Huntsville City Council Meeting Summary: December 4, 2025

Good evening, everyone.

We welcome you here to this meeting of the Huntsville City Council on Thursday, December fourth, twenty twenty-five.

It is five thirty PM in this session of the Huntsville City Council.

He has called order.

We welcome everyone who is joining us in the chambers, as well as those who are listening or watching over our many streaming platforms.

Wisdom that is steady, discerning, and anchored in what is good and right.

Help each person at this table to listen well, to speak with clarity, and to work together for the well-being of every neighborhood and every family in Huntsville.

We pray for your protection over our city, over our first responders, our schools, our homes, and all who call Huntsville their own.

May this be a place marked by safety, compassion, and opportunity.

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of serving.

Guide this meeting, bless this council, and let all that is done here tonight reflect integrity and care for the people of this community.

In your holy name we pray, Jesus.

Amen.

To the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands.

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

Thank you so much.

Chaplin Smith.

Thank you, Councilmember Little.

Council members, you have the agenda before you.

There are two items that will uh of mention.

The first is that item 10B has been removed.

The issue has been resolved and no longer needs to be a hearing no longer no longer needs to be set.

And then 21A is an item offered for introduction.

The administration has asked for consideration of the item at this meeting, and so when we reach 21A, we will uh need to um requ it will require the unanimous consent of the council for consideration.

So we'll take care of that at that point.

Are there any uh other items to be added or changed on the agenda?

Seeing none, the agenda will be approved as presented.

Uh Council members, you also have the minutes of the regular meeting of the City Council held on November 20th, 2025.

Are there any additions or changes to those minutes?

Seeing none, the minutes will also be approved.

This brings us to uh item number five.

Uh mayor special recognitions 5A is a proclamation recognizing January 2026 as mentoring month.

Mayor Battle.

Thank you, Madam President and Council.

Uh if I could ask Megan Parks to come up.

Uh this is a proclamation from the City of Huntsville in honoring mentoring month, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Tennessee Valley.

And uh it says whereas everyone remembers someone special, someone to mentor them, whereas one way to return the favors to mentor a child, whereas every adult has something to offer in an hour week can make a big difference in a child's life.

Uh whereas research has shown that children engage in one-on-one professional supported mentoring programs like Big Brothers and Big Sisters do better.

And whereas in Huntsville, Alabama, there are many young people who won't and would benefit from having a mentor.

Uh there is January has been designated as National Mentoring Month.

Now, therefore, I, Tommy Battle, mayor of the City of Houseville, hereby proclaim January 2020 as mentoring month, and I encourage citizens, businesses, public and private agencies, religious and educational institutions to support mentoring and give young people in the community the gift of time, friendship through programs such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Tennessee Valley.

Megan, thank you for the work that y'all do, and I'd love for you to tell everybody a little bit about Big Brother's Big Sister.

Sure.

Thank you so much, Mayor Battle, and thank you, City Council, for having us and for declaring January as National Mentoring Month.

Thank you also for your longtime support of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Tennessee Valley.

I think many of you here have somewhat of an idea of what we do.

We create mentoring relationships that defend the potential of our next generation.

We've been doing that here in Huntsville, serving the Tennessee Valley since 1983.

That has been almost four plus decades now of creating mentoring relationships across our community.

And I think some of you also know that we almost closed in 2024.

We had a pretty rough period of time.

It was a dark hour.

And many of you here today stood by our organization, supported the work that we did.

And thanks to your support, we are back online.

We are moving forward.

We are financially stable.

We have program staff, and we are again making matches in our community that have a profound impact on young lives.

So thank you, Mayor Battle.

Thank you, City Council.

I hope you all celebrate January as National Mentoring Month.

And if you really feel like celebrating in January, we're having a great event called Honoring Our Mentors.

This is a I think our 14th annual event.

It will be over at Early Works.

We'll have David Battle as our keynote speaker.

Tony Tyrrell and Kenny Anderson are going to be our MCs, and we'll have a world-class performance by Richmond Punch, who is a former little brother and violin virtuoso.

So please uh take a look at honoring our mentors, celebrate the mentors in your life in January, and thank you all.

Thank you.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Battle, and thank you, Ms.

Parks.

Thank you for the work that Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Tennessee Valley does here.

We will now move on to Council special recognition.

We have one special recognition.

6A is a resolution acknowledging the 205th anniversary of St.

Bartley Primitive Baptist Church celebrating its remarkable legacy of faith, resilience, and service to the Huntsville community.

Ms.

Watkins, would you like to make the motion to approve?

Second.

Second by Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any posed.

Motion carries.

Ms.

Watkins, please make your presentation.

Good evening, everyone.

If I can get Pastor Mooney and the members of St.

Barley Primitive Baptist Church to come up, please.

They brought a crowd tonight.

I did.

But it's not as many that's in there on Sunday.

Just about can't get a seat on Sunday.

So first I want to say to Pastor Mooney and the members, congratulations on 205 years.

That is remarkable to have that many years in service.

And uh just to give you a little bit of background on St.

Barley, where St.

Barley Primitive Baptist Church, lovingly known as the Mother Church of Black Primitive Baptists, was divinely organized in 1820 by Elder William Harris, while African Americans were still enslaved, making it the oldest black church in the state of Alabama.

And whereas the church was founded on sacred ground, once known as the old Georgia graveyard, where Elder Harris faithfully preached amongst the resting place of enslaved souls, offering hope, dignity, and steadfast faith that would carry generations forward.

And whereas, despite the devastation of the Civil War and the destruction of the original sanctuary by Union soldiers, God's grace prevailed as President Ulysses S.

Grant later appropriated funds for the rebuilding in 1872, whereupon it was rededicated and renamed St.

Barley Primitive Baptist Church in honor of the saintly leadership of Elder Bartley Harris.

And whereas throughout its remarkable 205-year journey, St.

Barley has been shepherd by only nine pastors, each contributing uniquely to his spiritual and communal growth.

From his founding leaders, Elder William Harris and Elder Bartley Harris, to the current visionary pastor, Elder James Mooney, who continues to expand the church's mission through community transformation, education, and outreach.

Whereas under the leadership of Elder Felix Jordan, St.

Barley once again made history by hosting the 1907 national meeting that established a National Primitive Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., thereby securing its enduring legacy as the Mother Church of the National Body.

And whereas for more than two centuries, St.

Bartley Primitive Baptist Church has stood as a beacon of faith, perseverance, and service, uplifting countless lives through worship, teaching, and ministries that exemplify the love and compassion of Christ.

And whereas the City of Huntsville recognizes the church's extraordinary contribution to the city's spiritual, cultural, and historic fabric.

And commends its steadfast commitment to meeting needs and making disciples for more than two centuries.

I'm on the last paragraph.

I'm sorry.

Now therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Huntsville, Alabama, that we joyfully honor and celebrate St.

Barley Primitive Baptist Church on the occasion of its 205th church anniversary.

Recognizing this profound legacy of faith is historical significance to Huntsville and the state of Alabama and its continued devotion to God and community.

This incredible milestone stands as a testament to the church's enduring faith, its service to humanity, and a shining example of perseverance, affirming that the Lord has done great things for us, and we all are glad.

Psalms 126-3.

Ladies and gentlemen, you can clap now.

I didn't think I was going to say this, but it's the honor to do this because I grew up in the community where St.

Barley is located and walked over to St.

Barley several times.

So to be here today and present them this resolution is really overwhelming.

I'm really glad about it.

I didn't give testimony a chance to say anything.

I'm so sorry.

I saw it.

Well, certainly to you, Councilmember Watkins as well, uh, Councilmember Robinson, the entire council, and certainly Mayor Battle.

We are honored and thank you so much for your recognition of our congregation that has had the privilege and pro and pleasure of being here in the Huntsville community for 205 years.

Thank you for your support of St.

Bartley Church, and we will uh work to continue to work together to improve the work that is happening here in Huntsville.

Thank you.

205 years is an amazing legacy.

You can be really proud of that.

We will move on now to announcements and presentation.

The only announcement is we would remind everyone that the Deck the Districts campaign is still going on.

If you have a residence that you are really proud of and have lit up, if you know someone in your neighborhood that has a really great house that with a great light display, um, you can uh enter them in uh on the city website.

There's an application right there, so please send in your entries.

Uh, the deadline is December 12th.

Judging will take place uh right shortly after that, and we will announce the winner in each district on December 18th at our council meeting.

So please uh go to the website and check out Deck the Districts to submit your entries.

Our presentation tonight is uh 7A, a presentation and update from the Huntsville Madison County Visitors and Convention Bureau on the progress of the Gravitate Here Marketing Campaign.

We'll introduce Jennifer Moore.

Good evening, Mayor Battle, Madam President, and members of the City Council.

On behalf of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, I want to thank you for your time this evening as well as your ongoing support of our organization.

At this time, I would like to introduce Darrell Whitworth, Vice President of Destination Strategy with Madden Media, our new agency of record.

He'll provide a brief overview of our marketing promotional campaign efforts so far this year.

So, Daryl.

Thank you, Jennifer.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

Thank you again for this opportunity to be here before you.

It was first here in the spring when we unveiled the new Gravitate Here campaign.

I want to give you a quick and brief update on what's transpired in that time, what we're looking ahead, and some of the things that will directly impact the tourism and economic viability of your industry here in Huntsville.

So a couple of things, as you saw when we were here first this spring, we unveiled the new Gravitate here.

Our creative has utilized bold imagery, talking about Huntsville being the city that pulls you in.

And we're targeting, of course, different components of the travel and tourism industry, from our leisure market, the individual travelers who come here, meetings, which would be a meetings ad in the upper left hand.

You've got a youth travel one in the bottom left, and then of course some additional ones along the side showing how we're utilizing the new branding and the gravitate here.

There are some other components that are very important in what we're seeing in the travel industry and how they are directly impacting Huntsville and the economic viability of your businesses here.

We have seen international travel decrease significantly over the past eight to ten months.

Fortunately, the domestic travel, which Huntsville relies upon heavily, is still proceeding well.

We are seeing a huge shift in artificial intelligence and how it is impacting the way people travel and plan, and in the way those of us in the tourism industry are able to market our destinations and our partners.

That is something we will continue to see an ongoing increase in the volatility of over the next few years.

2025 candidly was not quite the year we are anticipating based on the economies, but we are looking forward to a mixed recovery in 2026, and we will still see the top third of your household incomes continuing to drive the leads in tourism and travel.

Your downtown hotel properties have been outperforming the others in their competitive set.

RevPAR, which is your revenue per available room, the room rates they are getting, and your occupancy.

That has been one of the bright spots in what we are seeing here in Huntsville.

We are very focused on what happened in the government shutdown of 44 days that recently transpired.

What you also need to be aware of is that in our national trends and what we were watching, government travel began decreasing in March and April of this year already, which has led to a prolonged impact on your travel industry.

Shutdown, of course, had a significant ripple impact across your community.

People weren't sure they were going to get their paychecks.

They weren't buying washers and dryers.

They weren't eating out as often.

We are still awaiting, it will be probably middle of this month before we see the actual numbers as to how truly impactful the hotel industry was hit and the travel industry by the shutdown of the 44 days.

Looking ahead, when we saw the change in trends and travel, we began in the early fall changing how we were targeting and who we were moving to.

We have been targeting folks for the reasons they travel, more the who and the why, not the where.

However, we did condense the where a little bit because people were traveling more in a drive section.

We have been focusing a lot on where we see travelers over index.

And when I say overindex, I mean looking at, say, a destination like Knoxville or a point of origin like Knoxville, where your travelers may only account for about 5 percent of your visitation, but they may generate 7 to 8 percent of your travel receipts.

So we want to make sure we are hitting the folks who are spending the money here.

We are going to continue to target those people who are very interested in what Huntsville has to offer.

Again, the who and the why.

We want to make sure we are bringing people here that will directly impact your business.

And in a final thing for next year, we are this current fiscal.

We are moving towards attribution marketing and tracking.

It will allow us next year and the next opportunity we have to come before you to actually tell you we spent this many dollars on marketing Huntsville.

Your hotels saw this direct impact to their economy.

We have already implemented a connected TV campaign that began on October 1 as of Tuesday morning of this week, and this campaign only targets people in excess of 50 miles from Huntsville.

Tuesday morning we have already seen over 3,700 people arrive in Huntsville that saw that campaign.

We were able to track their devices and know that they have come in.

We wanted to take this opportunity to give you all a brief update because we have seen a lot of volatility in the travel industry this year.

It has especially impacted your community.

We wanted you to understand that we are aware of that, and we are working to make sure that we are providing your tourism businesses an opportunity to grow, especially with all of the new hotel inventory that has come in line.

We want to make sure that we are addressing that ahead of schedule.

So thank you very much.

Happy to field any questions should you have them now.

I've got to be a member's questions.

Mr.

Merrick.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um has there been a targeted effort toward the birding community?

They're not going to be able to do the birding community.

Not at this point, uh, Councilman Meredith.

We are going to be targeting folks, the families heavily.

Uh, we are looking at people interested in science and culture and different components in that.

We have not specifically targeted birding here in Huntsville, sir.

It is something that is truly a travel driver in other destinations.

But at that point, we have at this point, we have not moved towards moving Huntsville in that market.

Understand you have only so much uh bandwidth, but that is a community that is very deep pocketed and with wheeler wildlife and other uh options in this area, it just seems like we are leaving money on the table if we don't do something to try to track them.

We are very familiar with doing uh marketing for birding and other destinations.

We market the largest whooping crane fest in the nation.

So we will uh while you do not have whooping cranes, we will definitely look at birding, sir, and uh incorporate that in anything going forward.

Thank you.

And um you may not have the answer to this, but do we have pretty much what the downtown hotel inventory is, how many rooms we have?

Have we reached a thousand?

Don't have the number on top of my head, Charles.

Would you have to do that?

Okay, so we are over a thousand.

Uh we have reached uh we have surpassed the thousand or uh about eleven hundred by now.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Really appreciate it.

And I will add Council Everyone.

We do have a birding brochure.

We work with uh Herb Lewis, the Huntsville Botanical Garden.

Sorry, I will add that we have a birding brochure that we developed with uh Herb Lewis of the Huntsville Botanical Garden years ago.

So it highlights all the different birding sites that are in our area, and it is available in our visitor information center downtown.

I'll be happy to bring you a copy of that.

So, yes, there is a lot of interest in birding, and um we we have a trail actually that we work with uh across the State too in promoting outdoor recreation.

So, that helps so much.

It really does.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

For those who aren't aware, Huntsville is a hot spot for bird migration according to Cornell University.

The Chapman Mountain preserve area has a bird blind that is really well worth visiting.

And every time I go there, I'll meet someone from Atlanta, from Mississippi, from Mobile, and I think sometime in Tennessee.

And they tell me they stay multiple nights, so it might be something worth looking at.

Any other comment questions?

Michelle.

I don't have a question, but I do have a comment.

I want to thank you when I came about three weeks ago for a visit, and you all were so courteous, and I did not realize you did all the work you did.

So I'm glad that I came.

I know you do a lot of work, and it's a lot that goes into the visitor center.

But I want to thank you for the tour, and I also want to thank you for your hard work.

I do have one question.

I am not sure who would like to answer it, but can I know per diem has always been an issue with our government travelers who come here?

Has that been addressed?

Yes, we were fortunate that this year they froze rates at the same rate that they did last year.

So our current did go up this year.

I mean, last year it froze this year.

It is at the same rate, and then they will re-evaluate it again next year.

So thank you.

Keep an eye on per diem for the process.

Thank you, Ms.

Moore.

Questions or comments?

Thank you very much.

Um thank you, Mr.

Whitworth, for the work that you are doing with us.

We have no matters with outside legal representation, so we will move on to public hearings to be held.

9A is a public hearing on the zoning of 9.93 acres of land lying on the east of Highway 431 South and south of Wade Road to Highway Business C4 District and the consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Mr.

Thomas.

Good evening, Council Members.

Mayor Battle, Thomas Nunez, Manager of Planning and Zoning Services.

This item is located east of Highway 431 South and south of Wade Road.

This property was recently annexed into City of Huntsville.

The petitioner is seeking to zone the property Highway Business C4 district, and they are offering plat restrictions to restrict the use of multifamily development on the parcel.

The public hearing on this item is now open.

Is there anyone here who wishes to comment regarding this item?

I'm back.

Welcome back.

We've missed you.

I'm Joy Johnson.

I live on West Arbor Drive in Huntsville.

I would uh say maybe we need a plat restriction that will help us not cut down all the trees there.

And in fact, actually insist that you get some density of housing so that maybe we can quit gobbling up the entire state to put people on.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Johnson.

Is there anyone else who wishes to comment?

The public hearing is now closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion from Mr.

Kling, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Any discussion, Council members?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any any opposed?

The motion carries the ordinance is approved.

9B is a public hearing on the rezoning of 53.70 acres of land lying on the west of North Memorial Parkway and north and south of Bob Wade Lane from residence one district to Highway Business C4 District and consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Good evening, Council members.

Thomas Nunia has manager of planning zoning services.

This item is uh located west of and north uh west of North Memorial Parkway and north and south of Bobway Lane.

Current property zone residence one district and is seeking to be rezoned to Highway Business C4 for a proposed project entitled North Huntsville Vill North Huntsville Village.

The public hearing on this item is now open.

Is there anyone who wishes to comment?

Joy Johnson, 709 West Arbor, Huntsville, Alabama.

Welcome.

First of all, I can't see what's there because it's covered in orange.

Second of all, it looks like maybe there's farm land there.

Once again, we're losing all of our farmland.

Where are we going to get our food?

Where are we going to get our cotton for our clothes?

Egypt.

Oh, yeah, that's right.

So close by and reliable.

And that looks like there's a lovely waterway or something going through there.

What sort of plans are there to preserve that pristine?

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Johnson.

Is there anyone else who wishes to comment?

Hearing none, the public hearing is now closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Little.

Council members, any questions or discussion?

Mr.

Oh, yes, Ms.

Watkins.

Excuse me.

Good evening, Mr.

Nunez.

How are you doing?

Great.

This plot is that behind the area that we approved two weeks ago.

This is actually that area in question.

It's included in this.

So as a part of the development, the first phase would the portion along the parkway just to the east of the blue-colored polygon was a portion of what you approve, but you would approve the entirety of that development proposal on the north and south side of the street.

As it is currently zoned, the zoning was for residents, one district, and no plans have been approved for that particular development.

This will set that completely in motion.

The zoning would be appropriate for the plans to continue to move forward for the two proposed developments that are coming forth.

Okay.

Thank you.

Mr.

Kling.

What is this property being used for right now?

Is uh right now the property is not being used at all.

Uh the family members, the property owners have um not been farming the property for uh several years now, and they have been um in conjunction with um urban development on a proposal for uh what is now your the Home Depot and the uh target site that was approved the previous council meeting.

And I am assuming that when those build businesses come in, they have to have some minimum landscape.

That is uh absolutely correct.

They will have to have the necessary requirements for parking, landscaping, um, pay vehicular areas.

Um there would be some road improvements additionally, uh they will have to maintain our stormwater management requirements uh to ensure that we are those are areas are protected as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

All right.

Any opposed?

The motion carries the ordinance is approved.

Thank you, Council members.

Thank you, Mr.

Nunez.

We will move on to public hearings to be set.

10 A is a resolution to declare a public nuisance located at 727 Versailles Drive Southeast, Huntsville, Alabama, and to set the date for when objections will be heard.

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

So moved.

Motion from Mr.

Kling, second by Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

10 B has been removed because the issue was resolved.

10 C is a resolution to set a public hearing on the zoning of 4.91 acres of land lying on the east side of Hillcrest Avenue Northwest and north of U.S.

Highway 72 West to Highway Business C4 District and the introduction of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Is there a motion to set the hearing for January 29th?

So moved.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

10 D is a resolution to set a public hearing on the zoning of 4.65 acres of land lying on the south side of Highway 72 east, east of Shields Road to Highway Business C4 District, and the introduction of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Is there a motion to set the hearing for January 29?

So moved.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

Motion carries 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 welcome hearing your ideas, concerns, and questions about city business.

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

Each speaker may address the council for three minutes.

Please remember this is not a time to engage in dialogue with council members or the administration.

Council members may direct the administration to research issues and concerns at future meetings.

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

The first person to sign up is Jeff Angle.

It's Mr.

Engel here.

I don't see him.

The next person is Joy Johnson.

Ms.

Johnson.

I hope it has been boring without me.

We have missed West Arbor Drive, Huntsville, Alabama.

First thing I want to ask about, since I see a couple of items here, 20 I and J about building affordable housing.

What's up with the ADU situation?

Maybe that just got resolved and approved and all that kind of stuff while I was gone, but maybe.

Maybe not.

Then I also marked this item.

You, I believe it is, yep, uh, about paying for background screening for employment.

Um I'm kind of curious how much are we paying for that?

And what's different from just when people get their fingerprint taken and go to the to the sheriff's office and turn it in and you get like when you're going to work for the education people.

Whoa.

What are you prying into?

I guess is what I'm trying to say.

And walking.

Um item uh 21 B C and D.

Is there going to come a time when we will be satisfied that Huntsville is sprawled enough and we will quit annexing everything and quit having to drive our cars for an hour or two hours to get to work.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Johnson.

The next person to sign up is the next person to sign up is Megan Parks.

Ms.

Parks, did you want to make more comments or have we already heard your comments?

I apologize.

A common mistake.

Thank you.

We're glad you were here.

Is uh Ms.

Did Mr.

Engel join us, Jeff Engel?

All right, we will move on, then that concludes our agenda-related public comments, and we will move on to the mayor's comments.

Mayor Battle.

Thank you, Council, Madam President.

Um if you missed it, Tuesday night was a great night in the City of Huntsville with the Christmas parade uh went on uh Tuesday night.

We had the coolest ride in town because we had an open-air fire truck and it was 32 degrees, and um and we had every piece of clothing I could find on on myself.

I invited a lot of people from the city to ride with me in the truck, and um I had excuses from are you crazy to um I've got to wash my hair.

Uh so we couldn't get anybody else to go, but uh but it was a great it really was.

If you ever have a question about the hardiness of our crowd of our city, we had very hearty people out there.

We had 10 to 15,000 people out there watching the Christmas parade, and um and it was about a two-hour parade, and we had people from all over uh Madison County uh in the parade.

So it was very exciting uh to see everybody getting out.

And this is kind of to me, it's always a kickoff of the of the uh Christmas season, and it would it was really nice.

Um we had a legislative update um yesterday morning uh where the legislature was talking about the uh what was gonna happen in the uh legislative session that was coming up.

Uh it's a very early legislative session, so we'll be working on that.

And you know, our main focus is going to be on roads.

Uh we are just finishing up Restore Our Roads 1.

Uh, and right behind it we have Restore Our Roads 2, which has a number of projects.

We know it's going to take 10 to 10 to 12 years to get those projects built.

But um but there are essential products to projects to our growth.

We as our population grows, we've got to grow our infrastructure, and that's what we will be working.

That's what we have put across to the legislature and to the governor's staff and uh to um uh also to some of the Alabama Department of Transportation officials.

Uh we've gotten some good response from them and are able to work at least on one of our road projects of our six.

So um I think we're we're making progress there.

And then also we um we just recently had Rosa Parks Day.

Uh and that was December 1st and two days ago.

Uh and Keisha Bryant and her whole transportation uh staff with the uh City of Huntsville offered free rides in honor of that day, and um they did a great job.

Uh we had a had a small program and were able to uh talk about uh uh how one person uh saying no change changed the world, and it was a great day for us.

So Madam President, that's all I have.

Thank you, Mayor Battle.

We'll go on then with Council Member Commons.

We'll begin with Councilmember John Meredith.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um at the last meeting I requested some schematics uh related to resolute way, and uh was certainly led to believe that they did not exist.

And I asked for that information so I could be an educated voter to cast a vote on that issue.

And I wound up abstaining, I believe, because I felt uncomfortable without that information.

And it was uh very disheartening that 20 minutes after I asked for it, specifically to guide me toward a vote, it was sent to the media who, by the way, did not ask for it while I asked for it.

And I found that very, very disheartening.

Now I'm not going to say it was malicious, but it certainly wasn't transparent.

Obviously, what I asked for existed because it wound up 20 minutes after I asked for it being disseminated to the media.

I would think that if a council person who is requesting it for information on a vote should be entitled to it when you know it exists because you are going to send it out to the media after the vote.

You can't keep doing that.

Transparency is everything toward good government, and we're not good government if we're not being transparent.

Again, not saying it's malicious, stuff happens, we're all human.

God knows I have made mistakes as well.

Now, let's turn to something far more positive.

I had the pleasure of hanging out with the Columbia High School wrestling team yesterday for a while.

And I always love going personally to deliver their council improvement funds.

That was the first entity I gave any money to, and to see the progress that they have made, they have grown from a 10-person team to, I believe, 29 people, young ladies as well as men.

There are two wrestlers there that are number one.

One is number one in the State, and then one of the young ladies is uh number one, I think, in this region.

Um it's just been uh heartwarming to see the actual benefit of providing some council improvement funding to this particular high school entity.

I also want to thank the City of Madison for inviting me to their council work session on the SSUT yesterday.

Um heard from Tuscaloosa, Mayor Maddox, and he just really laid out the reason for SSUT, the exceptions to it, the impact of where the money goes that is collected, the sales tax collected through SSUT compared to what happens uh when it is picked up at brick and mortar.

And it really has a negative impact, obviously, on the city's coffers, but also a tremendous amount on the schools.

Um another great presentation was given by State uh Representative James Lomax, who talked about those those new exceptions that have been carved out at the State level to allow things like DoorDash and Kroger delivery to not be taxed at the higher brick and mortar rate as opposed to it being taxed under the SSUT, and of course the distribution to cities differs depending on whether it's brick and mortar or SSUT.

So really want to uh thank them for that invitation.

I found um the discussion very interesting, uh particularly given what has happened, I believe, this week in the City of Huntsville in terms of what our school board has done regarding SSUT moving forward as well.

Um I want to acknowledge that I'm gonna be reaching out to City of Madison City Council for what I think might be a serious use and a use of AI that the citizens of Huntsville will not recoil against, but actually embrace, and that is getting advanced warning at our railroad crossings.

Certainly within my district, there are many railroad crossings that are blocked for a long periods of time.

And the queue really gets long because you are in places where you can turn around and there's no notice.

If you could have known not to make that turn onto that street, you'd have been much better off.

So if we could have AI shooting out text messages and the like to folks that are saying, hey, this particular road is blocked by a train.

Um it's gonna save folks a lot of headache.

And I know out west we get hit by a lot of a lot of train traffic that uh causes some significant issues in terms of our getting places in a timely manner.

So that I will give my time back to you, Madam President.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Meredith.

Um we will now hear from Councilmember Watkins.

Good evening, everyone.

I have a couple of people I want to thank for the jazz giving that we hosted on the 21st of November.

If you did not come, let me just tell you you missed a treat because Alex Banks and Tommy Friend really gave a show.

And the people that attended were so happy.

They said this was one of the best shows they came to.

But I want to thank Sarah, Sam, and Lily, our admins and council office.

They worked really hard to put this together.

Arts Huntsville for partnering with us to get Alex and Tommy to the event.

Huntsville Housing Authority.

I want to thank the communications department here at the City of Huntsville.

A special thanks to Damien for live streaming.

And I want to thank Alex and Tommy for giving back their time to the community.

Both of them have hectic schedules.

Alex last week I looked on Facebook last Friday, as a matter of fact, the day after Thanksgiving, he was on tour with Gucci Man.

So for him to come and give us concert and for Tommy, who's always somewhere giving a concert, someone has always has them booked and scheduled, that was big for North Huntsville.

And I want to thank both of them so much.

It shows their commitment to our community.

And our kids deserve these schools where they can go and be proud and they can learn in an innovative environment.

So I'm really excited about that.

Speaking of the Christmas parade, the only reason not to go, the mayor asked me because I just happened to be in the building.

And I didn't have my Christmas shirt.

I would have went.

Clause for celebration is this Sunday at the Johnson Legacy Center.

We will have Santa Claus.

Parents bring your kids out, bring your cell phone, you take the picture, there's no charge.

We have free hot chocolate and cookies.

The Jefferson Jazz Band and Choir will be there singing Christmas carols.

It's just a way for us to get the community together and kick off the holiday season.

Oh, and I I forgot one other thing.

John came out to the Jazz Giving.

Thank you.

And and Ms.

Robinson, you came to something I had.

But no, you came to some event I had.

And I want to thank you for coming out supporting this well.

So thank you.

I appreciate when council members come out and support your event.

So I yield back to you.

Thank you, Ms.

Watkins.

We'll hear from Councilmember Bill Claim.

Well, Madam President, I'm afraid I didn't have as much common sense instead of riding in the Christmas parade.

I was walking.

I walked alongside my friend Keith Buckman, who had a early 1960s immaculately maintained Cadillac.

And I walked every inch of that cold parade.

I have found firsthand four t-shirts and a sweatshirt do not keep you warm, no matter how cold it is outside.

You're still going you're going to freeze.

So I tried that, but uh it was a great parade, as Mayor said.

And I can attest there were well over 10,000 people that were out there.

There were great crowds.

People were huddled, they were waving, and everybody had great spirit in this community.

And that was a great way really to kick off Christmas season.

And uh right now, even as we speak, those in the audience and those out uh watching this on television are can be aware that Tinsel Trail will be going on throughout Big Spring Park until New Year's Eve day.

So there's plenty of time to go out and see all those great Christmas trees out there, and there's a lot of innovation that takes place.

There's a telescope that the Vaudrod Astronomical Association has put at the very top of their tree that they've decorated uh with stars and planets on it.

And that type of creativity is all over the place.

So definitely go out to Big Spring Park.

400 trees, it's all free to the public, and it is a great event that downtown Huntsville Inc.

puts on, and it gets bigger and more innovative every year.

As we know, it's been pretty cold, and people have contacted me concerning anticipated road resurfacings that are scheduled to take place.

Uh California Street is already partially underway.

Eustace and Ponciana have been prepped.

Uh people want to know when's the asphalt coming?

When are they going to do the resurfacing?

Well, because of the cold weather we have right now, uh I've been informed by Public Works that uh they have to wait.

The weather has to be at a certain degree level.

Uh they cannot really lay asphalt too well when it's freezing.

That doesn't bode well for the asphalt.

So they have to wait until it warms up enough.

And of course, when it's raining, that can be counterproductive to laying down asphalt.

So the contractor, public works, they all have these streets in their crosshairs.

They're going to get to them as soon as they can.

But know that because the streets have already been scraped and scuffed up, that that means that they are prepped, and as soon as they can, they will be laying the asphalt down on those streets, but uh they're going to do it and they're going to do it right.

But the money has already been appropriated, so it is not if, it's when uh those streets will take place.

And specifically, I have been hearing from people about California, Eustace, and Ponciana, and I imagine council members throughout the city have heard about other uh other streets that people have been inquiring about.

This uh Saturday morning, I'm going to be going out with our good friend Eric Wade.

We're going down to clean up uh the Benford Court, uh LR Patton Gardens uh area along Seminole Drive, and we're going to be uh uh doing a neighborhood cleanup over there, and I'm looking forward to going out there to help uh work with Eric and others to uh to clean up uh that area.

And uh finally, Madam President, I am going to be excused myself for a little bit early from tonight.

Uh the Old Town Neighborhood Association is having their annual meeting this evening, and I am going to try to make part of that meeting.

Uh they began uh at 6, so again, I'll be leaving early, and uh uh I know you guys will carry on well without me.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Mr.

Kling.

Uh next we'll hear from Councilmember David Little.

Thank you, Madam Uh President.

I too have heard about California, and I didn't know about the whole temperature thing, but I had a feeling it was weather related, and I just actually relayed that to a neighbor.

Um hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving.

And I would like to uh give a few shout-outs to some departments.

One that I was uh forgot to mention at the last meeting.

Keisha Bryant with our transit uh team helped arrange for one of our trolley buses to hog all-star families in the uh Veterans Parade, and they were very appreciative of that.

And then also Huntsville Utilities, uh traffic department and engineering have been uh really good last few weeks helping with uh helping address some citizens' concerns, which I'm always appreciative of.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Little.

Um I noted that Santa came early this week, uh bringing us at least two presents.

The first was the opening of the park at Hayes Farm this morning.

Many thanks to the Hayes family for their donation of nine and a half acres of land to build that park, which we hope will become a centerpiece for South Huntsville and a park that the entire city can be very proud of.

Uh there is a huge windmill that came from their original farm that is has become an iconic piece of the park.

Uh many thanks for everyone who was part of that process, the again the Hayes.

Chad Bostick, who was the landscape architect, did a really remarkable job on the layout, and there are some unique features there, including a photo frame for a selfies because it's going to be that kind of place where we hope that graduation pictures and prom pictures and birthday pictures are taken.

And John Hamilton for being very patient with the process that we went through.

Ricky Wilkinson, General Services, and Natasha who sent us weekly photos and email updates.

It was a tremendous community team effort, and we thank everybody.

It links to existing land trust parcels and protects vital resource uh water resources and wildlife habitats.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed the money to make that purchase possible.

I also had the opportunity last Friday to attend the tree lighting and visit the trees at the tinsel trail.

I was incredibly impressed by the trees that I saw.

Some were 3D printed, some were made out of uh carpenters had had created them out of wood.

Uh there was such incredible thought that went into the themes and the creative ornaments.

Uh so we can and it looks to me like some of these organizations had worked all year long to plan for their to have really outstanding trees.

Mr.

Meredith has made a request that we participate in the tinsel trail, and we are gonna honor that.

We will put in our application in August, like everybody else does, and we will spend all year coming up with some ideas for a really terrific tree.

So we will move on now to item 14, the Finance Committee report.

14A is a resolution authorizing expenditures for payment.

I move that the city appropriate 24,256,990 and 14 cents.

Second.

The motion to authorize expenditures has been made and seconded.

Are there any comments?

All in favor indicate?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Is there a report from the finance committee?

Penny?

No, that's that's for next time.

All right.

Very good.

Thank you.

14B is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods, or services for District 1.

Council improvement funds.

Chair will make the motion.

Second.

Second for Mr.

Little.

Ms.

Watkins, would you like to comment?

Yes, I would.

Thank you so much.

I'm appropriating funds within my district because that is where it is needed most.

I'm appropriating 2,500 to the Lee girls' basketball team, 2,500 to the Lee's boys basketball team, and 1,000 to Maj Emerson High School softball team.

I'm also appropriating 5,000 to the Harris Home for Children to provide for essential items that they need in residential housing.

I have to I have a lot of organizations contact me and ask for funds.

And I have to explain.

So they have a lot of needs.

And I don't know if you are aware, but a typical basketball season will cost you about $6,000 to $7,000 for travel.

And that's just travel.

That's not feeding them on the road.

That's not uniforms, that's not coaches being paid, none of that.

So I'm trying to offset some of those costs for them, as well as Harris Home for Children.

I had someone reach out to me.

I won't say their name because I don't know if they want me to tell.

But they reached out to me the first of November and said, can you help the Harris home?

And I was like, well, what's going on?

And after they told me what was going on, I was just, I was floored.

I just did not realize that our children living in this facility did not have basic things they need.

And I'm going to challenge the board of the Harris Home to find ways to help the students that live in that facility.

No child should be living in a facility that's subpar.

No child should be going without basic necessities.

And if you are a board member and you are serving on board, that's part of your duty as a board member is to make sure that you are raising funds or either you are out in the community trying to secure funding.

But for the kids to just go without and a community member have to contact me, it was really heartbreaking.

So I've reached out to a lot of people and asked them to go and help the Harris home.

These are students who live in this facility every day.

And they need these things.

And so that is why I'm donating those funds.

And just want everybody to know if I turn you down, it's only because I have bigger needs in the district right now that I have to address.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Watkins.

Any questions or comments?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

The motion carries.

We have one board appointment to be voted on.

15A is a resolution to reappoint Marshall Schreeder Jr.

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

Is there a motion to approve?

Approved to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Little.

Second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

We have two board appointment nominations.

These will not be voted on at this meeting.

They are simply for nomination and will be considered at the December 18 meeting.

16A is a nomination to reappoint Freeman Holofield to the Solid Waste Disposal Authority of the City of Huntsville, Fifth Director, his current seat for a four-year term to expire January 1, 2030.

It's amazing to me we are talking about 2030.

16B is a nomination to appoint Sean Majors to the Burrett Memorial Committee place three due to the resignation of Ahmad Brown for the remainder of a vacant three-year term to expire October 1, 2028.

Are there any other nominations?

We have no Huntsville utility items.

We have no legal department.

And for transaction, and that is 18A.

18A is an ordinance authorizing the vacation of utility and drainage easements.

Running through Lot 1, 1811 University Drive.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from Mr.

Kling.

Questions?

All in favor, please indicate and oppose.

Motion carries.

We have one.

19A is an ordinance declaring certain equipment surplus and to be recycled for monetary value.

Is there a motion to approve?

Move to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Questions or comments?

Any oppos are uh all in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed, the motion carries.

Brings us to item 20, 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.

The reading of each item will be waived unless a council member requests otherwise.

Council members, which items do you have to hold, Mr.

Meredith?

Madam President, I would like to hold uh 20B, 20 F 20 L, 20Q.

All right.

Anybody have any other items to hold?

I like to add the question.

Actually, AE, sorry.

AE?

Yes, ma'am.

Uh Ms.

Watkins.

I like to hold G, which he's already said.

Okay.

A C and U.

Sorry, I went out of order.

That's okay.

We will get these on here.

Okay, we've got B.

F.

G.

L.

Uh B F G L Q.

Uh.

A C and A E.

Is that correct?

Not remember.

Let me get that again.

Items B, F, G, L.

Q.

U.

A.

C and AE.

All right.

And the Chair makes the motion to consolidate and approve items 20A, 20 C to E, 20 H to K, 20 M to P, 20R to T, 20 V to AB.

20 A D.

20 AF and AG.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

Impose.

Motion carries.

All right.

We will then go back to 20B.

20B is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an into agreements with the low bidders meeting specifications as outlined in the attached summary of bids for acceptance.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith.

Second from Mr.

Little.

Good evening, Council of Finance.

Penny Smith, Finance Director.

This is a standard that comes to you almost every council meeting with appropriate bids.

This specific one for the approval of these low bidders is for the standard for standard periodic bid.

There were four of them.

One was for light duty vehicle trucks that were for Chevrolet for Donahue Chevrolet, that's for fleet services.

One was light duty vehicle trucks, which are GM for Woody Anderson Ford.

And then the tree pluning, which was with landscape department, and that went to Aspin Tree Service.

And then one for traffic signals, LED, and signal hardware that was for the traffic engineering department, and that went to Utilicom Supply Associates.

Thank you, Ms.

Smith.

My only question is well, there are two.

One pertaining to the fleet vehicles, the Chevies and the Fords.

Under the Chevies, I believe the terminology bid assistance was used.

Could you define bid assistance?

So this, so each category, when you're looking at these at the listing, so we need certain we have them bid certain sizes of different of different things that we need.

So for instance, there's a one-ton truck, a mid-size king cabin, um, and you know, a full-size half-ton truck, et cetera, in in different in different bidding capital and different bidding underneath.

When you when they list it, it's going to be like here's the list price above the dealer invoice, we're going to charge you $650.

We compare that to other prices, but then they're going to should they discount rebate or concessions at the time exist that we go out and grab that truck or whatever we need, then the bid assistance, they will they will reduce that by $2,700.

So those are savings to the city.

Correct.

Okay.

And is it interchangeable because I noticed the Ford used the term government price concession?

Yes.

It's very similar.

They just use different, they have different titles for under their specific invoices for what they use.

That was all I had.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Smith.

20 F is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a professional services agreement between the City of Huntsville and Elizabeth Manning, doing business as Elm Design Works.

Motion from Mr.

Cling, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Does anyone have any specific questions about this?

Ms.

Watkins.

Good evening.

How are you doing?

I am well, how are we doing?

Okay.

So I'm reading this and it says provide professional graphic design support under the Oversight Direction and Editorial Control at a City Communications Office.

Is this also going to be available to Council members if we need a graphic design done?

Yes, it is.

We typically, Elizabeth Manning does really high-level design work, and she primarily handles branding and specific projects.

So the orbit transit system, so when they need additional signage, she has all of those design files.

She recently redid all of the HPD branding departments.

So we use her for more of the high-level specifics, but it is used for departments citywide as needed.

So council would absolutely have access to this contract if needed.

Okay.

Thank you.

You are welcome.

Other questions?

Mr.

Meredith.

LC if you let me get away with this.

I have noticed both F and G are not to exceed $50,000.

To me, they're both kind of the same.

One is graphic design support services.

And frankly, the other one is defined as professional graphic design support services.

My question is, given it's $100,000 combined, couldn't we hire someone in-house?

We have actually, these are actually two separate duties and contracts.

So Rob Clark for the Pixel Watt, that is actually our coder for the website.

So his, and and I apologize, it really shouldn't say graphic design.

He his job is to keep the website from the functionality up and running.

We manage all of the content.

So his is a very specified service.

But to your point, we do have multiple graphic designers that we use on a freelance basis.

And we do this for a number of reasons.

First of all, every designer is incredibly talented, but they have a unique function.

It's a little like an architect.

You wouldn't want one architect to do all of your buildings because you would get a similar design.

And even though we have certain brand guidelines, we use different designers who have different expertise for different purposes.

So we have three different design contracts.

We sometimes may not use them.

We might only spend a couple thousand dollars in a year, but the beauty of the contract is to allow the flexibility.

So should council call or public transit or someone and they need a project, we are able to very nimbly access and work on it.

Now we do have some design ability on staff, a couple of our staff members.

So we do the very simple things.

We use Canva a lot, and we use that to basically save taxpayer dollars.

To the point of hiring a graphic designer, then you get into a salaried position with also benefits, and then you have got everything kind of pigeon-holed into one person.

So one set of skills.

It's not something that we haven't discussed.

It is something we could be open to, but I think you would still utilize some outside design services for different types of projects.

Well defended.

Thank you.

Other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

The motion carries 20 G is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a consulting agreement between the City of Huntsville and Rob Clark, doing business as Twickenham Pixel Development Company, Pixel Development Company.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Little questions or comments?

My questions were answered in the last but then.

Anybody else?

All in favor, please indicate.

Opposed motion carry.

28 L.

20 L is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter no funding agreement between Huntsville, Madison County Railroad Authority and the City of Huntsville for joint funding of Aldridge Creek Railroad Bridge Improvements, Project No.

71-25-SP37.

Motion for Mr.

Kling, second from Mr.

Little.

Good evening, Councilmember Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So Councilmembers, back last year, you passed a resolution of support that we would support Huntsville Mass County Railroad Authority in their in a CRICE grant application for rail improvements.

Should they get that?

And the portion of that support would be $800,000 towards those improvements.

They have been successful in securing that grant.

But the total project cost is around $15 million they will be spending.

A DECA has provided some support.

Certainly the Huntsville-Madison County Rail is providing a significant amount of support at just under $4 million.

And then you got the grant fund.

So what is before you tonight is for you to approve your obligation that they got this that we would provide support and amount of $800,000.

Questions?

Madam President.

Mr.

Davis, one sorry, it wasn't my district, but I know you had a major railroad issue.

Was that this Aldrich Creek Railroad?

So this this actually was in uh happened long before the but it happened long before the railroad collapse.

We have been working on this.

The CRICE grant.

Yeah.

So this project to bring up a great point.

I should have explained.

So the overall project improvements will be a new railroad trestle bridge over Hodges Creek.

And then doing some siding track on some property they have.

So it's it's a really big project for uh Huntsville Massican Rail that will continue to support industrial development customers in our city.

And is this going to help, I believe it's San Gobain out there?

Is this going to help them?

Absolutely get rail service, yes, sir.

Yes.

Thank you.

You are welcome.

And I and I would add to that that uh while St.

Gobain is right now the uh the railroad's main customer.

We look forward to having other industrial projects, which is why the railroad is an important part of our infrastructure, our transportation infrastructure, and a really good economic development tool.

So that is one reason why it is worth investing all this money and making sure the infrastructure is up to speed and why we were looking at it before the bridge collapse.

And Dr.

Robson brings up a good point when we brought that to you, asking for your partnership and supporting them.

St.

Gobain is a major one, Prax Air, both along Hobbes Island, but a project that uh is in construction that we've maybe forgot about, and I don't think we forgot about it, but so much is going on in this city.

But on Green Cove Road, uh victory sweepers, we won that project.

They are under construction with their facility.

I think they are hiring like 350 new people when it is complete.

They need rail service because they will ship the street sweepers all throughout the country.

Excellent.

Other questions or comments?

One area.

And don't let me get off the off the track, so to speak, part of the plan.

But there's no way the railroad could be modified where it could be used for tourism, for rides for people from downtown to Hobbes and great questions.

So part of the rail replacement and increasing the rail uh poundage as they call it in that industry, is I think the rail now is currently 80-pound rail.

They're going to $110 pound rail, uh, which allows a passenger style shoot in the future type traffic uh to travel on that rail.

So they're they're making much needed improvements, but thinking, being forward thinking of how that rail might be used later down the road.

Okay, yeah.

We are talking about tourism, and that could certainly be something unique if if it were able to materialize.

Yep.

That that uh downtown to ditto um transportation system is something we have discussed a lot.

Thank you.

Mr.

Little.

Yeah, I was going to mention that.

The long-term dream is to take a train from downtown to Ditto.

So, but but some of that track is actually over a hundred years old.

It is.

Yes.

You know, and I think a lot of people don't realize that, you know, uh, the stick track and the hopefully they you know with a new track will be a little smoother for them and like with the victory sweepers would be really large project for Huntsville Mass County Rail, and I applaud them.

The Crissy grant is a very, very competitive grant uh across the U.S.

And for them uh to win one tells you how uh it scored really well from a competitive process, grant process.

And then the park grant will update the bridge over here.

Yes.

So that's huge for them too.

And for us for flooding, but that's all for them.

Kathy Martin, we have got all the permits and should start next month advertising, the first phase of that project.

So thank you.

Other comments, questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Thank you, members.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

20 Q is a resolution authoring mayor to execute change order number three to the contract between the City of Huntsville and Chorba Contracting Corporation for the construction services of the Martin Road Recreation Center.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith.

Second from Mr.

Little.

Mr.

Wilkinson.

Good evening, Ricky Wilkinson, Director of General Services for the City of Huntsville.

This is Change Order No.

3 with Chorba for the Martin Road Rec Center, of course, now known as the West Huntsville Recreation Center.

The amount of this change order is $61,542 and 35 cents.

This is for adding electric motors to the basketball goals so that they can be raised and lowered.

We purchased an additional set of volleyball equipment and restriped the gems for volleyball in the in the West Gym and also the building letters for the building, the West Huntsville Recreation Center.

Happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Yes.

It is a feel-good hold for me.

If you could talk about uh hopefully when we are going to get this thing, the ribbon cut and folks in there.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, absolutely.

I was actually out there today.

So they um we had one of our subcontractors or the general contractors, one of their subcontractors was a little bit later to the site that we had anticipated.

Uh so that set us back about three weeks.

But all the equipment has been installed.

Uh the striping is down.

They have got the last coat of sealer on the floor.

We are about five days away.

That has to cure for about another five days.

Plan is to have final inspections for next week.

Uh if everything goes as planned, we are moving furniture in the following week, and we're uh moving moving folks in from parks and rec and ready to ready to rock and roll from that point forward.

So hopefully two weeks, uh we should be in really good shape.

Sounds great.

I promise I'm not going to hold you firm to two weeks.

But thank you.

That is very encouraging.

Well, I am going to do my best to make sure we hit that date.

Thank you.

Sounds like Santa will be visiting West Huntsville as well.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Twenty U is a resolution authorized mayor to enter an agreement between City of Huntsville and True Alliance background screening for employment screening.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith.

Second from Ms.

Watkins.

Yes.

Byron Thomas, Director of Human Resources.

Yes, Council.

This is an agreement with True Alliance.

They do our background screenings.

Whenever we hire someone or even promotions, we do conduct the criminal background check as well as credit checks.

Motor vehicle checks on our on those applicants or employees that are being promoted.

So this company will allow us to do that, as well as conduct those for applicants that might be out of state.

Questions?

Comments?

Oh, good evening, Ms.

Thomas.

How are you doing?

So usually your office doesn't do the typical background check where they come and do their fingerprints through the police department.

Is it a little bit more in debt?

Right.

We don't conduct fingerprint checks through human resources.

There are some departments like IT that do that through the police department.

We mainly looking at criminal background checks, whether someone has been convicted or looking at credit checked motor vehicle, but we don't do fingerprinting though.

Okay.

Thank you.

If if I could ask, is there a minimum credit score that we look for?

So we will have a minimum.

What we do is take that history that the person has, and depending on what position they are going into.

Every employee that we hire does the necessary get a credit check.

For instance, I was used if they go on to finance it, definitely.

And so we would take the background history and see what it might entail, and then we will evaluate it on a case-by-case basis.

Thank you, sir.

Yes, sir.

So Mr.

Thomas, then I am hearing you say that some departments will require different background checks based on the level of the work that is being done, the level of confidentiality, the, for instance, in finance or in the police department or other areas.

Is that right?

Yes, ma'am.

You are correct.

Any other comments?

Any post or any uh all in favor, please indicate?

Any pose, motion carries.

20 AC is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into agreement between the City of Huntsville and the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama and Huntsville.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Kling.

Mr.

Hammond.

Good evening, Council members, John Hamilton, City Administrator.

What is before you is a renewal of agreement that we have uh had in place for a number of years with UAH?

They they came to us several years ago and asked uh to set up a special arrangement at their expense that they pay for uh to provide transportation for students they have living on campus may not have the personal cars, and so uh it gets them to uh to downtown and to other shopping areas, things like that.

So uh this is a renewal of that agreement.

Um any questions you have to do?

Yes.

How long is the contract, the agreement?

Is it for a year?

I think it's for a year.

I think we've I think we bring it back for a new every single year.

And they're in it's at their it is at their discretion.

So each you know each time we ask them if they want to continue and each time they have indicated they do.

And this is on Friday, Friday nights.

Friday and Saturday.

Yeah, Friday nights.

Friday nights, okay.

Friday and Saturday.

And I know it is used by the international students a great deal.

Right.

And I just kind of looking here at the specific term to more precisely answer your question.

It is uh from 1 January to 31 May of 27th, so it is a little bit more than 12 months.

That's I think it is about 15, 16 months.

Okay.

Anyone else have questions, Mr.

I have a couple.

Um where did the figure of 21,516 and five cents come from in terms of what UAH pays?

So that's that's based on assessment of the cost.

So you know, we have you know kind of typical cost structures of you know estimates uh for personnel equipment, you know, fuel.

So it is based on the actual cost, not um X number anticipating X number of riders.

It is not so it's uh it does not fluctuate based on the ridership they have.

Um a limb here.

Is there a way we can offer a similar type service to the students at um AM3?

We would be absolutely happy to have that conversation with them.

Uh now they do AM does have some of their own buses, so I am not sure that they have necessarily assess the same need, but we would be happy to do that if you know, talk to them about it and see what what they might need.

But uh I think just kind of the way they are resourced in that particular regard.

I think you know my my own understanding of situation is AM is a little bit more self-sufficient than UAH.

Uh doesn't have those buses.

Well, maybe I ought to get my Oakwood uh folks in here then.

But uh thank you.

I appreciate it.

Other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Thank you, Mr.

Hamilton.

Uh 20 20 A.E.

resolution authorizing the mayor to sign the plat entitled Scrimshire at Willowbrook subdivision phase two.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second, second by Mr.

Kling.

Uh do we have a question for Mr.

Yeah, for me it was where is this?

So this is um on Jeff Road north of U 72 West, uh right by Willow Book.

No, sir.

This is further west than there.

So this would be by Willowbrook uh church on Jeff Road, just south of Chap Capshaw and north of university.

So this is a uh multifamily development that was built and constructed.

It is um seeking their certificate of occupancy, and through these uh process, they are required to boundary plot.

We, the City of Huntsville, show up as a lien holder through community development granting uh CDBG funds to the project.

And as they need to boundary plat to receive their certificate of occupancy, this is where we show up.

If they boundary apply prior to the construction, then we don't show up as a lien holder.

They are able to boundary plot because they are the property owner.

But since this project is ready to receive their certificate of occupancy, is before you in this particular action.

So it is west of the physical structure of the church?

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

And it's kind of nestled back.

North of where the cottages are with the seniors.

Okay.

Thank you.

Correct.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

I am opposed.

Motion carries.

And that concludes the items on 20.

21 is new business items for consideration.

21A is the introduction of an ordinance authorizing issuance of the city's taxable general obligation warrant, Series 2025 C to pay the redemption price of a portion of the city's taxable limited obligation, TIFF revenue warrants, TIF 5 Series 2010B dated November 5, 2010.

This item has been properly introduced at this meeting.

The administration has asked for us to consider this item at this meeting, and that will require the unanimous consent of the council.

The motion or the Chair makes the motion to the same thing.

If I could interrupt, could someone explain why you see is necessary?

Ms.

Smith, would you like to explain the need for unanimous consent?

Certainly.

So like all of our borrowings, um, they are time restricted by the banks who make the R who put out their RFP, put their name out there.

RFP was accepted in in November, um, but after the council meeting.

So in order to prepare the ordinance and everything ready for the council meeting that was um that that was submitted to you today, and we need to close before those dates and from our specific banks that have bid on this on this borrowing.

As with most of our issuances, this is a timely matter.

Thank you, Ms.

Smith.

Thank you.

Is the the Chair would make a motion for to consider this item at this meeting?

Is there a second from Mr.

Kling?

We'll do a roll call vote.

This will require unanimous consent, Mr.

Meredith.

Aye.

Mr.

Kling?

Aye.

Mr.

Little.

Aye.

Ms.

Watkins?

Aye.

The Chair votes aye.

We now have unanimous consent to consider this item at this meeting.

So the Chair will make a motion.

Second.

To approve this item.

Second from Mr.

Meredith.

Good evening, Council Penny Smith, the Director of Finance.

So the item before you tonight is from a very unique tax increment financing district that we have in the city, TIFF 5, that is Redstone Gateway, which is out there right before you get on the arsenal.

So this property has been developed by a by uh by COPT, which is a developer, Redstone developer.

But they originally paid for the infrastructure with the city installed in the district to create all those roads, curb and gutters, sidewalks, et cetera within the TIFF district.

So they originally paid for that.

This is a time should the revenue be sufficient, which is an analysis that we have done.

Should the revenues be sufficient within the district, which is Advil or M taxes.

Then at such time they can offer us a tender option that requires us to take a look at that and potentially take down some of the expense that they originally paid for for the infrastructure.

So this is a portion of that.

So the conclusion was that this district could afford an additional.

We already have three on the books.

This is an additional one that the city uh put forth.

And so we can afford to take down 11, 100,000 of principal on that on that project.

So that is what is before you this evening.

We decided to that it would be most beneficial for the city to take this by local bids from local banks.

We had four bidders on the from the banks and regions was selected at 5.04 percent.

This is a taxable bank borrowing.

Questions for Ms.

Smith.

If uh and if I might add a little bit to this, if you remember, um the neither the city or COPT owns the property as a long-term lease on that property.

Uh the income is coming off of the value of the buildings that they are building on that property.

That's the um that's where the property tax uh income is coming back in so that we can pay these uh pay this infrastructure costs that was uh put into the project.

Yeah, in fact, you'll notice on here there is the C cost amount is not applicable.

So is there no cost to the city?

Um other questions, comments?

All in favor, please indicate.

I opposed.

Motion carries.

The remaining items on 21 will be for introduction only and will be considered at the December 18th meeting.

21B is the introduction of an ordinance annexing 1.41 acres of land lying on the south of Sutton Road, west of Woodside Drive.

21C is an introduction of an ordinance annexing 36.54 acres of land lying on the south side of Martin Road and east of Electronics Boulevard.

21D is the introduction of an ordinance annexing 68 686.46 acres of land lying on the north of Little Cove Road, east of what and west of Highway 72 East, and 21E is the introduction of an ordinance to declare certain property as surplus and authorized in the mayor to enter into a purchase and sale agreement between the City of Huntsville and WMG Acquisitions LLC for conveyance of the same ordinance number 2599.

And again, those items will be considered at the December 18th City Council meeting.

We are now on to second roster public comments.

Mr.

Kling, uh Mr.

Kling has left us.

We excuse him to attend a community meeting.

Uh we have several folks signed up uh for comments.

So I will read my little prelude here.

This portion of the meeting is reserved for 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, 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 we can you can prepare to come 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.

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 good name and character of any individual.

The first person to sign up is Jeffrey Jones.

And uh Mr.

Jones will be followed by Carrie Houston.

Mr.

Jones, please come to the microphone.

Okay, Mr.

Jones is not in the chambers.

Says Jeffrey Jones, subject is wrongful demolition.

All right.

And the next person is Kerry Houston.

And then following Mr.

Houston is Austin Jones.

Good evening, Council.

Good evening.

Um my name is Carrie Houston.

I'm at 6,000 Cherry Key Hill Drive, Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Um I'm here in regards to 1418 Calvary Street.

Um we have been trying to get permits for it, but we've been denied of March of 24.

We asked for a permit from Robert.

I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing the last name, A L B A Alba.

And he said all we needed to do was get a permit for the house.

The house was demolition.

And for some reason we're not understanding why, and we was trying to fix it, but we kept getting turned down, getting permits for the house.

So this so the city said that there was a nuisance, and I got records, and there wasn't a nuisance of drug-related activity because we was watching the house consistently every day, being there kicking squatters out of the house after they burnt it from the outside.

And as of April 24, we had a license contractor come out, and he was denied.

Said he needed to be in some type of contract club, anything.

I'm not sure what that is.

And then of June 24 going back and forth with Robert, uh, we still was denied for the second permit.

So as the house got demolished, and it was the $8,000 demolition fee that was taxed on our taxes.

So I'm here to ask.

Can is there a way that the taxes can be I mean the $8,000 from the demolition that wasn't supposed to happen because there is no paperwork or records saying it was a demolition that was supposed to happen.

It was the house that was next door to my mother's and father's house, and they just took ours as well.

So I was asking can the 8,000 from the demolition that's put on our taxes, and now we have a lien.

We be we normally pay our taxes for the property, but now I didn't put the $8,000 on.

So either can we take it off and pay it separately so we can continue to pay our taxes on the property, or I don't know, some type of way.

But I have gotten contacted with five different individuals.

Sorry.

Kim Webster, Robert, Scott, Alan Munsey, and you, Miss Michelle Watkins.

You didn't talk to me, Mr.

I didn't talk to you, but it's like six other people.

We're not having a conversation here.

Wait after the meeting and I'll talk to you after the meet.

Okay.

Mr.

Houston.

Do you have any other comments, Mr.

Houston?

No, ma'am.

If you'll wait after the meeting out there, your time is up, and we can also have Mr.

Irwin from community development can meet you outside to to discuss your concerns with you.

Thank you.

The next person to sign up is Austin Jones, uh, who will be followed by Jeff Engle is Austin Jones here.

Hey, all I'm Austin Jones.

Address is on the sheet.

And City of Residents.

Owens Crossroads.

I served over 20 years in the Army and am co-chair of the North Alabama chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

But I'm here tonight about my kids.

So my kids were part of the Christmas parade this week.

The school was only able to secure one bus, so some of the kids had to carpool to the event.

The band director told them to follow the bus and park with them.

Well, my kids was in one of the cars with their bandmates all dressed in uniform, following the bus into the parking area.

When they were stopped by a cop and told them, told, you know, hey, we're with the band, mind you in uniform.

And I'm all paraphrase here.

Uh I don't F-word care to my kid and her bandmates.

Get the F-word out of here, or you get an F-word ticket to a whole bunch of kids in a car, in the band uniforms, falling a bus, being part of the parade for Christmas.

So I got a couple suggestions you should maybe ask the HPD.

Who said that and see if any of them have any integrity to stand up?

Or maybe you use them flock cameras that are all around town and see who was on duty.

But yeah.

Fix that.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir, for letting us know.

Um Mr.

Hamilton, could you possibly meet with Mr.

Mr.

Jones and have a conversation with him about that incident?

Mr.

Mr.

Hamilton can meet you outside.

Uh next signed up is Jeff Engel.

Is Mr.

Angle here?

Mr.

Angel will be uh will be followed by Heather Anderson.

Hello, folks.

Uh my name is Jeffrey Engel.

I'm in uh District 4 Seaborn uh drive.

My address is on the sheet, and I live in Huntsville.

Thank you.

I'm here to talk to you about a couple of things.

Um transparency is the first one.

Um guys' agendas are crap.

Um item 20A and B, travel expenses.

You're approving travel expenses.

What are those for?

Like we're here we're coming to your meetings, uh, we get a printout, and all it says is travel expenses.

All right.

Who are those travel expenses for?

Where are they going?

Like you're spending our money.

Like be transparent about what you're spending our money on.

All right.

Um item A uh 21AB.

Um I really hope that you guys uh use this new uh background or renewed background technology to thoroughly check uh police applicants for domestic abuse and other and similar violent backgrounds so that they are disqualified from employment.

Uh AC.

Um why are we agreeing to pay uh UAH to transport their students?

Like we should, as a city, just have a useful public transportation system so that we can have our folks uh about the city be transported without having to pay uh extra contracts.

Uh and what I'm really here to talk to you about is ICE.

All right.

We, as a citizenry, uh presented you a proposal back in September, September, August, October, November, December.

You have done nothing.

Nothing.

We have asked for this to be on the agenda every time.

All right.

Our U.S.

residents, citizens, and immigrants have been detained by ICE.

All right.

I know you all you might be scared of the big orange orangutan up in office to come down and uh stomp on the city of Huntsville.

That is your job.

Your job, your obligation to us to protect us.

All right.

You do not have an obligation to ICE.

You do not have an obligation to the President of the United States to follow what they're saying.

You have an obligation to us, your constituency to protect us.

All right.

All right.

This is something we will not back down from.

ICE is a terrorist organization terrorizing the streets of America.

You have an obligation to say no.

You have an obligation to say no preemptively.

Or you're complacent.

Complacent in the terrorizing of American citizens and immigrants.

We will not stand for that.

You are either complacent or you're here for it.

And I really hope you aren't.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Engle.

We'll hear from Heather Anderson.

Following Ms.

Anderson, we will hear from Joy Johnson.

Good morning.

Mayor, I need your help.

It's Heather Anderson, and I'm from New Market, Alabama.

Thank you.

I need your help.

I have been in front of Tom Brandon, our county commissioner, for help about Saddle Creek subdivision.

We've had drugs.

We have sex offenders.

Some are registered and some aren't.

We have squatters.

I have a child.

I don't like him to be playing outside with his friends because so much is going on.

Matter of fact, on the 24th of November, I had to call Madison County Sheriff's Office because someone was getting stabbed and beaten by two individuals.

That's disturbing.

We have other children in our neighborhood.

They just can't go out and play because of all the drugs, the squatters.

They use the restroom.

Nothing's getting done about it.

I want something to be done so my son can come out and play with all of his friends.

When I went to the meeting in February and spoke in front of all the commissioners, Kevin Turner did send his crime unit out there.

They did check some of them.

Some of them were not registered.

They were sent back to jail.

They got out.

What do they do?

They come right back.

Nothing's getting done about the urine.

Anything being dumped on the properties where our children can see it.

We can see it.

I need your help.

I'm begging.

A lot of our other neighbors would have been here, but their children are sick.

I just need help in getting my Saddle Crate subdivision cleaned up.

It's just disgusting.

You don't want to see squatters.

On the 24th, when that accident happened, they didn't catch the people.

Well, on the 26th, I was awaken at 11.30 at night with Madison County sheriffs right outside my window.

I didn't get to go to bed that day.

Because I the blue lights were in my window.

I get up every morning at 5 o'clock.

I do go to work.

I do make an honest living, pay my bills, but I can't do that when you have the sheriff's department standing outside your window and nothing's getting done.

Something's just got to give in that neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Anderson.

One of the reasons we ask for your city of residence is just to make sure that we have jurisdiction and because you're in new market in the county, we don't.

But perhaps Mayor Battle, could you just follow up with Sheriff Turner to make sure that he has that information?

We now will hear from uh Ms.

Joy Johnson.

She will be here followed by Mr.

Jeremy Fox.

Joy Johnson, uh, West Arbor Drive, Huntsville, Alabama.

Welcome.

Um I would like to add to the invocation that maybe we should be praying not just for our neighborhoods and families, but for the homeless people too.

Call me crazy.

I would also like to say that we have a climate emergency in the world, which we happen to be part of.

So I don't think we really need to be encouraging a bunch of Christmas lights to be burning and burning and burning and burning fossil fuels.

It's time to stop that.

We got a nice display right down here.

That's already enough.

Encouraging it is not necessary.

I'm very disturbed by the admission from the Convention and Visitors Bureau that they're tracking people's devices to see that that's why they came here because they read something.

That kind of stuff is none of their business.

Why is that legal and allowed?

There is no good use for AI.

None.

Once again, it is a massive consumer of fuel and fresh water that we can't afford.

I don't know if it's AI, but I'm certain that it serves AI.

And I also know that our utility and water bills went up this year.

Huh?

This is a a pattern that's happening all over the country.

Taxpayers are paying for it.

And instead of the people who should be paying for it, and therefore be run out of business sooner, as the free market would expect to have happen.

Externalizing costs, socialism for corporations.

No.

If you uh are concerned about being stopped by a bunch of trains, that's exactly what needs to happen is dense housing, get those people out of there and get them closer to town so they don't have to drive and wait for trains to get where they need to go.

Shrink the city.

And passenger rail is an excellent idea.

And I believe we've got the uh old depot up for what are we going to do with it.

Let's have passenger rail again.

Do what it takes to make that happen.

It's in your power.

Do it.

Um okay, that's it.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Johnson.

I'm now here from Jeremy Folkes.

Mr.

Folks will be followed by David Snyder.

Good evening.

I'm Jeremy Folkes, uh, 4600 Carrington Boulevard owns Crossroads.

Uh the executive director for Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley, and I just wanted to say uh uh, Mr.

Mayor, I do have to apologize, but I had to respectfully disagree with you that you did not have the coolest float on Tuesday night.

Uh according to the judges, Habitat won that parade float contest.

And I just want to make that correction to your remarks.

Um I also want to say thank you to uh the mayor of City Council uh as well as community development uh for their continued partnership with our Ministry at Habitat.

We're going to be putting two more families into safe affordable housing because of the relationship between the City of Huntsville and Habitat for Humanity.

Uh we actually just closed on two homes yesterday.

Uh we had three dedications last month, and we got six more house closings that we're going to do by the end of this year, this month.

And that is due to the great partnership uh that we have, not only with this city, uh this county, but this entire community here in North Alabama.

Um to date, uh we have served over 120 families due to that partnership between the City of Huntsville and Habitat for Humanity.

So I just wanted to say thank you for that continued partnership.

Uh that uh reliant uh faith in our uh Ministry at Habitat, our volunteers, our staff uh in our community.

So thank you so much.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening and merry Christmas.

Thank you so much.

Um we appreciate the work that you do.

And just for the record, you had the coolest float float.

The mayor says he had the coldest float.

David Snyder is our next speaker to be followed by Bradley McDonald.

Hello, my name is David Snyder.

My information is written correctly in the on the sheet.

I live in Huntsville City.

Thank you.

Um I wanted to talk about uh, you know, uh on the last City Council meeting, I believe Hamilton came up and talked about, you know, had we had a presentation that was given to the city uh saying, you know, there there have been no agreements with ICE, um, which is in uh contradiction to uh FOIA request that I had submitted and got a return on about a Form 73-002, something that I brought up with the city that is a direct form uh for the it is a uh formative uh document for the 287G program.

It was signed 2023, uh April to the 27th.

That was not in the presentation of listed documents.

Uh coincidentally, also there was a document signed 9-11 this year, not very long ago, that was not included in that presentation.

It was a more normal, as across the country people have had with the drug task force and HSI and um you know ICE and various different policing or uh organizations, but that also was missing, so I thought that was very strange.

Um but I have brought this up.

I emailed all of you in that meeting as I was hearing that and emailed the document that I got returned from uh you know a records department.

So hearing that is a bit continuously hearing that, as I've met also personally with representatives, continuing to hear that is a bit like being told two and two is five.

And you know, this is not the these are not the documents that you're looking for kind of deal.

So I'm very interested to hear back about that.

I would like to meet uh potentially with Hamilton about that.

Um I would like to talk about I'm submitting another FOIA request for the hands-free uh documentation or um data to be able to see how our policing agency has been uh working this new program and how that has gone with demographics, where the arrests have been, uh that type of information.

I'm very much looking forward to a return on that FOIA request.

Um I'd like to talk a little bit about, we've mentioned uh public transportation on one of the last city council uh meetings or on during the last city council meeting, I got up here and talked a little bit about my experience being homeless.

One of my experiences being homeless, something that I will never forget is on a Sunday uh being uh at a bus stop where they had a shelter, it was a torrential rain uh downpour.

And I walked through the rain and got to uh one of our bus stops that has that shelter.

And I had taken uh a grocery bag and you know wrapped my phone up in it, gotten there so that I could sit there because I had nowhere to go, I had no money, and I sat there for several hours until it quit raining, and I walked back to uh staying at the Downtown Rescue Mission Center.

And as I uh went to the gate and tried to ask if I could get in to get my dry clothes from uh, you know, because I was so head to toe soaked in water, um they told me that the overnight side was locked and that everyone was praying in church.

And I want I would like for us to think about that when we uh uh you know around that period of time I had emailed Mary.

And um, we keep ripping those stations.

Mr.

Snyder, you've been here often enough to know the rules.

Thank you, sir.

Bradley McDonald is our next speaker.

Mr.

McDonald will be followed by Sarah Colletti.

Bradley McDonald.

Subject City Council Business.

Mr.

McDonald is not here.

Ms.

Colletti, uh, you will be our final speaker.

My name is Sarah Colletti.

My address is listed correctly on the sheet.

I am a resident of Hartle, Alabama.

And um I want to make it clear just because one of the people on the dais engaged me in a dialogue last week after I spoke.

I don't expect that to happen again, so please don't censor my time again.

Um last meeting I brought up the fact that the city has a jail view website that anyone can access.

It's a public website.

You can go on there right now and you can see all of the people that are sitting in the Huntsville City jail on ice holds.

You can see how long they've been there, and you can see that most of them have been there longer than the three days allowed by law.

So somebody on the dais thought it was a good idea to respond to that, and I guess was trying to excuse this abhorrent behavior by saying that it's actually the Madison County Sheriff's Office that handles the inmates at the Huntsville City jail.

The Huntsville City jail.

The inmates are handed handled by Madison County Sheriffs, and that was supposed to be an excuse, I guess, for why these inmates' uh rights are being violated.

Now, uh personally, to me, it felt more like a condemnation than an excuse.

Like Huntsville City taxpayers are paying to house and feed and care for these inmates.

Huntsville taxpayers are paying to make sure that these tax the these inmates' rights are not violated, and we're pawing off the work on a Madison County Sheriff's Office.

They're violating people's rights, and we're just okay with it.

That's really gross.

And uh I again I don't expect a response, so please don't censor me again.

And y'all just sat there like it was okay.

Like, ooh, um.

But in addition to that, we also have lists of names of human beings who are dead now because of Madison or because of Huntsville Police Department.

And once again, here are their names.

Courtney Spraggins, Christina Nance, Horatio Rice, William Freddie Carter Jr., Crystal Ragland, Gartrell Baker, Anthony Briggs, Brad Pugh, Eric Elaine Adams, Sterling Arnold, Robert Young, Jeffrey Parker, Demetrius Stuart, Alberto Rivas, and John Mitchell Rigdon.

They deserve justice, and so does the City of Huntsville.

Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves.

Thank you, Miss Colletti.

That concludes our speakers for the evening and concludes the business of the city, Mr.

Motion to adjourn.

Thank you.

We are adjourned until our December eighteenth meeting.