Welcome everyone.

We are ready to begin this session of the Huntsville City Council meeting.

It is Thursday, January 22nd, 2026, 5 30 PM.

We welcome everyone who has joined us in the chambers.

This is the point where I normally also welcome everyone who is joining us on all of our live streaming platforms.

Unfortunately, we are experiencing a nationwide network provider outtage that's affecting our live streams, and it may affect reception.

So we hope everyone on streaming platforms will join us.

And but please understand if your feed cuts out.

Seeing none, the minutes of the January eighth, twenty twenty-six meeting will stand approved.

We have two uh special recognitions by the mayor tonight.

Five A is a proclamation recognizing January twenty twenty-six as child trafficking prevention month.

Mayor battle.

Thank you, Madam President.

If I could have we have three representatives, I believe from the community who work on this.

Chris, yes, if y'all would come up, please.

Ms.

Chelsea Sparks, Chris Newland.

We have four.

Okay, good.

Good.

Thank y'all for coming.

Angela Thompson.

All right.

This uh this proclamation is a proclamation that we do on a regular basis each year because it is a very important topic uh to all of us in in the community.

Uh whereas human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights uh that exists in communities worldwide across the United States, whereas these crimes violate the fundamental principles of freedom, dignity, and civil rights.

And whereas the City of Huntsville is committed to combating human trafficking through awareness, prevention, and community engagement, and whereas the public education and awareness are essential to preventing human trafficking, and whereas the City of Huntsville urges all residents to help bring visibility to this crime whose victims are too often unseen.

Now, therefore, I, Tommy Battle, mayor of the City of Huntsville, do hereby proclaim January 2026 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Huntsville, Alabama.

Um it's one of those proclamations you don't really feel like uh uh applauding for, but it's one of those proclamations that is very important for our community to show that the support of our community, and I'd love for you to uh give us a few comments.

Uh human trafficking is something that's happening in every corner of our state from the most rural farmlands to the city.

A lot of people have the uh misconception that trafficking is just happening along like I-65 and 565 in these corridors, but it's actually happening even more uh than we realize in the most rural areas, and so I'm so appreciative of the City of Huntsville for taking a stand and taking a lead and showing you know the rest of the community in North Alabama uh that this is an issue that we all should be fighting against.

So I want to thank you and the council very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Keep it short and sweet.

Here.

Picture, picture.

Yeah, well, mayor in the middle and one.

Okay.

Thank you.

And we all applaud the work that you are doing.

Thank you very much.

The next proclamation from the mayor is a proclamation recognizing January 22nd, 2026 as Hattie Mack Wesson Day.

And if we could ask Ms.

Hattie Mack to please come forward.

And uh Miss Hattie Mack has a storied past here.

Even as small as you are, you can tell you're a wesson.

Um small, I have a number whereas is here, but this is really a neat, neat background uh for somebody who has done great things for our community.

After we do the proclamation, we'll let the rest of your family come up so they can be in the picture.

Is that okay?

Okay, we'll do that.

Whereas the City of Huntsville proudly recognizes individuals whose talent, creativity, and dedication bring distinction to our community, inspire others through excellence and arts, and Hattie Mack Wesson is one of those people.

Whereas Hattie Mack is a Huntsville native and only 12 years of age.

Is that right?

Okay, uh, is already an accomplished actor, singer, and dancer.

And whereas Hattie Mack has most recently continued her career, North Alabama AEA Broadway Tour Production, The Sound of Music.

I think you have a playboard there.

Hold up your bill there so everybody can see it.

Hattie Mack is uh continued her career in the sound of music, performing the principal role of Bridget Brigitte Brigida.

Brigita, thank you.

Brigita von Trapp.

And whereas Hattie Mack's career is taking her to Asia, where she was cast as Marta von Trapp in the Sound of Music International Tour Broadway Asia 2023 and 2024, performing across China.

And whereas Hattie Mack has performed the production of the sound of music in three countries, China, Canada, and the United States.

And whereas Hattie Mack through her young career and travels has remained a proud native and resident of Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you for being resident of Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you for the taxes that your parents pay.

And whereas beyond her professional achievements, Hattie Mack exemplifies creativity and passion in every aspect of her life with music serving as a central force.

And whereas Hattie Mack's vibrant personality, and I think you can see a vibrant personality right here next to me, is further reflected in our love for family and friends.

Whereas through her talent, auth authenticity and joyful pursuit of the creative expression, Hattie Mack represents the spirit of innovation, artistic excellence, and individuality of the City of Huntsville, and we are proud to celebrate that.

Therefore, I, Tommy Battle, mayor of the City of Huntsville, Alabama, to hereby proclaim January 22nd, 2026 is Hattie MacWesson Day.

It will be your day all day.

There we go.

Okay, that's from me.

Now do we want to get your family up here?

Okay.

All the family come quickly.

We're gonna get a picture.

When the Westons come, they come as a herd.

All right.

Good to see you.

Okay.

Here we go.

Big smiles.

So y'all start shows next week, right?

Okay.

Tuesday through Sunday, two shows on Saturday, two shows on Sunday.

And uh so that's two, four, five, six, seven, eight, eight shows, nine shows.

Okay.

We're looking forward to it.

We'll see you there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good to see you all.

Good to see y'all.

Thank you really quick.

Shake their hands, go up there.

Hi.

Thank you.

We also have one council resolution for presentation.

6A is a resolution recognizing Bud McLaughlin for his impressive career in journalism, marked by his service across multiple news outlets in the city of Huntsville.

Mr.

Kling, would you like to make that motion?

I would.

I so do.

Motion from Mr.

Kling, a second from Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor.

I oppose the motion carries, and Mr.

Kling, will you please make that presentation?

It would be my pleasure.

Bud McLaughlin, come on down.

Council members, uh members of the public, uh, it is my pleasure to present this resolution honoring an outstanding journalist whom we've had in our community for almost half a century providing service.

Bud McLaughlin's a friend whom I've known as a uh fellow journalist many years ago.

Uh Bud, among his work had been the uh sports editor for the Huntsville News from 1979 to 1996.

He served as the Knight City editor and business editor of the Huntsville Times from 1996 to 2012.

Additionally, the sports and information director, Alabama AM, 2014-2017, editor of the Huntsville Business Journal, 2018 to 2021.

He's also served as a staff writer for the Redstone Rocket for the year 2022.

I think I need to catch my breath a little bit from all of this.

Additionally he also has served as editor for 256 today from the years 2022 to 2025.

Bud has done a lot in all sorts of areas of journalism here in the city of Huntsville.

And Bud, it's my privilege and pleasure to present this signed resolution by the mayor and the council uh basically just commending you, congratulating you for everything that you have done.

I know that Mary Ann's out there uh somewhere.

If she wants to stand up and wave, we'd be glad to recognize her.

But there she is, uh Bud's wife, and we're very glad again that you came down tonight.

And again, thank you so much for what you have meant to this community, and uh you're just one of those legends that we that we talk about.

Thank you very much.

You want to say anything?

No, I I just write.

You want to write out something for me to read like that.

Hey, hey Bill, why don't you have Mary Ann come down and take the picture?

That would be good.

All right, we will do that.

Get over here.

Up here, down here.

Up here.

Well now that now that you are retired, you can start coming down to the city council meeting.

There we go.

Mary Ann, you got to get in the middle.

I know, right?

I do.

Thank you.

Thanks for having me.

That brings us to seven announcements and presentations.

Before we have the presentation by Huntsville Utilities, we do want to make the community aware of weather preparations, and so we would like to ask John Hamilton City Administrator to give us a briefing.

So I think probably just about everybody is uh is aware or should be aware that uh we're all kind of tracking a potential weather system coming in uh really starting potentially tomorrow night, uh depending on where you are and then through the weekend and really into Monday and Tuesday as well, based on on uh hazardous temperatures.

One of the things we we sat through uh the weather briefing from the National Weather Service today uh with the EMA, and we'll do the same thing again tomorrow.

Uh we'll say that the as it relates to precipitation over the next uh 24, 48 hours, it's getting more favorable for us, uh the way it's looking right now.

So uh they think that it's gonna be more uh rain versus uh versus snow or ice, but we still need to stay very aware of that.

Uh there's things that the city will do and and departments uh throughout the city as well as the county and all of our partners uh will have crews uh available to deal with conditions if they need to.

The thing that I would encourage residents to do is one is obviously stay stay up on uh you know, pick your favorite weather channel and and and stay aware.

And also be aware of your own surroundings.

What potentially happens on Green Mountain is not the same as what may happen over on Zert Road, right?

Uh you know, we know that we're in a place where we're very close to the cut line between you know ice versus rain.

And so, you know, we're close enough where you could have ice at Mount Sharon and nothing but rain down south, right?

And so those are the kind of things that people need to make sure they understand what's happening right outside their own home before they go get in a car.

Uh we certainly, in any kind of severe weather, encourage people to don't get on the road unless you really need to.

Uh that doesn't mean the place is shut down or whatever.

And obviously, if you need to go take care of something, do it, but uh unnecessary trips ought to be kept to a minimum just because of the potential hazards.

We will have uh crews uh stay in kind of overnight and available to respond to hot spots uh from public works uh and and the things that need to keep their fleet going.

The police are obviously out there monitoring very closely.

One of the things I would encourage people to do is if uh you know, as we oftentimes do, there might be a certain place that's impacted by weather and the police need to close that street.

Do not go around the barricades.

Uh it's it's hazardous for you, it's hazardous people around you, and it's illegal.

So uh if they have closed the road, please honor that and uh respect that and don't go on to the street uh for your own safety and then for those around you.

Uh but we'll continue to uh to monitor and we'll continue to have crews available to to deal with conditions if they come up.

And city alerts is a great way to stay updated on road closures and conditions.

Could you comment on that?

I could, yeah.

So yeah, the communications department uh has already got those things up on our website.

Uh and so we would ask you to uh to monitor those if you want to get those away.

You can sign up for immediate alerts.

And so that also includes road closures.

So if you will go in and sign up for those, you will get the alerts uh as they go out in real time.

Uh you know, obviously our TV stations do a good job of helping broadcast that, but there's always a lag time between when they hear it and when they can get it onto the air.

Uh if you go in and sign up for that, uh you'll be getting the same alert that everybody else does, the same alert that I get, the mayor gets, and uh and our media does.

And so you will know when a road closes as well as when it is reopened uh or when there's particular conditions that the police need you to be aware of uh in areas where you can avoid certain routes or things.

So uh yes, please go in and sign up for that and monitor that, and you can get all that information off our website.

And if you Google City Alerts Huntsville, it will take you right to that page, and you can sign up right there.

So thank you, Mr.

Madam President.

Um Mr.

Hamilton, are the there are going to be warming centers for those that are unhoused so that they can get out of our website.

In our community development department, uh you know, Scott, everyone can talk to that in greater detail, but the the ones that are typically open.

So first of all, we have some private partners like downtown rescue mission and Salvation Army that that run some.

Uh there's also others that our community development works directly with.

So they will uh they will assist that the police also understand that if they find somebody out who is in the conditions to get there, they will get them a ride there.

They can also, while public transit is going, they can ride to those centers as well for free.

And living room is the main question.

Correct.

Overall, Governor Strive.

Yes.

And where I know it is an odd question because they are on house, they don't have access to Internet in a lot of cases, computers, that sort of thing.

But where can they where is the listing of all of the different warming centers that they could possibly go to?

How could they?

I am going to turn to my expert to help answer these questions.

Thank you.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor.

So Scott Irwin Community Development Department.

So outreach is part of the methodology of communicating with the unhoused at this moment.

So we know where certain camp environments are located.

Also First Stop and Wellstone and from our nonprofit providers.

So we go into the camps and make sure they are aware of the resources.

Again, Downtown Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, the Living Room, 20 to 20 Governor's Drive, and First Stop are all locations within the City of Huntsville that are opening their doors for the unsheltered.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Irwin.

Thank you, Mr.

Hamilton for that briefing.

Mr.

Meredith, thank you also for remembering to ask about that.

We will go on then with our presentation.

7A is a presentation of the Community Energy Resource Plan.

Wes Kelly, CEO of Huntsville Utilities, is with us tonight to give that briefing.

Council members, before Mr.

Kelly gives his briefing, he and I have talked, and there is a lot of depth to this presentation, more than we can probably handle or effectively here in this council meeting.

So we are going to work with Mr.

Kelly and the SERP team to put together a work session where we can really spend some focused time asking good questions and considering all the issues that might arise here.

But we're going to let you ask questions tonight if you want to as well.

But Mr.

Mr.

Kelly, uh the time is yours.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, Wes Kelly with Huntsville Utilities.

And the presentation that you are going to see here tonight is quite condensed because obviously you have a full agenda.

But we look forward to coming back and working with the council as we are going to be working with the HU boards to implement a lot of the recommendations that you are going to see or at least touched on here tonight.

So this is the work of the Energy Task Force, your energy task force.

Each of the council members had an appointee, the mayor, the HU boards, and they have done a tremendous amount of work.

And I am going to ask any members of the Energy Task Force or the Huntsville Utilities Board, if you are in the room, would you mind standing, please?

Thank you.

I appreciate when we added up the length of time, I think it was over 50 hours.

And the mayor attended almost all of those sessions.

Fifty hours sitting in the chair going through this material.

So and it is turned into a 78-page document.

And obviously, there is a lot in that.

But I am going to ask Mr.

Matt Futch from Black and Beach, who is the consulting engineer who has been working with us to give you a high-level overview.

But the main focus of this is to talk about how to prepare the energy side, the electric side of Huntsville utilities, for an uncertain energy future and make it not so uncertain.

And what do can we do to control costs so that it doesn't have a negative impact on our ratepayers?

So that is our overall goal is how do we maintain a reliable system capable of supporting Huntsville's impressive growth, and we do it in a way that keeps costs low.

So with that, I will uh ask Mr.

Futch if he will come up and walk through the presentation, and then I will take the podium back and handle questions and answers.

Good evening.

This is Matt Futch.

I am from Black and Beach, the Engineering and Construction and Consulting Firm.

Well, I want to put that on the record.

Thank you.

So I just want to briefly thank Wes and everyone in the Huntsville community for allowing us to participate in this process.

We are going to be this fast because it is super dense.

But I am going to try to at least get some clean messaging across so you guys can absorb it and then go into your detailed meeting later.

This advance, I presume.

Yes.

Okay.

So Wes, you already did this, but I do want to thank all the task force members.

It is unbelievable how much of energy and time and attention they spent to this.

So we do really are very thankful for that.

So what's the SERP and what is the relationship between this exercise and the City Council's policy?

I wanted to point out in this particular slide, the note that you say critical infrastructure investments for economic growth.

So on the next couple of slides, we'll talk about how do you actually enable investments to allow for the City Fundsville to continue to grow, have commercial industrial growth to grow and allow for a prosperous economy, both for the citizens and for businesses that want to invest in the city without having a significant increase in cost of energy.

That's really kind of fundamentally what we're talking about.

So this slide right here, it's very simple.

Uh the recommendations are not simple that the energy resource uh the task force ultimately uh came up with, but I did want to convey a fairly simple graphic here that kind of shows you the balance that we're trying to strike.

If you look at the top and the goals of the city, you want a reliable grid, you want the ability to have sustainable growth over time.

You also want to contain the cost of doing that.

So, with regards to having a reliable and sustainable growth and economy for you need to upgrade the existing Huntsville grid.

That's fundamentally one of the recommendations of the task force.

And we'll get into that a little bit more detail, but not too much.

In order to contain the cost of making those upgrades and a lot of other things that we recommended, you're going to have to have some measures to be able to contain those rates.

One of those measures is local generation and power produced and bought and built from Huntsville.

Another one is demand side management, which basically means cutting down the peak of power through measures like smart thermostats, water heaters, things that the City of Huntsville Utilities is already doing.

And so pushing harder in that is sort of like a no-regrets investment.

It allows you to really reduce the cost of the wholesale power contract with Tennessee Valley Authority without having to make a significant investment.

So the key here that I wanted to talk about in this particular slide, in order to do those things, you need to upgrade the grid, you need to pursue local generation.

This is Huntsville Utilities, and pursue just demand side management.

However, this is the key thing I think I want to convey tonight for the City Council.

In order to accomplish those things, we most likely need a governance change for the City of Huntsville Utilities.

So let's talk about what are we really talking about with all these recommendations.

I'll go slowly with this.

With regards to grid modernization, fundamentally, in order to enable more capacity in the grid, to enable large growth like commercial industrial users, more manufacturers, any other type of large load for businesses that want to come in and uh put their roots into the City of Huntsville.

You currently have a 46 KV low voltage system.

That's reliable and it's been working up to this point.

But in order to really ultimately over the long term have sustainable growth, it's very likely and it is needed to upgrade that voltage system up to 161 KV system.

That's a long-term thing.

It's not something that happens overnight.

It's just something that you need to pursue over the long term.

And so that's one of the recommendations.

This enables a long term economic growth for the City of Huntsville.

It's not something that you pursue right away, but it's something that you begin to prepare for now instead of delaying, and then you're stuck in a situation where you have more load, you have more businesses want to invest, and then now you still have a constraint on the power system.

That really is a block that you hopefully cannot anticipate.

For local generation, uh TVA Tennessee Valley Authority is now opening up their wholesale power contract to changes and reform to enable the all the members of local power companies to pursue potentially more generation on their side in order to ultimately reduce the amount of fixed cost of the entire Tennessee Valley Authority system.

That's something that um still needs a lot of work in negotiation with TVA.

But in order to do that, if and when TVA negotiating uh the contract between TVA and Huntsville Utilities can be reformed and enabled, then that would allow the Huntsville utilities to invest in local generation and power here, which would then reduce the total cost uh of the of the system for customers and for businesses in the City of Huntsville.

So I had one uh very important fact on this particular thing, and I want to make sure that uh that Wes nods his head when I say this.

But the TVA wholesale power contract, that is the all requirements energy contract for the City of Huntsville utilities.

That's approximately 75 to 80 percent of the energy bill.

So what that means is anything that the City of Huntsville Utilities can do to reduce the cost on that contract, wholesale power contract, possibly local generation, and these other measures like just demand side management will ultimately save everyone considerable amounts of money over the long term.

So we're really talking about how do you contain rate increases, contain the cost, but still be able to have a very reliable and modern power system for economic growth.

That's that's the key message I want to continue to hammer away on.

Finally, demand side management.

Again, that is a very no-regrets kind of policy.

It just means that you are trying to reduce the amount of energy that Huntsville has to serve at the peak of the power.

So in the summer and in the winter, when you have peak usage from everybody turning on air conditioning and et cetera, et cetera.

So finally, in order to do all of these things, there needs to be a change in the governance of the City of Huntsville Utilities.

So I wanted to briefly say a couple things about that.

This is pretty important.

You guys are your City Council members and the governance of the city is really fundamental to your mission.

So I wanted to talk just a few seconds about that.

Right now, the City of Huntsville Utilities is composed of three separate boards for electric gas and water.

They are all regulated and ultimately bound by three separate Alabama statutes, and they are all individually separate legal entities.

Now all of the, as far as we understand in the survey we have done in a lot of researchers, but by Huntsville utilities, all other Alabama utilities that have multiple service, not just electric, but electric gas and water and/or some other combination.

All of them have one consolidated board and they are one legal entity, which just means the ability to make decisions and the ability to do to operate the utility is much more streamlined and less complex when you are dealing with all the stuff that we were just talking about before.

So that is one of the recommendations of the SERP is to look at a way to consolidate the board into one board and to enable Huntsville Utilities to act as one single legal entity rather than the kind of a complex situation they have now, which is three separate legal entities, making it very hard to contract and procure and invest in the grid.

So this is not the only thing that can be done to allow enable that, but Public Act 175 is one of those measures enabled that type of scenario.

So finally on the next steps.

How am I doing on time?

Okay.

Three things that need to happen in order to move forward, if the city and the city council and everyone agree, the Huntsville Utilities will go and develop the implementation plan.

How are you going to make this happen, which requires a tremendous amount of thought and sort of discipline around that?

The second, probably equally as important, if not more important, is renegotiating the wholesale power contract with Tennessee Valley Authority.

That's really what enables some of these other things we are referring to, like local power generation or a higher amount of demand side management to reduce the peak.

There needs to be a change in the enablement and the provisions of the wholesale power contract from TVA.

So they are open-minded to that.

They're looking at those options, and that's something that we the CERP recommends that we you pursue as a city and as a utility.

Finally, um Huntsville needs to engage with you, the City Council, on what would it mean to promulgate or implement Public Act 175 or some other alternative that essentially accomplishes the same things, that being a consolidated board and one legal entity for the City of Huntsville Utilities.

I think that is the conclusion of my recommendation, and I am going to hand off to Wes, who is a much better speaker than me.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Well, I appreciate Black and Beach's work throughout this engagement.

They actually built some customized software modeling tools, which we will see in the full document, some of the results of that.

And that is helping us not just answer questions at Huntsville Utilities, but to provide a leadership role in the TBA footprint on working through new alternative wholesale power contracts.

So we are working very diligently with TVA and a small group of utilities to help think about what that next power contract looks like.

The fundamental power contract we have at Huntsville Utilities with TVA has not changed since 1980.

45 years.

A long time.

A lot of things have changed in the energy industry in 45 years.

So this document, the work of the Energy Task Force, has helped us funnel and focus so that when we go to TVA to have those conversations, we can have a more targeted conversation based on data, based on rigor, not just based on opinion or feelings.

And I think that that is going to be very helpful in those discussions.

TVA has been involved in attending every one of the sessions.

We have had weekly status calls with Black and Beach at which TVA has attended every one of those calls as well.

So they have been coming alongside.

We have representatives from TVA here in the room with us tonight.

And so we are going to continue to work in partnership with TVA to address these long-term issues.

Our overall goal here is to enhance infrastructure and integrate these advanced technologies into our grid.

Y'all will see that as we come forward with our normal capital budget planning process.

But we have got to put that in the bigger context.

And so there is some larger work that we need to do.

So we're not just doing one-off projects.

They all fit within a whole synchronized goal of adding to that infrastructure and adding those advanced technologies.

And I have already talked about the partnership and the opportunities we have with TVA.

The demand response programs, Huntsville Utility is pretty good with demand response now, but we can be better.

A lot of those programs are focused on our industrial customers, but Huntsville has a lot of commercial customers.

I think there is a real target of opportunity to start looking at ways to work with our businesses to help reduce their peak load during or their load during peak periods.

And then ultimately work with uh residential customers as well, although we all know that's a that's a tougher nut to crack.

So um, and then as was mentioned, the the governance issue, that's not a new issue.

If we if we meant we went to the retirement home and visited Mr.

Cobb, who is the hundred-year-old former manager of Huntsville Utilities, he will tell you he worked on this same thing.

If we went to go visit Mr.

Pippen, he will tell you he worked on the same thing.

So this is not a new topic of conversation, but it's just as we go through these changes, there are several statutory obstacles that are in place right now that make it difficult for Huntsville Utilities to move out.

Other communities around us don't have those obstacles.

They're not set up using the same 1950s vintage statutory authorization that Huntsville Utilities is.

They have made some changes in their structure.

Again, I am only aware that out of a multi-service utility, only Huntsville Utilities is in that condition.

So it is just something we need to talk to the Council about, talk about the pros and the cons, the ups and the downs, and just see where it falls.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Kelly.

Questions from Council members?

Yes, yes, sir.

Mr.

Little.

Thanks for the good presentation.

Um the government governance change, I think that's a glad that's getting to the back to the top of the list.

Sounds like it's been on the top of a lot of lists over the last 40 or 50 years.

Would that just be us and HU figuring that out, or do we have to involve the State in any matter in our any capacity?

Yes, sir.

So the Energy Task Force talked about this at length because there's several ways to accomplish the goal, but the only way that doesn't involve Montgomery is Public Act 175, which is just City Council passing a resolution.

Cool.

Adopting an existing State statute.

Now, if we wanted to do something else, we could, but that would possibly mean we need to spend time in Montgomery educating the State Legislature about it.

Right.

Okay.

Good to know.

And then on local generation, I assume this nuclear would not uh figure into that conversation being.

Well, if you read the document, we modeled that.

Uh we did.

The price is pretty high.

The price is pretty high.

Uh but it it is it is something that we talked about.

We actually spent a few probably an hour or two just deep diving on small modular reactors and micoreactors, just so that we were all aware of the technology and the issues.

But obviously, that's uh TVA is working on that now at their Clinch River facility outside Oak Ridge.

Over the next five to ten years, there will be a lot more known about the viability of that and the cost effectiveness of that.

Okay, good.

And then uh the other part of generation uh assume gas and uh I would assume us being a part of the NAPED figures into that discussion down the road is the potential for the big pipeline across North Alabama, and that would help a generation.

Yes, sir.

I mean, if we're going to have any gas generation, there has to be fuel to supply it.

And right now there is enough fuel to supply it as long as we don't run the power plant during the winter.

That's probably not the design intent of the power plant.

So, yes, sir.

A pipeline is a part of that conversation.

Okay, great.

But it's you know, those things will layer on as we go.

Okay.

And then uh I noticed grid upgrades was one of the things on in the presentation.

Is that everything from trying to get neighborhoods with underground power to new substations?

I mean, I'm just curious.

I know people ask about that a lot because obviously there's parts of Huntsville with some old, maybe not old, but just the way it's designed with the above ground circuit.

Historical, yeah.

Yeah, historic.

Aged.

Um what would uh like what were some of the discussions around grid upgrades?

So I get asked about that a lot.

Two main focuses there.

One is technology.

Uh we're still operating our um main subtrans, our 46 KV system, which is what moves power around the City of Huntsville.

We'll start operating that about the same way we did decades ago.

There is much better technology that is available now, and we need to get that installed in those substations so we have better visibility, better control, and the ability to manage that the routing of power more dynamically around the system.

So part of it is technology upgrades that we need to make in our substations.

Okay.

The other, which uh Matt talked about is the wholesale upgrade of the whole transmission system.

It 2025 years ago, a consultant told Huntsville Utilities you are overbuilding the 45, the 46 KV system.

It's 20, 25 years later, we're still overbuilding the 46 KV system.

So we need to talk about moving that to the next level.

Huntsville is already larger than Nashville was when Nashville built out its 161 system.

So it's time to have that conversation because that is a mini decade-long investment of consistent investment over time to move to a to uh to those larger power uh larger transmission circuits.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

And now you see why we need to have a work session.

Mr.

Mayed.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, the 46 KV to the 161 KV system, what is required to do that?

Is it a completely separate system that you have to build from scratch, or can you upgrade the 46 to get to that?

It is fundamentally a new system on top of that.

Um so you would do it, you would find pieces and parts to do over time that need to fit within a master plan, because ultimately we want a looped system so that if power goes out here, you can route it around another direction.

But uh that is what we would will be working on over this next year with the guidance from the Energy Task Force is laying out from the engineering perspective, what does that look like?

In before we can't do it overnight.

So how are the 46 KV system going to interact with the 161?

Sure.

So um at our substations, that's what just what they do is they can we currently a lot of Huntsville's 46 KV stations are fed from TVA's 161 system.

Okay.

And then our sub and our transformers knock that voltage down to 46, where it then goes, travels along the 46th circuit, goes to another substation that knocks that voltage down to 12,000 volts, which is what travels down the streets.

Okay.

And then the cans on the side of the road or the greenhouses knock that down to the voltage that goes into the homes and businesses.

So it is that stepping stone and just adding another layer on top of that stepping stone.

So it's more or less seamless.

Yes.

It is just adding another Lego brick to the to the build, if you will.

Yes, sir.

Also you mentioned um hopefully being able to negotiate a more flexible TVA contract.

I understand the uh the atmosphere is ripe for that.

But what is the timeline on that?

I believe that the work that we have been doing with TVA now on uh uh an alternative arrangement, which is a step one of a new power contract, they may introduce as soon as this year as an optional rate.

And then and then see how that goes and then move to the next phase and the next phase.

So I think work is underway now.

TVA has not had a board due to its complications.

They have a board now, that board is going to start meeting soon.

They need to start getting that board up to speed, and then that board will hopefully be in a position as soon as maybe this summer to start making some decisions on this.

Wonderful.

Thank you, sir.

And finally, uh the governance piece.

Right now we have got the three separate boards.

And we can want to consolidate to one.

We think that is the most effective way to move forward.

But with the creation of the new pipeline entity, how does how does gas get included?

Um because it is my understanding, the pipeline is kind of a separate separate thing.

So is this new um board that is consolidated into one board?

Do how does the pipel how do they interact with this new pipeline and the other entities?

And one thing that that a unified board would be appointed by this body.

This City Council would appoint that board and continue as you have all these years, you just instead of making three appointments and some of which you appoint the same person to two different boards, that would fade out.

But um Huntsville Utilities, even if it was a single body would just be a customer of the North Alabama public pipeline.

Okay.

So there would just be a contractual buyer-seller relationship.

There is no governance overlap.

Okay.

That is a separate thing, and we buy and sell from them.

If all that comes into fruition, that is the way that would work.

Sounds great.

Thank you very much, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Kelly, the Tennessee Valley Authority, I know has a pretty high debt level, but I think the debt level they have is actually reduced from what it was, maybe like this time next year.

But as that trend continues, does that take the pressure off of local communities such as Huntsville actually getting into power generation?

Because we know how to pick up garbage.

We know how to do the streets.

And you guys are good folks, but again, uh you never have run a power generating plant before.

Is this I mean, is the pressure getting off where TVA can do power generation and that you can be the distributor and we can do our job that we do in city government?

Well, you are very perceptive in that that was a big catalyst for the Community Energy Resource Plan and the Energy Task Force overall is an uncertainty around TVA, not only in its governance structure, although I think all that is stabilized, but also in its in its long-term power supply plan.

TVA's uh debt limit is in place.

Um TVA will probably start bumping up against that debt limit in the next few years, but they have alternative financing strategies and other ideas about ways to maneuver around that.

This is one of those ideas and alternatives, a way to maneuver around that.

So they're still very interested in us pursuing this option because they see it as working in harmony with TVA.

Okay.

One personal private concern I have is that uh I remember several years ago, they were building a nuclear power plant out near uh Scottsburg, and they got roughly, I think about two-thirds of the way done, then they just scrapped it.

And you know, a lot of money, billions of dollars was wasted.

And I just want to make sure we're being very conservative as far as what we're expecting them to do, and they're not going to be feeling that they've got all this leeway because communities are you know going to be doing power generation.

And you know, I'm hoping we can you and the folks in uh Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, you know, can all hold hold their feet to the fire so that we're not getting to an area that we really don't need to get into if we're holding their feet to the fire.

So I'm I've had good contact with the um the board member who I had appointed to your committee as well as uh another one also, and I appreciate all the work that y'all are doing, but I'm I'm still very skeptical about us, you know, extending and getting into this area, unless they absolutely positively has to be something that we do.

I can appreciate that, sir.

And you're right, this is uh we need to know what's Huntsville's plan in the event that something unexpected happens.

So that we're not left to figure it out then.

We already have sort of thought through those scenarios.

Okay.

Uh also uh going back to the uh uh the consolidated utility board that we're talking about down the line.

Um, are they going to be the ones that are going to be setting ready increases, or will uh those rate increases perhaps that they propose uh come to the City Council for uh action?

So it depends how we walk down that road.

So under the Public Act 175 scenario, the State gave the board rate setting authority, but I think there are some ways to mitigate that to maintain the relationship that we have had.

That is going to require some creativity from some lawyers, but I am committed to figure out how to do that.

If we do something customized in Montgomery, we can make it however you want it to be.

Okay.

I just think uh accountability uh where it comes from the elected official.

I mean, that's just me personally.

I don't know where other council members are, but it just seems like you know, the buck stops, you know, with us, so to speak, instead of a non-elected uh public board having that authority.

So of course, this body appoints that board.

Yeah.

Okay, but still that's that will be a discussion later to have.

Yes, sir.

That will be a great discussion for work setting.

Thank you.

Uh Ms.

Watkins, do you have any questions?

No.

Uh then, council members, we will have staff reach out to you to schedule dates for a work session where we can dive in deeply in some of these issues that we have just covered tonight at a very high level.

Thank you, Mr.

Kelly, and thank you to all the members of the task force who have contributed their service and to our consultants as well.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Appreciate your time.

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

9A has been deleted because the owner has completed all necessary action.

However, if there is anyone here who wishes to speak to this, you would be welcome to do so.

Is there anyone here who came prepared to speak to 9A?

And seeing none, we will go on to 9B.

9B is a public hearing on the zoning of 4.91 acres of land lying on the east side of Hillcrest Avenue Northwest, north of U.S.

Highway 72 West, to Highway Business C4 District, and consideration of an ordinance pertaining to this same.

Mr.

Nunez.

Good evening, Council Members.

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

This item is located east side of Hillcrest Avenue and north of U.S.

Highway 72 West.

This is recently annexed into City of Huntsville.

The petitioner is seeking to zone the property highway business C4 for commercial retail use.

The public hearing on item 9B, a public hearing on the zoning of 4.91 acres of land is now open.

Is there anyone here who wishes to address the council regarding this item?

Is there anyone here who wishes to speak?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Kling.

Any questions for Mr.

Nunez?

Discussion?

All in favor, please indicate posed.

Motion carries.

9C is 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 consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

Mr.

Nunez.

Councilmember, this item was recently annexed into the City of Huntsville.

It is located south south of Highway 72 east and east of Shields Row.

Petitioner is seeking to zone the property highway business C4 for also a commercial use.

The public hearing on this item is now open.

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

Please come forward.

Ms.

Johnson, please give us your name and address for the record, please.

Joy Johnson, I live on West Arbor in Huntsville.

Thank you.

Both of these that have come forward are tree-covered lots, and I must speak for the trees.

We are losing biodiversity at an unprecedented and horrifying rate.

When is the city going to work on maybe some zoning that will preserve our natural habitat when this kind of thing is going on?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ms.

Johnson, is there anyone else who wishes to address this item?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion to approve that.

Second from Mr.

Little.

Any questions or discussion?

All in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The motion carries the ordinance is approved.

Thank you, Council members.

Thank you, Mr.

Nunez.

We have no public hearings to be set.

We will now move to agenda-related public comments.

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

When called, please approach the microphone.

You will have three minutes to address the council, state your name, home address, and city of residence.

Speakers shall refrain from entering into dialogue with council members or city staff and from making comments regarding good name and character of any individual.

We have only one person to sign up, and that is Ms.

Joy Johnson.

Ms.

Johnson?

Joy Johnson, West Arbor Drive, Huntsville.

I think I want to start with uh being unhappy about the fact that I cannot speak at this public hearing section and at the non-agenda related, as if on any given City Council night, I have only one or two things to talk about.

And so that means I have to cram as much as I can into either one or the other.

And it seems unfair.

You guys get your time to talk and nobody clocks you.

First of all, we just had a lovely presentation from this energy task force.

How come we don't get a presentation from our sustainability commission?

How come we're not making happen as they said they were going to do with their items?

The things on the Sustainability Commission plan that this city may or battle put it worked on and put together.

What's happening with them?

Anything?

Where is their report?

I also love how Ms.

Johnson, that's not an agenda item.

Can you just please stick to agenda items?

I was comparing it to this.

I like how uh the Hunt the every time the utilities comes, they get to uh uh talk uh in an earlier item than the Huntsville Utilities item.

So that's um like sort of like they don't get pushed too late in the agenda.

They get to come early and have their say and leave, unlike the people who got moved to the end of the agenda for public comments.

Um I see a whole bunch of people now are going to the Chamber of Commerce.

Uh up in Washington.

How come more than one person needs to go?

Uh air travel is incredibly CO2 producing.

When are we going to start thinking differently about these things?

The utilities report was just saying that everything's changing.

Time to think about change.

Maybe get uh get that uh trade passenger train coming in here.

Um I see that you've got a lovely uh hatch agreement among a many, many things in here.

I noticed that Hatch does have a uh coffee shop down at the South library.

Why don't we have coffee shops at uh all the libraries?

That'd be a great thing for Hatch to be able to do.

Um Anna.

And why is why did the Energy Task Force leave before we got to item 20 AK talking about this solar uh facility?

I want to hear about that.

Where are they?

I want to know why they are able to put a solar uh facility out there.

But I they Huntsville Utilities stopped me from getting solar on my house.

Your time is up, ma'am.

Thank you so much for your meta presence.

Mr.

Kling.

If if I could, I would like to respond to one thing that the speaker had asked about, and perhaps for better or for worse, either I'm the good guy or I'm the culprit.

Uh but I have literally been going around trying to encourage as many council members as possible to go on the Chamber of Commerce trip.

It is very important.

It's a great teamwork approach.

The mayor and the council, as many council members as possible going up to Washington, D.C.

with members of the Madison County Commission, uh City of Madison, and several uh smaller North Alabama communities, Scottsboro, I think Southern Tennessee, uh Decatur, and it's very important because these are this is the action that we do when we go up to Washington, D.C.

to get jobs, Army Missile Command, FBI, uh very significant things that that we do to plan for our future so that we can be a good city, and that includes tens of millions of dollars of road projects.

And I think it's very important when we're up there and we're meeting with these folks, we can say, well, we've got a majority of the Huntsville City Council members who are here, or we've got all of the council members here.

So I've been kind of trying to encourage other council members.

Uh I think the Chamber does a great job.

It's a good teamwork approach.

And in this era, when you hear about government infighting, I think it's a breath of fresh air that here in Huntsville, North Alabama, uh we're working together with other governing bodies on a teamwork approach.

We're working with the Chamber in a very positive direction.

And good things happen in Huntsville.

Of course, not everybody is gonna like everything that happens, but we have a lot of good recognitions, people moving in, finding jobs, quality of life, having a good economy.

And that's because of largely I think this uh this trip, you know, has a lot to do with it.

So, you know, I'm up front uh for better for worse.

I you know, I um think it's a good thing, and I'm you know, again, encourage other council members, still got time to to register, and again, it's a good teamwork approach.

So uh I think the tape the chamber is a great entity on in this project is a great thing that we all work together as a team instead of you know competing against other cities for.

Huntsville, I guess I'm going rambling a little bit, but Huntsville is uh seeing a lot of good things taking place, uh, whereas in Birmingham, Jefferson County, there's Birmingham by itself as an island, and then you got all those small communities out in Jefferson County that uh in ways compete or don't have the best relationship with Birmingham.

So I'm probably the culprit, but I think it's a good I think it's a good thing that we do as a body.

Thank you, Mr.

Kling.

We'll move on now to comments from the mayor and council members.

Mayor Battle.

Thank you, Madam President.

I think because of length of agenda, I'm going to keep this very short.

But everybody just needs to be over the next three or four days, be weather aware.

We have had some dire predictions in weather.

They've seem to have gotten a little bit better, but we're getting closer and closer to when the event is going to be coming in, which will be Friday night and to Saturday, and then the big event will be Sunday afternoon into Monday.

So if you would uh please uh stay close to your uh weather media and uh listen in.

Uh everybody's got there's some like 16 different models out there right now that everybody is using, and every one of them are a little bit different.

But um but I think the end result is that we'll have a little bit of prior prior warning before any weather comes in.

And um, you know, watch out for your neighbors if you will.

Uh that's one of the things that is so great about this community.

Uh if you can help out your neighbors, that's a great thing to do.

So thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Mayor Battle.

Councilmember David Little.

Thank you, Madam President.

I did a rain dance this morning.

So you know that's why there is like one spot of rain that's going to come right over Huntsville.

You'll remember that.

Um today I had the opportunity to visit briefly, and I wish I could have stayed longer at the Career Connect event that was held out at the JC's building.

Um I believe it's a joint effort, Committee 100, the State, uh Housing Authority people are there and others.

Uh and it was uh it was really uh wonderful to see over 1,500 people come, sit down, talk about the uh types of jobs they are looking for.

They were serving people that are just graduated from high school, the people with masters in engineering.

Um seen a lot of people just want to get out there and get good jobs or change jobs, and it was just really a wonderful event.

Um then, depending on what the weather does, Saturday morning I'll be meeting with the Governor's Bend Homeowners Association and talking about whatever they want to talk about.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Little.

Councilmember Meredith.

Thank you, Madam President.

I want to give a thank you out to those of you who extended birthday wishes to me earlier this week.

It was greatly appreciated and helped make the anniversary of my birth even more special.

Also want to send a thank you out to the good folks at the Rock House Landing neighborhood for having me speak at their HOA meeting last week.

Another thank you goes out to all the folks who attended the district-wide town hall held on Monday at the new West Huntsville Recreation Center on Martin Road.

Most neighborhoods in the district were actually represented by residents.

Um while it was nice to see such diversity of neighborhoods in the district there, it did make for a standing room only event.

Um, but everyone was able to ask any question that was on their mind.

Got a special thanks to Kathy Martin, Dennis Madston, and Shane Davis for their informative presentations and helping me answer the litany of questions constituents had.

An extra special thank you to the parks and recreation staff who stayed well after closing time in order for me to accommodate answering the final constituent questions.

I look forward to speaking at the Cyber Schools government relations or government classes next week.

And as winter closes around us, closes in around us, please prepare.

Especially have a plan for if your lights go out and your power goes out.

Have a plan in place that you can act on immediately.

And to our unhoused population, please, please, please take advantage of the warming centers.

No one here wants anyone to lose their life as a result of exposure to the brutal cold that is coming our way.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Mr.

Meredith.

Ms.

Watkins.

Good evening.

Huntsville Hospital is a public hospital created to serve this community as a public trust.

Because of that, any proposed merger, especially one involving a private system that could result in a single dominant medical provider in a metropolitan city, should not move forward without transparency and public input.

This decision affects access to care, pricing, workforce stability, and the hospital role as a safety net for uninsured and underinsured residents.

And any change to its governance or long-term control must be openly discussed before it is finalized.

This is not opposition to collaboration or progress.

It is a call for accountability.

Now I am a very strong advocate for freedom of speech.

It's one of the things I advocated for when I was elected on the council, especially for citizens to come to the microphone and express their viewpoints and their concerns.

However, freedom of speech does not include the right to intentionally create chaos or confusion by spreading information that is false.

Statements made at the previous council member meeting on January 8th alleged that ICE established a roadblock in partnership with House of Police in District 1 on Winchester Road.

After checking with Mr.

John Hamilton and Chief Childs, that did not happen.

When I attempted to address this individual about the claim that they made on the microphone here in this council chamber, they chose to disengage and leave.

That made it clear that the intent was not resolution but disruption.

We welcome concerns whether we agree with them or not, but I will not allow false information to be placed on a public record without correction.

So if you come to this microphone and you purposely mislead the public, I'm going to correct you every time.

Lastly, some of you express concern that we're looking down when you're speaking to us.

We're actually writing notes.

We're taking notes of what you're saying because sometimes some of the things she tells, we go back and we try to investigate, we try to find out what happened, and we try to find a solution because we do want to answer your questions and your concerns.

So please don't take it as a display of disrespect because it's not.

We're actually writing down notes.

Today I had the pleasure of attending Calhoun Community Colleges MLK Unity program given by their Unity Club and their sponsor, Miss Ariane Fletcher.

The guest speaker was Mr.

Yolanda Cottle, and the program was actually phenomenal.

The choir took us to church, and that's actually the name of a song that they they did sing, and it was actually awesome.

And I left there with a renewed sense that we can definitely pass the baton to our younger generation.

They are engaged and committed to being involved and making a change, and that is extremely important because we have to make things um inclusive, not exclusive.

You want people to feel that they are part of what you have going on.

Now, the last thing I'm gonna um address is ICE, because I've gotten several emails.

A lot of you come to the microphone and talk about ICE.

The only ICE agreement we have, and it's been ongoing for years, is an agreement to investigate crimes against children.

And when people come in and they commit crimes, serious crimes, and they're not here legally.

We are not in an agreement with ICE to come and engage and pick up our residents and harass them on the street.

We are not in agreement with them that we don't have a signed agreement saying that.

I don't support that.

So let me go ahead and put it on the record.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Watkins.

Mr.

Clean.

Thank you, Madam President.

Well, the uh last uh several days have been a lot of uh diverse uh experiences throughout the uh community, all of them uh top notch.

Last Saturday I had the uh privilege to ride the 1927 city fire truck in the Martin Luther King parade.

It was a nice sunny day, and it was a great event, and certainly uh glad to see uh the turnout that we had uh showing people who appreciate, and at the same time, this is a very thought-provoking uh holiday.

Um, Dr.

King um was a thinker and he was a doer.

And uh it's a chance to kind of reflect on his life, what his contributions were uh to our community.

Additionally last night uh I was uh here at City Hall.

They had the state of the arts uh reception and celebration, pointing out the uh amount of public art and all the individual art organizations throughout the community and what their contributions have been.

We take it for granted perhaps, but if you look around, there's so many great examples of public art that we have, whether it's at Stovehouse, whether it's downtown, where it's out at mid-city.

And these are things that I think make Huntsville perhaps uh a little bit better community than uh we would be without it.

And I think we're fortunate to have so many great private citizens who participate in that process to help enhance the arts in the city of Huntsville.

Also a little bit of good news there had been individuals who had contacted me and I relayed those requests to the public transit department.

Also I gave my input and I imagine other council members also had given input the public uh transit director uh told me that uh Sunday uh shuttle bus service will be commencing uh sometime late spring and that is due to listening to uh the concerns and needs that have been expressed by members of the public.

Uh the shuttle bus system that we have provides a lot of service to many people helps many people get to work.

It helps people to get to uh grocery stores, convenience stores from where they live and the fact that uh after citizen input and evaluation of routes that the service is going to be expanded to Sundays I think is a is a very good thing.

So again that's something we can look forward to.

And also this afternoon I had a chance to stick my head over at the career contact uh event that was taking place at uh uh John Hunt Park in the JC building and I figure it was time for me to leave when I had two people come up and offer me jobs.

So uh I got out by before anything got signed.

But uh seriously there were uh probably uh probably uh around a thousand people who were there they were waiting in line it was a very well organized uh Huntsville City Schools uh committee of 100 City of Huntsville uh other agencies were there uh private uh businesses were there and uh uh again it's a chance for people to uh get a job or to move up and uh I commend everybody that was involved in making that event take place.

Also is Mr.

Hamilton in the room he is he is Mr.

Hamilton can you kind of get the post Mr.

Hamilton has a literally been a great advocate and we have had great communication working together to uh expand residential street sweeping that is something council members heard me talk about in the past and can you just give an update on the progress and how much we've been able to improve things over the last few years or so.

Yes, sir.

So as you particularly folks that uh that pay attention during uh budget cycle last few years we spent a lot of time kind of talking about how we over time uh invest more resources into the street sweeping program and can grow that uh as we've laid out it's something that needs to be done incrementally just based on available resources and and the time it takes to get the equipment in and and uh hire workforce and things.

And so over the last several years we have been you know slowly incrementally growing that program.

Some things that I think it's important for folks to understand about the program is really where it started was focused in commercial areas and around major routes and things where uh you know where there's not private entities that would uh that do some of the things that we need in terms of cleaning the the you know uh curb line gutters and things like that.

Uh and so that's mostly commercial uh corridors and stuff.

Uh but what uh what you have asked of us and what we've uh started doing is is little by little adding more neighborhood services in so the really the the the program around keeping the curb line clean in a neighborhood is a partnership between what we can provide and what the what the homeowners or residents need to do.

So the the first line of defense on keeping your curb line clean is and it's by ordinance is the resident of a house.

So out in front of my house I make sure when I mow the grass I keep the curb line clean and things and that's the first line of defense in terms of keeping that clean so that the water can get to the gutters and things.

But also as we are adding in more and more residential street sweeping that then augments what is expected of a homeowner.

So it's really a partnership between us and the people that live in the neighborhood to keep the neighborhood clean.

As we've added neighborhoods really what we focused on right now with the resources we have or older neighborhoods particularly where you've got a lot of established tree canopy where you get a lot more leaves and things and it really affects our ability to get stormwater out of the neighborhood.

So that's important.

That's why it's important for people to keep their curb line clean but it's also important for us to come in and augment their efforts and make certain that those particular those older neighborhoods are serviced and over time we'll add more and more neighborhoods.

The the typical standard of service will be coming through twice a year once once your neighborhood is on that list.

And so we will continue to do that.

So generally about six or seven months apart you should see them coming through.

One of the things I do oftentimes talk to to folks that live in some of our particularly older neighborhoods, Lil Mill is an example of a neighborhood that does not have curbs the way the street sleeper works, if we run through that neighborhood, we're just going to sling all of the debris into the people's yards and they tend not to like that.

So right now for neighborhoods that don't have curbs our street shoe program really isn't very effective and so we stay out of those areas because we don't want to make the problem worse inside people's yards and throw debris from the streets into their yards.

But for all of those that uh that have curbs we are able to come through and do that.

So we are growing it over time I think we will continue to do that obviously we have got to be budget conscious as we as we always are and so it's something that we will need to continue to do as we have the resources available.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

And please tell Mr.

Walker when I hear from folks they appreciate the good work being done.

And finally Madam President I know there's been discussion about Huntsville hospital we have been hearing about I did do some investigation and found out that when the time comes I think the CEO is going to be coming down to make a public presentation.

One thing I do understand about the situation what we known as Crestwood Hospital is still going to be remain and will be called Crestwood Hospital.

The sign will stay there and everything will you know on that will will be the same.

And I did con I did have contact with Mr.

Sam's and when he is able to he will be coming down and doing a public presentation.

That is all I have Madam President Mr.

Kling I will just follow up on some of the other comments that have been made tonight regarding the weather weather frozen precipitation in the South changes in hours.

So while we are looking at rain right now we need to stay weather aware those city alerts if you haven't signed up would be a great way for you to be alert to changing conditions and road conditions.

So take the advantage to do that and plan to stay home and to be warm and wait for we hope what we hope will be a rain event to go through we will need to watch Monday morning as those temperatures really get cold and watch for road conditions then but stay home.

We are mindful of those who can't stay home public works will be out there salting roads and monitoring conditions.

Huntsville utilities will be monitoring lines and first responders will always be there to see to emergency needs we pray for their safety and we thank them for their service we will move on now to our Finance Committee report 14A is a resolution authorizing expenditures for payment.

I make motion to approve expenditures and the amount of 26076.

Second by Mr motion by Mr Meredith second by Mr.

Little any questions?

All in favor please indicate any opposed motion carries is there a report from the Finance Committee?

No, ma'am not today.

Thank you.

14B is an ordinance approving appropriations, goods or services for District 1, Council improvement funds the Chair moves for approval.

Second second by Ms Watkins Ms.

Watkins would you like to share with us how these funds will be spent?

Yes.

House City schools reached out to me they have an annual event that they take the elementary school students to every year at Alabama AM Acrobus Center, but unfortunately this year the grant that provided an opportunity for them to participate is no longer existing so they needed some funds and so you know I am an advocate of supporting schools in my district and making sure that the students have the any experiences that they can have to enhance and develop their growth in education.

So this is why I am appropriating these funds to Rolling Heels, MLK and Lakewood.

Thank you, Ms.

Watkins any questions for Ms.

Watkins?

All in favor?

Proposed motion carries 14 C is a resolution authorizing travel for Councilmember Jenny Robinson to Washington D.C.

April 19 to 21 2026 for the Chamber of Commerce Huntsville Madison County 2026 Washington DC trip.

Motion to approve motion from Mr.

Meredith second from Mr.

Kling discussion I guess I would just echo what Mr.

Kling uh said earlier this trip is important for us to attend and if we attend as a body it sends a very strong message to our representatives in Washington D.C.

and to others the climate right now is we need to be very vigilant about what is going on in Washington and how it will impact Huntsville.

And so I think it is very important.

I have not gone on this trip for years but I have made a special effort to go this year because it is important for us to be there.

14D is a resolution authorizing travel for Councilmember David Little to Washington, D.C., April 18 to 21, 2026 for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville, Madison County 2026, Washington, D.C.

trip.

Move to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Little, second from Mr.

Meredith.

President, I will add the our chamber delegation is one of the largest, if not the largest, in the entire country that goes up there.

And uh when we think about it all that has to happen, all that happens, all the moving parks, not only in Huntsville, but in our region is very important.

So people know that.

Mr.

Meredith.

All I have to say is you must have gotten upgraded.

Yours is $25 more.

So you must have upgraded for that extra leg room on your trip.

I actually asked about that, and it's two different people did the estimates.

Both costs will be much lower than what's going on.

I'm just giving you a 20%.

I did ask about that, but that's $25 worth of chicken wings.

You know, one of the hotel donors.

Just go ahead and vote.

All in favor.

Any opposed motion carries.

Uh we have one board nomination to vote on.

15A is a resolution to reappoint Bradley Garland to the Huntsville Public Library Board to his current seat for four years for a four-year term to expire February 3, 2030.

Chairman's approval.

Second from Mr.

Little.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Imposed, the motion carries.

We have one board nomination.

This will not require action at this meeting, it is nomination only, and will be considered at the February 12 meeting.

16A is a nomination to appoint Sue Alexander to the Huntsville Beautification Board place 10 to fill the vacancy due to the resignation of Ethan Walker Jones for the remainder of a three-year term to expire September 30, 2028.

Are there any nominations from the floor?

Seeing none, we'll move on.

We have no Huntsville utility items and no legal department items.

Brings us to 19 unfinished business items for action.

19A is an ordinance to amend ordinance number 89-79.

Classifications and salary plan ordinance.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second by the Chair.

Any questions?

Yes.

Ms.

Ms.

Watkins.

It says the position of multimedia specialist is created for the San Germans Center specifically.

Is this something that we normally do?

Mr.

Hamilton.

So once you approve the budget, then HR starts the process of actually creating the positions.

One of the things that is being built in the Sandra Moon complex is a teen center that has a lot of audiovisual stuff, so like podcast rooms and gaming and things like that.

And so that is a position specifically designed to oversee and run that particular facility.

We do think that there is going to be opportunities as we continue to grow out that we do the similar kind of programs in other rec centers.

And so I think over time, as we did that, we would have more copies of that same position.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate opposed.

Motion carries.

19D.

19B is an ordinance granting a cable franchise to knowledge of Huntsville, Inc.

and authorizing the mayor to enter into and execute cable franchise agreement between the City of Huntsville, Alabama, knowledge of Alabama Inc.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Era, second from Mr.

Little.

Are there any comments or questions?

Mr.

Riley, I do have one question for you.

I know this is an update of an existing contract.

Are we going to update this to include danglers and other maintenance of lines?

That would fall in under the police powers that are referred to in here.

But we're doing a good bit of work and consideration on the best ways to approach some of these things.

This is a renewal actually of an agreement that we have been on a carryover basis for a long period of time.

And so we really wanted to get this into place so that we can govern our right-of-ways appropriately with this company as we do with some of the others.

Okay.

Any other comments, questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

19C is an ordinance annexing 2.80 acres of land lying on the south side of Capshaw Road and east of Balch Road.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

And second by the Chair, Mr.

Nunez.

Council members, thank you for this item.

Thomas Nunez, manager of planning and zoning services.

This item is located south side of Capshaw Road and east of Balt Row.

Petitioners is seeking to annex in for city services.

Are there any questions from Mr.

F one?

Do we do we know what will ultimately be here?

Yeah, the intent is for uh commercial office for services to uh general uh individuals within the area.

Thank you very much.

I know my constituents are gonna ask, with us picking up this portion of Balch Road, will street lights be included in that?

Um I think that would be an assessment uh in the widening of Balch Road through that process, but with something we can definitely examine as we go through site plan approval as well and working with Huntville Utilities to assist.

Thank you, sir.

Any other things?

I think uh Mr.

Davis wants to speak.

Mr.

Davis?

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So Council Mayor, uh Engineering Department is working with actually Madison County Commission now uh to upgrade intersections along Capshaw Balch being one, adding more turn lane depths, you know, uh at uh Jeff Road, Nance Road, Waltrana, and Baltch.

Part of that will be additional street lights and lighting at those intersections.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

And thank you, Mr.

Nunez, as well.

That's all I have.

Any other questions or comments?

All in favor, please indicate.

I motion carries.

19D is an ordinance annexing 648.44 acres of land lying on the south side of I 565 and east and west of Swancott Road is the first time.

From Ms.

Watkins.

Mr.

Nunez.

That's the first uh the excitement about this annexation, definitely.

So uh this item is located south side of Interstate 565 and east and west of Swancai Road.

I do want to take this time to thank uh Lawrence McCreary and the McCrary family with this particular annexation uh and their uh commitment to the education system and the advancement of our particular community, as this site uh and with it as well will be future site of our expansion of our Huntsville City schools, uh, but want to thank them in this annexation.

Are there questions or comments?

Uh again, a great purpose for this.

Uh I did get one email today asking about impacts on wheeler wildlife.

So anything that is built here, any any projects that go forward, uh there will have to be an environmental study.

That is correct.

Yes, ma'am.

So that will be comment.

Additionally, with that, we have um some additional boundaries as it is a sensitive area.

So as we go through design, those uh additional protections can be placed will be put in place as well.

Thank you.

Ms.

Watkins.

I do want to say um thank you for working on this, and uh thanks to my council members as well, Mayor Battle and the McQuery family.

Uh any time an investment is made in education, you know that is something to commend people for.

Absolutely.

Thank you, Ms.

Watkins.

Mr.

McC Mr.

Kling.

Um this is just the first step, but you know, as projects like this and other things move on.

I think uh uh uh a valid concern was raised about trying to make sure when these things happen that they're uh as much emphasis or preservation of trees as much as possible for aesthetics and uh you know what they mean.

And uh maybe there are some designs, criteria, guidelines, the planning department uh might look at uh for the future, but uh I think that is a good quality of life, and I think it is a a good thing that was raised.

I will echo the same sentiments as we're working with the McCurry family through that process of what this area looks like in the future and how we preserve some of the landscapes that are already natural in the area as well.

Okay, that could you know carry over into other uh other projects you know down the line that we have.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

And then I know that there's been uh some concern expressed regarding annexations.

Um could you comment on uh on the total percentage of which land have we annexed over the last time?

Pivot to another uh chart that our staff and um we have been working on.

So uh annexations are they have we have grown uh a bit much.

Nevertheless, over through this time, this actually looks at our city has been large through the time frame that you all have served, and even our mayor served on this but uh over the time frame.

How we have here it shows up a percentage and it is less than 0.1 percent of our increase each year over the last six years.

Yes, we have some significant growth, but in last year alone, we are only looking at a 1.37 percent increase from the previous year, whether even in 2024 we was over we were just at 0.06 percent.

So percentage-wise, it is not a significant amount of land that we have uh been accumulated to our overall property in question.

So it doesn't expand uh significantly what we have as services.

It technically fills in the gaps of areas that we are already servicing.

Madam President, if we could, could we have Mr.

Davis come up and uh tell a little bit about this this property that he has worked extensively with the McCray family?

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

Uh Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Balance.

So the McCray family, uh uh I know Lawrence and members of the Mercury family are here tonight.

And uh uh Mr.

Nunes said we can commend them.

Uh so this really goes back to um, not to take a lot of time, but if you think back to 2008, uh on a whim, uh we got asked to compete for a very large OEM industrial project for votes.

Why didn't we finish second?

And uh, you know, we were just kind of getting into Limestone County at that point, and we sat down in 2008 post you know the letdown of not uh securing that project for North Alabama and did a master plan.

Uh just this past year we've spent we spoke at uh Councilman Mayor's town hall about that and shared some of that update.

So we've constantly updated that plan, made investment through TIFF districts, as those large industry have come in, they've made these huge capital investments.

We've been able to capitalize on that very systematically being prepared to where we're at tonight.

And what I'm most proud of with our staff and and the leadership of the mayor and this council allowing us to do that, we've been able to do that without taking away from the established areas of our city.

It's not like we chose not to do something in a well-established neighborhood in your district to go do something in a growing area of our community.

We've been able to do both of those at a managed pace.

And a lot of that comes with partnerships with landowners.

A lot of the success that we've had with the industry, Eli Lilly, for example, and Maza Toyota and Polaris, all those is having those relationships and confidence with property owners.

Tonight we're talking not about industry, but we're talking about education and the McCreary family and Mercury Farms.

When we sat down with them, uh, you know, at first we said we have identified this as a place that's the right location without Huntsville City Schools having to build multiple schools in that limestone county area, north side of the interstate, south side of the interstate.

It's this area that's kind of centralized to this master plan.

Uh we went at it as if can we get a purchase agreement?

The McCray family says, look, we value education, we value what the City of Huntsville is doing, the vision and how you're systematically will donate that land to Huntsville City Schools.

So uh we commend that effort and and to Mr.

Nunes' point.

You know, growing our land mass at just under one percent is manageable, is is manageable.

I think sometimes we hear a thousand acres or tonight six hundred and fifty acres.

And if you're like me and you and you live in a residential subdivision on a half acre lot or or three-tenths of a lot, six hundred and fifty acres is a lot.

This is a large city.

And what it allows us to do is slowly grow our tax base.

So we're continuing to implement the things of public safety and and utilities and roads and resourcing record amounts in existing neighborhoods.

That small amount of land growth will allow us to grow a tax base without having to grow taxes.

So I hope that's what you are looking for, Mayor.

Answer any questions.

Mr.

Nunes handled it fantastically.

And I'd like to say thank you to the McGregor family for what they have given to this community.

Thank you for your generosity and vision and Shane Thomas, thank you for the work you have done on this.

And thank you again for putting all this in perspective with regard to our growth.

Um growing, I like the way Shane said it.

We are growing our tax base, not raising our taxes.

Uh uh we'll move on now to vote on this.

Uh all in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

And the opposed the motion hearings.

Thank you, everybody, for their good work on that.

All right.

Brings us to 20 new business items for consideration.

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

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

What items uh would council members like to hold?

Uh Madam President, item AJ and item A K.

Item A H?

A J.

A.

J.

Hotel.

And A K.

Alpha Town, well, uh it's a big long agenda.

We'll get there.

AJ and AK.

And what was the other one?

AK.

AK, AJ and AK.

Okay.

Others?

Madam President, I would like to hold um.

20 V.

20 AH.

And 20 AI.

And I would add to that holding G.

Any others that anyone would want to hold?

Mr.

Kling.

Ben chair moves for consolidation.

Y'all check me if I'm right.

Items 20A, 20 C to 20 F.

20H to 20 A G.

Mr.

Mayor said V is the same thing.

So through U.

Oh, to you.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Little.

You're welcome.

I'm sorry, I missed that entirely.

Let's try this again.

This is a long agenda.

It is.

Okay, so you would like to hold B.

Oh, I st I totally get why you want to hold that one.

Okay.

That's a good one for you.

So we're back to 20A, 20 C to 20F.

20H to 20 U.

20W.

To 20 A G?

Is that correct?

Yes.

Okay.

And then 20 A L to 20 A N.

A J.

20 AJ.

We're holding 20 AJ.

We're holding 20 AI too.

Yeah.

Okay.

Oh, I did I was keeping notes.

I didn't have to.

So 20 AI, 20 AJ, and 20 AK are holding.

Oh, okay.

So I think I was correct.

Is there a second?

Or do you want to get in?

Okay.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Opposed, motion carries.

All right.

So we'll go work through these.

20 B.

20B is an ordinance amending budget ordinance number 24-700 by changing appropriate funding for various departments and funds.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith.

Second from Mr.

Kling.

Are there any questions anyone has regarding this?

All in favor, please indicate.

I suppose.

Motion carries.

B not B.

20 G is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement between the City of Huntsville and Dunlap contracting ink for the renovation to the Playhouse Theater at the Von Braun Center project uh at the Von Braun Center project.

Um Chair moves for approval.

Second.

Second by Mr.

Kling.

I held this item because there has been a lot of excitement in the arts community and many requests to have the renovation at the playhouse, and so could we just have details on that?

Okay.

I don't have a lot of details.

Um they are redoing the inside of the V of the VBC playhouse.

That includes a seating on different amenities that were that are ha aesthetics that are happening within that playhouse.

I don't know if they're increasing the seating capacity.

They are not.

Um but um but I've seen some of the renderings and stuff.

It is gonna be beautiful and very nice.

The um this this bid includes both the um for 1.1 uh million uh for for Dunlap to do all of that.

They actually ordered the seating separately, so about 900,000 for the seating, and um and so the whole thing together is about 2.1 million.

Again, I know the arts community is going to be very glad to hear that this is moving forward.

It will be a huge improvement.

I had a quick merit.

Maybe you know, maybe you don't know, but um they're not increasing the seats, but you mentioned they ordered seats, so they're gonna replace the current seat.

They are replacing the current seats.

Thank you.

And they need to upgrade it.

Yeah, I've been in there.

Yeah.

Any other questions, comments?

All in favor, please indicate motion carries.

Okay, then that brings us to V.

Not B.

Uh 20 V is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement between the City of Huntsville, Alabama, and Mullins LLC for engineering design services for a dog park and parking area at Cavella Drive, project number 71-26-sp05.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Little.

Mr.

Davis.

Yes, uh good evening.

Councilmember Shane Davis, Director Urban Economic Vote.

This is a project that uh quite frankly I told Councilman Merritt I dropped the ball on.

A couple of years ago, about 18 months ago, we had some land donated in the Research Park commercial area in around the Cabela's area and what we refer to as Lake 5 in Research Park.

We have added some greenways that connect to Redstone Gateway Park that comes under I565 and into this area into research park.

And the intent was to create a dog park there.

And uh late last year he asked me, said, hey, where's that dog park?

And I had to apologize to him.

I said with everything going on, I said, we'll get on that ASAP.

So tonight you are approving a design contract to do exactly what uh we should already have done.

Uh it's sixteen thousand dollars.

It shouldn't take very long, and we hope to have the dog part in place by summer.

Thank you.

And I'm gonna blame Eli Lilly on the ball drop.

So it's all good.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

There's no excuse.

No excuse.

Any other comments?

Is there your uh an estimate on what the size is going to be, the dimensions?

Yes, so the the uh property that was uh donated to the city uh was best I remember about six-tenths of an acre.

Uh we and Huntsville Utilities has some land behind there that's pretty much easement for utilities.

There's gas, there's water and electric.

We have talked with West Kelly at Huntsville Utilities back when this concept was put together.

We are able to fence a large portion of that area to create what we believe will be about a two and a half acre size dog part, you know, substantial to for people that uh live in the area or are you know the amount of multifamilies come into our community and the pets being able to have somewhere in that western corridor, especially around research park and research park boulevard, where we've seen a lot of multifamily have somewhere to go that's of significant size for their pets to get out and enjoy you know the outdoors.

I also want to thank uh Huntsville Utilities, West, and everyone.

Uh we appreciate your allowing us to do that.

Yeah.

Good work.

All right.

Any other comments?

Another good news story.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

We will move to 20 AH.

20 H is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into memorandum of understanding between our rescue and the City of Huntsville on behalf of the Huntsville Police Department for the donation of a specially trained electronic storage detective detection canine animal that will help identify and rescue items of sex trafficking and child sexual abuse.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second by Mr.

Kling.

I have to tell you, when I first read this item, I thought this is really interesting, so I'm glad someone held it.

Uh Chief Giles.

Yes, ma'am.

This um Auburn University, or I should, I'm sorry, um, rescues a 501c3, which is their mission is partnering with law enforcement and respect to identifying and and prosecuting children who have been subject to sexual abuse.

So in the last several months, you might have noticed we have undertaken several um operations, if you would.

We have several uh officers who are especially trained in this type of uh investigation.

So what this uh this company, or I should say the 501c3 does is they'll donate uh canine especially trained to niff out the electronic sometimes storage devices are used by people who uh partake in this type of crime when we do a search warrant.

So say, for instance, just I'll put on a uh USB drive.

It is very hard to find at time, but there's canine contractor can certainly nip them out.

Um they basically um we'd send somebody uh to Indianapolis to be trained with the canine.

They pick up they take care of the cost of that.

They provide a uh stipend for the food, they take care of the vet bills, and this commitment for at least a minimal of five years.

And important thing to go along with this, it's the fact that this this animal doubles as a service dog, which can you know bring calm to those people who have been traumatized by this.

Thank you.

Questions?

No, I I I held this one um because it's a valuable tool for law enforcement.

I have had many talks with members of HPD, and they are just so excited about bringing this service dog into the ranks, if you will.

Um it is a very, very specialized um animal.

And um, if we can help get child abuses off the streets, I am all for any resource that we can provide to make sure that happens.

Yes, sir.

We are looking forward to it.

And we should probably note also that we didn't hold item 20 AG for separate uh discussion, but it is part of this.

It's a memorandum agreement with Auburn University, so this is going to be a joint project with Auburn and their their uh canine performance sciences program.

So this is a great program all the way around.

Any other comments?

All in favor, please indicate.

The motion carries.

Twenty AI is a resolution authorizing authorizing the mayor to enter into a project development agreement among the City of Huntsville, the Industrial Development Board, and the City of Huntsville and Blue Origin Manufacturing LLC regarding the expansion of its research and manufacturing operations within the city.

Motion to approve it.

Mr.

Mayor second from Mr.

Kling.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So I think as this council and our community is well aware, hasn't been that long ago.

I think it shows what you are doing this community to keep the quality of life, keep up with infrastructure, to have a company now requesting to expand for their fourth time in a very short period of time.

What this project would do, it add 105 new full-time employees, average annual minimum wage requirements 111,280 per job.

This takes their facility to $1,641 employees in Huntsville, Alabama.

That's significant growth and significant investment.

The capital investment would be just under $72 million new dollars of investment.

What the city gets or our commitment is to help with workforce training with our chamber, our two-year college system or four-year and Alabama industrial development training.

The way we handle that, as you've seen in agreements, is where once those jobs have been created and they are on payroll, we do a reimbursement.

So for for this, the first 50 jobs we would do 200,000, and then when they get to the additional 105, the last payment of 200, I mean, I'm sorry, 100 and 100.

So it's a total of 200,000 in that support.

As you know, we protect the taxpayers' uh investment in anything we do, has a five-year job recapture.

Uh so they must main a minimum threshold of full-time employees for five years of the 1,641, not just the 105.

And at any point in time they fall below that threshold, there is a trigger for reimbursement of our workforce training dollars.

So the return on investment just the loan for the so we will have 200,000 to help train a local workforce to apply for these jobs.

Um just the building permits alone are about 400,000, so double right off the bat the minute they pull the building permit, our investment we've recouped it times two.

Uh have a new annual payroll addition of over 12 million dollars a year, and property taxes annually will be just under $900,000.

So you know, this is a really good deal uh for the city uh to have an existing industry continue to have confidence.

They have locations all over the country.

Uh this expansion could have happened anywhere.

And for Blue Origin to have confidence in our community to continue to grow here should be commended.

It's a r it's already a really impressive facility.

I had the opportunity to tour it, and if anybody else would like to, I suggest you you take that advantage of it.

They're doing amazing work there.

I did have a question.

I know some folks are going to ask why is the city spending money for them to organically grow?

Yeah.

So I I wouldn't say we are helping build anything.

We do workforce development, workforce recruitment, workforce training in generality with our two-year systems through our chamber and with the State Commerce Department annually.

So think of these funds.

It's not we're handing them a check and saying, hey, here's some little bit of money for you to go grow in Huntsville.

We're saying we know you need to fill these jobs.

We need to make sure our community has that workforce available so you stay here and be successful.

So this money is going towards workforce development.

It's not going towards move a piece of dirt or build a building or pay a light bill.

It this is going to training and workforce development of citizens in Huntsville to have their qualifications highlighted such that they can go apply for these jobs and live here and take advantage of that opportunity.

How does one go about being recruited to be a part of this?

So upon your approval tonight, uh State Alabama Commerce has already approved theirs.

Uh they will move forward.

I would there's two ways to do that.

One, go to Alabama State Commerce, Alabama Industrial Development Training AIDT.

I think it's.org or maybe.gov.

Those job postings with qualifications, there'll be everything from engineers to maintenance to custodial.

So there will be a wide range of job applications.

And then other go to our locally, our chamber has Huntsville Jobs, I think it's dot com.

But if you go to the Chamber's website, you look at it, there's a click link.

It actually has job openings for all of them that are chamber member throughout the community, not just Blue Origin, and you would you can sort those a million different ways from the job type to the company and they will be listed there.

I guess what I am really mean is how does someone get this workforce development opportunity?

So they would go through AIDT.

That's the State arm for every one of the state.

It's Alabama Industrial Development Training.

Is there any way that the city can make it available on the City's website?

We can.

We can put a link on that.

It's actually on the Chamber's website in partnership with that.

Actually, a lot of our industry work with our two-year and four-year colleges here locally, every one of them is somehow engaged with our workforce development, different phases on what their expertise is.

So it's very easy to get plugged in, not just for this, but you know, if it's advanced manufacturing or whatever, there's actually multiple AIDT training centers within our city.

Uh there's one at the JetPlex, there's a on-site one at Mods to Toyota, uh, and then they do what we call pop-up, where you know, for a specific project, they will lease a local office somewhere in our city, and that's what we kind of helped with for them to not have people in our community have to travel to Montgomery where their headquarters is to go get six weeks of training or whatever the company wants their soft skills to be.

We we make sure that happens here.

So it's much easier for our uh citizens here to take advantage of these jobs that we we bring into the community.

I I know I'm asking you to re or duplicate the wheel.

Okay.

But if it is not going to be cost prohibitive, I think the more avenues that people can access that information, the better off the community will be.

And here's what we'll do.

Uh we will get with our communications department to work with our Chamber of Commerce that has all that information.

It's very easy to duplicate.

It would not just be for these two that I presented unit, it would be everything that is currently growing and expanding and available within our community.

We can get that on our website pretty easily.

Thank you, sir.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

And help thank you for helping us understand.

This is uh putting people to work.

It's my job.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Ms.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

20 AJ, another good news story.

Resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a project development agreement among the City of Huntsville, the Industrial Development Board of the City of Huntsville, and SPX Enterprises LLC regarding a new manufacturing facility for operation by the company and its affiliates within the city.

Second from the Chair, Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

I've got a small quick presentation.

Uh hopefully come from the screen really quick.

So uh as you just read, um, this project had a code name as Project Northbridge.

We don't come up with those, actually, the site selection consultant that a company hires uh comes up with that.

Uh but Project North Bridge was a competitive site selection process.

Took a period of uh over seven months last year.

As you can see, we have been really busy in 2025, not just with Lilly, but a lot of good things happening in this community to help determine SPX technology's best place to expand within the United States.

Uh key factors included the availability of existing industrial properties.

Uh and Huntsville's benefited from that, both in Madison County and Limestone County areas of seeing private equity come in due to our growth and build spec warehouse logistics centers.

Um without that type of investment and that type of energy that our community has benefited from, we would not be here tonight with this project.

One of the key things was speed to the market, what is available that's vacant that we could buy or lease.

They'll actually be buying some property in Huntsville, an existing brand new building, uh good utility infrastructure, access to an interstate, and available workforce.

Uh just very quickly to the right, you see the process in a very simplified form of what our economic development office along with our chamber and our our uh county and state partners do.

Phase one is a project definition.

That's where the company decides what they want to do and and where they want to kind of target they would want to be.

Uh and then phase one two is pretty much we get a white paper that says answer all these questions about your community, submit sites, and then you get into property analysts, site visits, down selection, making the next cut, and then a final decision.

Uh so we were successful in that part.

A little bit about this company.

So SPX is a diversified and global supplier of equipment mainly in heat exchangers and HVAC and measurement and detect detection technologies to do it with very large-scale heating and cooling.

Uh so think of data centers, large industrial that's you know, like a Mazza Toyota, for instance, it's three and a half million square feet under roof where you've got to have huge air handlers.

That's their primary business.

Uh they're a well-established company, established in 1912.

They're in 16 countries with over 4400 employees and have annual revenues exceeding two billion dollars.

Uh these are very high, sophisticated, a lot of engineering uh for these type of systems.

They're not our residential or commercial scale type HPAC equipment or heat exchangers.

So the company commitment would be uh just under 120 million dollars of new uh private investment brought into our community, 350 full-time jobs.

Uh the requirement of this agreement, we require uh $54,290 per year is the minimum uh annual wage, and they will turn those reports in.

We'll check that uh annually.

And then they must achieve full staffing, bringing on those 350 employees no later uh than December 31st, 2029.

It will be a ramped up schedule as most industry do, uh, because you will go through training and get you know the first 50, and well, what I like to say is the people who got trained become the trainers inside the facility.

So, you know, the trainers train the trainers.

Uh so you usually have a ramp up period there.

City commitment, very light.

Uh again, the same thing we're doing for Blue Origin is partner with with our two-year, four-year that have these what we call certificates.

Uh they're not full degrees in a lot of cases like this.

It's where you're completing uh some soft skills or technical skills uh through those programs, and uh typically an employee or a prospective employee through us partnering with the state and bringing these resources, that training costs someone zero dollars.

It doesn't cost you anything.

So it's not like you've got to say, well, I got to go this two-year college to get this certificate to be able to apply for this, but I don't have the money to do that.

We're providing that to where anyone and everyone that wants that opportunity to get that training and then go on be onboarded, if you will.

Uh you complete that certificate and that training that's custom made with AOS DT, there's a 90% chance you're being hired somewhere before you even finish it.

But it's at no cost.

That's what we're providing here.

But it comes with a commitment by the company of maintaining for five years uh these 350 jobs.

You don't, we get our money back.

So uh for what we participated in, not only with us but with the state and the two-year system and their budgets and things, but also the capital investment.

If capital investment short, the the those those proceeds to help with that workforce development do not occur.

Uh so what's the return on the city's investment?

Uh the permitting fee for this project is over $650,000.

So as you can see, our investment, the day that uh we issue the building permit, we've got really uh no taxpayer funds at risk uh there.

Uh construction uh taxes on on the materials equipment is about 1.6 million.

Annual payrolls, just under $19 million of new payroll in our community that will change exchange hands through purchase of goods and services in our community, and then annual property taxes at just over 1.2 million dollars that will go to our school system and certainly to you know our county proceeds as those millage rates get expended.

And then uh, as I just said, return on investment timeline is pretty much immediate as soon as they build uh pool building permit.

Questions from council members?

I missed discussion.

One of the most important slides, it's actually backwards, and I just realized that.

Uh so the project location is actually uh in a new area that we uh created probably about five years ago.

We built uh a road between Alabama 20 and Ode Highway 20.

Uh it's the location of one of two Amazon facilities, actually about to be the third.

A last mile facilities well under construction there that will uh you'll start seeing uh most of the Amazon deliveries in this part of North Alabama has been subcontractor.

You know, it's it's been private.

Uh this last mile facility is one of probably a couple that will get built in the next few years.

You'll start seeing what I call the blue electric Amazon vans delivering to homes.

Uh so that facility is under construction just south of the blue box, but the blue box would be the location for SPX here.

So it's just northwest of uh a caddy corner from the interstate of Huntsville International Airport and actually adjacent to a new retail development that uh will break around about 30 days, anchored uh initially by Food City and Morticon.

Thank you.

Now then, Madam President, I'll answer any questions.

Now questions.

Mr.

Meredith, comments?

I was just going to also point out the food city that you had up there, but John gets everything good.

I wouldn't say that.

Michelle has a very hot uh project going on in her district.

Absolutely.

Other comments?

Another great news story.

Thank you, Shane, and your team for all their work.

All in favor, please indicate I oppose the motion carries 28K is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a solar lease option agreement among the city of Huntsville and Madison County, Alabama, and US Solar Holdings LLC.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion from Mr.

Mayor.

Second from Mr.

Kling.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So uh Councilmembers, as you saw Wes Kelly at Huntsville Utilities, speak of what does Huntsville Utilities look like moving forward?

A key piece of that was local generation.

You know, and the more local generation that we can do lowers that demand cost uh through that wholesale power TVA, so it lessens that overhead to keep rates lower, possibly you know, flat line.

And that that's the goal of Huntsville Utilities and that committee.

Um this is a step in that direction.

So what this is is uh we jointly own property uh near the southwest, I'll get this right, the water facility south of the airport on Waltrana Highway, okay?

Uh near uh south of Swancott Road, Boeing Boulevard there.

We've owned it jointly with the Mass County Commission uh for about 30 years.

Uh it was acquired through the U.H.

Foundation years ago.

Uh the intent of that was to bring industrial development in that area.

And for years we have tried it, the issue is it's so far south, it it becomes very challenging.

And then as the airport has grown, the runways have it got extended, those approaches with some FAA rules, it gets very hard.

You know, there's height restrictions in most of the industry, and now if you look at how Triana has grown very well as a residential community, it's probably not inducive for big, tall manufacturing type facilities, you know, really near the town of Triana.

Uh so as we've worked through that is there's an opportunity for Huntsville Utilities to partner to go create a phase one, could continue to grow, but 45 megawatts of new solar to put on our local grid.

What does that do?

One gives us new power, new power that's being generated locally, a cleaner mix of power of our overall grid system.

So what are you approving tonight?

You're not pro approving to enter into a lease.

So what needs to happen to determine if this project can go forward is a lot of due diligence.

That your Huntsville Utilities partner will pay for, but they need some type of option agreement to say, look, I need a good faith that should we find the soil conditions to be right, Huntsville Utilities starts to look at how this would connect to their existing electric grid that we could lease this property.

The Madison County Commission is uh we just they just missed their prior meeting, getting it on their agenda, so they'll be adopting the same.

So this says that it gives Huntsville Utilities and their partner uh the confidence to go spend a couple hundred thousand dollars of doing soil environmental impact studies and making sure this property is suitable for on a tabletop exercise of the engineering of laying it out, it works.

But you know, they want to make sure that the soil conditions, there's no environmental uh you know uh endangered species or anything that uh would derail the project.

And before you go spend 200,000, you want to make sure that both bodies, Madison County and the City of Huntsville uh City Council would be willing to partner with Huntsville Utilities and their and their solar partner to enter into a ground lease of that.

The investment would be significant for this for 45 megawatts of power.

If they would pay property tax on that investment, so it would not be exempt.

Uh so there's also a good revenue stream that would come from it in addition to 45 megawatts of of local power being generated here locally.

And should I let me I'm sorry?

Once they come back and let's say their due diligence you know checks out and they're ready to move forward, we would then bring back to you an actual lease for you to debate and enter.

And so would the Mass County Commission.

Think of this as more of a minor round of understanding to say we are in favor of you continuing to explore this concept.

Thank you.

Questions or comments, Mr.

Meredith?

Yes, this might be premature and Wes might have to come up to answer it, but if it clears all the environmental checks and balances and we move ahead and we we do it.

Is it going to tie into their grid at that substation on Waltrana?

I'll let Wes answer that.

Yeah.

Mr.

Davis gave an excellent uh explanation of that project.

Uh and we're excited about it because it really mirrors the Toyota Solar Project that's already in place in North Huntsville.

A little bit bigger.

To specifically answer your question, it would actually tie in ultimately to our jet port substation, which is up a little bit further north.

But it would uh we were talking earlier about 46 KV lines.

We would build a 40, there's already a 46 KV line that runs down Walt Triana Road.

Okay.

We would tie into that circuit, and that circuit takes it up to Jetport.

And that's when it would then distribute across the rest of our power system.

One of the key elements of this is that it will be that power will be fully absorbed within the Huntsville utility system.

It doesn't go out into the TVA system, which uh simplifies the regulatory aspects of this significantly.

Thank you, sir.

Any other questions or comments?

All in favor, please indicate.

I oppose motion carries.

We have done a lot of good work there, a lot of good news stories.

The mayor has made me aware that we have a partner in the room that is part of a number of these.

Mr.

Colin Daly, Chairman of the Limestone County Commission is here.

We certainly want to recognize him.

Colin, thank you for your partnership over the years.

Everybody may not realize that you know when we do the uh the Polaris when we do the Mazda Toyota when we do the um uh all that that is in the property in Limestone County.

Uh we have to have a governmental entity to work with, and uh the Limestone County Commission is a great uh uh great commission.

They have been good partners with us in uh several of the projects we have talked about tonight are right in their area.

So uh Colin, thank you for all your help and uh your partnership.

And on that I'm sorry, go ahead.

Uh I just also want to say that it is a pleasure to collaborate and work with all of you uh commissioners over there, and certainly you, uh, Mr.

Chairman.

Um I work with uh Mr.

Now I'm blanking on his name.

Um Derek Gatlin, yes, he is awesome.

He is awesome.

Johnny Turner is doing a wonderful job down there as well.

So but it's just always nice being able to work collaboratively with the Limestone County Commission.

Thank you.

And all of these goes back to the comments Mr.

Kling made earlier, that that's what makes the work we do so unique.

We really work regionally together as opposed to other communities that tend to fight each other, and that's why we get the great projects that we get.

But please don't tell Commissioner Gatlin I forgot his name.

Thank you.

Um we'll now move on to new business items for introduction.

These items are only introduced tonight.

We will not take action on them until the February 12th Council meeting.

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

21B is introduction of an ordinance amending Section 18 of Ordnance 04-315 of the personnel policies and procedural manual.

21C is the introduction of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement by and between Limestone County Commission and the City Council of the City of Huntsville for the acquisition of certain properties related to the Boeing Boulevard Extension Project.

And 21D is the introduction of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement by and between the Limestone County Commission and the City Council of the City of Huntsville for the acquisition of certain properties related to the Swancott Road Improvement Project.

Again, these are just for introduction.

They will be considered at the February 12th meeting.

Let's do a 10-minute recess, so we'll come back at 7.48 and resume with uh citizen comments.

Everyone would please take their seats.

We're going to reconvene our meeting.

We're going to go ahead and proceed with our comments from citizens.

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

You may sit we have 28 people who have signed up in advance to speak.

When called, please approach the microphones to state your name, home address, and city of residence.

I will also call the name of the person who will follow so we can make this go as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Each uh speaker may address the council for three minutes.

Speakers shall refrain from entering into dialogue with council members or city staff.

Please direct your comments to the chair and not to any individual and refrain from making uh comments regarding the good name and character of any individual.

Uh the first person we are going to call to speak is Mr.

Joe Winston, who will be followed by Angelica Candry.

Mr.

Winston, please come to the microphone.

Well, bless your heart.

Angela and Angela Condri, please come to the microphone.

She will be followed by Emily Young.

Angelica Condry, Lehigh Drive, Huntsville.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

Thank you for hearing me tonight.

As I said, I'm Angelica Condri.

I'm also Prism Riot and Coach Riot.

I'm the president of Rocket City Roller Derby, a 501c3 nonprofit local sports organization.

I'm also a coach and training coordinator for our local junior roller derby league, Madison County Mayhem.

Both organizations are nonprofit, volunteer run, and deeply rooted in the community in this community.

Rocket City Roller Derby is 22 years old for more than two decades.

We have been completely self-sustaining.

We have never asked the city to carry us.

Our leagues are built entirely on volunteer labor and we regularly give back, supporting local charities, participating in community events, and showing up for Huntsville whenever we're asked.

Until two weeks ago, we had a home.

Without warning, we were informed that we had to vacate our practice space.

That facility, our last viable option, is now being turned into a museum.

Overnight, both our leagues lost their training space, and we have been scrambling ever since, not because we were unprepared, but because spaces that are large enough, safe enough, and appropriate for roller derby simply do not exist on a nonprofit budget.

Roller Derby requires a very specific type of space, flat, smooth, large.

Unfortunately, those spaces are also the most expensive.

Warehouses, our ideal solution, are now selling for millions of dollars or leasing at rates beyond what a volunteer organization funded primarily by member dues can afford.

We immediately began doing everything we could.

We reached out to Huntsville Parks and Recreation who have been incredibly supportive.

They've been helping us with a temporary practice space and a venue for our March 28th vote, and we are deeply grateful.

But they've also asked us to continue searching for a sustainable, a sustainable long-term option, and that's where we continue to hit walls.

We have approached BBC and Space and Rocket Center for venue space.

We've looked at large spaces at Campus 805 and Stove House.

We've contacted the local rink that's going to have space for us on our schedule.

The problem is bigger than Huntsville, Tuscaloosa was also going to use our space.

Roller Derby is not the only roller sport in Huntsville that's effective.

Solutions that work for us could also work for speed skating and roller hockey.

This is not a niche problem, it's a niche problem.

It's a shared community need.

Rocket City roller derby, we're also a traveling team, and we represent Huntsville throughout the Southeast.

We're not asking the city to build us a new facility.

We're asking for help accessing space, whether that means shared or dedicated gym time, use of an existing city-owned facility, help making an underused space, skate safe, or connecting with options that may not be able for us to access on our own.

We are willing to pay rent, share space, and work within whatever structure makes sense.

We are simply asking for a seat at the table and a path forward.

After 22 years of standing on our own and giving back to this community, we're asking for help.

So we don't disappear, not because we failed, but because we ran out of space.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Ms.

Clendon.

Good evening.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak, um, speak tonight.

My name is Emily Young.

I live at 10315 Autumn Chase, down in South Huntsville, 35803.

Before I begin, I want to thank Councilwoman Watkins for her earlier comments on the issue on which I just want to make a statement.

We appreciate your directness regarding your position and where you stand on the issues regarding ice.

I grew up in Huntsville, and I have deep roots here.

I attended Challenger Elementary, Mountain Gap Middle, Gresham High School.

My children who are here currently attend Mountain Gap and Grissom.

When I left for college, um, my apologies.

In 2000, I left for college and then moved to Atlanta for a short time.

My husband and I decided to move back to Huntsville because this is a special place.

We didn't want to raise our children anywhere else.

By trade, I am an attorney who runs a small practice here in Huntsville.

There are many other attorneys who agree with what I'm going to say, but stay quiet because speaking publicly or posting social media content about politics can affect your job security.

Tonight I speak for all of us.

I love this country.

I love the law because it protects the rights of all.

Due process is the cornerstone of American justice.

It protects each of us from the arbitrary exercise of government power.

I am deeply concerned about the recent actions of the Department of Homeland Security and other communities around the nation, and I don't want Huntsville to suffer the same fate.

Vision for a moment that you're taking a nap in your home and when wearing masks force their way inside, they cuff you.

They lead you out the front door and into the street.

It's below freezing, and you're only wearing sandals and your underwear, a blanket wrapped around your shoulders.

Now visualize that you hear a knock on your front door and your five-year-old son is there.

A masked individual has your kid grapped by gripped by the backpack.

He's wearing the fuzzy blue bunny hat with the long ears, and he's terrified.

The State of Alabama has a strong Republican majority.

A core value of the Republican Party is advocacy for less government oversight, not more.

Statements like we dare defend our rights, don't tread on me, can be seen on bumper stickers, flags, monuments all over the state.

This is objective proof that Alabamians desire personal freedom, self-reliance, and minimal government interference.

Whether we personally like it or not, the Constitution guarantees due process rights to all persons, not just citizens.

This means non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants, are entitled to fair treatment under the law.

Due process was so important to our founding fathers that it was extended to everyone as a basic human right.

Please raise your hand if you're here in support of limiting Federal Government control over the people residing in the state.

When one person is deprived of their due process rights, it affects us all.

If concessions are allowed now, we set a precedent for exploitation later.

So my um statement or question to you all at some point when it's appropriate to answer is that what is the plan of action to protect our citizens from illegal tactics currently being used by U.S.

immigration and customs enforcement.

Thank you, Ms.

Young.

The next person to comment is Joanna Murphy and Ms.

Murphy will be followed by Matthew Batson.

Is Ms.

Murphy here?

Joanna Murphy.

Then we will go on to Matthew Batson, who will be followed by Angela Somerset.

Good evening.

My name is Matthew Batson, 1515, Green Tree Trail, Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you.

Welcome.

I am president and uh owner of Southeast Hemp Supply.

I have uh, as you guys know, the ABC board is now the regulatory authority over the hemp industry and getting uh city approval for your locations as part of the pre-application checklist.

Um I have called the mayor's office to find out more information, and that's what I'm here for tonight.

And that's it.

Thank you very much.

And we're going to have you talk with Zach over here.

So if you'll step over here, we'll Zach can help you.

Uh the next person to speak will be Angela Somerset.

Ms.

Summerstep will be followed by Austin Jones.

Good evening.

My name is Dr.

Angela Somerset, and I reside at Nan Shawkstone Street in Huntsville.

Thank you.

This evening, I will be addressing the elephant in the room, which is Huntsville Hospital's acquisition of Cresswood Hospital.

First of all, I would like to say this.

The health care industry has already gone through a major upheaval to the point that citizens around the country no longer trust the health care industry, not because they are not great physicians and health care workers, but because health care has become so politicized, so controlled by powers that are outside of us.

So I am here today to first of all say to the citizens of Huntsville, I will always be an advocate for the patients and the citizens of this community.

Our tax dollars support Huntsville, the City of Huntsville, as well as Huntsville Hospital.

And Councilman Kling, no disrespect.

I know you stated that Cresswood would still be able to keep the name, but that's just basically a patch because we know who will actually be controlling the robotic arms in this regard.

The question that I have in regards to any acquisition and merger that was not mentioned in the news is whether or not they have filed with the FTC or the Department of Justice to make sure that they are not violating any antitrust laws, because federal law supersedes state law and state law supersedes city law.

And many of you may not know this, but when a public hospital takes over a private hospital covered by a municipality, if one of your family members gets injured or dies, your maximum suit is a hundred thousand dollars.

You may not know that.

So I wanted to read something that I actually found, and it stated that for hospital acquisitions that reduce the number of independent hospitals in a community in a community, excuse me, federal antitrust review is common, and large hospitals deal with the pre-merger notification requirements under the Heart Scott Rodino Act, as well as notifying the Federal Trade Commission as well as the DOJ.

But ultimately, I know that Jeff Sam said that he's giving us a choice, but it appears that it's like a rat in a maze.

You just never told us where the exit door is.

A choice means that I can choose outside of you, not within the confines of what you have actually controlled.

So I suggest that moving forward for our council so that we appear to be a part of this city and the and the choices that are made is maybe create a suggestion box, maybe ask us how we feel about these types of things.

Think about the doctors that are now going to be controlled by this.

We'll now hear from Austin Jones, Mr.

Jones will be followed by Larissa Thomason.

I'm Austin Jones.

Uh the address is on the sheet.

I'm out of no one's crossroads.

I'm a 21-year Army vet with four deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan, and I'm a member of the North Alabama Democratic Socialists of America.

And everything I learned about socialism, I found in the Bible, the Army, and the Constitution.

And speaking of the Constitution, I'm here tonight to talk about it.

Now I swore an oath to the Constitution and the people.

Let me tell you, I take it very seriously.

Didn't all y'all take an oath?

How serious are y'all about that?

Or are you deeply unserious?

Which is it?

Because right now, fascism is here, creeping like kudzu into every part of the country and spreading outside of here and across the world.

Do y'all think if you keep your heads down and go along to get along, that this city, this state, is going to get skipped?

Folks, that's not how fascism works.

It comes for all.

It is universal in its hunger for power and subservience.

What y'all gonna do next year if that backwards boot licking ball coach wins the governorship and says to y'all so much?

Mr.

Jones, I'm gonna stop you for just a minute.

Where you were instructed that you could not speak regarding good name or character of any person.

So please, it doesn't have to be present.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

And says to y'all, I've done so much for Huntsville.

Now what I need is a concentration camp for kids.

If you think I'm exaggerating right now in Texas, they've got three concentration camps for tender age children.

I don't know about you, but I would bet a dollar that those children's rights have been grossly violated.

DHS has stated in several memos that the first, fourth, and fifth amendments are to be ignored.

Beyond that, do you know how many people have been killed either in the streets like Renee Good after she dropped off her kids at school or in them camps?

I would classify all that as cruel and unusual punishment and a violation of the Constitution.

So what shall it be?

Shall y'all stand tall and show beyond a shadow of a doubt that you stand with all the people?

Or will you bend the knee and live with the bloody sword of fascism at your neck?

Because they are coming.

Everybody can get it, just like they are doing to Palestine.

It can happen here.

All the power to all the people.

We the people break our chains together.

Solidarity forever.

Thank you.

We'll hear now from Larissa Thomason, Ms.

Thomason will be followed by Jeff Engel.

And if y'all, when you know you're up next, if you would just be ready to go to the microphone, it would help things move along.

Pull it down.

There you go.

Um my name is Larisa Thomason.

I live at 3202 panorama.

I'm sorry, is there anything other Huntsville?

I'm sorry, I haven't spoken at a City Council meeting in 35 years, so I'm a little welcome.

Um I live on Monteceno and I absolutely love Huntsville.

I also love the Fourth Amendment that says the government officials can't roll up without a warrant signed by a judge and break into my home, go through my stuff, and possibly haul me away without possible probable cause and detain me without due process.

But right now in this country, we have ICE and border patrol goons, sorry, randomly stopping people in the street, breaking down doors, entering without judicial warrants, demanding show me your papers to citizens and non-citizens alike.

They're even stopping Minneapolis police officers.

Pepper spraying peaceful protesters.

I don't want that happening here.

I'm here to urge you to beg you to refuse to cooperate with ICE and border control should they show up in our town and start terrorizing our citizens and our neighborhoods.

My first cousin is an Army civil affairs officer.

He served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He says he and his fellow soldiers received training in de-escalation.

According to the DOD, de-escalation training is focused on equipping both civilian and military law enforcement officers with tools to achieve peaceful outcomes during high intensity encounters.

The instruction emphasizes communication skills and conflict resolution strategies designed to reduce the need for force and strengthen community trust.

This isn't training that ICE and Border Patrol seems to have received, or if they did, they haven't internalized it.

I don't think it's too much to expect as much from our civil and in country police as we do from our armed forces in other countries.

There seems to be no accountability because they don't wear body cameras, don't wear badges, cover their faces, leave the scene of a shooting, and hit first and ask questions later.

Our local police don't act this way.

We would not allow it.

My grandfathers fought fascism in World War II in both Europe and the Pacific.

My husband's grandparents didn't because they, their friends and relatives, were murdered by the Nazis.

The Gestapo plucked random people off the street, pulled people out of their homes, separated families, used violence as an intimidation tactic, and asked neighbor to inform our neighbor.

Does any of that sound familiar?

The only major difference between them and ICE right now is that the Gestapo showed their faces.

Please, if these masked people show up in Huntsville, the very least you can do is instruct HPD to not cooperate with their tactics.

It's a small ask.

At least do the very least to protect and respect all of our community members.

Remember, that which you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Mr.

Jeff Angle will be our next speaker.

Mr.

Angle will be followed by Susan Stewart.

Mr.

Angle.

Mr.

Engel here?

Yep.

And Ms.

Stewart, you will be the next person to speak.

Be prepared to come up.

All right, my name is Jeffrey Engel.

I am a resident of Huntsville.

My address is correct on the sheet.

You guys were sure long-winded tonight and made us all wait here for hours and hours before we could speak for our paltry three minutes while you had your officials go on for 30 about giving money to billionaires.

Jeff Bezos.

I worked for Jeff Bezos.

I worked for Blue Origin.

Last February he laid off 10% of the company.

Do you think that it's great to just hand over another 400,000 of our money to the second richest man in the world?

You think he can't just Oh a dollar.

Equivalent of me dropping a dollar is what he is spending on the entire Blue Origin.

Do you think that's fair to ask our citizenry to pay for the investments of billionaires?

No.

This is just like Jesus.

All right.

Anyways, I want to actually talk about ICE.

You just hit me triggered when you you're giving money to billionaires because they don't give a rat's ass about us.

All of them.

All of them.

Orange orangutan, all his people, and Jeff Bezos, uh Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk.

They don't give a fuck about us.

Your time is up.

No, my time was not up.

This is broadcast.

You're right.

Well, I'm going to say it's up because you're using language that is being broadcast to homes where families are, and we're not going to permit that.

So if you can't use language appropriately, you're not going to give be given the opportunity to speak.

Ms.

Stewart, your time is uh is not up.

I got another minute and a half.

You have given up the right to have that time by your language.

We're going to take a five-minute break and uh get this meeting back under order.

Uh, could we officers could you help Mr.

Engel exit the chambers?

Five minute take back at eight fifteen.

Your comments.

Please clear the chambers.

Please clear the chambers.

And I will ask HPD to do that.

We will invite you all to come in one at a time to make your comments.

Officer Tucker, Officer Tucker, could you let Susan Stewart know she is the next person to speak after her?

We'll hear from Marissa Allison.

Susan Stewart and Melissa.

Good evening, Susan Stewart.

The sign-in sheet.

I live in Huntsville.

And I'm with Indivisible Fifth District.

I'm here again to ask the City Council to send a message of support to our immigrant community to stand against the un-American actions by Federal Immigration Authorities by continuing to limit cooperation with them and to be very cautious in how HPD enforces state laws that target immigrants.

It will benefit us financially not to divert resources to aid in enforcing federal law and not to put the city at risk from litigation that arises from civil rights violation.

It will enhance safety by fostering trust between residents and local law enforcement.

Perhaps most importantly, it is our moral obligation to speak up.

It aligns us with the majority of people in the U.S.

who are opposed to the unconstitutional actions of the Federal Government.

So we ask that you pass the resolution we submitted last September.

We would welcome the city's commitment to maintaining those practices that are already in line with the resolution and to implementing the rest.

It would bring much needed comfort and reassurance to Huntsville's immigrants.

An indivisible is not alone here, obviously.

What you've seen is a sprawling, diverse uprising of organizations and individuals who are united in support of everyone in Huntsville and beyond who is affected by what is ICE is doing.

We are here because our voices are more powerful at the local level.

The folks who show up to these city council meetings are even only a small percentage of the Huntsville residents who are taking actions in many ways, including uh prayer vigil today from Minneapolis that drew almost a hundred people.

The cruelty on display from the streets of Minneapolis to the North Alabama immigration courts where people coming in for regular immigration checks are now being detained by ICE and torn from their families.

It's all deliberately meant to frighten us, to keep us from speaking out.

But silence won't save us.

It is already too late for that.

According to experts who study these things, we are already well on our way to authoritarianism, and many say we are already there.

Our country is crumbling around us.

When it finishes crumbling around us, it crumbles here.

Whether or not it is too late to turn this around, we have to try.

Let's stand in solidarity with the over 200 towns and cities across the country, including Social Circle Georgia, who are saying this is not okay.

Congress is not stopping it.

The Supreme Court is not stopping it.

I'm afraid it's up to us.

Please join us.

Thank you for your time.

Ms.

Stewart for your very respectful comments.

I appreciate that.

Marissa Allison is next, officers, if you could let her know.

And then also bring in Tierney Ga Gaskin.

She's the person after that.

Marissa Allison and Tony Gaskin.

We can hear they can hear you in the lobby, I think.

Good.

My name is Dr.

Marissa Allison.

I live in District 2.

My address is on file here in Huntsville.

On Tuesday of this week in Minneapolis, ICE kidnapped at least four students, including five-year-old Liam Ramos from his driveway after he returned home from preschool.

They used him as bait to see if anyone else was inside the home, and an adult pled with ICE to allow them to take custody of him.

But they were denied.

Liam was taken 18 hours away from his mother to a detention center in Dilly, Texas with his dad.

His dad has an active asylum case, came to the U.S.

at a port of entry, and has no criminal record.

It is only a matter of time before this same thing happens here, before kids are taken out of schools in Huntsville and Madison County.

ICE is a tool of the fascist state, not a tool for safety.

It is time for the city council to make a public stance, cease all contracts or operations that you have with ICE and Homeland Security, and pass a resolution to assure us that this city will not enter into any future agreements with ICE.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Now we'll hear from Tony Gaskin.

Hello.

My name is Tierney Gaskin.

My address is correct on the form.

I was just gonna brain.

Speaking on ICE, I totally understand that we do have an agreement with ICE to investigate child crimes.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing in general.

But there are different types of agreements, and I would hope that you would know that there are different types of agreements that you can have with ICE, and we're asking you to not cooperate with them for really at all, but ideally just do not cooperate with them on these unconstitutional raids and a leaked document that was released by various different news sources.

It says that ICE agents have been told that they can enter private residences without a signed judicial warrant, which is against the law.

Just because it's a policy, it does not mean that it is lawful for them to do that.

Um we have seen them do that in other areas.

So if they come here and start doing that, the least that can happen is the is the law enforcement that we pay for in the law for enforcement that you ask us to respect to not assist them and committing unconstitutional acts.

And that's just kind of the vibe of like we do not want that here.

We want our city to be safe and we want it to be lawful.

Um thank you.

That's all.

Thank you.

And we share your desire for a safe and lawful city.

We'll hear from Julie Beard.

Julie Beard will be followed by Alyssa Eichel Eichelberg.

Hello, my name is Julie Beard, uh 35756.

My address is on the sheet.

And your city of residence.

City, it's Madison, but it's a weird carve-out.

Um I'm here to say that I do not support informal cooperation between our police force and the undertrained, erratic and dangerous agents of ICE.

It is said that ICE is rounding up the worst of the worst, but that's a lie.

According to the Cato Institute, only 5% of detainees have been convicted of violent crimes.

In truth, ICE agents have been encouraged to profile people in public based on ethnicity, accent, and spoken language.

They are incentivized to detain first, verify status later.

And so we are seeing American citizens detained at gunpoint by men in masks.

Detainees begging to show ID as they are beaten, cuffed, and thrown into unmarked vehicles.

I am haunted by the tiny scared face of Liam Ramos, a five-year-old boy with a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man book bag, and a masked man with a gun ushering him into an unmarked car.

The worst of the worst, right?

His family has an active asylum case.

They have done everything legally, exactly as they are supposed to.

They have done nothing wrong.

That is the truth about ICE.

And it's getting worse.

They have shortened their training and lowered their standards for new agents.

In one ad, immigrants are compared to the literal parasitic aliens of the video game Halo.

And potential recruits are asked to join ICE to destroy the flood.

In the game, that means to shoot them.

Is it any wonder then that these agents are so trigger happy that they have shown so much brutality and inhumanity?

Dragging old men into the snow in their underwear, throwing teenagers to the ground, ripping disabled women out of cars, they're tear gassing babies.

And that's just last week.

Renee Good was not the first person to be shot by ICE.

Keith Porter was shot on New Year's Eve.

Merimar Martinez was shot five times.

Agents accused her of ramming their vehicle, but she survived, and now video evidence has proven that to be a lie.

And they are not alone.

32 people died in ICE custody last year.

At least one case has been ruled to be a homicide.

Detainees have been denied medical treatment, beaten, and sexually assaulted.

Whatever you may have thought ICE was, that's not what they are.

Certainly not now.

But our police department is supposed to protect our community to keep us safe.

And cooperating with ICE is the opposite of protecting the peace.

And I just wanted you to know that this small group here that is vocal and loud, they are not alone.

There are many more people who don't come to these things, but who do think this way and are very scared right now.

And there are many other people who don't come because they feel like they could actually be threatened.

And we don't want Hudson to turn into these other cities.

Thank you.

Alyssa Eichelberger, who will be followed by Sarah Coletti.

My name's Alyssa Eichelberger.

I'm a resident of Huntsville, and my address is correct on the form.

Thank you.

You expect certain behaviors from us as citizens.

You expect us to go to work, pay our taxes, come home, cook dinner, watch our shows and do it all over again the next day.

You expect us to pay an entrance fee for a concert over the weekend, to walk our dogs in the park and buy groceries, to go to church and maybe spend some money to local market on a Sunday to keep the economy going, like the good little tax-paying citizens we are.

We're losing our jobs due to economic instability.

We're choosing between groceries and health care.

We're surrendering our pets to already overrun animal shelters because we can no longer afford their vet bills.

We're deciding this isn't a world suited to raise children, so we're having less of them or not having them at all.

Meanwhile, mass strangers with guns are lurking at our grocery stores, our churches, our schools, arbitrarily shoving members of our communities into vans, often disappearing them, sometimes killing them.

Maybe you heard about the journalist who applied to be an ICE agent to see what the process was like.

A leftist journalist on a quote antifo watch.

She had a five-minute interview, never got a background check, never filled all any paperwork, smoked weed before her drug test.

She learned via email that she got the job.

We now know that the only qualification necessary to anonymously kidnap civilians off our streets with impunity is the willingness to do so and a pulse.

Tommy, I'm told the park is limited to four male muscovies because you think they're unsightly and mean.

I love the Muscovies.

They eat seeds straight out of my hand.

Get to know the people in the city you're paid to protect.

You'll find that even those of us you disagree with at the end of the day are just good people struggling to get by and who want to feel safe in our community again.

We know for a fact from decades of research that crime rates decline as immigration increases in our communities.

We also know that most Americans disapprove of ICE.

Despite recent rhetoric, we're not afraid of our immigrant neighbors.

We're afraid of the unchecked criminal behaviors of ice.

History will not look kindly upon those who welcome this unconstitutional behavior.

We ask, no, we demand that you keep eyes out of the streets for the safety of Huntsville.

And if you don't, we'll vote for leaders who will, and we will hold you accountable for any karm that comes to our fellow citizens.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Eichelberg.

The next person to speak will be Sarah Coletti.

Sarah Coletti will be followed by Carrie Marks.

Or Carl, I'm sorry, Carl Marks.

Well, that should be interesting.

He's old.

My name is Sarah Colletti, and my address is listed correctly on the sheet.

I'm a resident of Hartle, Alabama.

Thank you.

Wow, that was really disgusting.

You realize this is a blatant First Amendment violation.

Do you recognize how many constitutional amendments you're violating right now?

You're keeping the public out of a public meeting, and it's not fucking funny, dude.

Okay.

Fuck you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Turn it off.

The next person, it simply says Carl Marks.

I'm not sure if that's um.

Okay.

Is that legit?

All right.

Very good.

Mr.

Marks, welcome.

Mr.

Marks will be fell followed by Michelle McCray.

I feel like anything I say is.

Oh, yeah.

Carl Marx Landers.

Um address is correct.

I feel like anything I say is just going to be beating a dead horse at this point.

Capitalism is failing.

We're in the late stages of it.

You get to decide what side of that history you get to be on.

Fascist lives do not fucking matter.

We'll hear next from Michelle McCreary.

Michelle McCreary will be followed by Nadia Pandera.

Michelle McCrary.

Okay.

We'll go ahead then to Nadia Pendera.

She's not here.

The next one?

Nadia Pandera.

Nadia Pandera.

And after Ms.

Pendera, we'll hear from Alexa Parsons.

Hello?

Oh, uh, I'm Nadia Pandera, and my address is stated correct.

And your city of residence?

Uh Madison.

Thank you.

Okay.

So this is my first time speaking.

Um, both of my grandparents on my dad's side have fought in World War II, and on my mom's side, both my grandparents have fought in World War II.

Um, my dad's parents even wrote a book about it.

And fascism really sucks.

I'm just gonna say that, and looking around now, it's like, wow, this is really similar to what I read about and just all of history, and I'm just asking you guys to keep ice out of Alabama because fascism sucks.

No one wants them here.

I mean, you can hear the whole chamber outside.

No one wants ice here.

So uh thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Alexa Parsons is next, and after Alexa Parsons, we have Catherine.

Um Gregal.

Um Hello, my name is Alexa Parsons, and the address that's written down is correct.

And your city of residence.

Uh Huntsville, Alabama.

Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Look, the people that you're after are the people that you depend on.

We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, and we drive your ambulances.

We guard you while you're asleep.

Do not fuck with us.

We'll hear from Catherine Gregel, and following Catherine Gregel, we're here from Rachel Lackey.

Hello, my name is Catherine.

My address is correct.

And your city of residence.

Huntsville.

Thank you.

I attend the university on a merit scholarship.

This is my first time speaking at a city council meeting.

I come to you as a concerned citizen and aspiring lawyer.

Ice is spitting in the face of everything America is meant to represent, everything America is meant to be.

What is happening now are the same things that happened at the beginning of the Holocaust.

My question for you is what side of history do you want to be on?

Thank you for your time.

We'll hear from Rachel Lackey.

Rachel Lackey will be followed by Kelvi van der Hart.

Hi, my name is Rachel Lackey.

Um my address is correct on the forum.

I'm a uh citizen of Huntsville.

Thank you.

Um I'm actually a Huntsville native, and I'm five generations deep on both sides.

I'm a local business owner, uh mother, and a partner of a first generation U.S.

citizen.

Um my grandfather was also born in Huntsville.

He is a World War II Marine veteran, and I am afraid that he is rolling over in his grave at what he is seeing today.

Um I think he would be absolutely devastated to see that what he fought against is now on our soil and the things that we are seeing in the news happening every day, every day that we wake up.

I am requesting a resolution from the city of Huntsville for non-cooperation with ice.

I know you're gonna hear from a whole lot of people here, and we just can't be silent anymore.

I came straight from work.

I didn't prepare to speak at this meeting, but I just felt like I had to stay, especially after what happened.

I hope this is not how the typical city council meetings go.

Um I haven't been to one in a long time, all right.

Um I would I don't want to I have a lot of things to say, but next time I'll prepare better and I'll say them again.

I just would like to be proud of my hometown, and I would like to see us on the right side of history.

And uh if what you're seeing now is not compelling you yet, just know that this is gonna eventually wash out and where we're gonna wake up and what our children and our grandchildren are going to be raised into.

Um I hope that we can be proud of our community.

Thank you.

Thank you for taking time to speak to us.

We'll now hear from Kelvi Vanter Hart, followed by John Harrison.

John W.

Harrison.

I don't know.

My name is Kelvi Vanderhart.

I am a member of our constituent of Councilmember Robinson's.

My address is correct on the sheet.

I live in Huntsville.

I would assume, being in the South, knowing what the South is like, that several of you on the council would call yourselves Christians.

I do too.

I'm a follower of Jesus.

So I would like to read a scripture that I've been meditating on.

This is from Psalm 10.

Arise, Lord, lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless.

Why does the wicked man revile God?

Why does he say to himself, he won't call me to account?

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted.

You consider their grief and take it in hand.

The victims commit themselves to you.

You are the helper of the fatherless.

Break the arm of the wicked man.

Call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.

The Lord is king forever and ever.

The nations will perish from his hand.

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted.

You encourage them and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

If I sound angry, it's because I am.

I would like to be represented by people who care more about justice and mercy and care about the First Amendment more than they care about being called mean words.

I would like council members who care more about violence in our city and the Constitution being broken than they do about being cursed at.

I would like you to care.

I would like you to get your house in order, recognize that HPD does not have the public trust right now.

HPD officers have been arrested numerous times in the past year.

I am never more scared in my neighborhood than when I see a squad car drive past because they go double the speed limit and don't stop at stop signs.

HPD does not have public trust.

And the idea of them working with ICE to bring more violence into our city instead of having our council members and our mayor push for reform and earn public trust back.

That's unthinkable.

I want a council that cares.

I chose Huntsville as a city.

I'm not a native.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

John W.

Harrison.

Is Mr.

Harrison still here?

Nobody answered by the name.

Okay.

David Snyder and we are followed by J uh Jason Amesbury.

Hello, my name uh is David Snyder.

I live in Huntsville.

Thank you.

Alabama.

Thank you.

Um sorry, my notes got a little bit uh messed up here.

But uh I wanted to talk a little bit about the uh relationship between ICE and Huntsville.

Um the form that I had gotten, I'd uh submitted a uh public records request and I'd gotten a form back.

I forget the resolution number.

It uh came back.

There was an associated form 73-002 that was an outline for contracts that individual police officers could have with ICE.

There were several things about that.

One of the things that that document did not mention, it did not mention anything about their being uh a purpose uh to combat crimes against children.

That was something that I first heard uh in a meeting with Hamilton.

And um that request was followed by another request I just uh put in, and that request returned because 73-002 is followed by or uh uh is after 73-001.

So I put in to ask for uh, you know, any employees that were submitted uh in this contract, right, that had contracts under this kind of agreement, and the return uh came back nothing.

I heard nothing from the public records uh department.

Um so that's a really unusual scenario that there was no agreement, oh, except for this agreement and then this agreement, um, except that it's actually about fighting crimes against children, even though it doesn't say anything, and then actually no employee actually has any contracts under this agreement anyways.

So that's a very unusual circumstance.

Um the people want more than ambiguous claims about there being little or no ICE activity in Huntsville or agreements.

People here have relatives all over the country.

We want city council to make a meaningful commitment by passing individual an indivisibles uh resolution and uh a lot more than that.

Last time I talked about an incident where over fifty people were baked alive in a trailer trying to make their way to safety in America back in I think uh 2022.

I read about the driver's find of guilt uh the night before last city council.

I sat with it for a couple days and the thought occurred to me.

So I started going through news articles.

I even used AI tools to help me look.

I couldn't find a single article that talked about what happened to those people that survived.

There was about 16 of them that survived that incident.

Right.

Um where are they, right?

Did they get proper medical care?

Were they reunited with family if they had family in the U.S.?

Are they sitting in a detention facility right now?

Did the dead even get a proper burial?

No one even thought to ask.

These people have been turned into a political chess piece, and no one took the time to humanize them as real people that you can hug and break bread with and ask about their hopes and dreams and how their family is doing.

What is happening to the humanity in this country?

Thank you.

The next person to speak is Jason Ainsbury, who will be followed by Melissa Otton.

Hi guys.

I didn't prepare anything, and it's nice to see all y'all.

Oh, sorry, Jason Amsbury, born in Huntsville Hospital, resident of Huntsville still.

And happy to be here.

Wearing an Alabama hat.

I've moved all across the country.

Guess where I've always come back to.

Alabama.

Man, come on, guys.

We live here for a certain reason.

Community.

It's Alabama the beautiful.

And I don't want to say where I work, because it could possibly, you know, that my job, but I work all over North Alabama keeping our roads clear of debris, fixing potential.

And yeah, I'll be there all weekend because of this weather.

And the communities I work in and the streets I work for are for all of us.

And I've talked to people that I mean, I know that ice isn't everywhere.

I know you've heard this weeks and months and going on with two years now about ice.

And you're probably tired of it.

I mean, I'm tired of it too.

I don't want to see it and I don't want to hear about it.

I don't want to hear my neighbors being scared.

I have, you know, a girlfriend that has, you know, a background that her children are a little bit brown.

And hearing about, you know, my neighbors in DeCab County and Lauderdale and Arab and having to carry around papers and stuff.

I mean, guys, seriously.

I don't want to send my kids to school like and that threat and even that anxiety.

You know, kids have enough to worry about.

And I know that everybody out here that is listening feels the same way that we all do.

And we're just tired of it.

I mean, we don't want this in Huntsville.

Guys, I mean, it's so safe here, you know.

I mean I know everybody's complaining about HBD, you know, but they're trying to do their jobs.

I mean, we got bad apples everywhere.

I mean, that's all of us.

I mean, heck, I used to be a bad apple myself, you know, whatever.

But I mean, we do not need that here in Huntsville.

You know, I mean, HPD can do it if you all tell them to do it, you know.

I mean, illegal, whatever, legal.

Okay.

I had a friend growing up, and her birthday was like three days ago.

I hadn't talked to her or whatever, Facebook, whatever.

And then I wished her a belated birthday, and her Facebook came back on my page.

Uh I didn't know what anything she was, but her first thing was like, if uh what she say, like, if three immigrants are born or were in this country and had a child, they should all be deported.

You know, blank them.

Thank you.

Your time is up, sir.

Melissa Otton will be the next person to speak.

Hi, uh my name is Melissa Otan.

I live in South Huntsville.

Um, I signed up to speak um kind of at the last minute.

So I don't have anything prepared to say specifically.

So I'm just gonna speak um on some of my thoughts about what's been going on.

I am a mother of a lot of kids, and I know a lot of other kids because my kids have friends.

With the way that our country is allowing ICE to operate with absolute impunity, it's like a program of racialized state terror, and it is terrorizing people.

People are afraid, lots of people are afraid, they don't necessarily want to be seen or speak out because they're afraid of what could happen to them as some kind of backlash.

And at this point, all I can think is.

If it gets to the point where you know, my grandchildren ask me what I was doing during this time.

I want to say that I was t at least telling people don't cooperate with this.

Please don't.

Because it's wrong.

Everyone deserves due process.

Everyone, if you're accused of a crime, deserves to have the officer of whoever is accusing you or or arresting you, identify themselves, have some kind of identification.

I mean, we teach our kids don't get in an unmarked car and don't talk to strangers, but we have strangers that are gonna bust in their house and throw them in an unmarked car and take them to who knows where.

So I I don't really have a lot of experience with this type of thing, but I just would like to ask you guys as people, just as people don't cooperate with ICE.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That concludes our speakers for the evening.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Thank you.

So we we've heard a lot of people speak, but uh there are a whole lot of effort as we see out in this room.

And uh I I just want to say there's more responders here and and elected officials than what you see up here.

You've got Don Webster from Hempsey here.

Uh I think I see Dr.

Jenny Robinson in the back, Huntsville uh City Council.

Uh you've got Brandy Williams, Fire Chief, City of Madison, Chief McFarland from Huntsville.

Excuse me.

Huntsville Fire Department, uh, Keisha Bryant from uh public transit.

Uh I see John Hamilton, uh City Administrator.

Uh Scott Irwin from community development is here.

James Gossett, Parks and Rick.

Uh so there's a whole lot more here than then than what just what you see here.

So uh at this point we're gonna open it up for questions.

Uh we'll allow one question and a follow-up.

So I'll open it up.

They all block off.

The answer to that is you'll get a ticket.

So we're we will enforce uh the traffic laws when it comes to the barricade.

So uh being known that when you go across or around a barricade, you're like Chief Gandhi said, you're kind of putting us in jeopardy in case you get stuck, but uh a lot of insurances won't uh take care of your vehicle if you have a wreck.

So along with a ticket, you may if you have a RIC, uh you may have some issues there.

So there's the question.

Yes.

Um leaders from either Madison or Huntsville.

Will y'all be working with any local groups like the Rocket City Wranglers trying to coordinate in the hospital?

I know that they are doing a lot and they've done a lot in the past few years.

We have not I have not spoken to Rocket City Wranglers today, but every time we've had one of these events, they've been absolutely amazing.

I'm getting a nod from Tracy Doty in the back.

He has talked to Rocket City Wranglers.

And uh they're absolutely wonderful volunteers in the community that just come out to help their neighbors.

So mad respect for that group of people, and uh we'll be ready to to get you home if you need to.

Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

And um my follow-up is they usually take medical reporters to and from the hospital, correct?

They do, and we we provide some sleeping accommodations for our staff.

If they want to come in ahead of time, we try to give them a place to sleep so they can uh they if they need to come in before their shift, we put a lot of those folks in the medical mall and the Wranglers also drive people back and forth.

So we we've rehearsed it many times, try to make sure people can get to work and hopefully get home.

And to any of our staff that are listening, those of you who who spend the night or go out of your way to work extra to take care of your neighbors, we appreciate you so much.

Any other questions?

Go ahead.

So um, in the event of uh a lot of people needing maybe medical help such as dialysis that you have power allergers, how do you plan to handle that impulse of people using to get emergency help?

Well, I'm gonna turn that one over to Well the out