryan.

Thank you, Mr.

Meredith.

We will move on now to the approval of the agenda.

Uh council members, the agenda that you see before you is the published agenda and follows the order of business established by our bylaws.

The public should know that there will be two opportunities for individuals to share concerns and ideas with the council.

Item 11 is the portion of the meeting reserved for individuals wishing to address the council on matters related to specific items on the agenda.

Non-agenda comments will be heard at the end of the council's business meeting.

Individuals wishing to comment either during the agenda related or non-agenda related comment periods may do so after they have signed up in advance in the lobby.

Please make sure you have provided information that is legible and correct.

If you need to make any changes, you're welcome to go do so now.

We have added an option to include phone number and email uh on the sign-up.

This is not required.

This is not required, but you may do it if you would like a member of the council or administration to follow up with you regarding your concern.

Are there any additions or changes to the agenda from any council members?

Hearing none, the agenda is accepted as presented.

The next item is the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.

Uh Councilmembers, you have received the minutes of the regular meeting with the State Council held on October 9th, 2025.

Are there any additions or corrections to be made to the minutes since they have been presented to you?

Seeing none of the minutes uh will stand approved.

Mayor Battle, uh, we have on the agenda a proclamation recognizing the October of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Uh if we could uh if if we if it please council, if we could put it off till next uh meeting, which will be in November, and in November we will celebrate October Cybersecurity Month.

Well, we will share that recognition uh on November 6th, November 6th meeting.

That brings us to uh special recognitions by the council.

6A is a resolution honoring second chance deliverance and restoration ministries incorporated as it celebrates its 20th anniversary of service to the Huntsville community.

Move to the probe.

Second.

Motion by Ms.

Watkins, second by Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Ms.

Watkins, would you like to make that presentation?

Good evening, everyone.

If I could get second chance ministries to come up, please.

So this is Donna and Leo Robinson.

They are community changes.

And the reason I say community changes, they do work day in and day out in our community, from helping with our schools to volunteering to have a pantry at McDonald Elementary to collecting coats in the community as well as hosting an annual, is it music music recognition?

Gayla, and they recognize some of the musicians in our community while they still give out scholarships.

They do a lot of things in our community.

And the reason I say community changes, you've got to have community changers in the community to make a difference.

And it takes all of us working together, and they do this work day in and day out, and we appreciate them dearly.

And I'm going to see if Mr.

Robinson wants to speak.

First, I say to the mayor and to the council, I am grateful for this opportunity to be on the podium to receive this recognition.

So it has been 20 good years, and we would not go to stop.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You want to say anything, Ms.

Donna?

Oh.

Did oh.

She said did I.

So if everyone could give them a hand for the hard work they do.

I don't think my meeting.

Thank you very much for the work that you are doing.

6A is a 6B is a resolution recognizing Edward Buckby for his exemplary leadership in space exploration and museum education in the City of Huntsville and offering tribute to his 89th birthday, which was celebrated on September 15, 2025.

Move to approve.

Motion by Mr.

Little, a second by Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

Congratulations, Mr.

Buckby.

Mr.

Little will make the presentation.

Well, this is a real honor for me.

Uh not only is this the Huntsville, but uh three-time space camp alumni back a long, long time ago.

Um when I read through this resolution honoring Mr.

Buckby, I think you'll all know why.

Um there's a lot of really cool stuff you have been involved in, so I'm gonna read it.

A lot of times we gloss over everything that's in here, but we are going to make sure everybody knows what you have done for the community.

Whereas the City Council and the mayor of Huntsville, Alabama wish to honor Edward Buckby in recognition of his exemplary leadership in space exploration and museum education in the City of Huntsville and offer tribute to his 89th birthday, which was celebrated on September 15, 2025.

And whereas, born on September 15, 1936, Edward Buckby, an author, lecturer, space expert, and director emeritus, has been a pillar of the U.S.

space program since 1959, when he began his NASA career, coinciding with the selection of America's first Mercury astronauts.

And whereas in 1961, he began working for the newly formed Marshall Space Flight Center as a NASA public affairs officer, where he worked with astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.

And whereas as a significant leader in museum education in Huntsville in 1970, Edward Buckby was elected by Werner von Brown to be the first director of the U.S.

Space and Rocket Center, the world's largest space museum.

And whereas before retiring in 1994, Edward Buckby, in pursuit of bringing Werner Von Brown's vision to life, founded the enormously successful U.S.

Space Camp in 1982, an aviation challenge in 1990, which contributed to an induction into the Space Camp Hall of Fame in 2007.

And whereas in retirement, Edward Buckby continues to impact the community by organizing and hosting numerous space anniversary events that honor astronauts, including John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Alan Bean, and Gene Cernan, as well as significant space programs such as the 30th anniversary celebration of America's first space station, Skylab.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the City Council and the mayor of the City of Huntsville hereby formally recognize Edward Buckby for his extraordinary contributions to space, exploration, and museum education.

His achievements have made a lasting impact on the City of Huntsville, ensuring his legacy will long be remembered and admired.

This is adopted and presented on the 23rd day of October, 2025.

And then I also have one uh from the Alabama House of Representatives that was delivered by uh uh Representative Rex Reynolds today, recognizing uh you at the state level as well.

Yes, sir.

So there's that.

Yeah, man.

Somebody want to speak.

Weren't you all wanna?

Yeah.

This is this is Jack.

Daughter number three.

Our family and cared.

Then you'll talk.

Look at this.

Look at the camera again.

I'll never leave.

Okay, now the floor is.

Our family and our caregivers are truly honored by this recognition, and Dad has received many many um accolades and accomplishments, and tonight feels like one of the most important ones yet.

Um thank you all for making this happen, and especially to Miss Perrion Roberts, for driving this and uh making it possible tonight.

We are so proud of our dad and his legacy in Huntsville and beyond.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ed, for your service to our community.

We were in Leadership Alabama together 22 years ago.

It's been a while.

But it was wonderful getting to know Mr.

Buckby and his accomplishments at that time, and we continue to wish you many more birthdays.

Um we will now move on to announcements and presentations.

We have two short announcements and then a presentation from the UAH College of Nursing.

Council members, as is our practice and in keeping with our bylaws, the council meeting dates will be moved from the second and fourth Thursdays of the month to the first and third Thursdays due to Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

So please note for the public's information as well, that our November meeting dates will be November 6 and 20, and December meetings will be held on December 4 and 18.

So please make sure those are on your calendar.

Also, Councilmembers, we are in the process of scheduling a joint work session with the Board of Education to discuss funding for the school system capital plan.

The capital plan will be presented at that meeting, and we will then discuss funding and how the city will manage the debt for the plan.

Council members, you will be contacted with possible dates for the meeting.

We have determined in collaboration with the Board of Education President that it will probably be best to do it.

Uh here in the council chamber is around 5 o'clock.

Specific dates the staff is working on specific dates, so please stay tuned for that.

That brings us now to a community health care announcement and presentation by the UAH College of Nursing, and I want to invite my friends, Dr.

Karen Frith, Dean of the College of Nursing, and Dr.

Azita Mary, Assistant Dean, and Mr.

Kling, I believe this is your item.

Madam President, I think you said the right thing.

These are the folks who have some great things that they've been doing in the community.

I think the best thing I can do is turn the floor over to them, and they're going to take a few minutes and uh just talk with us.

Thank you so much.

I'm Karen Frith, the Dean of the College of Nursing, and it's my pleasure to be here tonight and thank you, uh Councilmember Kling for allowing us to come together.

I'm going to turn over the stage to Dr.

Azidia Meri, our associate dean for research, who is the member who the faculty member who brought neighborhood nursing to the College of Nursing.

And so I invite her to give a report to you about neighborhood nursing.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Fred.

And good afternoon, Council members, community leaders and neighbors.

And thank you, Councilmember Kling for the opportunity to speak before the Council today.

My name is Dr.

Azita Amidi, and I'm associate dean for research at UAH College of Nursing.

I'm honored to introduce a movement that is shaping how we care for one another.

Neighborhood nursing.

Neighborhood nursing is one of a kind initiative in the nation, uniquely designed to embed nursing care directly into communities led by trusted local ambassadors and powered by academic excellence, innovation, and deep community engagement.

The initiative is more than a healthcare model.

It's a community promise.

A promise that every person, regardless of zip code, income, or background, deserves access to care that is local, personal, and rooted in trust.

In Huntsville, the average life expectancy is 76.5 years, which is above the Alabama State average of 72 years.

But when we compare ourselves to counties like Shelby County, where life expectancy is 77.5, or Summit County in Colorado, where it exceeds 91 years.

We see what's possible when communities invest deeply in health, equity, and connection.

Despite our strengths, disparities persist.

Black residents still face higher rates of infant and maternal mortality and definitely chronic illnesses.

Low-income families struggle with food insecurity and limited access to health care.

Mental health remains out of reach for many.

Alabama ranks 46th nationally, and Huntsville reflects similar challenges.

We also face barriers that medicine alone cannot fix.

Poverty, housing instability, education gaps, and provider shortages in underserved areas.

Neighborhood nursing was born from listening to these challenges, and from believing that the solutions must come from within our communities.

Neighborhood nursing is composed of multiple elements that tackle challenging health disparities through a comprehensive approach rooted in community engagement and participation.

Woven throughout every component of their neighborhood nursing is more importantly our community partners.

We could not do this without them.

Neighborhood nursing is a scalable, sustainable and grounded, improved strategies that work.

Founded by the College of Nursing at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, this initiative thrives on partnerships with local providers, organizations, and leaders like you.

And is guided by the wholehearted belief that community engagement isn't optional.

It's essential.

As with any innovative and groundbreaking, we anticipate hiccups.

That's why we built in feedback loops for continuous improvement.

Our first on-site health screening event is planned to for January 2026.

Aligned with the start of our spring semester.

Initial focus groups have already taken place.

And we've learned so much from listening to our neighbors.

We will show up consistently in neighborhoods, not just as visitors, but as partners.

At these events, neighbors move through stations starting with free health screening, which includes all the screenings that you see on the first column cancer, mental health, kidney diabetes, heart, maternal health.

And if their results suggest the need for follow-up, they are directed to a provider on site without leaving their neighborhood.

Our first pilot sites include neighborhoods surrounding the Bob Harrison Wellness and Advocacy Center, Huntsville Housing Authorities neighborhoods of Brookside and Northwoods, and also the town of Triana.

We are asking for your support, not just for a program, but for a movement.

A movement that honors the voices of our neighbors, strengthen trust, and builds a healthier, more equitable Huntsville, one neighborhood at a time.

Neighborhood nursing team invites each of you, council members, community leaders, neighbors to come talk with us, share your ideas, and be part of this movement.

We will take neighborhood nursing to the state level, and we want to begin here in Huntsville.

Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your commitment to the people of Huntsville.

Thank you, Dr.

Mary, and thank you to the UH College of Nursing for a genuinely collaborative program that will change the health of our community.

We have no matters with outside legal representation.

We have one public hearing to be held.

9A.

Now is the time and place for a public hearing in order to hear consider and act upon all objections or protests, if any, for removal of a public nuisance at 2605, Lehman Ferry Road Southwest, Huntsville, Alabama, and consideration of a resolution ordering abatement of the news of a nuisance located at the same property.

Mr.

Irwin.

Upon your approval, the city will abate this public nuisance.

The property conditions which constitute public nuisance are presented to you on the screen.

This is a former commercial commercial property, formerly operated to daycare that has been neglected for many years.

So we're seeking your authorization to debate this nuisance.

Thank you, Mr.

Irwin.

The public hearing is open.

Is there anyone here who wishes to comment?

Please come to the microphone.

Give us your name, address for the record.

My name is Sarah Colletti.

My address is listed correctly on the sign-up sheet outside.

My question is just for the record, could you please give us the city residence?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Um, thank you.

So my question is we see a lot of these commercial properties around town.

Um, you know, business owners that just couldn't keep up with the economy.

But some of them have actually been shut down specifically by the city.

Uh, regardless of why these businesses closed.

Um the fact remains that it does create public nuisances like this.

Um, but I have to wonder in all of these hearings we've had about these public nuisance properties.

You have talked a lot about the responsibility of the homeowner and the responsibility of this gentleman to get things taken care of.

But what is the responsibility of the City of Huntsville for its role in these failed businesses and their failures?

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Colletti.

Is there anyone else who wishes to comment?

Seeing none, the oh, yes, sir.

Please come to the microphone.

Good afternoon.

Good evening, sorry.

Give us your name and address for the records.

My name is Antoine Davis.

My address is 252 Pebblestone Drive in Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you, sir.

Um I wanted to come before you this evening.

I am a commercial real estate agent.

And I have been in the process of connecting with the owners of this building for the last month or so.

Um I have already taken steps to assess the and correct the issues that are brought uh brought that are brought uh that have brought it before the council tonight.

I have spoken to a local contractor, and we are already, we are ready to clean and repair the building within the next 30 to 60 days so that it meets all city codes and standards and safety standards.

I respectfully request that the council defer postpone any demolition or abatement action to allow time to complete this remediation.

I fully intend to work directly with the community development and code enforcement team to verify the progress and compliance.

My goal is to restore, repurpose the building for productive use that aligns with the uh Huntsville Development Goals and Lehman Ferry uh uh corridor.

Uh thank you for your time and the opportunity to keep this property contributing to our community.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else who wishes to comment?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a resolution or a motion to approve the resolution?

Madam President?

Yes, sir.

I would move that we go ahead with the recommendation of Mr.

Irwin uh concerning this.

But at the same time, Mr.

Irwin has the more or less has a stick in his hand, and if he would have the discretion as a very responsible department head to give whatever time extension if he thought it was a reasonable amount and this was being very rapidly addressed.

Motion is made by Mr.

Kling.

The chair will second.

Okay.

It's time for discussion now, Mr.

Okay, I'm sorry.

But anyway, I was getting at he has long motion.

Anyway, as part of that, I would say individually that I think that 60 days would be much too much.

And if Mr.

Irwin again has the authority, he could uh lower the boom any time, but uh personally I think 60 days would be much too much, but we could give him the authority if this were to pass.

Mr.

Irwin, would you like to share your thoughts on the other?

Yes, so council members, as a staff, we have been in constant contact with the out-of-state owner.

Uh there is a family issue there with the a longtime Huntsville resident has moved out of state for care.

Uh so we are working with the that owner to bring it into compliance.

Uh, what may be happening between a real estate uh investor or activity I am not aware of, but again, we have made it clear that we need it corrected, and we will work with the owner to make that happen.

Madam President?

Yes, sir.

If I could in support of Mr.

Irwin, not to not handicap.

If Mr.

Irwin gets this, this is passed, and Mr.

Irwin feels like let's say two weeks from now, nothing's happened, as far as I'm concerned, he would certainly have the authority to immediately lower the boom.

So the ball is in the other side's court, and Mr.

Irwin couldn't do as he sees fit.

I have confidence in his ability.

Thank you, Councilman.

And voluntary compliance is our first goal always.

So we work with the owners to get the voluntary compliance if at all possible.

And it certainly sounds like Mr.

Davis is doing that.

Any other council members have comments?

I do.

Ms.

Watkins.

So, Mr.

Davis, you're going to make connection with Mr.

Irwin so you could talk to him offline.

Okay.

Any other comments?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Thank you, Councilman.

Thank you, Mr.

Irwin.

And thank you, Mr.

Davis, for your willingness to work with community development on this.

We have four public hearings to be set.

10 A is a resolution to declare a public nuisance located at 2107 South Line Drive Northwest, Huntsville, Alabama, to set the date for when objections will be heard.

This is to be set for the November 6, 2025 regular council meeting.

Is there a motion to set?

Motion to set the meeting.

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

I posed.

The hearing is set.

10B is a resolution to set a public hearing for suspension of licensure for confidential tax related case number 411 to be set for the November 6, 2025 regular council meeting.

Is there a motion to set the hearing?

So moved.

Motion from Mr.

Cling, second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

I'm not sure.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

10 C is a resolution to set a public hearing for suspension of licensure for a confidential tax related case number 412 to be set for the November 6, 2025 regular council meeting.

Move to move to set the meeting.

Motion from Mr.

Little, a second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

And Councilmembers, just a note, you have received materials supporting information regarding both items 10B and 10 C.

If you did not receive those materials, please let Ms.

Smith know.

And finally, 10 D is a resolution authorizing the mayor to set a hearing for Kimberly Alverson doing business as NUGA Shuttles LLC for the operation of two airport shuttles.

This is to be set for the November 6, 2025 regular council meeting.

Move to set the meeting.

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed, the hearing is set.

And we will take that up at our November 6th meeting.

Thank you, Madam President.

We just have two business two items of business from Mayor's office.

The appointment of Brenda Conville to the Huntsville Housing Authority Board for a five-year term ending on January 1st, 2031.

This this appointment takes takes effect January 1st, 2026.

And also the appointment of Troy Skinner to the Hustle Ice Skating Complex Board of Control seat six for a three-year term to expire November 22nd, 2028.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor B.

Mr.

Merida.

Is the seat that uh on the ICE board um was that to replace John Green, I believe his name is, or is this a different seat?

I'm not sure.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have a question this time.

Is this a new appointment on House for Housing Authority or is she replacing someone?

It's a new appointment.

She is coming in the seat that is held uh previously been held by Dick Fountain.

So Dick Fountain is leaving the House of Housing Authority?

Yes.

Wow, I hate that because Dick has a lot of experience with House of Housing Authority.

He understands the needs, and I just don't know who's going to replace him to fill his shoes.

That's unfortunate.

Thank you, Mayor Battle.

We will move on now to Councilmember Comments, and we will begin with uh comments from Councilmember Michelle Watkins.

Ms.

Watkins.

Um good evening.

I had a district one town hall on October 13th.

I want to thank Brian Walker, Chris McNeith, and Captain Widener for coming out and presenting.

Also on the 13th, I hosted a community meeting to receive feedback about a potential development on Blue Springs Road.

Due to the untimely death of Mr.

Randy Reid, who was one of the community members, a lot of community members didn't show up, so it's been rescheduled for November 10th at 6 o'clock at the shower center.

On November 3rd, from 6 to 7:30 at the Meadow Drive Baptist Church, I will have my monthly drop-in.

My monthly drop in is different from the town hall.

Monthly drop-in is we talk one-on-one.

So yes, attended the state of the county address last Thursday with Chairman Matt McCutcheon.

He provided a lot of updates and information.

I was able to tour the new facility for Boys and Girls Club on Pulaski Pike in District 1.

And I am thoroughly impressed with that facility.

Patrick Wynn and his staff has done a phenomenal job.

I brought greetings at the Alabama State Council Machinist Conference on last Saturday.

I was honored to do that, participate in the Liz Hurley Ribman run, and I asked that you keep the Reed family in your prayers.

Mr.

Reed will be laid to rest on Saturday.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Watkins.

We will move now to Councilmember Bill Kling.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm afraid I want to start off with what I think are very somber uh comments.

Uh this community is reeling, and we've had a great loss uh taking place.

In fact, we've had numerous losses.

Uh the airplane uh death of Mark Ellie and Laney Anderson is something that's felt both at Huntsville High School and also in the neighborhood and also in the community as a whole.

Uh our thoughts are out, and there's not really much anybody could say, but I just hope that uh people know uh that the this community is behind them.

We support the family, and we wish the very best under the circumstances, but uh again, there's not much we could say other than that we care, and we're all very devastated about the about the loss.

Also, Madam President, this past Thursday, we also lost uh two great people.

Andy Roberts was a longtime resident of the Piedmont neighborhood.

He's a local attorney.

His wife Pam is a retired city employee who worked in the ITS department.

Andy and his wife moved to Florida to be near their grandchildren.

They have many friends at Huntsville, including me, and we are all mourning the loss.

Additionally, Madam President, uh, we lost John Weber.

He's a resident of Old Town.

John was a brilliant electrical engineer.

He contributed to the performing arts in our community.

John was active in the neighborhood.

He worked with the old town board, me and the city staff on pedestrian and bike safety in the uh old town neighborhood.

Our prayers go out to his wife Christy and his children, Mighty and Owen, as well as to his parents and his in-laws.

Madam President, also this weekend, kind of focusing in a little bit more positive direction.

I'm gonna be going to work uh with Operation Green Team.

We're gonna be having a neighborhood clean out at uh the Low Mill neighborhood.

Looking forward to going over there at 9 o'clock in the morning.

Always good to get out, get a good amount of exercise, visit with people, and to commend Operation Green Team for what they do.

Also, uh similar to what I did last uh Saturday, I think my Halloween niche has been passing out candy.

Uh I was out at John Hunt Park uh with uh the police, fire and other city employees, and we passed out candy to what is projected to have been approximately 15,000 kids that went through the line at John Hunt Park.

The weather was great, the candy was delicious, and the costumes were great, uh, especially by the parents.

Uh we had some very original ones show up, and that's part of what makes Halloween a fun time.

And I'm going to be looking forward to doing something very similar at the uh old town neighborhood uh outing this uh this Saturday afternoon.

Two uh about two weeks ago, there was a Hispanic resource meeting that was pertaining to spouse and uh mental health and child abuse.

And uh it was very informative to go out there.

Police Chief uh Kirk Giles was out there uh participating in the panel that Mr.

Barber had put together.

Uh very informative, and uh a lot of good information was presented, awful something that was needed, I think, to help preside good information to uh spouses and to children who may be victims of abuse and wondering about what outlets are available to provide assistance to them.

My town meeting was held this past Monday, and it was literally standing room only.

We had uh the planning department staff come and they gave a great update to uh the people in the room, and basically focusing on primarily uh projects within the district, Mill Creek, the Homes Avenue Corridor, uh Big Spring Park uh expansion with the old city hall property uh being utilized, and uh they did a great job, and also we got a presentation about uh historic preservation, how that works, and the importance of what that means, and to specify the difference between what is a historic district and what is being listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

So that in a nutshell are things that are taking place.

One final thing I'd like to mention, and this is for anybody in the community who wants to participate, even if they don't live in the city of Huntsville.

The shop with a hero group is going to be providing gift cards and young special needs children who can go around and they need a hero, they need a friend to go with them through uh Walmart and take that hundred dollar gift card and pick out all sorts of uh toys and uh things that they would like for Christmas.

Um this is being put on by volunteers, and uh all they need are additional volunteers to come out and escort the young children.

Uh there's no financial involvement.

The gift cards are provided by the church.

And again, you can get information very simple.

Look on the internet.

It's called Shop with a Hero, S H O P, W I T H A H E R Oinfo.

Shop with a hero dot info.

And it's open for anyone who wants to participate.

A lot of great kids, a wonderful uh organization providing the gift cards, and all we need are some good people who care to go around with these young kids and uh show them that they have people who care.

That's all, Madam President.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Kling.

Um, Mr.

Mr.

Little.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'll echo uh Mr.

Kling's comments on the Anderson family.

They were friends of ours.

Um daughter played volleyball with with Lione.

Um it's just an unspeakable tragedy.

Uh we see these things in the news from time to time, but this one really hits home.

I realized how small our community is.

Um something like this happens, and know that Misty is completely surrounded with love and uh compassion from the community is very very heartwarming.

So we just got to keep them close to our hearts.

Uh and then uh I'd like to thank our planning commission or planning department for putting together a good uh uh meeting last night over at Optimus Park.

I actually heard from a few uh neighbors that attended and uh really excited about the great things that are that they're doing for District 2.

So I'll yield back my time.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh Madam President.

Um I had the opportunity to go to um Calhoun Community College yesterday, the campus here in Huntsville, and the college had an open house to feature their new respiratory therapy program and all of the nice fancy uh equipment that they have, and uh just wanted to acknowledge that that they have a great program going there to help augment some of those special ancillary services that are needed, excuse me, in the medical community, both here and throughout the world, really.

Um also wanted to acknowledge that I took a recently took a tour of the UAH nursing program and all the nice fancy equipment they have.

Um they really have some very interesting things going on and um have the potential to uh be a best practices program for things that are ancillary to the nursing program, for instance, uh 3D printing of certain um devices that students can train on that are far more um effective than some of the alternative methods at this time.

And uh there's potential for what they're doing to be copied at other institutions.

So that that's pretty neat to know that something that is gonna have such a positive effect for generations to come in the medical community started here in Huntsville, Alabama, and also got to talk to them about the uh neighborhood nursing program, uh which I really look forward uh to working with them to help set up and get going.

It just sounds like a really wonderful thing that will get medical care uh to folks that need it the most.

I also wanted to um acknowledge that Columbia High School this weekend had a wonderful Hispanic-based celebration uh that included a lot of games and and and food trucks and um the coral Huntsville Coral uh choir was there and just did an absolutely fantastic job.

And then finally, the New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church held their annual fall festival um that that um south east corner of Limestone County uh that calls uh Huntsville home.

Lots of families, lots of kids, diverse community out there, bouncy castles, a petting zoo, the Seagrets Fire Department, volunteer fire department came down with their vehicles and the kids got to play on that.

The Sheriff's Department came with their vehicles.

So just a wonderful opportunity out there in the far reaches of West Huntsville.

And I yield my time, Madam President.

Thank you, Mr.

Meredith.

It sounds like every part of our city has something really terrific going on, and every part of our city is also touched by loss.

And that's the nature of community.

For my part, uh on October 30th, I will be hosting uh my last town hall of the year.

It will be October 30th at 6 p.m.

p.m.

But we will have a change in venue due to construction at the Sandra Moon Center.

Torch Technologies has offered us the use of their Freedom Center located at 4090 Memorial Parkway Southwest, and we thank the Torch team for making that available to us.

Torch has been a very strong partner with South Huntsville and is just a lodestone on there on the South Parkway.

And we will be meeting there at the Freedom Center on October 30th at 6 p.m.

for a town hall.

John John Hamilton, our city administrator, will be presenting the 1990 Capital Plan.

The Capitol Plan has all the stuff people are interested in, road paving, parks, all kinds of quality of life projects.

And we will also have our traffic engineering department presenting the results of the Bailey Cove traffic study.

So we invite everyone to join us and again note the change in venue to the Freedom Center at 4090 Memorial Parkway Southwest.

One of the projects everybody has been interested in is the park at Hayes Farm, and we are excited to announce on November 5th that we are going to be having the ribbon cutting at 1.30.

There will be a little Halloween treat on October 31st when they start up the waterfall.

So if you want to come watch that, you can come watch that.

But the official ribbon cutting will be November 5th.

We are all getting really excited to see that happen.

That concludes Councilmember comments.

We will move on to number 14, the Finance Committee report.

14A is a resolution authorizing expenditures for payment.

Ms.

Watkins, do you want to make the motion for approval?

Madam Still the Chair tonight.

Sorry about that.

Madam President, I move that we approve the expenditures and the amount of 25,168,75 and 23 cents.

Second.

Second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

We have a number of finance, uh, other finance items.

14B is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods, or services for District 2 Council improvement funds.

Moved to approved.

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from the Chair.

Mr.

Little, would you like to share with us how these funds will be used?

I would.

Thanks, Madam President.

Got a couple tonight.

The first is the $15,000 appropriation to the Huntsville Ballet, which will be providing funding for performances education and their outreach programs.

And then $75,000 for Hills Inc., which actually, for those of you that aren't aware of HEALS, HEAL stands for health establishments at local schools, and they put medical, dental, and optometry clinics in schools where children don't have ready access to that type of care.

It became it came to my attention this summer that their electronic medical billing service that they had just paid off for $75,000 went out of business.

And it's mostly software, so they were left in a lurch.

So this money is definitely capital intensive and will be going to uh cover that expense.

Thank you.

All in favor of uh approving these expenses, please indicate.

Any posed?

Motion carries.

Thank you.

Uh 14C is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods or services for the District 3 Council Improvement Fund.

Chair makes the motion.

Second from Mr.

Kling.

Um these this is an allocation that will again go to the Huntsville Ballet.

Uh all in favor, please indicate.

Any posed?

Motion carries.

Uh 14D is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods or services for the District 4 Council Improvement Funds.

Move for approval.

Second.

Um Mr.

Kling, would you like to tell us a little bit about what we're doing here?

Yep.

Um Madam President, I've taken $5,000 increments, so I could try to reach out to numerous organizations similar to what I had done at the last meeting.

Uh this would be $5,000 for downtown Huntsville Inc.

to provide funding for promotional uh purposes for everything that they're doing downtown.

And I might mention, just to give everybody a heads up, that we are coming up on the century celebration time for both the Times building as well as the Terry Hutchins Building.

And of course, Downtown Huntsville, Inc.

does all sorts of things for downtown and they do a great job.

Also, I'm uh put in uh $5,000 again appropriation for the North Alabama Railroad Museum.

This will be used to provide uh facility repairs to uh some of their equipment as well as complementary railroad train rides uh uh for people throughout the community.

And the third appropriation would be for the fraternal order of police foundation to be used uh to provide funding for their fallen officer memorial service.

Thank you.

Sir, any questions for Mr.

Kling?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

And finally, 14E is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods or services for the District 5 Council Improvement Funds.

Move to approve.

Second.

Motion by Mr.

Meredith, second by Mr.

Little.

Um, Mr.

Meredith, would you like to share with us what these allocations, the first is uh for $6,000 to go to the Columbia High School Wrestling team to provide for financial support for equipment and participation fees.

The second is a $5,000 uh appropriation to go to the Schools Foundation to uh support principals, teachers, and especially students in the Huntsville City Schools.

Thank you, Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Uh this brings us then to board appointments to be voted on.

We have a number of them.

Uh Councilmember, so if you are the nominee, please, or if you were the nominee tour, would you please be prepared to make the motion?

15A is a resolution to appoint Kelsey Smith to the Huntsville Ice Skating Complex Board of Control, Position 5 is current seat for a three-year term to expire November 21, 2028.

I move for approval.

Second from Mr.

Motion by Robinson, second by Kling.

Um all in favor, please indicate.

Any posed?

Abstain.

Please note that uh let's roll call real quick.

Mr.

Meredith, how do you vote?

I'll abstain as well.

Um Mr.

Kling.

Aye.

Mr.

Little.

Aye.

Abstain.

And and the Chair votes uh votes aye.

So please note that Mr.

Meredith and Ms.

Watkins have abstained, uh, but and the motion carries.

Uh 15B is a resolution to reappoint Kristen Wilson to the Huntsville Tennis Center Board of Control, place four, her current seat for a three-year term to expire November 28, 2028.

Move for approval.

Second.

Motion from Mr.

Kling, second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The motion carries.

15C is a resolution to reappoint Harold Weatherly to the Huntsville Tennis Center Board of Control, place one is current seat for a three-year term to expire November 28, 2028.

Votes approved.

Motion from Ms.

Watkins, second from Mr.

Kling.

Please note that this is going to require uh four uh four votes.

At least four votes.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed.

And the motion carries.

15 D is a resolution to reappoint Thomas Holliday to the Huntsville Ice Skating Complex Board of Control Position 1, his current seat for a three-year term to expire November 21, 2028.

Move for approval.

Second.

Mr.

Kling makes the motion.

Second for Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion appears.

I'll abstain on that one.

Let the record show that Mr.

Meredith abstained.

15 E is a resolution to reappoint Lloyd H.

Little to the Special Care Facilities Financing Authority, Redstone Village to his current seat for a six-year term to expire November 10th, 2031.

So motion to approve second.

I want to have a second moment on this one.

It's a motion.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith.

Second from Ms.

Watkins discussion, Mr.

Meredith.

Yes, it's it was brought to my attention that moving forward, what is said from the council during the nominations has to be reflected in what is voted on.

I nominated Lloyd H.

Buddy Little.

Conveniently, Buddy is left out.

I don't know what that really means, but I just wanted to point out that it wasn't what I said from the Thank you.

Buddy Little to the Special Care Facilities Financing Authority of Redstone Village.

Madam President.

I am very proud, know the gentleman.

I am very proud to second the nomination, but I would be willing to withdraw if Councilman Little would like to think it's just for those of you who don't know.

This is Mr.

Little's father.

Any other discussion?

No.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed name just for Mr.

Let the record show that Mr.

Little has abstained.

There goes my Christmas gifts.

But I know your dad appreciates it.

It's a little cheaper back in the 80s.

15F is a resolution to reappoint Cindy Griner to the Burke Memorial Committee, place 10, her current seat for a three-year term to expire October 1st, 2028.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Little.

And this is another one that will require four-fifths vote.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The motion carries.

We have one board nomination.

There is no action taken on this.

It is simply for nomination and will be voted on at the November 6th meeting.

16A is a nomination to appoint Ray White to Wellstone Inc.

Place 7 to fill a vacancy due to the passing of Sidney White for the remainder of a vacant six-year term to expire on April 1st, 2029.

Another great community leader that passed away, and his son Ray is stepping up to fill his shoes.

Are there any another nominations from the floor?

Seeing none, we'll move on.

We have no Huntsville utilities items.

We have no legal department items.

That will bring us to 19 unfinished business items for action.

19 is an ordinance annexing 4.91 acres of land lying on the east side of Hillcrest Avenue Northwest and north of U.S.

Highway 72 West.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion from Mr.

Kling, second from the Chair.

Mr.

Mr.

Nunez.

Good evening, Council Members, Council President, Mayor Battle, Thomas Nunez, Manager of Planning and Zoning Services.

This item is located east of Hillcast Road, Hillcast Avenue, and north of U.S.

Highway 72 West.

It is overall 4.91 acres and it is for proposed commercial development.

Any questions or discussion?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any posed?

The motion carries.

19B is an ordinance to declare property as surplus and authorizing and directing its conveyance to the land trust of Alabama Inc.

Is there a motion to approve?

So move.

Motion from Ms.

Watkins, second from Mr.

Little.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

Good evening, Councilmembers.

So what this item before you is is to help facilitate the land trust's new discovery center that has been planning for years and they're ready to move forward with construction.

That facility will be built just off Highway 72 East in the back of the trailhead community, which is very, very close to most of the land trust's natural trails.

So we have a very small public uh parking lot there that accesses the land trust trails today.

It is actually a piece of city property.

So in this transaction, should you approve, what will occur is we would uh transfer this property to the land trust, and during their construction, they will replace our parking and give us back parking to the construction.

Right now our parking lot is in the in the wrong location for them to be able to move forward.

So once their construction is finished, the city is budget neutral in our parking spaces uh to allow the public to access those trails.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

Um wish to discuss?

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Thank you, Councilmembers.

Thank you.

This brings us to item 20, new business items for consideration of action.

These items will be approved in one motion unless any council member wishes to remove an item for discussion.

Are there any items anyone wishes to consider separately, Mr.

Meredith?

I would like to hold items 20 R and 20S, please.

I would like to hold 20 C and 20i.

C and I.

Anyone else?

I chair wishes to hold item 20E.

So we will be holding items C, E.

R.

And S.

Then the Chair moves for consolidation of items A and A and B.

Thank you for your help, Mr.

Kling.

Hang on.

Items 20A and B, item 20 D, item F through H.

J through Q.

And item 20 T and U.

Second.

Second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed?

They are consolidated and approved.

So we will now move to separate items for consideration.

20C.

20C is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter an agreement with International Database Corp DBA BidNet Direct for the provision of web-based bid solic solicitation software.

Chair moves for approval.

Second.

Second from Mr.

Little.

Ms.

Ms.

Smith.

Thank you, Council.

So this is a resolution authorizing us to enter into an agreement with International Database.

They're better known as BidNet.

So BidNet basically helps us with solicitation of bids.

They go out and kind of scatter our bids and helps us retrieve more bidders on the different items that we have.

It's a greater web-based items for us to facilitate us.

The cost is about 3,000 per year, a little bit over that.

It's a three-year contract.

Each year is 3,000, about, and it escalates each year by 3 percent.

Questions for Ms.

Smith.

I can't remember who held this.

Ms.

Watkins, I believe this was your item.

I started her.

I just wanted her to come up and explain.

Thank you.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any posed?

Motion carries.

Thank you, Ms.

Smith.

20E is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract between the City of Huntsville, Alabama, and low bidder Grace and Carter and Sun Contracting Incorporated for the Tennessee River Greenway Phase 3, Project No.

71-23 WP04.

Chairman is for approval.

Second.

Second by Mr.

Little.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So, Council Members, the approval of this item would authorize construction with Grayson Carter contracting to construct 1.5 miles of greenway.

The total contract amount is 1,478,933.

This would complete a missing final link of the Tennessee River Greenway that we've been working on for several years.

Should you approve this once completed, it actually provides a 15-mile loop on the west and east sides of South Memorial Parkway.

So you would start up near the Hazel and Hayes Farm, Hazelin area, go all the way to the Tennessee River, you are able to go under 231 into Diddle Marina Parkway landing, up Diddle Marina Parkway, and then up Aldridge Creek, all the way back into the Jones Valley area.

Thank you.

I held this because there is a lot of interest in this.

When the planning department did their planning presentation a couple of weeks ago, this was one of the items that people were really focused on when they were looking at the big greenway map.

It is such a crucial piece to complete this, and everyone will be very excited.

Biking community in particular will be very excited when this is completely.

Yes, ma'am.

Phase two, and this is phase three, the final phase, but those two missing links that have been missing essentially from Memorial Parkway west and then north.

Both planning and engineering, it was the most fielded calls we get of this missing link of Greenway.

When can we get this connected so we can actually arrive at various destinations throughout that trail?

Thank you very much.

Any comments or questions from anyone?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any posed?

Motion carries.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

Item 20I is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a license agreement between the City of Huntsville and Huntsville Housing Authority for property located at 2900 Fairbanks Street, also known as the Cavalry Hill Center.

Motion by the Chair.

Second by Mr.

Little.

Mr.

Hamilton.

Good evening, Councilmembers.

John Hamilton, City Administrator.

What's before you is really a lease for space inside the Calvary Hill Center to the Health Housing Authority.

It equates to four classrooms that are in one of the wings that has currently been managed by Parks and Recreation.

They will use that space to deliver a number of wraparound services and things there to the community.

Some of in some cases, some of the services they have have been delivering out of one of their housing units they took offline.

This will allow them to free up that space.

Any questions for Mr.

Hamilton?

Ms.

Watkins.

No, I have comments.

Antonio McGinnis, who is the House for Housing Authority Director a couple of years ago.

He wanted to do this program called Envision.

Envision is a lot of wraparound services.

And these services are needed, so our residents will have a foundation for them to continue out of public housing and not let it be the final stop.

I am excited about this program.

Happy Health is coming on.

They're going to offer medical services to all of the residents that live in the community.

It is not limited to pediatrics, as well as financial literacy, the continuing education and workforce development programs in partnership with Drake that will move forward.

So we are really excited about it.

I want to thank the City of Huntsville for allowing them to have this space because it is much needed in the community.

This kind of wraparound supportive environment has proven to be so successful in so many cities, and it is very much like what the neighborhood nursing that we have heard about.

Great opportunities for partnership there.

All in favor, please indicate.

20R is a resolution authorizing the City of Huntsville to acquire or condemn and or condemn certain parcels of property easements and temporary construction easements for the Swancott Road Improvements Project.

Motion to approve.

Second by the Chair.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

So Council members, we bring these resolutions to you from time to time.

We are working large infrastructure projects.

So engineering is working on you actually in this year's budget approved funding for construction of Swancott Road improvements.

So there's two resolutions here.

They're both for the same project.

It is actually Swancott Road widening improvements, essentially from Boeing Boulevard to west to Rabbit Lane.

We'll be bringing very soon a design contract to pick up from there, actually to Interstate 565 with a school going there to really create a loop from county line road to the interstate in a in a as Council Merritt knows in a vastly growing part of the our city.

So the road construction will start at county line working west, will be a five-lane, then it will transition as we get more in that residential district into a three-lane.

So it doesn't mean we will condemn anyone, but this resolution is authorizing us to get appraisals for the right-of-way needed.

It's not a lot of right-of-way, make those offers and get that acquired so we can start construction.

We would like to start construction of this road in the spring of next year.

So any questions or comments?

Mr.

Meredith.

You had mentioned a spring start date.

How long do you think this project will take?

So as a matter of fact, I was on the phone this morning driving in with Athens Electric and working with them on some utility relocation.

They are already going to start that in the next 45 days and some easement they already have, which will greatly accelerate construction.

I would think probably 180 days.

So late, I would say late summer, about this time next year, we should be complete with the project.

Thank you.

I am glad you mentioned Athens utilities.

Most folks don't realize that we have to deal with a different set of providers for certain services out there.

So it is a lot more jockeying that has to happen and schedules that need to uh coalesce in order for us to get projects done.

Absolutely.

And I'll give them a public shout out in this council meeting.

They are absolutely first class to deal with.

They are being Athens utilities.

They treat us as well as you could ask for.

I would concur.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

Motion carries.

And then 20S is similar.

20S is a resolution authorizing the City of Huntsville to acquire and or condemn certain parcels of property easements and temporary construction easements for the Boeing Boulevard Extension Project.

Motion to approve.

Motion for Mr.

Meredith?

Second.

Second from Mr.

Little.

Mr.

Oh, the same process.

It's the same project, but to my understanding, anyway, correct me if I'm wrong.

This one is essentially just taking the just extending Boeing to where that 90-degree right turn is.

So folks that live out there know where we are talking about.

But that this piece makes sure that that connection directly to County Line happens.

That's correct.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Any other conversation?

All in favor, please indicate.

Okay.

And opposed the motion carries.

That concludes our items for consideration and brings us to new items for introduction.

There is no action taken on these items.

They are simply introduction, and they will be taken up at our meeting on November 6th.

21A is the introduction of an ordinance naming the new arboretum at John Hunt Park, the Joy McKee Arboretum.

That's so cool.

21B is an introduction of an ordinance concerning a rights of way use agreement between the City of Huntsville and Fiber Utility Network, Inc., doing business as Alabama Fiber Network, Inc.

doing business as Alabama Fiber Network, Inc.

And we have someone, I think, here tonight from that.

That will be considered at the November 6th meeting.

21C is an introduction of an ordinance annexing 4.65 acres of land lying on the south side of Highway 72 East and East of Shields Road.

That concludes the business items for this evening.

Brings us now to second roster public comments.

And I have my little commentation somewhere.

Hang on, just portion of the meeting is provided for making comments to the City Council relating to relating to city business, whether or not such items are on the meeting agenda.

Each speaker shall state their name, home address, and city residence for the record.

Each speaker may address the council for three minutes.

Speaker shall use this time to offer opinions, concerns, or ideas about city matters.

Council members shall listen without engaging in dialogue.

Items may either be referred to the city administrator or at the request of council members be scheduled for discussion in a separate meeting.

Please be prepared to make your comments by coming to the center microphone when your name is called.

We will also call the name of the person following to ensure a smooth transition from speaker to speaker.

Speaker shall refrain from making comments regarding the good name and character of any individual.

We have ten people signed up.

We will begin with David Snyder.

Mr.

Snyder, if you can come to the microphone, he will be followed by Elena Daly.

Mr.

Snyder.

Hello.

Again, my name is David Snyder.

My information is written correctly on the sheet.

I live in Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you, sir.

Welcome.

So I want to start out by uh talking a little bit about uh Derek Street and thanking Scott again.

Scott's been doing great work.

Um I believe I heard something about a curb getting put on that ramp, so that's a good thing.

And I would like to also ask uh that we get a community board out there.

Right now, people have to sign up to be able to engage in giving food, and there's a whole laundry list of reasons why I am supportive of the program that we have, but that uh what we have done is take away from people to be able to have a place where they can go and exist and pitch a tent and exist without being uh you know criminalized without it being a process either, right?

This is where people are still having to sign up to be there.

Um I would like to follow that with talking about my uh support and the Huntsville Bell Fund support for a Black History Museum in our town again.

Uh we deserve it.

It is something that we deserve to have happen, and we would be uh better for it.

Um I also want to talk about at last meeting I brought up a foyer request that I had submitted with the city.

I would like to uh uh thank our public records uh office uh for uh giving me a return on that.

I did get a return for several documents.

One included resolution uh 23-382, which was signed April the 27th of 2023.

It is a memorandum of understanding between ICE, uh Homeland Security investigations regarding uh and HPD, the City of Huntsville regarding the designation of HPD employees as customs officers.

It is a specifically it is ICE Form 73-002.

Um we have been told that there has been no agreements, so that is very concerning.

Um I'd also like to bring up the double standards that have happened with the treatment of uh Malcolm Gopher and what has happened with 708.

Um I would like to point out that those double standards are something that a Black History Museum is is supposed to and would remind us not to end up in these situations where certain citizens are being treated differently uh than other citizens and other businesses.

Um I would also like to talk a little bit about because uh uh uh regarding 708, something that came up was criminalization, so I would like to talk about that a little bit.

Whereas slavery is a punishment of a crime, and the USA is engaging in the exploitative practice of convict leasing.

Police officers police officers maintain, at least in part, the title of slave catcher.

We are seeing the business of imprisonment and slavery boom with the current uh activities and actions of ICE and of uh the Homeland Security Investigations.

We must end this uh practice and become a society that values and upholds human rights.

Thank you.

Excuse me, Ms.

Snyder.

Can you tell me the resolution number again, please?

Thank you, Mr.

Snyder.

Next person to see.

Wait a minute.

I want the date, please.

Can you give me the date so I can get that pulled?

2023.

We also signed one with the case.

Thank you, Mr.

Snyder.

Perhaps you and Ms.

Watkins can meet afterwards to discuss further.

I just want the data.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay, very good.

Elena Daly, please come to the microphone.

And then speaking after Miss Daly will be Cynthia Davies.

Is Ms.

Daly here?

Elena Daly's subject is North Huntsville Development.

We will move on then to Miss Davies.

Subject is Ice Center Board of Control.

And following Ms.

Davies, we will have Kasha Benton.

Ms.

Davies.

Please introduce your name and name and address for the record.

I'm Cynthia Davies.

My address is 123 Both Creek Trail Southwest Huntsville.

Thank you very much.

Your time begins now.

Welcome.

I'm here to address my interest in the Board of Control of the Huntsville Ice Sports Complex.

I know I might have missed it by a meeting, but I do have some concerns and legit and inconvenient knowledge and truths of what's going on.

We have the expansion planned.

43 million dollars of our taxpayer money.

And I have concerns and I implore you all to keep villagent of the contractual integrity of the ISC.

The expansion with the contract award and bidders.

And also the grants given to artistic programs within the facility.

Keeviligant of a disbursement of payments.

And I don't see that happening.

But money keeps moving.

I have served a Huntsville skating club since 2019 as a board member of the membership chair.

I have done curling.

I've been surrounded by hockey, and I figure skated all my life.

I could tell you what a freeze is in curling at PowerPlay and what elbows up means in hockey.

And I could tell you the difference between a LUTS and a flip jump.

I don't see our current Board of Control having this sort of knowledge.

They have deficiencies and conflicts of interests.

All their confusions get deferred to their only oversight T and what their oversight tea's preferences are, thus rendering the Board of Control toothless.

And any oversight of their charges rendering useless.

Patrons are being underserved.

Skating school, the the skating school continues to lack a director as it is assumed the facility director is filling that role.

This director has assumed many roles and wore many hats throughout the years.

Davies, I'm sorry, your your time is up.

Perhaps you could have a conversation with Mr.

Hamilton regarding your concerns.

Maybe you can go out in the hall.

He could address those with you.

Thank you very much for coming.

Subject is ICE cooperation.

And after Ms.

Benton, we will hear from William Batry.

Hello.

Hello.

I'm Kasha Benton.

It's nice to see you all today.

Thank you for coming in.

Welcome.

I wanted to name an address for the name is Kasha Benton, address 428 McClung Avenue Southeast.

Thank you so much.

I wanted to encourage the I don't I'm a little new to all of this, so pardon me.

But I do see major problems with having armed men, masked men, patrol our streets and abduct citizens.

I'm very concerned about ICE cooperating with our local law enforcement.

And I love to go on walks downtown with my family.

Um I think I'm not the only one.

I think it would be a massive um pitfall for Huntsville and deter people from moving here.

So I don't want us to make that mistake.

So thank you so much.

Thank you very much for coming.

The next person to sign up is William Botry.

Is Mr.

Batry here?

Maybe Mr.

I'm so sorry.

Barry?

William Barry, uh, subject is ICE.

My apologies.

I could I couldn't read that quite.

Well, and the person to follow is Sabrina Carreri.

Welcome, sir, if you'll give us your name and address for the record.

Thank you.

William Beatty, 116 Corinthians, Huntsville, Alabama.

I just have a qu a couple of questions.

Have I, I'm sorry, Homeland Security.

Contacted Alabama governor and have when they will come to Alabama.

They're going to be all over the United States.

And have the Governor's office contacted Huntsville City and see it when they will be coming to Huntsville.

We haven't heard anything from uh from uh Department of Homeland Security.

But let me say this at the end of the I'm gonna finish.

I don't think that the police should be just blanketed, hip and ICE, because I think this is my opinion, ICE is out of control.

So hopefully, Huntsville do not do like some of these other cities did, and just let ICE just run wild and just do what they want to do.

And the police should have no say in this.

I understand cooperation with law enforcement, understand that.

But Huntsville police should be in control, not ICE.

Thank you.

Next person on the list is Sabrina Carreri.

Subject is City Detect, and following Ms.

Carrery, we have Jeffrey Angle.

Ms.

Carrery uh left for the evening.

Sir, are you are you taking Ms.

you're here on behalf of Ms.

Carrery?

Oh, okay.

Yeah, here, sorry.

Um, I'm not taking her spot.

I'm just taking mine, which was right after.

Oh, got it.

Okay.

So Ms.

Griffin.

Just to clarify, Miss Carrery is not here, and this is Mr.

Angle.

Correct.

Thank you.

Uh my name is Jeffrey.

Um I am a resident of Sherwood Park.

Uh my uh information is correct on the page.

And I'm here to talk about ICE.

Uh so three times now uh the President of the United States has declared war on the American citizenry.

Uh there are five occupied cities uh within the United States of America: Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, our closest neighbor, uh, Washington, D.C., and Portland.

I would like to talk uh, and that is with uh National Guard.

Uh the ICE agents are everywhere already.

Uh we already have uh abductions uh documented across Alabama and uh within Huntsville itself.

I want to talk to about uh your obligations as City Council members to us.

You have a moral obligation to stand up against ICE.

These are unidentified thugs that are roaming our cities in unmarked vehicles.

They are swapping out plates to avoid detection.

Uh they wear masks to hide their identities, and uh detain entire apartment buildings uh simply to spread fear.

This is the definition of terrorism.

They are uh terrorism is the unlawful use of violence, intimidation, especially against civilians, us uh in the pursuit of political aims.

Specifically, this is state-sponsored terrorism.

On to your next obligation.

You have an economic obligation to uh oppose these.

Uh the poultry plant in Russellville, Alabama was raided last month, Hyundai plant in Savannah, Georgia was raided two months ago, and the apartment complex in Chicago was raided just a couple of weeks ago.

Do you think any of these folks are returning to their workplace?

Do you think they are continuing to produce for their economy?

I doubt it.

Um do you think that these plants are going to continue unimpeded uh by the loss of workers?

I also doubt it.

The 14th and the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment guarantee protection against undue search and seizures and guarantee due process for all people.

People, not citizens.

These rights are repeatedly trampled by ICE.

You have a legal obligation to your law enforcement and to the city to oppose ICE.

Participation in the violation of rights granted by the Constitution I just listed, put liability on local government agencies and individual officers.

The City of Huntsville's exurers should be aware of the increased legal risk our city is taking on by participating with ICE.

You have an electoral obligation, and the public will not back down from this fight.

We will not.

All of the obligations that you hold and many more are the fire that are keeping our resolves going.

We will remember who balked and bowed to lawlessness and injustice.

So you have a moral, economic, constitutional, legal, and electoral obligation to your constituents to oppose state-sponsored terrorism in our communities and protect us.

At the very least, you can do is not participate with Huntsville City and Huntsville PD resources.

Again, I will say you have a moral, economic, constitutional.

Legal and electoral obligation to protect us.

Thank you.

Sir.

Please act accordingly.

Sir, your time is up.

Thank you, Mr.

Ankel.

The next person to speak is Mr.

Malcolm Gopher.

Is Mr.

Gopher here?

Mr.

Malcolm Gopher's subject is racism statistics.

And the next person after Mr.

Gopher will be Ms.

Susan Stewart.

Malcolm Gopher, 1422 Macquarie Street.

Thank you.

Welcome, Susan.

Racism is the belief practice or system that treats people unfairly or unequally because of their race, ethnicity, or skin color.

It can show up in attitudes, behavior, laws, and institutions.

Individual racism, personal belief, attitudes, or actions that reflect prejudice or discrimination, using racial slurs, making assumptions based on someone's race.

Policies, laws, practices within institutions like schools, governments, or companies.

They result in unequal treatment or outcomes for different racial groups, even if not intentional.

Structural systematic racism, the way racism is built into society system over time, creating long-lasting racial inequalities in areas such as housing, education, employment, health care, and the justice system.

Mayor Bowden, I'm here to talk about racism because my people wanted to know why I called you racist.

I know that you have put black people in office, but they must understand that during slavery we had house niggas and field niggas.

When you allow your staff to do public mentions of black business on your or your college roommate, the city law lawyer, Trey Riley, to call blacks these people.

Those are examples of racism.

Mr.

Gopher, I am going to stop you right there.

Again, we're talking no disparaging remarks regarding the good name or character of any individual.

I will start your time, but I will stop it.

Oh, I'm sorry, I'll continue.

I said some.

I thought we had the First Amendment.

I'm sorry.

I apologize.

So the citizens can't speak as you know, I thought this was my time.

Go ahead, sir.

You have been a mayor for 18 plus years, if I'm not mistaken, but you have never had any ideals for our community, but to tear it down and remake it your own.

You call what you are doing urban development, but it's really regentrification.

Now I'm going to give you examples so my people can understand in layman's term.

Council court wants a project now as a part of urban development.

But it's really re-jetrification.

There's no blacks there anymore in a totally black community.

We always have had a divide in this city.

We understood.

So Madison Square was the black mall, which now is Mid City, and this is called urban development.

But it's really regentrification at its finest.

We can't even afford to be there.

Stone Middle School, a black school.

I went there.

You call it urban development.

But it's really regentrification.

Racism at its finest.

Move us out.

As a leader, it seems you would find a way to include blacks in commerce.

Why do we not have any state in any of these places?

But you have not given blacks anything in the city.

But you've taken plenty from blacks.

I only have three minutes, so I'll see you in two weeks.

But one more thing.

Because we call places public nuisance.

But we have 67 counties in Alabama.

With six incentive people to state the city.

Thank you, Mr.

Gopher for your comments.

Your time is up.

Oh, thank you.

Susan Stewart is Miss Stewart here.

And following Ms.

Stewart, our final uh the final person to address us will be Ms.

Sarah Colletti.

Good afternoon.

I'm Susan Stewart.

My address is on the sheet.

I live in Huntsville.

Since I last spoke, indivisible Fifth District and other organizations have continued to advocate for our immigrant neighbors.

Last Saturday, well over 4,000, probably over 5,000 people came out to a joyful demonstration on Governor's Drive.

Many, and I mean a lot of the signs that day reflected deep concern about the mistreatment of immigrants by Federal Immigration Authorities.

This Saturday from 2 to 5, we're hosting a fall festival on Butler Green at Campus 805.

The festival will include a food and diaper drive, something that will become increasingly important here as the government shutdown drags down, and it will be a fundraiser for the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, a community development and advocacy organization.

Things have actually gotten worse in the last few weeks across the country, not just for undocumented immigrants, but for documented immigrants and increasingly for citizens.

Masked unidentified unidentified agents are indiscriminately arresting and detaining people even when they have proof of citizenship available.

Maybe you've seen coverage of the attack on the apartment building in Chicago.

One resident, a veteran, described it as an invasion.

Agents repelled from Black Hawk helicopters in the middle of the night, broke down doors, entered and ransacked apartments without warrants.

They set off flashbang grenades.

Residents were forced from their apartments and zip tied for hours, crying naked and half-naked children were separated from their parents at zip tied together.

Even adults were traumatized because, as one said, I had never had a gun in my face before.

Dozens of the people detained that night were citizens who had been born here.

It's not surprising that ICE agents are becoming more aggressive and that they are violently detaining people, whether they are citizens or not.

With the push to hire 10,000 new agents lured by $50,000 bonuses, corners are being cut.

Many recruits are in the training program without having been vetted.

The vetting and training process for ICE agents used to take up to a year.

Now they are put out on the streets in as little as two weeks.

Having these untrained agents on the street is dangerous for everyone, including local law enforcement.

Other cities are actually contemplating whether to arrest ICE agents who violate laws.

With the escalating lawlessness and the continued inhumane treatment of detainees, we should at minimum expect local law enforcement not to facilitate the tensions by allowing ICE to be present at local law enforcement activities.

We want local law enforcement to protect us.

We expect by now that you are beginning to get emails from your constituents expressing support for the resolution we presented on September 11th.

We look forward to meeting again with City Council members and with other city entities to figure out how we can all work together to keep our residents safe.

And even if you think the resolution is just symbolic and doesn't mean anything, by signing it, you would send a powerful message to the immigrant community that you are on their side.

You have their back.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Stewart.

Our final speaker will be Miss Sarah Colletti.

My name is Sarah Colletti.

I am a resident of Hartzall.

I think my address is listed correctly on the sheet.

Thank you.

Welcome.

I'm really sorry for all y'all's losses.

Um, but once again, I would really like to see y'all have that same energy for the people that HPD have murdered.

Um I really want to thank uh David Snyder and Huntsville Bail Fund for streaming these council meetings.

I noticed that y'all are um and you it's weird that the city made an entire separate Facebook page to stream the city council meetings.

It's like you thought that you could subvert the First Amendment by doing so, but the truth is that if our taxpayers pay for government employees to manage social media, the government has the responsibility to respect our First Amendment rights.

So the fact that y'all disabled those comments is a First Amendment violation.

I don't know if y'all remember when Stephen King sued Donald Trump because he blocked him on Twitter.

Y'all actually can't do that stuff.

I also noticed how loudly Mr.

Meredith announced that he was moving the second roster public comments to the beginning of the meeting.

And then how silently President Robinson just moved them right back to the end.

First meeting.

That's disgusting.

But I mean, totally on brand for you.

I also want to comment on how y'all keep going with the lowest bidder for every contract that the city does.

And you want to know why workers are dying in the heat, why workers are being hospitalized, why y'all have to eulogize so many of your coworkers?

It's because you're going with the lowest bidder.

You're not going with the bidder that considers safety the most.

You're not going with the bidder that takes care of their employees.

You're not going with the bidder that's going to get the job done quickly because you're going to go with the bidder who says that they're going to do the lowest cost, but then they take two or three times as long as they say they're going to take, and then it costs the city even more than it would have cost to pay a decent contractor to begin with.

It's really gross.

I really wish y'all would stop.

And I thought it was really interesting.

How interconnected you mentioned the City of Huntsville being with uh Athens utilities.

I know that the Huntsville City line is somewhere around Greenbrier, which is well past the Planet Fitness, where Dana Fletcher was murdered by MPD.

You say that this isn't relative to Huntsville, but Dana Fletcher was a district five member.

He lived in John Meredith's district.

And this city just sat by, let him be murdered, and then helped in the cover-up.

It's disgusting.

Justice for Dana Fletcher.

That concludes our citizen comments.

We're now going to move on to item 23.

Item 23 is we do this once a year.

Members of the council are appointed either by election or assignment to various um organizations, commissions, and boards.

Madam President?

Yes, sir.

I would like to nominate Michelle Watkins.

Can we can we just stop for just a second?

May I read the item?

The first item.

I appreciate your energy and enthusiasm on that.

23A is a member of the Council, shall be elected by the Council to serve as its representative to the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Nominations are now open.

Madam President, I would like to nominate Michelle Watkins as our council representative to the MPO.

Mr.

Kling nominates Ms.

Watkins.

Are there any other nominations for the Metropolitan Planning Organization?

Seeing none, nominations are closed.

All in favor of supporting Ms.

Watkins as our appointee to the Metropolitan Planning Organization, please indicate by saying, Oh, I'm sorry, we have to do roll call, don't we?

Mr.

Meredith.

Aye.

Mr.

Kling.

Mr.

Little.

Aye.

Ms.

Watkins.

Aye.

And the chair votes I.

Ms.

Ms.

Watkins is appointed as the Metropolitan Planning Organization representative from the Council.

23B is a member of the Council shall be elected by the Council to serve as its representative to the City of Huntsville Planning Commission.

Nominations for uh representative to the Huntsville Planning Commission are now open.

Madam President, I would like to nominate John Meredith to be the council representative on the planning commission.

Mr.

Meredith is nominated.

Are there any other nominations?

Nominations are now closed.

All in favor of Mr.

Meredith serving as the council's appointment to the planning commission, please indicate Mr.

Meredith.

How do you vote?

Aye.

Mr.

Kling?

I.

Mr.

Little.

Aye.

Ms.

Watkins.

Aye.

And Chair votes I, Mr.

Meredith is appointed to the Planning Commission.

And since about 50 percent of the stuff Planning Commission does is in his district, that's appropriate.

23C is a member of the Council shall be elected by the Council to serve as its representative to the research park board.

Nominations are now open for the Council's representative to the research park board.

Madam President, I would like to nominate David Little to be the Council representative to the research part.

Mr.

Kling nominates Mr.

Little to the Research Park Board.

Are there any other nominations?

Hearing none nominations are closed.

All in favor of uh Mr.

Little being our representative to the research part board, please indicate Mr.

Meredith.

Aye.

Mr.

Kling?

Mr.

Little.

Ms.

Watkins, the chair votes aye.

Mr.

Little is our representative of the research part board.

23D is a member of the Council shall be elected by the Council to serve as its representative to the Historic Preservation Commission.

Nominations are now open for our representative of the Historic Preservation Commission.

Madam President, I'd like to nominate uh Councilman Bill Kling.

Mr.

Little nominates Mr.

Kling for the Historic Preservation Commission.

Are there any other nominations?

None of the nominations are closed.

Mr.

Meredith, how do you vote?

With regard to abstain on this.

Mr.

Kling?

Okay.

Mr.

Kling, how do you vote?

Aye.

Mr.

Little.

Aye.

Ms.

Watkins.

And Chair votes aye.

Mr.

Kling is elected our representative to the Historic Preservation Commission.

And please note with extent abstention by Mr.

Meredith.

The following assignments will be made by the Chair.

And Ms.

Watkins and Mr.

Little have both agreed to serve on the TARCO board as our representatives.

For the City of Huntsville Insurance Committee, two appointments.

Mr.

Meredith and Mr.

Kling have both agreed to serve in that capacity.

And finally, according to our bylaws, the chair appoints the chair and vice chair to the finance committee.

And they will be responsible for making the finance report to us each month.

Is there any other business to come before the council?

Is there a motion?

And then we have a motion to adjourn.

Thank you to Council members to everyone who participated tonight.

We are adjourned until November 6th.