Welcome everyone.

We are in session with the Huntsville City Council meeting here on Thursday, November 20th, 2025.

It is 5:30, and all council members are present.

We welcome all those who have joined us in chambers today, and also who are joining us on our many streaming platforms.

We will begin our meeting today as we normally do with an invitation that will be given by Chaplain Don Davis Butler and then the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be uh led by Councilmember Bill Kling.

All those who are willing and able to do so, please stand for the invocation and pledge of allegiance.

Let us pray to the eternal and wise God whose counsel we seek and whose blessing we invoke.

Stir in the hearts of these servants who are entrusted to do the public good.

But in all their decision making in their discussion and in their discernment, they might fulfill what is the first duty of any society.

Justice.

May your interests prevail in the good of all the residents of our city, and may it flourish to the glory of your name for the welfare of all your people.

In the spirit, the power and the authority of one whom we know by many names, whose essence is love.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor Butler.

Thank you, Mr.

Kling, and thank you, Ms.

Dr.

Hobbs, for your willingness to be there on standby.

We appreciate it.

We will move to approval of the agenda, Council members.

There is one item that has been removed.

Item 9A has been removed.

It is a public hearing, and it was removed because the property was brought into compliance, which is a good thing that we want to see.

Seeing none, the agenda will be approved as presented.

Before you, you also have the minutes of the regular meeting of the city council held on November 6th, 2025.

Are there any changes or additions that need to be made to that agenda?

Or to those minutes, I'm sorry.

Are any changes made to the minutes?

Seeing none, the minutes will stand approved.

We have no special recognition from the mayor.

We do have a couple of special recognitions presented by the council.

Councilmember Kling.

Thank you, Madam President.

Julia, are you in the audience?

Yes, you are.

Good.

Thank you.

Julia, it is my pleasure to make a presentation on behalf of the mayor and the city council.

I have a special certificate.

It was signed by the Mayor Battle and all five council members.

This is to Julia Calvert, in recognition and sincere appreciation for your outstanding service to the Huntsville community through the creation of an adaptive climbing clinic.

This is a program that has been used to empower individuals with physical disabilities to experience the joy and challenges of rock climbing and helping them to achieve more than they ever thought was possible.

And it's my pleasure to present this to you.

And also, I'd like to give you the mic and let you say what you wish to, if anything about the program, what you're doing.

Yes, so we um do a monthly clinic for people with physical disabilities and visual impairments to try rock climbing.

We believe that even adventure sports can be accessible, and we invite anyone with a physical disability or visual impairment to join us.

Thank you, and thank you for like that.

But thank you for your great work and for the many people in the community who you are helping.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Calvert, for your work.

We have a lot of people doing good work in this community.

We get to recognize some more.

6B is a resolution honoring Team Redstone for its continued excellence and championship performance at the 41st Annual Army Ten Miler in Washington, D.C.

Is there a motion to approve the resolution?

Move to approve.

Motion for Mr.

Little Second from Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

Ms.

Watkins, would you like to make that present?

Yes, and I ask the mayor to join me as well, please.

Good evening, everyone.

Can I get the Redstone Tim Mallers to come up, please?

So while they're coming up, I will have to tell you I'm a little biased about this group.

So I'm excited for them.

They do this every year, and I'm just proud to be able to recognize them.

Whereas the City Council and Mayor of Huntsville, Alabama wish to recognize and congratulate Team Redstone for its continued excellence and championship legacy at the 41st Army Tim Miler held in Washington, D.C.

The Tim Mile was established in 1985.

It is the nation's premier military road race, which attracts more than 35,000 runners, 900 teams, including military personnel, civilians, uh wheelchair athletes, wounded warriors, and the proceeds been fit FMWR.

Whereas Team Redstone once again brought home the prestigious Eagle Trophy, capturing the title in the government division with a combined time of four eleven oh four and securing second place in the all-comers division with a time of four oh one fifty-five.

Whereas, despite travel delays, weather challenges, and late roster changes resulting from the government shutdown, the dedicated runners of Team Redstone demonstrated resilience, teamwork, and determination that reflect the very best of Huntsville's military and civilian community.

Whereas since 2007, Team Redstone has claimed 29 Eagle trophies to include 13 consecutive championships in the government agency division and 11 straight in the all-comers division.

Whereas this year's government agency team was led by Hunter Nails.

Is he here?

Okay, if you raise your hand so they know who you are.

Josh Whitehead, Sean Allen, Matt Cassiano.

Um with outstanding contributions from Gabriel Hinneger, Alan Anderson, and assistant coach Skip Bond, my co-worker.

And whereas the Redstone All Commerce team include Nathaniel Pierce, Beck Mitchell, Mark Ullam, Blaze Beans, also delivered an impressive performance, continuing a proud tradition of excellence.

Whereas Team Redstone's success is guided by head coach Harry Hobbs, Vice President for Employee Engagement and Hountsville Utilities, and retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Five, whose leadership and dedication since 2004 has inspired generations of runners and strengthen the connection between Huntsville's military and civilian communities.

Now therefore, let it be resolved that the mayor and the city council do hereby commend Team Redstone for its outstanding athletic achievement, sportsmanship, and representation of our city and its values on the national stage.

This is something to be proud of.

Thank you.

All I can say is after 29 of them, you've got a flock.

So keep it coming.

Yes, sir.

And I just want to tell you how proud we are to represent uh North Alabama, uh Team Redstone, the City of Huntsville.

Uh and it's it's not just winning, it's the journey.

Uh you have uh uh a winner on one of our teams here, City Administrator John Hamilton will tell you he was one of uh the winning legacy as well.

Uh we got a ride net bus 12 hours there and 12 hours back, and we solve every problem in the world.

And and we learned uh how to get along.

Different generations here, different ways of seeing things, so it's not just about winning, it's about uh representing a community and growing together, and it is an honor and a privilege.

But do not get it twisted.

We're coming home with a golden eagle every year.

Thank you.

We'll get six people here on this bottom row.

I think you guys have a little item.

Uh I can't see her.

She can't see her.

Congratulations, team.

Uh before our job today, I would like to give uh Ms.

Watkins Councilwoman Watkins a token of our appreciation.

Uh this is the finishing Armington Mallard Medal.

Uh, although you didn't run it with us, you was with us in spirit, and we appreciate the support.

Congratulations again, Team Redstone.

Uh, we have no presentations tonight, but we have two announcements.

One is that a joint meeting of the Board of Education and the City Council has finally been arranged, and we will be meeting in these chambers on January 29th at 4 p.m.

It will be open to the public.

We invite the public to join us.

There will be a presentation of the Huntsville City Schools Capital Plan, and then we will also hear a presentation on how the city will assist in managing debt and um moving along the funding for that project.

Uh Council members, if you have any other suggestions for um for that meeting, please please let us know, and we will work that in.

And then also we announced, have just announced that we will once again, and this is going to become an annual tradition, we will have the deck the districts contest.

So a winner will be chosen from each city council district for the most festive decorations on their house.

We had um lights set to music last year in district three, and we're looking forward to seeing what everybody uh can put forward.

The um the deadline for entering, and the the application is on the city website.

Deadline is December 12th, and winners will be presented at the December 18th council meeting, last council meeting of the year.

So please take a look at the website if you are interested in entering your home and your decorations in the deck the districts contest.

Are there any other announcements?

We'll move on then to public hearings.

As I said, 9A has been removed from the agenda because the property was brought into compliance, and that is a great reason to move it.

So we'll go on to 9B.

9B is a public hearing on the zoning of 14.62 acres of land lying on the east of Greenbyer Road and north of I-565 to Highway Business C4 and Commercial Industrial Park District, and the consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Mr.

Nunez.

Good evening, Council members, Council President, Mayor Battle, Thomas Nunez, manager of planning and zoning services.

This item is located east of Greenborough Road and north of Interstate 565.

Uh, this property was recently annexed into the City of Huntsville.

Uh petitioners, which is us, the City of Huntsville owns the property in question and is uh seeking to zone the property highway business C4 and Commercial Industrial Park.

The small portion to the very south in red is the portion that will be rezoned to C4, and all other parcels in question will be in the cyan color will also be zoned to commercial industrial park.

Thank you, Mr.

Nunez.

The public hearing on this item is now open.

Is there anyone here wishing to address the council regarding this matter?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

So moved.

Motion motion from Mr.

Kling, second by Mr.

Meredith.

Council members, do you have questions?

Then we will proceed with the vote.

All in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The motion carries and the resolution is approved.

Moving on to 9C.

9C is a public hearing on the rezoning of 25.14 acres of land lying on the west of North Memorial Parkway and south of Hollow Road from residence 1B and Highway Business C4 districts to residence 2 and highway business C4 districts, and the consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Council members, this item is located west of North Memorial Parkway and south of Hollow Road.

The property is overall 25.14 acres.

Petitioners are seeking to rezone the property from residence 1B district and highway business C4 to residence 2 district and highway business C4 district.

So uniquely enough, I want to uh offer that the uh developers are seeking to add plat restrictions.

These particular plat restrictions are not in conjunction with the property that are being proposed to be rezoned.

However, it is to protect the frontage of Memorial Parkway.

Those particular uh plat restrictions are offered along the frontage of Memorial Parkway, the first 700 feet with a minimum depth of 300 feet.

These restrictions are to restrict the following automobile sales, new and used, retail and wholesale with attended uh attendant facilities, automobile repair garage, and mechanical and body shops, bus depots, multifamily, office warehouse, parking lots, and parking garages that are standing alone.

And then the second section uh, which is uh the red section will be uh prohibited, uh restricted to apartment buildings that will have a minimum of 15 percent of total floor area on the street level for non-residential uses.

Again, as we've seen development up and along the parkway, uh the we've seen some warehouse, some other uses, but again, this development wanted to protect the ongoing land uh proposals that are happening on this project itself.

Overall, the project will produce um housing opportunities for single-family, uh multifamily, but also produce lodging and recreation and retail.

The public hearing on this on 9C is now open.

Is there anyone here wishing to address the council on this matter?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion from Ms.

Watkins, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Any discussion, questions?

All in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The ordinance is approved.

Thank you, Mr.

Nunez.

Thank you, Council members.

10 A is a public hearing to be set.

10A is a resolution to set a public hearing on the rezoning of 380.93 acres of land lying on the south side of Alabama Highway 20 and east of I-65 from residence 2B district and highway business C4 district to plan development housing district, LUI 56, and the introduction of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Is there a motion to set the hearing for December 18th?

Motion to set the hearing for December 18th.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

The hearing is set.

This brings us to agenda-related public comments.

This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the council on matters relating to the specific content of items on the meeting agenda.

We have no one who has signed up for the for to make comments tonight.

So we will move on.

We will move on to the mayor's comments.

Thank you, uh, Council, Madam President.

Um just just a couple of quick notes.

Uh we just did our uh State of the City uh last week on Friday, and um, you know, it was a great effort, uh, thanks to our communication team who did a great job, but thanks to all the city uh department heads and our council who came out uh for it.

Um, you know, it was uh is a joint effort, and it means everybody is working together to make the proper things happen in the city, and good things are happening, and it's easy to tell a good story.

When you have have a great story, it's easy to talk about, and we had a great 30-minute uh presentation on uh the achievements of the city, the opportunity that is out there in the city, and uh how everybody uh is uh how we are working to make sure that everybody is part of that success.

So thank you.

Uh thank you to all who came and all all who supported that.

Um we also have uh this Sunday at 6 p.m.

at Faith Faith Presbyterian Church is our interfaith uh Thanksgiving service.

Uh it starts at 6 p.m.

Uh is usually uh over by seven, but it's a great little service where we uh where we have people from interfaith groups, uh faith groups across the city uh who come together for Thanksgiving.

And uh as a as a community we have a lot to be thankful for.

Uh also on Monday uh will be the one table uh in Big Spring Park.

That is one of the uh uh one of the times that we get to see the the whole heart of the city.

Uh you get to see people out there serving other people.

Uh and you get to see there's people from all walks.

Uh and it is a great thing to come to.

It's open, it's free.

If you'd like to come, come on down, show up in the park uh around uh 11, 1130 on uh Monday, and um you'll get to be fed, but you'll get to be sitting with some people who are um as diverse as the city of Hussle is.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Bowden.

We will now hear from council members, and we will begin with Councilmember Little.

Thank you, Dr.

Robinson, and I'll be happy to yield my time back to the meeting.

Thank you.

You really do want to get out of here.

Oh, yeah.

Oh well, yeah.

Please see Matt.

I'm trying to be modest here.

Uh sorry I missed a meeting a couple weeks ago, had the first grandbaby.

Mom and baby are doing good.

Uh grandmother, not so much.

She's busy helping the new mama, but everything is good at the Hanson House.

So thank you all for the shout out at the meeting and all the text from everybody.

I really appreciate that.

Okay.

Well, congratulations.

Thank you.

Councilmember Meredith.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

I just want to wish everyone in the City of Huntsville and frankly beyond a very, very happy Thanksgiving next week.

I also want to remind folks uh in this holiday time that there is a law, but more importantly, I think morally folks need to remember that if there are emergency vehicles doing their work on the roadways, please slow down and move over.

Um let's respect police, fire, hemsy, and tow truck operators as well, and give them the space that they need to safely do their jobs and clear our roadway so that uh so that they're open and accessible.

Also want to thank our planning department specifically for their work on the Westmore landing project.

Um they have gone above and beyond many different times in order to get this uh to the council.

And uh I really, really appreciate that.

And also related to the planning department, want to thank you for pushing the planning month discussion of the Western Master Plan update until the West Huntsville Rec Center is operational, and we will be having that update at the uh recenter once it is open.

Um because of the nature of my district, I have to do a lot of collaborative work with different uh municipalities, different service providers, and I have um already started that process with the new members of the Madison City Council in talks with our colleagues from that city.

Um they have suggested, and I think it would be a good idea if we could have some sort of joint meeting to familiarize ourselves with them and them us as well.

Um also want to give a strong shout out to the young men out there that have embraced the quarter zip movement, not only for the fashion statement, which is pretty awesome, but actually what it really means has to do with the change of mindset.

And um, instead of hanging out on corners, they're hanging out at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore and they're reading books and they are studying and they are applying themselves better, and they are pulling themselves out of that uh mentality of the saggy pants and the uh the the for lack of better word, thuggish behavior.

Um so God bless you and keep up the good work there.

Finally, um, Madam President, I don't know if we're doing it this year, but I would like for the council to have a Christmas tree in the tinsel trail um moving forward.

Um I think uh the city would appreciate that.

Very good.

Thank you.

That is all I have.

Thank you, Madam President.

Ms.

Watkins, the floor is yours.

Good evening.

Um November 8th, I had the pleasure of attending the home dedication of three homes by Habitat for Humanity.

So three families were blessed with homes, and uh they're very nice homes, and I was excited to be invited and a part of that.

Also on that Saturday, I went in out to Cavery Hills to see a tree plan.

Anybody that knows me know I don't like to do outside work, so that was hard for me.

On uh the 10th of November I hosted a meeting with the Rolling Hills community in reference to a suggested development in that area.

And then on the 13th, I was honored to be the speaker at the Phi Beta Lambda Business Fraternity at Alabama Inham University.

Anytime I'm invited to Alabama Endham University, I'm excited.

And today I got to spend time with WHRP's best girlfriend, Tony Terrell.

She has her annual co-drive going on.

It started today, it'll end on Sunday.

She'll be in various parts of the community.

Um they're collecting coats as well as canned goods.

So if you get a chance, please go and catch her.

She's in a Winnebago, and they have a WHRP sign.

And I think tomorrow they're going to be at the Walmart in Madison.

But today she was in District 1.

So thank you very much, Tony.

Uh tomorrow from 5 30 to 7.

Everyone is invited out to Cavery Hills.

We're going to have Jazz Giving.

We have two dynamic individuals in our community that are saxophonists.

Alex Banks and Tommy Friend, both young men, both are just it's hard to choose which one is the best because that's how good they are.

They are going to do the event tomorrow and it's free.

It's going to kick off the holiday season.

So council members, mayor, and everyone in the audience and everyone listening, come out and listen to some jazz kicking off the holiday season.

On the 7th of December, we're going to host Cause for Celebration again at the Johnson Legacy Center.

Opportunity for the kids to come out, make ornaments, uh, put them on the tree.

We'll have a tree lighting ceremony, cookies, hot chocolate.

We'll have Santa there.

You bring your camera, you take the picture, the Johnson High, Jim, I mean Jemison, I'm sorry, Jemison High Band and the Jemison High Choir will be there playing Christmas carols.

And on Monday, I'll be outside volunteering with one table with Villager Promise.

So if you don't have anything to do Monday, come out and sit down and fellowship and have a meal and have a conversation with people, not necessarily from your community, just so you can get different viewpoints.

Lastly, Shane Davis, thank you for everything you do.

I'm sorry you lost your book bag because you've been running all over the city.

But I appreciate everything you do, and thank you for keeping your word.

Thank you, Ms.

Watkins.

It sounds like you have a lot going on.

Um Mr.

Clayton.

Thank you, Madam President.

First, I want to thank everybody that came out to my uh town meeting Monday night, very spontaneous.

Lots of different issues were being discussed, and I got some marching orders for some issues that I needed to follow up and uh make emails to various department heads for them to take action on.

And one of them, uh just got a report from Mr.

Irwin at community development.

Uh they have already followed up on one of the items that I had sent to them.

So uh appreciate the great work the department heads do.

Even though Thanksgiving hadn't gotten here, I think we've already heard uh Christmas is already creeping up upon us, and I think it's great.

Uh the galaxy of lights over at the Botanical Garden opened up and uh had a chance to go through it, go through the walking trail.

And unlike Mayor Battle, I went out roughly about two miles out into it, and then I lost uh myself and got lost a little bit and kind of spun around, but uh eventually made it back.

But the decorations out there uh you can't really describe, you'd have to see them.

They're uh the technology, lightings, uh modern technology, computer signalization, things that you can push a button with your hand, and it can change the colors around you.

You can move your hand and the lights will move around similar to your hand.

But uh so many things are out there.

It's uh if you ever get a chance to, it is definitely something worth going out to see.

Also, close to home here, uh, we're gonna be having the tinsel trail of uh what's gonna be, I believe, about 400 Christmas trees going all around Big Spring Park, as well as ice skating going on adjacent at the uh backside of the Museum of Art.

And again, uh these are fun things to do for Christmas.

Uh great memories that will be created, and uh it's nice that even though Thanksgiving hadn't gotten here, we are already getting underway with uh with Christmas.

So I'm uh I'm excited about you know these good things that are taking place.

We're we're a big city, but we can still have a little bit of fun.

Also, uh, Madam President, I would like to ask if Mr.

Hamilton would come up.

Uh council meetings, we have had questions that have been raised about outside agency agreements that the police department has and what they are involved in.

And anyway, I thought we could get some firsthand information for the public.

So, Mr.

Hamilton, I will turn it over to you.

Mr.

Hamilton, time is yours.

Good evening, Councilmember's John Hamilton, City Administrator.

Uh yes, what uh what I was going to run through with you here, this is the same information that I emailed to each of you, I guess about three weeks ago, and nothing has changed since the information on that, but this is this is a copy of that same uh spreadsheet that I sent you.

Uh so yeah, as Mr.

Kling reached out to me just because there's been you know a number of questions as we watch the national news.

Obviously, there's uh a lot of communities that uh there's in the news quite a bit in terms of how they are engaging with Federal law enforcement agencies.

So it's naturally brought questions to just how does HPD do that.

Uh so what uh what is on the screen are the seven uh formal partnerships, the agreements which are all approved by City Council uh that HPD has with other law enforcement agencies.

Uh what's not included here is just the day-to-day interaction with the Madison Police or the police, the police departments on the university.

Those are natural things uh that they work together as uh on local crime, but these are specifically uh those agreements where uh where HPD is partnered with State or Federal level law enforcement agencies.

And so uh just I'll hit the highlights on each one.

One of the things you see there on the column, uh I guess it's the fifth column over.

That's the specific resolution number uh where council has approved the these various MOUs.

I do want to note that almost all of these have been in existence longer than that.

That's just the most recent resolution.

There's you know, these things sometimes require updates.

New partners may come in, and so we bring to you the uh approval of an updated MOU.

So that's the most recent version, which would then supersede any prior one.

So like I say, some of these have been in place for decades now, but uh, but that's the most recent resolution number uh and the current MOU that governs uh these partnerships.

So the first in partnership with FBI, we have uh an investigator dedicated to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, obviously, as the name indicates, they are focused uh on uh on homeland terrorist threats uh that occur occasionally uh and also any any threats to counter uh counterterrorism or counterintelligence issues.

We are also partnered with the FBI Violence Crime Crimes Unit, focused uh particularly on gun violence uh and and more significant crimes like bank robberies, uh missing children, fraud cases, uh mass shootings, that type of uh that topic crime.

Partnered with uh the ATF, uh focused specifically on gun violations.

Uh we are members of the uh with uh with U.S.

Marshal Service on the Gulf Course Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Uh they uh they will work to pick up fugitives uh who uh generally speaking have been convicted of a crime and have fled uh justice.

And so uh one of the interesting things is oftentimes we may have somebody who has committed a crime here and and uh they have gone somewhere else in the country.

The same task force exists in communities all across America, and so other police departments may be picking up somebody that needs to come back here to face justice.

Well, oftentimes people flee here.

And so we are helping pick up somebody getting them back to the jurisdiction uh where they may need to face the justice system.

We are partnering with Homeland Security Investigations along with a number of our other uh partners uh on uh crimes against children, particularly sex traffic and child and pornography issues.

That is also something, while not listed here, uh, because they are not a law enforcement agent, but the NCAC uh partners very closely with us as well.

But Homeland Security Investigations, ALEA, FBI, uh HPD, and the DA's office, uh particularly focused in in that task force here locally.

Members of the Alabama Drug Enforcement uh Task Force, along with a whole myriad of other agencies, including our our Sheriff Madison Police Department, the DA and Staten level and uh Federal level uh investigations.

And then the Tennessee Valley Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory with the FBI.

That's actually uh has been located on Redstone Arsenal, uh, and that's specifically assisting with digital forensics in in solving crime.

So those are the seven uh partnerships we have with uh with State and Federal law enforcement agencies that HPD has engaged with.

Uh you know, Mr.

Clinken mentioned to me that he's had folks asked specifically about the 287G program.

Uh we are not engaged in any any uh relationships or agreements uh related to that program.

I know there's a number of folks that are particularly focused on that particular thing.

That that is not an element of any of these agreements, and nor has HPD ever entered to agreement related to that particular program at the Federal level.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Ableton.

And also I believe the police chief had said we're not involved in what's it, the 287G program.

Correct.

That's what I'm saying.

Yeah, we don't like that.

Thank you, sir.

Also, Madam President, I want to uh take a moment to thank the great job that was done by people in the planning department.

Uh there was uh very uh very much concern uh about residents who lived on Benita Circle.

There was a sidewalk that was going into their neighborhood, and because they have narrow front yards and not much traffic, um there was opposition to it, and they did not want that to happen.

Uh I was able to contact, and this was over the weekend, I might add.

Uh Dennis Madsen, Tanika Lindsay, and James Moore, they were able on their time to look into the situation, and they were able to stop the uh uh sidewalk project that was scheduled to begin construction on Monday.

And uh sometimes we come down the wire on these pro projects, but I appreciate them stepping up.

And also I would like to give a shout out to uh both uh Sarah Powell as well as um the appropriate people in putting the agenda together.

We have an item coming up a little bit later concerning uh funding that we're uh I'm gonna be authorizing out of my discretionary account to be used for the Food Bank of North Alabama, and they were able to get that in under the wire.

I think because of the timing, that was really important.

So uh a lot of good things that our city employees do, and um very appreciative of it.

Uh yesterday um some of the council members had a chance to go to the uh art museum across uh across the street from us, the Museum of Art, take a tour and see their facility, and uh even though uh not everybody was there, I think we were all appreciative of the great work that the art museum people have done.

We did have some discussion about seeing if there might be an outlet that could be made available for the uh wonderful exhibits that Dr.

Ollie Conley has.

And uh we've been talking off and on about finding a place where some of her uh artifacts that she has could be exhibited.

And I think the art museum people uh expressed an interest and they're gonna see if there might be something that could be done along that line because of the great resources that she has.

And we'll see how that pans out, but at least we uh got them to uh look into that situation and see uh what can be done.

And uh again, that's about all.

We're heading into Thanksgiving.

Hope everybody out here has a great Thanksgiving, and uh we're already looking forward to Christmas season kicking off.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Kling.

Before I begin my comments, I want to recognize some scouts who are here with us tonight.

If you scouts, if you would stand up, please.

Uh they are here uh working on merit badges, citizenship in the community, and communications.

We welcome you and and uh wish you uh much good luck in your work and uh go forward and get those eagles.

Thank you.

Um I too enjoyed the State of the City address last Friday.

I felt like it was an early Thanksgiving celebration as the mayor listed projects that have taken place in every corner of the city.

Uh it was very clear why we are on the top five list of everybody's best places to live, to work, to start a business, to retire, to whatever.

Um we are we are doing great work, and it is because of an incredibly uh committed, talented, um energetic team working together.

And I think it was particularly noticeable to me because seeing that unified effort and the results of that effort, uh, when we have also seen the results of divisiveness at a federal level that has sorely impacted our community.

So I think we can be very grateful for the work that we are doing together.

We don't always agree with each other, but we we are all committed to the community and doing what is best for for all of the folks who live here for their quality of life.

So I would add my thanks to uh everyone else for for the great work that our employees are doing, our department heads, and I am grateful to work with a council and administration that is so dedicated to creating not as the mayor says, not only the biggest city in Alabama, but the best city.

Uh also that same day that afternoon, I had the opportunity to celebrate and to remember what a generous city we are, as uh Chairman McCutcheon and I took place in the ribbon cutting for the giving machines at Bridge Street.

We are one of two cities in the Southeast and one of 50 across the globe.

I mean, this is international to host the giving machines.

There are three of them that give at Bridge Street, they will be there until December 2nd.

If you haven't seen the giving machines, it's kind of hard to explain.

It's a vending machine in reverse.

You go and swipe your credit card, you get to pick an agency, and so instead of getting something from the vending machine, you're giving.

There are five local agencies that will benefit, free to teach, first stop, kids to love, and able of Madison County, and the Elm Foundation.

So go and visit them.

If Sunday school class, a church, a corporation, or a family is particularly feeling particularly generous, you go and you push 777, and it gives to all the agencies.

So it's a great thing again.

It's at Bridge Street till December 2nd, and there are lots of activities, concerts, and things that are going along with that.

It's right down by the Christmas tree.

And finally, just I would wish everyone a very joyous Thanksgiving.

We have so much in this community to be grateful for.

We'll move on now to the Finance Committee report.

14A is a resolution authorizing expenditures for payment.

Mr.

Meredith, would you like to make that motion?

Yes, Madam President.

I move that the council approve expenditures in the amount of 47,660,117.52 cents.

Second.

Second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor indicate?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

I believe Ms.

Smith has a finance report for us.

Good evening, Council, Madam President.

Thank you for your attention this evening to give you a financial update, both for this is going to be part of this is going to be on the year end.

And our fiscal year end just passed over, and so we've got some preliminary numbers out of that.

And then for the first month of this fiscal year, the month of October.

So the CPI reports and payroll reports and things like that that indicated that gave us a lot of economic indicators.

So these numbers are what we have currently or the expectations in what the economics are moving around those different different different indicators.

So inflation outlook is still uncertain.

However, it is still high amid continued uncertainties in the market.

Currently, we are hovering around 3 percent.

We have stayed there pretty much throughout the last four to five months.

So we are still there.

Labor markets continue to soften.

The unemployment climbed some nationally to 4.4, and consumer confidence fell in the fall over concern about inflation and purchasing power.

And I don't say that to just bring kind of woe and gloom.

But this is kind of the economy that we're in right now.

The city is doing stable and well, as you'll see in the numbers.

But we are, you know, ever aware of what is going on in our economy.

The government did reopen.

That's a good thing.

And with paychecks and benefits loaded in the last few days, the continuing resolution will end on January 30th.

However, three of the annual appropriation bills were passed for the full 12 months.

So military construction, agricultural rule, and legislative branch did pass.

And so those are some good things that will stabilize, especially our industry around here a little bit.

So that will be nice as well.

The Federal Reserve, obviously, all y'all know they cut rates in October, and we are waiting to see what will happen in December.

So I'm going to go into last year's first kind of through the year.

So this is September numbers.

This is all way all the way through September numbers, 100% of the year elapsed.

So year end collections came in.44% behind the prior year and under the original budget at about 97%.

Remember in the mid year we came in for sales and use tax and we lowered that number by about 10 million.

And but we came in right on the revised budget at 100%.

And so that bodes well for the next slide, which is the total for our general fund revenue.

And this is with the revised budgets in there and how we did up against the budgets.

So for the end of this fiscal year, we were up by about 2.3% over last year.

And for our revenue as a total, and um and the uh and the remaining budget is about 4.1 million.

So and I'm gonna point out there are not a lot of consistencies across the board in the different line items, but I'm gonna show point out a couple of these, the flag.

So SSUT or simplified sellers use tax as our population continues to move to online transaction that continues to grow.

It is up 12 percent over the prior year, and it was at 105 percent of budget.

Um pilot revenue is a little, we were up over the prior year by 4 percent, but we were a little under budget.

That is untypical, and so we're still kind of looking into those numbers and investigating that as we move across this year end into what kind of happened there.

Property taxes were up above budget and um by at 8 percent over prior year and 102 percent of budget.

So all of these numbers, and you can just see as that goes down through there, um pulls into that over that overage at the bottom.

Flipping sides a little bit, this goes to the expenditures for the general fund, and we had personnel is at 97 percent of the budget with total with the total budget for the departments at 94 percent, and then um the appropriate with the appropriations low, we have appropriations line at 99 percent, and then we have but overall that bottom line number is about 5 percent under.

So that is a savings of about 16 million.

So what this means bottom line from last year, and although this is only the general fund, I kind of say that as a little bit of a cautionary tale.

These numbers will tighten over time as we pull in more accruals and things like that.

But um, but we're about 20 million dollars, 20 million to the good in the general fund.

If you will remember for the FY26 budgets, we pulled in a um an overage.

This is a part of that.

And so we are looking at that not a part.

This this is over that amount, sorry.

This is over that amount, so that bodes well for our current year budget, and um and and it will make make the make our future more safe as we roll through this year and look at this year.

As planned.

Lodging tax revenue, we look at this every time as well.

We are 5.8 percent above the prior year and about 4 percent over budget as we ended the year.

Um we had some ups and downs all through that, uh through this last fiscal year, but um, but overall our lodging taxes did well.

So coming into this year, looking at October for the fiscal year 26.

Again, the sales and use tax numbers, we are above budget.

Woo-hoo.

Um, so for this year at 2.8 percent above our budget, um, I'm sorry, above the prior year, and um, and we are at 8.4, 8.45 percent of the year has elapsed, so we are also above budget at 8.3 percent has elapsed for the first month of the fiscal year.

One of the things I want to notate in the bottom box and that red box at the bottom is while we are 2.8 percent above the prior year for October, we are 1.29% above over 24.

You will see me look back into 24, especially for sales and use tax since we were since we were down this fiscal year.

I want to look back and compare ourselves to see how we were doing in a year where we were up.

So you will see those numbers over time.

I will I will repeat that scenario.

For the selected revenues, I just want to point out we are at the beginning of the year.

Um we are under budget, we are um a little, we are under budget, um, and so that's not not good.

Most people would say, oh, that's really not good, but you've got to understand trend lines.

That's why they're so important.

Property taxes, license fees, and sales taxes come in mainly in December through through February.

That's some high times in our trend lines.

So we will see these numbers change as we move through the next few months.

And then on the expenditure side for our general fund personnel is at 8.5% with total departments at 7.6%, which is under budget for a total under budget at 7% overall.

So we are right in line with our budgets as we come across that October.

Lodging tax revenue.

We are under budget for this fiscal for this October, 14% under the prior year and at 7.8% of the budget with 8.3 elapsed.

So it's kind of gone, not good for this month, but um but we've got some months coming out of that, so hopefully we'll we'll do better as we move through the fall.

I will say about this with uh shutdown and stuff, we will probably see a few months of uncertainty and hoping to see that comes back out as we move through this fiscal year.

Any questions?

Council members, do you have any questions for Ms.

Smith?

That's a lot of good news.

Thank you.

Continue with the finance section.

14B is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods or services for District 3 council improvement funds.

The Chair moves for approval.

Second.

Second.

Um I guess my discussion would would simply be that this is $5,000 appropriation to the schools foundation to benefit the great work they do with our schools, our principals, and our teachers.

Any questions?

Comments?

All in favor, please indicate.

Uh 14C is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods or services for District 4 council improvement funds.

Move for approval.

Motion by Mr.

Kling, second by Mr.

Meredith.

Mr.

Kling?

Well, Madam President, I think this is timely, and I really do appreciate our office staff working to get this uh put placed on the agenda with the minimal short notice.

Uh obviously we're between the big federal shutdown, which put a great big demand on the food banks uh resources.

And then, of course, next week we're coming up on Thanksgiving and the Christmas season after that.

So this just seemed like a good time that we could help them to kind of replenish their resources and they do great work.

Uh I might also add for those listening that if anyone would like to contribute to the Food Bank of North Alabama, you can go to their website and you can actually do it online.

And they have a very simple process for doing that, and it's very secure.

Any questions for Mr.

Kling?

All in favor, please indicate.

Motion carries.

15 A is uh a resolution to reappoint Marco McLean to the public building authority of the City of Huntsville to his current seat for a six-year term to expire December 14, 2031.

Move to approve.

Motion from Ms.

Watkins.

Second from Mr.

Meredith.

Uh all in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

The motion carries Mr.

McLean is reappointed.

Uh we have one board appointment nomination.

Uh this nomination is it will not be voted on now.

It will be voted on our next council meeting on December 4th.

16A is a nomination to reappoint Marshall Schreeder Jr.

to the education and building authority, Randolph School to his current seat for a six-year term to expire November 10, 2031.

Are there nomination any board nominations from the floor?

Hearing none, we'll move on.

Uh there are no Huntsville Utilities items.

18A is an ordinance authorizing the vacation of utility and drainage easements in Bentley Auto Park.

Uh one 10,001 fifty Highway 431-231 North.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Any questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

The ordinance is approved.

We have no unfinished business items for action, as you recall.

That was our big development up in North Huntsville last week, and we took care of all of it then.

So we'll move on to new business items for consideration.

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

Are there any items any council member wishes to hold?

Yes, please.

L M N.

L M and N.

Yes, I would like to hold G and T.

Anyone?

T is in time.

So G L M N T, any others?

Okay, we will get that set up.

And T.

Okay.

And the Chair moves for consideration of items 20A to 20 F.

20H.

To 20K.

20O.

To 20.

20S.

And 20U to 20Y.

Is there a second?

Second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

We will now move on to those items that have for separate consideration.

We will begin with item 20G.

20G is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a preliminary engineering and construction agreement between the City of Huntsville, Alabama and Alabama Department of Transfer Transportation for Resolute Way Phase 1, Project No.

65-14-RD 13 and L dot project number STPHV-1565.

Is there a motion to approve?

I 565.

I 565.

Well, there you go.

Is there a motion to approve?

Move to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Little, Chair will second.

Mr.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Belgium.

So Councilmembers, what this would do with your approval would uh just as the resolution says, start preliminary engineering.

We have actually been in partnership with Redstone Arsenal now for a little over a year.

They have been handling most of the environmental and preliminary corridors study for this.

This would provide new access to both Redstone Arsenal and Governor's West.

So essentially the ultimate goal would be a new interchange between ZERP Road and Research Park Boulevard there.

This is phase one of the piece.

So currently if you are familiar with that area, most I believe you are.

The flyover from Madison Boulevard eastbound that flies over I 565 and then lets you get on I-565 East.

The first phase of this project is all at grade work on the south side of I 565 on Redstone Arsenal property, provides new access to the gate, new access to Redstone Gateway Park.

And then phase two would be the actual connector bridge, north and south across I-565 that would link Resolute Way to Governor's West, which gets you into Research Park, Bridge Street, and certainly Madison Boulevard going to the West.

So the this would be funded 80-20, 80 percent coming from our MPO Federal funds and 20 percent from our local funds, which is the 2014 capital plan that goes to help fund and leverage road construction.

So the total agreement would be 11.5 million dollars with 9.2 million coming from our Federal funds through the MPO and our local funding through our 2014 capital plan would be $2.3 million.

Answer any questions, any council members.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

Councilmembers discussion or questions.

Mr.

Meredith.

My concern is we have been talking about this for years, and for years I have been asking to see some sort of schematics as to what this is going to look like.

To date, including the attachments provided, there are no schematics.

For me to support something where I don't know what this is going to look like.

And that is a fair comment.

So the preliminary engineering, should you approve, will be to start that engineering so we can start showing those option typically through a federal process.

We have to show two options of you know routes, if you will, and then the third is a no-build option.

Should we run into something environmental?

This preliminary engineering will do just that so we can provide that not only to you, Councilman, but to the body and publicly.

So that's what we are about to kick off.

We have been working on some geotech uh preliminary environmental work that the Red Redstone Arsenal has dedicated to the project with their staff since it's their property.

So now they've cleared that hurdle.

So now we we know that the corridor is available for this project based on Redstone's review of you know archaeological, cultural resources and the things that that would possibly could be impact if they have found no significant impact for the project to occur.

So what you would be approving is the preliminary engineering that would start to provide some of that information to you.

Um the flowover bridge, if nothing else is outside of the Redstone Arsenal property.

So who is doing the geotechnical work on that?

So we so that's phase two.

Uh so what we are focused on right now is is what we can fund, which is that grade on the south side, and that's this phase one uh portion of the project.

But part of this preliminary engineering will uh show where that flow over should connect to Governors Weath on the north side, but then we would come back to you, certainly the MPO on phase two, which would be the actual flyover bridge over the Interstate uh at phase two.

Any idea when I can actually see a sketch of where this road is put in the gun?

I think within the first quarter of next year, they will be far enough along that uh one, I am personally get it to you, but also publicly disseminate that that information.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Davis.

You are welcome, sir.

Are there any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any posed motion carries?

Abstain.

Oh, uh let the record show that Mr.

uh Meredith abstained and other council members all voted in favor.

We will move on to 20 L.

20 L is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a standard agreement between the City of Huntsville and Amir Engineering Corporation for the engineering services of the Orion Amphitheater Parking Deck.

Is there a motion to approve?

Move to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Little Second from Mr.

Meredith.

Mr.

Hamilton.

Good evening, Councilmembers.

Uh, what is before you this evening is uh engineering services agreement uh related to the design and ultimate construction of uh parking deck in uh in mid-city area?

We're calling the project the Orion Amphitheater because it is directly across the street, but it will actually serve as as regional parking for uh for that portion of mid-city.

Uh of note, this is uh this is really tied to economic development program that Mr.

Davis manages and it's it's funded out of the 2014 capital plan that he manages.

But because of the nature of the type of construction general services who manages those types of construction projects for the city.

So uh General Services is bringing this contract uh to support this project.

So uh this would be specifically for some of the engineering services that uh does construction uh materials testing and basically the quality control component uh that goes into uh to the design.

You will see another the next item that that you have held.

We will get to here in a second is uh is the architectural services.

Uh you may recall that uh probably about two or three council meetings ago you approved a land swap uh with uh with the owners of the uh from Mid-City to actually accommodate this uh this development.

So with your approval on uh on the real estate transaction, we are now moving forward with the design of the project.

Thank you, Mr.

Hamilton.

Questions or um comments, Council members?

I have a question.

Yes, Mr.

Meredith.

Will um there be a fee to park here?

And if so, who gets that parking fee?

So this will be a city managed deck.

Uh you know, I think you know exactly how we manage and how we do that is to be determined.

Some of that you know will allow Mr.

Davis through his development agreements with the development there would govern some of those things.

Uh specifically for the Orion, you may know if you've you know if you have purchased a ticket to go to an event there, uh you there's actually a a parking and infrastructure fee that's you know basically a user fee that is a component of your ticket, which helps with the the finances associated with the Orion, which obviously we're we're the owners of that.

So uh as it relates specifically to the Orion, you are you are paying, there's already public city-owned parking out there uh that you are paying for on that's embedded inside your ticket, and that's that is noted on your bill uh as far as for the day-to-day use if you are going out there for reshale shopping and stuff.

I would not anticipate we would charge a fee there, but ultimately we would allow Mr.

Davison and the owners there through development agreement, which you would have to approve if we want to do something differently, would manage that.

I I would just like to go on record.

If we are going to ultimately charge people, I think it should go to the City of Huntsville and not to the um whatever the formal name for the people that operate the Orion.

Well, absolutely.

It is a city-owned uh it's a city owned deck, so we would we would be the managers and any revenues that might be generated off of that or our city funds.

Thank you, Mr.

Hamilton.

Other questions, Mr.

Kling?

Uh would uh this uh funding that that comes out of the uh um parking, would that go that would that be in some sort of an enterprise account where the funding that comes to the city would be used uh to finance or pay for the parking deck?

So all parking revenues, you know, whether it is you know meet or downtown or or any of our decks or anything that all that is actually uh captured as part of the revenue ship that goes into the general fund.

And so that funds you know our parking division operations.

Okay.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate?

All right.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Uh 20 M is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a standard agreement between the City of Huntsville and Chapman System Architects for architectural services for the Orion Amphitheater Parking Deck.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion for Mr.

Little Second from Mr.

Meredith.

Mr.

Claire.

Council members, this is this is the architectural agreement that goes with what we were just discussing.

So Chapman says an architect has been selected to uh to do the design here, and they will then obviously bring on other uh engineer professionals to support the design process.

Questions for Mr.

Hamilton.

No questions, but seems like if I am reading this, it is almost a million dollars, right?

Seems like an awful lot for what we are asking.

Not necessarily complaining about it.

I mean, I am sure this was a debate in there because for clarity.

It just seems like a lot of money.

I think that it is a it's that's a good opportunity to kind of discuss how that happens, because it actually is not done through a competitive bid process in this particular case.

We we have options under state law on how we select uh professional services.

So uh in some cases, uh kind of assessment of the staff and in our legal department, there are some cases where a competitive bid process or response from RFP is kind of the right way to find the design team.

But in most cases, uh what we are doing is we are we are bringing you uh an agreement with an architect based on kind of as we see their skill sets different, kind of like lawyers and doctors and other professionals like that, you know, certain architects are particularly good at certain types of projects, and so that is why you see a variety of our local architects do these projects and we really kind of align them with with the type of work they have done for us previously.

Uh Chapman Sisson had already done quite a bit of work uh out there and specifically working through this concept.

So, but the architectural fees are actually governed by state law.

And so it is approximately 7 percent of the anticipated construction cost.

So that is why oftentimes when at the end of a construction project, if there has been change orders that change that, then we've also bring you a change order to the architectural fees, because that that is a set percentage of the overall fees, so it is not something that uh that is bid and they provide us a variety of fees.

It is actually set by that.

Thank you, sir.

Any other questions, comments?

All in favor indicate?

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Uh 20 N.

20 N is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute modification number two to the standard agreement between the City of Huntsville and Engineered Solutions Incorporated for the municipal justice public safety complex HVAC upgrades.

Is there a motion?

Move to motion from Mr.

Little second from Mr.

Meredith.

Mr.

Hamilton, we're just wearing you out tonight.

This is an important project.

So uh Councilman, what is before you is a modification to the design contract, uh, specifically for the replacement and upgrades to the mechanical systems in the municipal justice public safety complex.

Now, first off, that is a significant building, that's where all the municipal courts are.

It is also uh houses a number of functions for HPD, uh as well as a portion that is actually occupied by the county that supports jail functions.

The reason we brought you this modification is originally this project uh we anticipated being done in phases, and so what you previously approved was a design only for phase one.

We always knew phase two was coming.

The total scope was always uh was always anticipated, but we weren't going to bring you the design contract for phase two until later.

As they got into some of the initial assessments and specifically looked at how do we replace the entire mechanical system on a building while the municipal courts and the police department continue to function, uh we determined that really it is going to be much, much less impactful in terms of the their daily work and ultimately probably uh less costly to do this as a single uh project.

I will tell you there was a point at which we thought we were going to have to temporarily relocate municipal court to another building, uh, which obviously would have been very, very costly.

Fortunately, the engineers have found a way to do this without displacing the court system.

Uh so you know, we know it is going to save us money, it is certainly going to save us time and be less disruptive to the court system and all the all the people that they serve.

So, what this what modification do does is just pulls all of that scope that we thought would be a future phase into and just do a single uh single project.

And I'll tell you we are replacing all of the heating and cooling plants associated with the building, all of the air handlers associated with the building, and the VAV boxes uh that uh that are within the ductwork throughout the entire building.

So it certainly will be disruptive, but uh they are able to do it in a way where it does not shut down courts, doesn't shut down the record systems, evidence systems, those kind of things for HPD.

So uh we are we are happy that they found a much better way to do it than we originally contemplated.

Uh but what that we need to do then is go ahead and kind of pull all the design stuff into a single scope.

So while on paper it appears as though the scope grew, it is really the same scope we always anticipate, it is just now pulling it into a single design contract.

Thank you.

Are the questions for Mr.

Hamilton?

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries, and that finally brings us to 20 T.

20T is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a special employee agreement between the City of Huntsville and Woody Maples.

Is there a motion to approve?

Move to approach.

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Questions?

Mr.

Davis.

Yes, ma'am.

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So much like Adam's RS that you have approved, you see these special employee agreements from time to time to save the city funds and those efforts.

This one is in particular with our natural resource department.

So this individual was a prior inspector, both mainly in the engineering department, and then crossover in the natural resources.

What this special employee contract agreement is is for outside inspections of all of the city's air permits.

So think of every convenience store that sells gas, they actually have an air permit.

So those are getting checked.

They are also responsible for both our public and private stormwater retention ponds and the inspection, the safety and making sure they are in good shape.

We have to report all that to our State Agency, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

So we have brought this person back for expertise and also able to do this without the need of a full-time employee paying benefits and a full annual salary.

So the contract is per the retirement systems Alabama Calp at not to exceed 40,000.

It is an hourly rate.

So really it is more of a task-oriented type effort.

So there is a good chance that we never reach that cap, but that cap is set by state law.

Thank you for that explanation.

Mr.

Davis questions?

My question was I could be wrong, but in my term on time on council, I have not seen one go over 39,000.

So I was wondering why this one was higher.

Great.

So if you if you look at it, um RSA recalculates that annually.

So for 2025, it was 39,000.

For FY26, they have actually changed it to 40, raised it 1,000.

So it is a great catch by you.

Thank you.

Any questions?

No, ma'am.

All in favor, please indicate.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

That brings us to 21 new items for introduction.

21A is an introduction of an ordinance declaring certain equipment surplus and to be recycled for monetary value.

No action will be taken at this meeting.

It will be considered at the December 4th meeting.

Mr.

Little has uh prior engagement, so he will be living leaving, but the rest of us will be here for second roster public comments.

This portion of the meeting is reserved to persons wishing to address the council on matters relating to city business, whether or not such items are on the agenda.

When called, please approach the microphone and state your name, home address, and city residence for the record.

I will also call the name of the next person signed up to speak so they can prepare to come up and we can move the process along.

Each speaker may address the council for three minutes.

While this is not an appropriate time to engage in dialogue with council members or city staff, council members may direct the administration to research answers to questions and address concerns at future meetings.

And we saw that tonight with Mr.

Kling having Mr.

Hamilton follow up on some concerns.

The sign-up sheet also provides an opportunity for individuals to include their phone number and email, so follow-up may be made by Council members or administration if they desire.

Finally, please refrain from making comments regarding the good name and character of any individual.

We will begin tonight with Mr.

Malcolm Gopher.

Subject is togetherness.

Mr.

Gopher, if you would like to come to the microphone.

And the next person after Mr.

Gopher will be David Snyder.

Malcolm Gopher, Huntsville, Alabama, 1410 McQuery Street.

Thank you, sir.

Welcome.

Members of this board, City Count, City officials, and members of the community.

I stand before you today with a heavy heart, but with a clarity that can only come from lived experience.

In Huntsville, stories of success for black men are becoming rare.

Unless you are the one telling the story.

A free-thinking black man, a man who speaks true, who inspires his people to often become, he often becomes a threat to the bottom line of those in power.

Instead of supporting him, the system works to diminish him, silence him, or tear him down.

Some individuals choose to hide behind positions, titles, and policies and reputations.

Even when they are contributing to the very system harming the same people they grew up among.

But titles don't change the truth.

When someone someone upholds a system that damages its own community, that mass eventually falls away.

History has always had people willing to police their own in service of oppression.

That reality is not new.

For a long time I prayed for this city because I believed Huntsville was a place where diversity meant opportunity, where black people could build, grow, and succeed.

But what I've learned is painful.

A city cannot strive if it destroys the very people who give it give it life.

So now I pray for transformation, deep, undeniable, divine transformation.

I ask God not to abandon this city, but to reshape it, to rebuild it from the inside out, and to restore it with his chosen purpose.

Because we all know this, the forces that work against us, truth come to keel, steal, and destroy.

Yet year after year, every time God reveals and reinvents me, the city moves to tear me down again.

And I would not pretend I do not see it.

I will not pretend it's accidental.

My own city government has played a part in that home because I refuse to lay down, stay silent, and roll over like a dog in anyone's command.

To every person sitting in this room, hear this clearly.

When you sit beside a colleague who participate in the destruction of another black community, and you say nothing, you share responsibility.

Silence is agreement.

Silence is participation.

Each of you has a duty not only to listen, but to investigate, to think independently, and to act when you witness injustice.

If this city chooses to build its self only around corporations, it will not survive.

Big brands come and go.

They are loyal to profits only.

Thank you, Mr.

Go for your time, is that was the fastest three minutes in life.

We appreciate your time with us tonight.

Thank you, sir.

Our bylaws state three minutes.

David Snyder is the next person to sign up.

As Mr.

Steiner comes to the microphone, uh Ms.

Colletti, you will be the next speaker.

Hello, my name is David Snyder.

Uh my information is written correctly on the sheet.

I live in Huntsville.

Thank you, sir.

I'll be quoting a little bit from uh advocates for trans equality.

Quote, today is trans day of remembrance.

Transgender is a broad term that can be used as d uh to describe people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be when they were born, gender identity is your internal knowledge of your gender, for example, your knowledge that you're a man or a woman or another gender.

End quote.

I am nonbinary, for instance.

I discovered the language for myself during the two years I spent in New Hampshire, most of which was spent in recovery facilities.

I came to fully realize that the lack of language about my identity in many aspects, not just gender, contributed greatly to my inability to control my substance use.

Even while I was in hotels or when I was first when I first got into housing, uh it was still brutal.

I remember at one time holding Joe uh Harris in my arms as he bled to death in a pile of broken glass.

I was at a hotel off memorial.

I remember riding my bicycle up Sparkman's steep incline to be at work by seven in the morning with tools on my back, sometimes slumped over my steering bar using the road line and the curb for guidance.

It broke me.

Constant harassment and antagonism had me learn very quickly to hide myself.

I learned to talk as to as few people as possible and keep my head down.

To this day it is very hard for me to trust anyone.

This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to me how the city handles its most vulnerable and disadvantaged members.

I had the privilege of hiding behind white male privilege that many people do not have.

Again from A4TE.

As we remember those lost to violence, we also grieve their stolen futures.

Their stories shine through the words of their loved ones who remember their passions for music and art, their love of partners, friends, and pets, for talents for community organizing or fashion or ballroom or journalism, or computer science.

As trans people living openly as ourselves often requires immense courage, and that courage inspires us to live more fully and authentically.

As one relative of uh Kelsey Ellen, a 25-year-old black trans woman from Missouri who we lost this year said watching Kelsey grow into her confidence and share it with the world was a blessing.

When we lose trans people, everyone loses so much.

End quote.

There are far too many uh uh names, there are far too many whose names we'll never know.

What mark could it they have left?

Uh thank you, Mr.

I'm gonna take a moment here to mention Mr.

Snyder.

Thank you so much for your comments.

Mr.

Snyder, the staff member of the market society.

Mr.

Snyder, thank you.

Please respect the time limit in the future.

We'll now hear from Sarah Coletti.

And the following Ms.

Kolletti, we will hear from Tori Moore.

My name is Sarah Colletti.

My address is listed correctly on the sheet.

I'm a resident of Hartzhill, Alabama.

Thank you.

And uh I mentioned last week about how if we have a welcome to Huntsville sign, we should put it on wheels.

There's one on uh 72 we could use at the Huntsville Madison City line.

Not only could we use a sign there, but the sign the light pole that currently has the welcome to Madison sign on it is like broken in half.

Now I know that might be the City of Madison's responsibility, but I'm sure y'all probably talk to each other enough to maybe be all, hey.

Huntsville taxpayers drive down this road every day.

Can you please fix this light pole so none of us die?

Because you know, Madison residents don't deserve to die either.

Um I'm really sorry to uh everybody that lives in District 2 that uh wanted to be represented here tonight, that wanted their representative to hear what they had to say tonight.

That's really sad.

Um not everyone can be as lucky to be represented by Michelle Watkins.

Um I also want to say um I can I can say from the history of the city that city employees have a heart, and when one of their own is struggling, city employees tend to take up donations.

Now, I know Shane Davis didn't murder anybody in cold blood, but you know, he does a lot of really important for this work for this city, so it would be nice if y'all might take up a collection to get him a new backpack, you know.

You did it for Ben Darby.

Do it for Shane Davis.

And uh y'all said you had no agreements with ICE, but then you showed us that chart earlier that showed us you've had an agreement with ICE since 2016, at least.

I I remember before you showed us that little chart, you m mentioned that a lot of those have been in earlier than the dates listed on the chart.

So it could be since 2016, it could be since 2005.

Who knows?

Um anyway.

There's also the fact that everyone in the Huntsville Municipal jail will that is on an ice hold is taken by ICE, and without more oversight, what's to stop HPD from keeping people longer than the three days that are allowed by law?

Nothing, actually.

If you ever check the city's jail view website, it's public information.

You can see people that are in there on an ice hold.

You can see how long they've been in there, and most of them have been in there for longer than three days.

By law, they are not supposed to keep them for longer than three days, but they still do.

And no, there's not a little agreement on that little chart that y'all have, but that's because you're willing to work for ice for free.

Thank you, Ms.

Colletti.

Your time is up.

Madam President.

Yes, sir.

Uh question.

Isn't the operation of the jail performed by the Madison County Sheriff's Department, not by the same thing?

Indeed, it is.

Uh thank you for clarifying that.

Uh the last person to sign up is Tori Moore.

Hi, Tori Moore.

My address is correct on the Sign and Sheet.

Uh, your city of residence.

Uh, Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you.

Sorry.

Good evening.

Um, I'm the owner and founder of the Rocket City Rover.

Uh the rover is the 13-person pedal trolley that provides progressive dinners, brunches, haunted and hilarious ghost walk rides, bad Santa and naughty history tours, and pub crawls in downtown Huntsville.

Um made the rover a reality as a Huntsville entertainment option almost exactly five years ago today.

Thank you for that.

I'm honored to have been trusted with that responsibility, and I'm proud to say that we have a perfect operational and safety record with the city for three and a half of those five years.

We would have continued our streak into year six if the rover had not been inoperable for last year and a half.

But it was is with great excitement that I announced here first that the rover will be back in town tomorrow around noon.

And it will be in finer shape than it's ever been, having been over completely overhauled from top to bottom, front to back.

As part of our relaunch in downtown, I'd like to humbly request the city council, Mr.

Mayor, Mr.

Riley, and other city officials consider working with me to update the pedal trolley ordinance.

I'd like to expand our customer base and bring even more ride opportunities and visitors to downtown Huntsville by bringing our pedal trolley entertainment options in alignment with our sister cities and almost all of the pedal trolleys in here in the U.S.

I'd like to allow customers to bring on board their own adult beverages in factory-sealed single served containers, uh excluding glass ones.

I've compiled verbiage from similar ordinances in Birmingham and Nashville, and I look forward to sharing those with you and discussing my reasons for requesting this entertainment option with you soon.

Thank you, Ms.

Moore.

Um Mayor Battle, is that something we could have uh one of your departments.

Mr.

Riley.

Mr.

Riley was following up on that.

Thank you.

Uh I've written it before.

It is uh quite an experience.

You have five, six, seven, eight people pedaling all together, and they're literally they're sitting at a table on wheels while they do it.

It's uh team building experience.

It is a unique uh entertainment venue opportunity for downtown.

So hopefully we can work it out.

Thank you.

Um there's one thing nobody has mentioned.

We probably need to mention December 2nd is the Christmas parade, 6 o'clock downtown.

Don't miss it.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Mr.

Clay?

Mr.

Clang.

Thank you.

We are adjourned until December 4th.

Don't miss the Christmas parade.