The Huntsville City Council convened for its first meeting of 2026, beginning with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Council approved the previous meeting minutes and agenda, followed by special recognitions honoring military service members and community organizations. A significant portion of the agenda focused on development projects, surplus property sales, and arts initiatives. The meeting concluded with an extensive public comment session dominated by residents expressing concern over federal immigration enforcement and urging the Council to adopt a non-cooperation policy with ICE.
Happy New Year, everyone. We'll call this meeting of the Huntsville City Council to order. We welcome you to the first meeting of Huntsville City Council of 2026. All Council members are present, and we welcome everyone who has joined us in the chambers or is who is in joint or who is joining us virtually on our many streaming platforms. We will begin our meeting tonight with an invitation offered by Chaplain Jeff Warren, followed by a Pledge of Allegiance offered by Councilmember Michelle Watkins. All who would like to stand and are able for the invocation and pledge, please do so now. Thank you, Ms. Robinson. Good evening, everyone. Happy new year. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank you. Thank you, thank you for this night that we have our first council meeting of 2026. And we just pray that tonight will be a springboard of an entire year of prosperity and favor over our city, over the citizens of our city, over the businesses and the small businesses and the larger businesses of our city. And we thank you for our form of government that we can elect officials that can represent the interests of the citizens that elect them. We thank you for each and every man and woman that makes up this council. We thank you for mere battle. We pray, Father, for protection and good health over them. We pray favor over them, Father. We pray for their families to be protected tonight while they're here. And we thank you, Lord, that we have an opportunity now to come together and to for the first meeting of the year to conduct the business of the city. We thank you for the prosperity and for the favor that our city has enjoyed and for the um expansion that our city has enjoyed. So, Father, as we look to that, we also know that we need to consider um how to best manage that. And we thank you for these council members of Mere Battle that are in the business of doing that starting tonight for this year. So, Father, we just pray tonight that everything will be done according to your will, that every decision that's made will be done with discernment and wisdom, that when differences of opinion come up, that we'll remember to celebrate those because that it's in differences of opinion that through compromise we can come up with the best decisions for everyone concerned in our city and for our citizens. And we thank you again. Be with us tonight, and we pray we'll do your will in all things in Jesus' name. Amen. Our Huntsville Police chaplains provide a unique service for us in offering invocation for our meetings, and we thank them for their time here. Council members, you have an agenda in front of you. Are there any changes or additions of which anyone is aware? Seeing none, the agenda will be approved as presented. You also have the uh minutes of the regular meeting of City Council held on December 18th, 2025. Are there any additions or changes to those minutes? Seeing none, the minutes will stand approved. Um we have the mayor has no special recognition, but council does have two special recognitions. 6A is a resolution honoring Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan David Schultz in recognition of his remarkable life of service and sacrifice and the enduring legacy he leaves to his family and community. The chair moves for approval. Second. Second by Mr. Little. All in favor, please indicate opposed motion carries. Mr. Little and I will now make that presentation. We'd like to ask the family to come up with that way. And whereas Lieutenant Colonel Schultz was born in Anderson, Indiana, where his early life was marked by academic excellence, musical talent, and a passion for aviation, earning his pilot's license before graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering, later attaining a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Alabama. And whereas Lieutenant Colonel Schultz faithfully served his country for 21 years in the United States Air Force and Alabama Air National Guard, amassing more than 2400 hours, including 423 combat hours across 100 sorties, and served with honor and operations Northern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. And where, as during his distinguished career as a fighter pilot, instructor pilot, flight commander, and squadron leader, Lieutenant Colonel Schultz was recognized for his exceptional skill and valor, receiving the bronze star with Oakleaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, and numerous campaign of service medals. And whereas following his service military service, Lieutenant Colonel Schultz continued his patriotic commitment through his work in the defense industry as co-founder of Resolution LLC, the company that grew under his leadership to provide advanced technical services to the U.S. government while also contributing significantly to the X-37 space plane program and other national security efforts.