It is 5:30 on Thursday, March 26, 2026, and we are calling this session of the Huntsville City Council to order.

We are met in the chambers of the Huntsville City Council in Huntsville, Alabama.

We will call the meeting to order.

We excuse Mr.

David Little.

Mr.

Little has another commitment, was not able to join us.

Mr.

Kling is present.

The chair is present.

We do not currently have a quorum.

Is Mr.

Meredith here?

Ms.

Watkins?

They've stepped out.

Well, we will proceed with uh with the invocation and with the pledge, and we will establish a quorum at that point so we can continue the remainder of our meeting.

We welcome everyone.

We have a full house tonight.

We have lots to celebrate, and we are glad you've joined us.

For those who are joining us virtually, we have several streaming platforms, and we welcome you as well.

So we will begin with uh indication offered by uh one of our Huntsville, Alabama police safety chaplains, Dr.

Laurie Macaulay, which will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be given by Councilmember Bill Kling.

All who wish to uh and are able, please stand for the invocation and for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Our invocation today will be coming from a 1970 series you may all know called the bionic man.

And there was a character named Steve Austin played by Lee Majors, and the government said out the his wreck.

We have the technology.

We can make him bigger, better, faster.

And what I am here today is to pray that while the city of Hostel strives to be bigger, better, faster, that you never let the technology surpass the people who call Huntsville home.

Now, dear Heavenly Father, we thank you right now for your grace and your mercy.

Father, our City Council has done the research, Father, now let them have your revelation.

They have done their studying, let them have your spirit in everything they do, and God may it bring you glory.

Amen.

And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and the visible with liberty and justice.

Thank you for Mr.

Kling for um providing for for opening our meeting for us.

Let the record show that council member Meredith and Councilmember Watkins have both joined us, and the quorum is established.

Again, we miss uh Mr.

Little Council members, everybody settled.

Uh we'll now move on to the approval of the agenda.

Are there any uh changes or additions of which anyone is aware on the agenda?

Is there a motion to approve the agenda as it has been presented?

Motion from Mr.

Cling, second from Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Opposed, the motion carries.

Uh you also, council members for A is the minutes of the regular meeting of the City Council held on March 12, 2026.

Are there any additions or changes to be made to those minutes?

I have a comment.

Yes, sir.

Um I want to thank you for adopting this new format for minutes.

Uh it's a vast improvement over the uh the two different sets of of minutes, which I think is uh confusing to a lot of folks.

So having it consolidated back into one form.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Uh the minutes then will stand uh approved as presented.

Um the mayor has no special recognitions tonight, but the council is making up for it by having eight resolutions.

So we have eight presentations.

We will begin with the first one.

6A is a resolution honoring Coach Cheryl Hobbs Robertson for her exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to developing and empowering the youth of our community.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Ms.

Watkins, Ms.

Watkins.

All in favor, please indicate.

The motion carries.

Ms.

Watkins, would you like to present that resolution?

Thank you.

Doesn't look like she's here.

Move on then to the next resolution, which is a resolution honoring the caring link and Kate O'Neill for transforming lives through compassionate service and community support.

Chair moves for approval.

Is there a second?

Second.

From Mr.

Meredith, all in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Ms.

Watkins, would you like to present that resolution?

So I met Ms.

O'Neill about two months ago.

She came down to council and she wanted to talk to me about her program.

And I was so impressed, and I want to thank her because what you're doing is much needed in a lot of our schools.

And I want to thank you so much for it.

I'm gonna read a little of the resolution.

I know you got to leave.

So yes.

The mayor, when I get done, will you come down as well?

Whereas the City Council and the Mayor of Huntsville desire to recognize and commend the care link and its founder and president Kate O'Neill for compassionate leadership and unwavering commitment to enduring, ensuring that children in our community have access to essential resources necessary to learn, grow, and succeed.

The Cairn Link was founded in 2022 by Hazel Green resident Kate O'Neill, whose vision began in an elementary school hallway where overflowing coats and jackets revealed a greater need.

And through a few shelves, a hanging rack, and steadfast dedication, Lynn Fanning Elementary School's first care closet was established to provide students with clothing, shoes, school supplies, toiletries, and other essentials.

Whereas what began as a single care closet quickly expanded to additional campuses.

Meridianville Elementary, Morris Mill Intermediate, intermediate, and extended services to students across Madison County.

But what is now happening is now she has extended these services into Huntsville City Schools, and she goes out and prepares the closets, her and her staff, and they do this with no support from the schools.

They do this as a favor to the schools to help with kids who are less fortunate.

And a lot of times we don't understand what's so important about a child coming to school with clean clothes, making them feel good about themselves and making them feel proud.

And for that, I sincerely appreciate you doing this.

Thank you so much.

Would you like to say a few things?

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Anytime there's a crowd like this, there's always several of us who, when we were growing up, would have used a care closet.

We would have benefited from those services.

And our goal is just to upleep these kids so that they can learn to their greatest potential, and they can then be great stewards of our community, the City of Huntsville, and an amazing workforce moving forward.

So thank you so much, Councilwoman Watkins.

Thank you, Mayor Battle for all of your support, and thank you guys for being here.

How many schools are you in?

Twenty-eight.

In the city.

So 28 total, 13 in Huntsville City.

Thank you, Ms.

O'Deal, for the great work you do.

Six C is resolution honor honoring Mary L.

Parker Davis for her ongoing dedication and outstanding contributions to the Huntsville community.

The chairman's approval.

I think it's that one.

Is there a second?

I'm going to defer to Ms.

Watkins since it serves.

Second.

All in favor indicate.

Aye.

Opposed motion carries.

Is Ms.

Parker in?

So I have several recognitions this month because I missed the last meeting.

And it's women history month, so we got to celebrate the women.

So I've known Muriel for years, a very long time, and we have deep connections.

But Muriel has done some phenomenal things.

And one of the things that he she has done in this community that she really needs to be commended for, she has a prep school that started out as a prep school, now it's community college.

And the name of it is Community Christian College, Tennessee Valley.

So what Muriel does is give as student athletes an opportunity to get scholarships, to be recognized.

They're very uh competitive.

They have basketball, they have football, and I wanted to recognize her because how many women do you know go out of their way to make sure that students have an opportunity to be successful as student athletes?

Not many.

So Miriel is a sports enthusiast, and I'm gonna give you a little information about her, then I'm gonna let her speak.

Whereas the City of Huntsville and the mayor of Huntsville, Alabama wish to recognize Muriel Parker Davis for her visionary leadership, steadfast faith, and transformative impact on student athletes and families throughout Tennessee Valley, whose dedication to academic excellence, athletic opportunity and character development has strengthened the city and the community as well.

Whereas as the founder and executive director of the Tennessee Valley Prep Sports Academy, established in 2018, Muriel Parker Davis created a structured post-high school athletic and academic platform designed to bridge opportunity gaps for student athletes, pursuing collegiate pathways, guiding 536 students into college enrollment, facilitating 234 athletic scholarship offers, and supporting 123 collegiate athletes, including 16 competing at the Division 1 level, and celebrating nine professional athletes and numerous graduates whose achievements reflect her commitment to measurable outcomes and long-term success.

I think she needs a hand clap for this.

Michelle has been very supportive of the program.

And so going from a prep program to now community uh college and providing students with opportunity to actually come to us to get a degree versus outsourcing the degrees and stuff.

It's been everything and it's nothing but God.

And my family, my mom and dad, they're always so supportive.

I'm so grateful for them, my staff, my my children, and the city of Huntsville, Huntsville City Schools, Madison City Schools, Madison County Schools, everybody has been extremely supportive, and I'm so grateful for this opportunity.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Can the staff and her family come up and take a picture, please?

And my grandbabies are here.

And your grandbabies.

Everybody that's here with Muriel, um, Coach White, come on off the wall.

Six D is a resolution honoring Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Epsilon Gamma Omega chapter for its decades of exemplary leadership, service, and community impact.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith.

Second from Mr.

Watkins all in from Ms.

Watkins all in favor.

Please indicate any opposed.

Motion carries.

Would you like to make that presentation?

Okay, this is the last presentation.

But we had to recognize Watkins.

From me.

But we have to recognize all the extraordinary women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

Epsilon Gamma Omega, will you come up, please?

So this is just a small fraction of the sorority.

They have five hundred plus members.

So we wanted to recognize them for some of the extraordinary things that they're doing in the community.

Whereas the City Council and Mayor of Huntsville recognize the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, founded in nineteen oh eight on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia, stands as the oldest Greek leather organization established by African American college educated women and has long played a critical role in advancing scholarship, leadership, civic engagement, and service to communities across the nation and throughout the world.

Whereas Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated was founded upon five enduring tenants with a mission rooted in service to mankind, a guiding principle that continues to inspire generations of women committed to leadership, scholarship, and service.

Whereas the Epsilon Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated was chartered on March nineteenth, nineteen forty-nine on the campus of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, establishing a distinguished legacy of excellence and service within the Houseville and Madison County community.

Whereas for decades, the Epsilon Gamma Omega chapter has demonstrated steadfast commitment to uplifting the community through impactful programming, outreach initiatives, and civic engagement efforts that support education, economic empowerment, health awareness, and youth development.

Whereas the chapter signature debutant ball has provided hundreds of young ladies with opportunities for personal growth, cultural enrichment, and scholarship, helping to cultivate confidence, leadership, and academic achievement among the next generation.

Whereas with the membership exceeding 500 dynamic and dedicated women, the Epsilon Gamma Omega chapter continues to expand its reach and deepens its impact across a growing city, reflecting a spirit that is elevated, galvanized, and orchestrated by the collective power in us and a shared commitment to service and excellence.

To Mayor Battle, the City Council, specifically to City Council Member Michelle Watkins.

On behalf of the ladies of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Epsilon Gamma Omega chapter, we are tickle pink and graciously green to be here today to receive this wonderful recognition.

Service is what we do.

We are all about service to all mankind.

We love to do it, but we don't do it to be recognized.

So we are so grateful today that we do have this opportunity, and we're so grateful to Councilmember Michelle Watkins for this, especially during Women's History Month and during the time that our chapter was actually charted over 77 years ago, where we have been conducting service, sisterhood, and scholarship across the Huntsville Madison County community.

Thank you all.

We appreciate it.

That concludes Ms.

Watkins' resolutions.

We will now move on to Councilmember Kling.

Six E is a resolution recognizing the Huntsville-based lodges of District 17, Prince Hall Masons, for their steadfast commitment to creating positive change and serving the citizens of Huntsville in numerous capacities.

I would so move for passage.

Second.

All in favor, please indicate.

Thank you.

With working with churches, uh local businesses, schools, to provide essential resources to underservice populations.

And we just like make good men better.

All right, Mr.

Meredith, it's your turn.

Six F is a resolution recognizing the impact, resilience, and rich history of the Benford family, whose extraordinary contributions have helped shape the Huntsville we know today.

Motion to approve.

Second from Mr.

Kling, all in favor, please NK.

I hope the motion carries.

Mr.

Meredith, would you like to make that presentation?

Absolutely.

Thank you, Madam President.

If I could ask the Benfords to come on up.

No one has traveled further to be here tonight than the Benfords.

Whereas the City Council and mayor of the City of Huntsville, Alabama wish to recognize the profound impact, enduring resilience and rich history of the Benford family, whose extraordinary contributions have helped shape the Huntsville we know today.

Whereas Dr.

Henry Claxton Benford, retired professor emeritus of history in the Vineburg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University after 50 years of distinguished service, and his wife, Janet Cyrus, are in attendance here tonight to accept this resolution on behalf of the renowned Benford family, whose legacy authored some of the proudest and most impactful chapters in our city's history.

Whereas Dr.

Benford is the great-grandson of Henry C.

Benford Sr., a pioneering educator who served as the first teacher and principal of Huntsville's first public school for black children, who founded the journal newspaper in 1895, which operated on Huntsville's West Side Square until 1912.

And whereas in 1901, Henry C.

Benford Sr.

was elected to the Huntsville Board of Aldermen, becoming the first, I'm sorry, becoming one of the last black elected officials in Huntsville, along with Daniel Brandon, until the election of Dr.

Richard Schowers in 1988.

And whereas, through moral courage and unshakable leadership following the ratification of Alabama's 1901 Constitution, Henry C.

Benford Sr.

uplifted and encouraged civic participation by urging black citizens to exercise their right to vote, while also advocating for Huntsville's black public schools.

And whereas when founding, when funding for black public schools was reduced in 1905, Henry C.

Benford Sr.

led efforts to raise funds for teacher salaries and educational materials, successfully building support across racial lines and strengthening the foundation of public education in Huntsville.

And whereas his son, Henry Benford Jr., continued his legacy of service after graduating from Howard University, returning to Huntsville to teach alongside his father until funding for the black public schools was decreased in 1905.

Whereas, in recognition of Henry Benford Jr.'s service to the Huntsville community, the Housing the Housing Authority named the first housing community for black Huntsville in honor of Mr.

Benford Jr.

Whereas Mary Wood Benford, grandmother of Dr.

Benford, also carries a strong legacy in Huntsville, having made history as one of six black women in the city to register to vote, demonstrating remarkable courage and a commitment to breaking down systemic barriers and building a better Huntsville for all.

Whereas the Benford family's legacy reflects a deep and enduring commitment to education, civic responsibility, and perseverance that has left a lasting impression on the hearts of Huntsville's citizens and beyond.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the City Council and Mayor of the City of Huntsville hereby recognize the entire Benford family for their extraordinary contributions to the City of Huntsville and for their role in shaping the city as we know today, and express their sincerest gratitude for the Benford family's enduring legacy of leadership and service, and extend a warm welcome to Dr.

Benford and Mrs.

Cyrus upon the occasion of their visit to Huntsville.

Mr.

Benford, would you like to offer a few words?

Thank you very much.

My sister pledged AKA at Fisk University more than 60 years ago, and I heard about it for the rest of her life.

I also want to say that I have spent most of my life in places where when I say my name is Henry Benford, they say, how do you spell that?

Is that B.E.

I came here and everybody knows how to pronounce my name.

So I thank you very much.

I am very grateful to Huntsville for its treatment of my ancestors, and I'm very glad to be here today.

Thank you.

Thank you for joining us, Dr.

Binford.

We will now move to 6G.

6G is a resolution recognizing the Columbia High School Wrestling Team for their accomplishments.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Second from Mr.

Kling.

All those in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Absolutely, Madam President.

If I could get the wrestling team to come up.

Thank you.

Thank you just mine.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Very much.

My pleasure.

Why don't we jump in the middle?

Come on up here, Coach Walker.

Put you on the spot.

Whereas the City Council and Mayor of the City of Huntsville, Alabama wish to formally recognize and commend the 25 2025-2026 Columbia High School Wrestling Team for its dedication, hard work, and outstanding accomplishments.

And whereas the wrestling team is committed to striving for excellence, living by the mantra of being the best they can be through dedication to their team, themselves, and Columbia High School, and by putting in the work to improve in both wrestling and academics, while also setting an example for other students at Columbia High School, thereby fostering confidence, character, and excellence in both on and off the mat.

And whereas the members of the boys' team include Justin Barber, Danny Hillis, Sergio Eskville, sorry about that, uh Antonio Peralta.

Antonio Peralta, Brandon Barber, Jonathan Garner, Jalen Amos, Kyan Williams, who is also the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

That's the next one.

Okay.

That's Devon Miller.

Oh, okay.

Well, we'll correct that.

Um Kingston Fitzsimmons, Jacarius Starks, Morris Johnson, Maurice Johnson, Landon, Lucas, Nasser Cruz, Brian Freeman, Devon Miller.

That's him.

Devon Miller is the national champion of the state.

Okay.

Devon Miller, who is the AHSAA Supersectional Champion 2026, and the 2026 AHSAA state champion, the 2026 USA Wrestling National Champion, and also an honor student.

The first female wrestler to qualify for the AH SAA State Championship tournament and the 2023 through 2026 girls team captain.

Whereas the wrestling program is made possible through the dedicated leadership, mentorship, and commitment of its coaches.

Whereas through perseverance, discipline, and strong leadership, the Columbia High School Wrestling Team has brought pride to the Huntsville community and demonstrated the value of hard work, character, and sportsmanship.

Now, therefore be it resolved that the City Council and Mayor of the City of Huntsville hereby recognize and commend the Columbia High School Wrestling Team for its commitment, achievements, and admirable representation of our city, and extend sincere pride and congratulations to each of the team members for demonstrating what it means to be a true leader in the Huntsville community.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We've come a long way since they uh volunteered me for the job at Columbia only because my son had been a wrestler.

I was an old basketball coach.

Started off with two people, and this year we hit 30 people on the team.

Uh fantastic.

My assistant coaches, Coach Haynes, couldn't ask for better.

All accomplished wrestlers in their own right.

But I love these kids.

They are great.

Had many of them in my math class, I couldn't ask for better.

They're well behaved at school, they work on their academics.

You just couldn't have a coach couldn't ask for a better group.

But uh I'm gonna make a statement here that a lot of that would not have happened without Mr.

Meredith.

Mr.

Meredith came on board early to support our team.

When they handed the job to me, I had $400 to work with.

And Mr.

Meredith jumped in behind us and made it possible for more kids to be on the team.

Made me reduce costs.

So a tremendous part of our growth is attributable to this man right here, and we are greatly appreciative of what he's done for us.

So the city of Huntsville does know how to take care of its kids.

From my perspective, and I'm very proud of Huntsville, I'm very proud of Mr.

Meredith as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're too tall.

If you were short like me, you could stand in front of everybody.

Come on.

Before you leave, I have this for you in the school, but I also have copies of the resolution for every wrestler.

Okay, thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Let me just get behind you here.

And I'll let Coach pass them out.

Thank you very much.

Again, thank you all for all that you've done.

It's been wonderful to be somewhat associated with you.

Oh sorry, my pleasure.

My pleasure.

Thank you.

Thank you for what you did.

Thank you, sir.

Right.

Thank you, Mr.

Meredith, for sharing that great story of success with us.

Finally, 6H is a resolution recognizing Coach Jack Doss for securing the 900th win of his career as a basketball coach.

The chair moves for approval.

Second second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

I oppose the motion carries.

I will present that resolution, and Miss Watkins, would you like to join me?

Come on up, Coach Doss.

You're not used to being center court, are you?

It is my pleasure tonight to present this resolution to Coach Jack Doss.

Whereas the City Council and the mayor of the City of Hunsell wish to recognize Jack Doss for securing the 900th win of his career as a basketball coach as the Grissom Tigers won against New Hope High School on February 3, 2026, becoming the second boys' coach in state history to reach that milestone.

And whereas Coach Doss has a career that has spent uh spanned 40 years, he has coached at many schools across North Alabama, including SR Butler High School, J.

O.

Johnson High School, and May Jemison High School, and most recently Grissom High School.

During those decades of coaching, Coach Doss's teams won 10 state titles, the most in the state of Alabama.

And in addition to securing those state titles, Coach Doss was selected to coach a team in the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball game and was named a USA Today Boys' Basketball Coach of the Year.

And whereas, due to Coach Doss's exceptional accomplishments, he has been recognized in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the Huntsville Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame.

And whereas, despite his retirement in 2017, Coach Doss returned to coaching at Grism High School in 2020 as hedge as head coach and has continued making a difference there, demonstrating his unwavering passion for coaching high school basketball, significantly impacting generations of students to come.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the City Council and Mayor of the City of Huntsville acknowledge the outstanding coaching contributions of Coach Jack Doss, whose significant impact in North Alabama, particularly in the City of Huntsville, will long be honored and recognized.

Thank you.

God is good.

I want to thank Mayor Battle and the Councilman, not only for the honor, but making this the most beautiful city in the United States.

Let's give them a hand.

Well, next year will be my 50th year of coaching and teaching.

God had a plan, and that's what I'm doing.

I'll be 80 by next go-round.

So I've got a few more years in me.

And it's great for a ninth grader, young man or kid coming out of middle school as a ninth grader, and leave our program as a young man that can look you in the eye, shake a hand, and going to be a leader.

One of our kids was a mayor two terms in Fayville.

We turned the TV on.

We got two young men starting, one for Clemson, and one was MVP of the tournament here, the C USA at Kennesaw State.

Those guys are making six figures.

We've got two more is going to be making six figures.

So that is good.

But the most important thing is when they come back 20 or 25 years from now, bring their children and say this is a coach that care enough to spend this much time and to do the right thing.

Thank you.

Present that to you.

Would you like to say something?

I like the button.

Yes, please.

Mayor Battle, you want to come with us, join us as well?

God bless you.

Thank you, Jane.

And Coach, we hope you will join us for your thousandth win.

Only a hundred more to go.

Madam President.

Yes, sir.

I'd like to apologize.

I don't do many of those, and I forgot to invite the mayor to come up and take photos with us.

In the future, Mr.

Mayor, you are always invited to come up and take those pictures.

And I apologize for overlooking it today.

You know, these celebrations may be some of the most important work we do because it really highlights the good people who are doing good work that makes this such a great community.

So thank you to everybody who participated in that.

We will now move on to our announcements and presentations.

We frequently have presentations by agencies and departments, again, to highlight the good work that is being done, and that certainly is the case today with 7A, a presentation from the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

We will hear from Dr.

Randy Barber.

I think we are good.

All right, good evening, Mayor Battle.

Um Council members, thank you all for having me.

Name is Dr.

Randy Barber, serve as the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs for the City of Huntsville.

Thank you for the opportunity to share the work we do and uh and the role we play in connecting the great city in strengthening our city here in the North Alabama.

At its core for the last 17 years, our office exists to connect communities and ensure that as Huntsville continues to grow, every resident feels included in that growth, no matter where they are born, their ability level or their station in life.

We serve as a catalyst for intentional and connection, and I emphasize intentional, ensuring all communities have access to the City of Huntsville, and in many ways, we serve as a voice for individuals and communities who may not always be heard in the traditional systems.

This is our team, two-person team, myself and my partner in service, Mrs.

Yamika Smith as my assistant director.

Really, really glad to have her on my team.

She does a lot of the great heavy work, especially in some of our programs and coordinates a lot of the things that we do.

I want to, before I go further, I want to kind of ground us in what multicultural affairs is and what that what multiculturalism is itself.

At its core, multiculturalism is both an ideology and approach.

But more than anything, it helps us to understand that we are all unique, we are all different.

And what happens is we go beyond that with multiculturalism.

We go beyond that by simply not just simply acknowledging that we are different.

It means actively valuing, respecting those differences, creating space where diverse cultures, groups are not only present, but meaningfully included and integrated into the city life.

It also requires intentional effort, and I am going to mention being intentional over and over again because intentionality matters in multicultural affairs.

We are intentional in removing barriers, addressing inequities, and ensuring that all residents have equitable access to opportunity services and civic participation.

So when we talk about multiculturalism in the city of Huntsville, the city that I grew up in and am raised by, we're really talking about a building a city where diversity is not just present but embraced, where every resident feels a true sense of belonging.

We see Huntsville not as a melting pot.

I don't like the term melting pot, but as a mosaic or I like salads, a salad, a digitalistic society where every unique piece, every unique ingredient retains its identity while coming together to form a vibrant, unified community.

That's what we're about.

So why do we exist?

We exist because of the ordinance that you all pass, but we exist because we are bridge builders, we are connectors, and we are conveners.

We connect underrepresented communities to city to the city, ensuring residents not only have access to resources and opportunities, but also feel seen, heard, valued, and respected.

And importantly, this bridge works both ways.

It requires us to consistently show up in the community, build trust, and also bring those voices back into city spaces to help inform decisions.

So why does it matter?

This work directly supports civic engagement, strengthens community trust, enhances quality of life, and contributes to what we do here in the City of Huntsville.

As Huntsville continues to grow and welcome new residents from across the country and around the world, intentional connection and emphasis on being intentional again is essential to sustaining a strong, unified and forward-moving city.

That vision is what led to the creation of this office.

So thank you to Mayor Battle, to the past and present Council members who continue to support and provide leadership and foresight for this work.

We are formed and work on guided on seven strategic principles and priorities, including community engagement, inclusion, youth and workforce development, accessibility partnerships, data and storytelling, advocacy, and integrating multiculturalism into city planning.

These priorities and ensure that multicultural engagement is not just an add-on to what we do, but instead embedded into everything that we do here within the walls of City Hall and in the city.

We actively meet people where they are.

You'll see I'm everywhere when I have the opportunity to be there.

We are consistently invited into community spaces, whether through the Huntsville India Association at the Holy Festival, or to the Huntsville Chinese Association, where we celebrate the Chinese New Year's in February.

The International Society of Huntsville, the International Festival in October, and many others.

These relationships are built over time and are rooted in trust.

Our presence helps ensure that communities feel connected to their city and that the city remains visible, accessible, and responsive.

We also support and help coordinate large-scale community events that bring people together across cultures and backgrounds.

This includes Community Kite Festival with Asha Karan, the Community Awareness for Youth or Cathy Back to School Festival, where we provide over 1,000 backpacks and support hundreds of families with Food Drive, the Juneteenth Festival hosted by the Amazon, Jazz in the Park, which we're all familiar with, which draws thousands each Sunday in September, and the Special Olympics track and field, which hosts hundreds of student athletes from across the area.

We've also launched an annual Black History Month celebration here within the City Halls for our city employees to honor our Black and Cultural Heritage internally.

These events are more than just celebrations.

They are opportunities to build connection, foster belonging, and strengthen the social fabric of our great city.

We are deeply committed to civic engagement and youth development.

Through the Civic Engagement Academy and the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, which we just started this past year, we prepare residents, both youth and adults, to be active participants in their community.

Since the fall of 2022, we have engaged over 300 participants through our Civic Engagement Academy, many of whom report significant increases in their civic life and civic activity.

They become ambassadors for engagement across our city serving on City of Huntsville boards, councils, and commissions.

We've also had some even become employees of the City of Huntsville by going through the program.

I want to briefly highlight that the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, made up of 25 exceptional youth.

Councilmember Robinson has an opportunity to communicate and engage with them.

We meet at least once a month on a Saturday, and they also engage in other cultural and service-based activities.

This is not passive program.

These students are already making a meaningful contribution to Huntsville.

They have partnered with the city's green team to launch a pilot composting initiative at a local school.

They have provided youth voice into input and planning for parks and recreation events and services, and they are currently planning to host a youth town hall meeting and youth service day in May.

In addition, they are learning about how city government operates, engaging in professional development, and gaining tools needed to lead effectively.

Additionally, we manage the city's summer intern for college-A students, providing real-world experience, exposure to local government, and pathways into Huntsville's workforce.

What we're doing is more than just engagement.

We are intentionally training and equipping the next generation of leaders.

We're building Huntsville's future workforce and civic leadership pipeline.

We also ensure that the community voices are reflected in decision making.

We support and work alongside initiatives such as the Human Relations Commission, the Huntsville Council of Neighborhood Associations, and the Hispanic and Latino Advisory Council.

Our role is to help strengthen these groups, to help inform and advise them on how they should move, what their missions are, and create alignment between what their community wants and what we're able to provide as a city.

Through consistent engagement, we help ensure the decisions that are informed, the people that they impact.

In addition, we are intentionally building structures for inclusion across the city.

We currently support several advisory boards, including the Disability Advisory Committee, the LGBTQ Plus Advisory Council, and a strategic advisory council.

In addition, we are currently working to develop new councils to extend representation and strengthen connection across our city.

This includes a higher education student leadership council, which will bring together students from two-year and four-year colleges and universities to better understand their experiences, to support their growth, and to ultimately retain some of the best and the brightest of talent that comes here at Huntsville City.

We are also working towards establishing what I'd like to call a United Nations of Huntsville, which will connect international cultural and faith-based communities to foster deep relationships and build a more inclusive and supportive environment for all of our residents.

Together, these efforts ensure that every voice has a place, every community has a pathway to be heard in Huntsville continues to grow as a city where everyone truly belongs and feels value.

One of the last things, but not the least thing that we do.

Our office also leads and supports cross-sector collaboration.

In partnership with the community development, here at the City of Huntsville, we co-lead the Homeless Strategy Network, bringing together organizations from Madison County to align efforts and address homelessness more effectively.

We have also launched our community conversation series.

In our first iteration and convening of that meeting in September of 2025, we nearly had 100 nonprofit and faith-based leaders to discuss poverty and identify gaps and opportunities for collaboration.

Through asset mapping, we were able to identify both strengths and gaps, allowing organizations to better coordinate services and reduce duplication.

This is where we see one of our greatest strengths: bringing people together to create shared solutions.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs, as you have seen, is a two-person team supporting a wide range of city initiatives.

Because meaningful engagement often happens outside of traditional business hours, much of our work extends in the evenings and weekends.

Despite that, we remain committed to showing up consistently, building trust and ensuring that all communities feel connected to their city.

At the core of the work that we do, at the core of the work that we do, for the past 17 years, we have been creating spaces where trust is built and a sense of belonging is strengthened across Huntsville.

So as we look ahead, we are continuing to expand opportunities for connection, including a multicultural New Year's Eve celebration that will highlight the excellence of diversity in Huntsville.

We will also continue to strengthen advisory structures, deepen partnerships, and expand our reach across communities.

Because at the end of the day, a more connected Huntsville is not only a stronger Huntsville, it is a more resilient, inclusive, and more forward-moving city, a city that I love.

I want to thank you for the time, your continued support, and the opportunity to serve this great city.

Thank you.

Thank you for a very informative presentation, Dr.

Barber.

Council members, do you have questions?

Firm.

Well, not so much questions.

I have a comment.

First of all, um thank you for the presentation.

And I as well attended one of your youth council meetings, and I think some other council members had as well, but I only heard Dr.

Robinson mentioned.

But moving forward, I am glad to see that, you know, in 2019 I started a youth advisory leadership program at Jimerson High School, and you were one of the committee members.

And I am excited to see you restarting that program and moving forward with it.

You know, that is awesome.

That's something that our youth need.

Um don't have a lot of questions.

Um just wanted to say thank you for coming and presenting to us.

And uh look forward to coming to your Nick Leadership meeting.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Yes, Madam President.

I have got some questions.

Um, and it's they're all generated around your job description.

Okay, so I'm not pulling things out of the air.

Although I will say your presentation was very educational for me.

So I think it was excellent, and you are doing good work.

Um it does talk in your job description as an essential component that you develop and deliver for Huntsville Police Department training focused on cultural competency.

My question is: what have you developed?

What training uh have you developed to fulfill that commitment?

Right now I am working with the crisis intervention team to formulate different trainings for, especially for those in our mental health community.

So that is kind of where I am uh kind of leading the charge.

In the past, we have worked a little more internally.

Um, but what I am trying to do is to create the collaborative partnerships and strategic partnerships outside of the City of Huntsville, so I attend very regularly our uh mental health North Alabama Mental Health Coalition, and that is where a lot of the work is done in building and developing those types of trainings.

Excellent.

Do you also work with the HPCAC in your functioning?

Yes.

Excellent.

Excellent.

Um talks about collaborating with individuals and groups to develop collaborative initiatives.

This one's take it with a grain of salt.

What have you done to develop collaboration between the Hispanic community and those citizens that are advocating against ICE?

At this very moment, we are having a community conversation in a community meeting with our HLAC and our Hispanic Latino Advisory Committee.

We partner with local schools often to hit individuals that we know are will feel safe enough to come to school.

And so that's that has been our mission.

We want to keep our community members safe.

So we serve in the best way possible by partnering with schools who are already seeing those children.

And that is where our HLAC comes into play.

So we have regular community meetings, we have town hall meetings, and right now we are trying to develop opportunities for them to receive services that they may not traditionally receive.

Wonderful.

I have been hearing a lot from Hispanic, not just constituents, but throughout the city.

And the reason I asked you that question was because I know I have been trying to get them together.

And I frankly have been unable to get them together.

But what I am hearing from the Hispanic community is they don't want any part of it.

That they want to not for us not to go down that road, not to shine the light on the fact that we are protesting ICE.

Is that what you are finding in terms of your conversations with the Hispanic community?

Those are their sentiments, exactly.

Thank you.

Number three, it talks about enlisting the support of, among other groups, labor.

My question is what labor groups have you reached out to and what opportunities have been created through that outreach?

So I work really closely with the Chamber of Commerce during our summer internship program.

We work in partnership with them to provide opportunities to network with interns here locally in the Madison County area.

So I work directly with them, and we have been working to develop a summer internship program that would then create more access for jobs and other opportunities for students in and around the area.

Have you reached out?

I know we don't have a large labor uh community, but have you made any outreach to our labor community?

The one that jumps to mind is IBEW.

I know there are some others, but have you reached out to them to see how you can help them?

I have not, not yet.

All right.

Is that something you intend to do?

If you provide the resource and the contact information, I will definitely reach out.

Okay.

Um it also is in your job description talks about organizing community neighborhood associations and serving as a liaison between the council of neighborhood associations.

How many neighborhood associations have you been able to organize and then loop into the larger community?

Mr.

Meredith, I have been in the position about a year.

Um that first year was really strategically me listening and observing what was happening.

I have been able to do that.

And so now we are identifying the gaps where uh we want to create more engagement for our uh our Constable Council neighborhood associations.

So right now we are currently working on strengthening up the bylaws and also strengthening up the internal structure of that council so that we can begin moving toward uh attracting and going to uh to reach out to those that uh may have fallen off of our roster as civic associations.

I I fallen off means there were at least one point organized.

Are you creating um organizations where there have not been organizations before?

We reach out to and have been speaking with um HOAs who are broadening the scope of what the organization does because we get a lot of emails from uh you know uh home ownership associations, um, and so we are trying to broaden what that scope is, and with that, again, we're we're modifying and editing the bylaws to be able to do that.

And finally, it talks about assuming duties and responsibilities that are amongst others directed by the city administrator.

What duties and responsibilities has the city administrator assigned to you?

Um when individuals are unable to attend an event or be represented at a particular function, I I step in in their stead.

And a lot of the things that I do are primarily uh already written in the job description.

So I focus primarily on those things.

It is very rare that he assigns uh any additional role, um, but when he does, I am able to take care of it.

But for the most part, it is just the mayor and I can't make this.

Would you fill in for me kind of thing?

Or engage a group when they need to.

Excellent.

Thank you very much, Dr.

Barber.

Absolutely.

Any other comments or questions?

Dr.

Barber, thank you for the excellent job you are doing.

I agree with Mr.

Meredith.

I think this was very educational for all of us to see the broad variety of things you are doing to connect the community.

Thank you for that effort.

And again, thank you for all of the council members who have engaged with the mayor's advisory council, sorry to leave you out.

But thank you for your support.

Thank you.

We'll move on to 7B.

7B is a presentation by Huntsville Utilities regarding the 2026 winter weather utility bills.

As we have uh Huntsville Utilities CEO, Wes Kelly with us tonight, as well as several of his staff members, and I see uh uh at least one board member.

Um others are out there as well.

And I have to tell you before Mr.

Kelly begins that um back in February, my husband came to me with a Huntsville Utilities bill and he said, You know people at Huntsville Utilities, don't you?

And I said yes, and he said, Can you get them to explain this to me?

So uh so this is a question a lot of people have asked.

And in response to citizen comments and emails that we have all received, um, we have brought Mr.

Kelly here to help us answer my husband's question.

Yes, ma'am.

So I am Wes Kelly, the uh CEO at Huntsville Utilities.

It's always a pleasure to be here in front of City Council, so I appreciate uh your time and attention tonight.

And indeed, this is uh uh a sobering topic.

Um I recognize that one of the most uh difficult parts about being in the utility business is we have a very direct relationship with our customer, and specifically we have a very direct relationship with our customers' wallets.

Every month we send a bill, and sometimes that can be one of the most difficult things that a customer experiences, especially during a period of high use and extreme weather like we have had of late, and it can be an absolute suck in the sock in the gut.

And I understand the significance of that and the reality of that as people try to make their way, pay their bills, and move on uh with the important things that they are doing in their lives.

So we recognize the significance of the responsibility that we have as a municipal utility provider to provide this information and to do so to build trust, that you understand the rates, you understand what drives the rates, and you hold us to account to make sure that we are providing the information and the resources as is appropriate to the citizens and the community that we serve.

So with that, we have got a few items that I was going to uh walk us through tonight.

One is to discuss what happened uh with these recent round of weather uh winter weather bills.

Uh then we'll spend a little bit of time talking about how we compare, and then uh we'll spend even more time on how we respond to these situations.

So uh first off, winter 2026, uh.

What happened?

So customers are understandably concerned with the uh recent winter bills.

I believe several key factors contributed to this.

One is an extended stretch of cold weather from mid-January into uh the early parts of February, then increase heating demand.

We'll look at some data associated with that.

Second, and very importantly, I think new systems at Huntsville Utilities raise questions about billing and metering accuracy.

And that is something we also need to be addressing for you.

And then some things that my customer service people have educated me on.

Uh one that over 10 percent of our customers had to settle up past due balances following a six-month suspension of penalties, and that tended to compound.

So you had some customers that had pass due balances, and then they got hit with a heavy winter bill.

And so that that just made the situation even more dire.

And then we have seen a surprising number of homes that had water leaks or pipe issues over this winter, and that created issues that need to be addressed, and obviously there is a mechanism we have in place to work with customers to provide credits on the bills once they make those repairs.

I did want to say before I got too far into the presentation that we do have a great uh group of Huntsville Utility uh customer service team members here tonight.

Um Takisha Cowan, if you would uh stand up.

You hear Takisha?

There you go.

Take Cowan is our director of customer service.

And if any uh customers are in the room and they have particular concerns with their utility bills here tonight, Takisha can get you connected with some of our great customer service team to help resolve that on a one-on-one basis.

So we brought a number of people here tonight to help people in in the council building, not necessarily in the room.

You all have important business to do.

But if people have specific questions about their bill, we can go out into the lobby, we can have that conversation, and we brought people here tonight.

So, Takisha and team, thank you for being here to address those customer issues one-on-one and individually.

All right.

So let's talk about the weather first.

What you see up there is a chart that shows the low temperatures from January 1st through the end of February.

And that blue line is all of the temperatures that were below 40 degrees.

And 40 degrees is a pretty important threshold in our business because once the temperature drops below 40 degrees and you have an electric heat pump, that heat pump starts to significantly uh become less efficient.

And it pulls in other heating sources to warm your home.

And we're going to spend uh a little bit of time talking about that.

But a heat pump is a wonderful energy efficient way to both cool your home and to heat your home during mild weather.

But when the temperature gets below freezing, that 40s into the 30s, then the heat pump efficiency completely drops off, and it calls for new technology or additional technology that we'll talk about in a minute.

But what you see here is basically from January 9th or 10th through about February 9th or 10th, that's up almost 30 days of temperatures that were uh uh below freezing or below that optimal heat pump zone where heat pump units were calling for resistant heating, which is the other thing that I want to draw to your attention.

So depending on your unit, depending on its age and the way it is put together, depending on your thermostat and the way that thermostat is programmed, there's different solutions here for different people.

It's not one size fits all.

But heat pumps, as I said, work well in mild, but as temperatures drop, it its efficiency decreases, and then it calls for auxiliary or emergency heat.

Auxiliary heat is that picture up there.

If that looks like a big space heating coil, that's exactly what it is.

It is a big resistant wire that overheats and creates heat that blows into your house.

So I sort of jokingly refer to it as like heating your home off four to six hair dryers.

That's really what you are doing.

And it causes energy usage to spike.

So when auxiliary heat kicks in, you're gonna use two to three times the amount of energy you were using before, just so that it can help make up that temperature.

Now, the auxiliary heat gets called in a couple of ways, depending on your configuration.

In my house, I've got uh one of the fancy EcoB thermostats that tells me lots of things.

Um when the temperature gets about 37, I think, is when it calls for the auxiliary heat, and I have it set to send me an email every time the auxiliary heat runs longer than six hours.

During this period of time, I was getting email after email after email.

So I knew I was gonna have a big bill.

Because when that auxiliary heat is running, that heat strip is running, it's gonna do uh a number on the usage in the house, which correlates obviously into the ultimate bill.

Now, emergency heat is slightly different.

When the auxiliary heat is running, the heat pump is still working and it's doing what it can.

Heat pump technology is really a refrigerant technology, it's a heat transfer.

So a heat pump is trying to take what warm air there is in the atmosphere outside your house and to pull it in, condense it, and then blow that warm air back into your house.

Well, as you can imagine, when it's 30 degrees, there's not a lot of warm air for it to capture and condense.

But it still does what it can, and then the heat strip augment the rest of that.

Usually also, not just based on temperature, if you set your thermostat to say 68 degrees and your house is 63 degrees, your unit is automatically going to turn on that auxiliary heat when that differential gets about 3 degrees.

When the temperature you called for is about 3 degrees, greater than 3 degrees off from the temperature in your house, it's going to kick on that auxiliary heat.

So emergency heat is a little bit different.

The heat pump is not running at all.

It's just strip heat alone.

And usually that's a manual setting, but again, it depends on your unit, it depends on the way it's programmed.

If you're like me and you installed your own thermostat, you might have messed that up.

I did that with thermostat one time.

Um we did it the other way, the auxiliary heat never kicked on.

Hause was very cold.

Um but uh, you know, again, do it yourself or have to deal with the consequences of their own actions like I did.

So I wanted to point out that not everyone in Huntsville heats their home off of a heat pump or has this uh resistant heat situation.

If you have natural gas in your house, then often you will have a natural gas furnace or you will have a heat pump that when it gets below 40, it flips to natural gas in order to warm your house off gas.

Now then you are going to have a higher gas bill, but you're not going to see that exponential hockey rate in hockey stick increase in usage that you see when that strip heat kicks on in a heat pump unit.

So what you see here is a map of where natural gas customers are in Huntsville.

Not all of these customers may have a gas furnace, not all of these customers may have a dual fuel unit.

Some of these may just have gas logs or a gas range in their house.

But we have about 63,000 customers that have gas in Huntsville, and we have 235,000 customers that have electric in Huntsville.

So about a quarter of our customers have gas, and about three quarters of our customers do not.

So this chart shows you temperature and usage across the entire Huntsville utility system.

This is no individual customer.

This is all the energy that flowed through the Huntsville utility system during the same period of time, January 1 to the end of February.

And what you see is when that temperature dropped, they are between January 10th and January 11th.

See how that low uh that low, that blue goes down, how the bar goes up.

And you see that that correlation, the lower that blue line gets, the taller the bars tend to get.

Not 100 percent, but there's usually a pretty good tight correlation between the lower the temperature, the higher the energy usage, and the higher the amount of electrons that flowed through the Huntsville utility system.

So this is the amount of energy that flowed through the Huntsville utility system on a 24-hour basis.

How many electrons came in from midnight to midnight?

That is what you see reflected in this chart.

This is a little different.

This shows demand, and I've talked to the Council about electric demand before.

Demand is that one-hour peak usage.

What was the highest amount of of energy needed to supply power for one hour?

The reason why that matters is because that's a big part of the way TVA invoices Huntsville utilities is those green lines that are up there, our peak demand, that was the peak demand.

And I actually have a correction I need to make because my staff pointed out to me a few minutes ago.

But that that green bar up there was our peak demand.

TVA billed us off that bar right there.

All the other bars that were below it don't matter.

Doesn't matter.

Whatever the peak bar was that month is where we get billed in our demand charge.

If you're a larger commercial business or an industrial business, we bill those customers the same way.

Whatever that peak usage was in the month, that is what the bill is set to.

Doesn't matter that there's all the other lower ones, it's the top one.

I say I made a mistake.

The one in February I have out there about, what is that, February 23rd?

Actually, it's February 1st was uh was when we set that peak demand.

So uh when I drew this chart, uh I uh I missed that February 1st was actually the peak demand.

This chart is pretty important because I know customers are concerned about look, there's no way I could have used this much power in my house.

I I understand that.

I really do.

Uh so part of the question I have is well, let's look at how much power did Huntsville utilities buy from TVA.

How much energy came through our system?

TVA meters Huntsville Utilities at about 14 locations around the county, and TVA has their meters at those locations, and they bill us on an energy and demand basis, just like we bill our customers.

The green bars is how much energy Huntsville utilities bought from TVA in the month of November, the month of December, the month of January, and the month of February.

That's how much power we bought from TVA based on TVA's meter readings in our substations.

The orange bar is an aggregate amount of all of our customer bills in November, in December, in January, in February.

If you add up all 235,000 customer bills, and you sync up those meter readings to say from the first of the month to the first of the month, how much energy did we bill customers for, that's the orange bars.

The difference is the percentage that you see listed there, 4.4, 4.5, 3.9, 3.5.

That is what we call system losses.

We bought around 4 percent more power from TVA than we sold to our customers.

Where did that 4 percent go?

It got burned up in the distribution system.

So every transformer those electrons go through, every wire that goes down the street creates heat.

Heat is energy lost.

So we generally lose around 3-ish to 4-ish percent of the energy that we buy gets lost as it just travels through our what is it, almost 3,000 mile distribution system.

It gets some of it gets lost along the way.

So when you see a stat there, according to the U.S.

Energy Information Administration, which is a part of the Department of Energy, the average is about 5 percent system losses, so our system losses are lower.

But the reason why this chart is important is this shows that how I put this.

TVA wants us, TVA will insist that we pay them for the energy that we bought from them.

Whether or not we collect that money from the customer is not TVA's concern.

We use the green bars, and they are going to make sure that we pay them for those green bars because that energy was delivered to Huntsville and pushed through the Huntsville utility system.

And then as I said, the orange bars represent the aggregate meter usage of all of the customers at Huntsville Utilities during the same period of time.

Now we will look more specifically at an individual bill.

We picked a sample bill here.

This is a customer has a pretty big bill, right?

That's a big bill.

Honestly, this bill looks very similar to the bill I got in my house at that same period of time.

And you notice, look at that date.

From January 9th to February 9th, they hit just about dead on that cold snap.

So and my metering cycle is pretty similar, so that's why my bill was pretty similar.

But we're going to break down some of these charges in this bill, and this is the new bill format.

And yes, there is more detail in here, but again, Huntsville is a very engineering-driven community, so we wanted to provide more data rather than less.

So the availability charge is a fixed monthly charge.

And that availability charge was last changed by this Council in October of 2024, it was a two-stage increase.

Part of it went into effect in January of 2025, the other part went into effect in October of 2025.

There are no plans right now to have any additional rate actions in that space.

But if you have a home with a larger than 200 amp service, then your availability charge is 2170.

If you have a home that is less than a 200 amp service, your availability fee is 1723.

Reason for that difference, and this is something that the Council discussed back in October of 2024 when that decision was made, is it's not based on the size of the house necessarily.

It is based on the size of the electric service that feeds the house.

So if you live in a house that has one breaker panel, then you have a service 200 amps or lower.

If you have a house like mine that has two breaker panels, then you have a service that is larger than that.

You have probably either a 320 or a 400 amp service.

Those services from an electrical standpoint, from an infrastructure standpoint, are about the same as a small commercial business.

So the availability fee for those larger multi-paneled installations are the same availability fee as far as small commercial customers.

Now the energy rates are different, but that that sinks those up because electrically speaking, from an infrastructure perspective, those services beyond 200 amps have bigger wire, bigger transformers, and can have different meters depending on the type of installation it is.

So that is on the availability fee.

The usage fee are the kilowatt hours, and we're going to break this down in more detail.

But we, in industry parlance, we have a three-block inclining rate.

So that means we have three segments to our rates, even though two of them right now match.

So the first block is the first 1,400 kilowatt hours is lower.

That is to help customers that are low usage customers not bear as much burden.

But if you are going to use more power, the rate goes up to that 8 point, almost 8.9 cents.

During a period of extreme cold or extreme heat, everyone is going to be up in that.

Not everyone, if you have gas heat, but a lot of people are going to be up in that higher tier, which costs about half a cent more when you get into that next tier of usage.

And then finally, there is the TVA fuel cost adjustment, and we will spend more time talking about that in just a moment.

But we're going to break down those rates in more detail as well.

So the TVA fuel costs adjustment, this is a variable fee that's a pass-through from TVA.

It is not a new fee.

It reflects changes in fuel cost from TVA, fuel used in the generation of power, not fuel used in trucks driving down the road, fuel used in natural gas plants, fuel used in coal plants, technically uranium, but honestly, there is not a lot of cost to that one in the grand scheme of things for as much energy as you get out of it.

But very importantly now, any time TVA buys power from someone else, the cost of that energy is put in the fuel cost adjustment.

So during an extreme winter event, if TVA doesn't have enough generation that it owns and operates to supply that need, they will go out into the market and secure contracts at a price that is market-driven.

When that power is delivered, TVA pays that bill, and then they pass that through in the fuel cost adjustment.

So that is why the fuel cost adjustment is getting a little bit higher these days is due to that, I think largely due to not only the price of natural gas, but also due to that purchase power dynamic.

So I say it's on a new charge and say, Wes, it wasn't on the bill before, it wasn't.

It was ingrained into the usage charge.

So the usage charge on your old bill looked more like 11, 12 cents, now it's eight cents.

The difference is the fuel cost adjustment.

It is broken out in its own separate line item.

Why did we do that?

My predecessor decided he didn't want to deal with the confusion that would come with that.

He might have been right.

I don't know.

But I thought, again, Huntsville engineering-driven town, show people the numbers, show them what changes.

The fuel cost adjustment changes every month.

Therefore, it looks like your rate changes every month.

Well, that base rate doesn't change every month, but the fuel cost adjustment does.

So I felt like it was helpful for some of our customers to see that variation and know where that variation is coming from.

And generally speaking, it is about a third of the bill.

So it is not insignificant.

So now we're going to get down into a little bit more of the weeds on the residential rates.

But this up in the top right is a picture of the bill that we were looking at just a moment ago, and the red boxes are the numbers that you see there in the base rate column.

So 2170 being the availability fee, you know, the first 1,400 kilowatt hours at 8.3 cents, and then the subsequent ones at almost 8.9, and then you see the fuel cost adjustment at a little over 2 and a half.

When Huntsville Utilities rate design that this council approves goes to TVA, we have to put it in a spreadsheet and put it in a mechanism that TVA evaluates and determines what is TVA's margin, what is the Huntsville utility margin.

So when you see that column there that says TVA base, that is the portion of the electric rate that accounts for TVA's cost of energy.

TVA tells us what that number is.

We don't set that number.

They send us a spreadsheet and said it's that number.

That number changes, those base numbers change two ways.

One, the TVA board has a rate increase, which they did last year and they did the year before, but that is usually well publicized.

It typically happens in August.

Don't know if they are going to do one this year, maybe not, hopefully not.

But it gets well communicated, and that changes TVA's base rate.

The other is without changing those numbers, those numbers do move around seasonally because TVA has a summer rate, they have a winter rate, and they have what is known as the transition rate, which is the months that aren't summer or winter.

So during the winter you what you see reflected here is TVA's base winter rate, which is higher than the transition rate, because TVA's rates are a little higher in the summer and the winter than they are in the spring and the fall.

But again, TVA sends us those numbers.

That is what goes in the bill.

The HU base is involves this council.

The HU base is Huntsville Utilities Revenue Collection.

That is the money that we make off of that rate class.

And you see it as you just keep going on to the side, you see the percentage there, and then ultimately it translates into the kilowatt hours used and in the dollars.

So you see, for this customer's bill, during the winter period, about 17 percent of the revenue stayed with Huntsville Utilities.

83 percent of the revenue went to TVA.

And again, the spreadsheet goes back and forth between TVA and Huntsville utilities on a monthly basis.

It is checked, verified, obviously by our people and by TVA's people to make sure that this sinks up.

And we do this for each of our rate classes, and we have a number of rate classes, but this is our basic residential rate.

Those percentages will shift around just a little bit, because as I mentioned, during the transition month, TVA's base rate is lower.

Our the HU base rate doesn't change.

So therefore, during those transition months, our percentage of the bill is higher.

Because the only way the HU base changes is when this council approves a rate change.

That is how that changes.

And then I mentioned the fuel cost adjustment.

TVA sends us that number on a monthly basis, it changes every month.

Okay.

Out of that money that Huntsville utility keeps, where does it go?

Big picture.

70 percent of the money we take in goes to TVA, 30 percent goes to do things here.

You say, Wes, 17 percent is different than 30 percent?

Yes.

Partially I mentioned because the winter period is when our margin is the smallest, but also because this 30 percent is from our budget.

It this includes money that we are spending through debt, money that we are spending through reserves, and money that we are spending through revenue sources that don't come from customer bills, such as our ICSA agreement with Redstone Arsenal, such as our fiber lease agreement with Google Fiber, such as lease agreements, poll attachment agreements, et cetera.

This looks at all of the revenue that comes into Huntsville utilities.

But out of the money that we spend here, where does it go?

Uh basically a third goes to the employees, a third goes in new capital construction, and that can also mean repairing existing equipment.

You know, it's it's when we're our crews are out there uh getting stuff uh installed on the system.

10 percent of the money comes right here to this building.

10 percent of the money that we keep at Huntsville Utilities comes to the City of Huntsville to fund your municipal operations.

And then you see the way the rest of it lays out there on the pie charts.

Okay.

Well, let's talk a little bit about how we compare.

This is an I chart, I'm gonna show you it in a graph in a minute, but you have got printed copies in front of you, Council.

This is a rate survey that we do not do.

This is done by Memphis Light, Gas and Water every year in January of 2025.

They compare electric rates.

They do actually electric water, sewer, and gas, but they do electric rates based on difference amounts of usage.

So they look at 500 kilowatt hours of usage, a thousand kilowatt hours of usage, 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 kilowatt hours of usage.

They pick 1,000, because that is a pretty common number to be the uh the ranker there, and you see Huntsville utilities falls out at number eight on that list.

Now the cities that are above us in the survey, and again, we don't pick these people, Memphis does.

They pick peer communities or regionally close communities, that's their call.

But you see uh systems in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, you got Jacksonville, Florida, and uh Omaha, Nebraska on that list, just a little bit cheaper than us.

A lot of those systems, not all of them, but a lot of those systems are close to fracking fields, meaning they are close to supply of natural gas, or in the case of Kentucky, they are close to coal.

That means they are sitting on their fuel supply.

That is going to help them have lower costs.

And then as you go down the list, the first uh system that buys energy from TVA is number 10 on the list, Jackson, Tennessee, which is a system in West Tennessee.

And then you see uh uh Chattanooga there, I believe, is number 13, uh.

Memphis is there, number 16, Knoxville is number 20, Nashville is number 23.

So those are the other large municipal systems in the TVA system.

Birmingham is down there at number 29 with Alabama Power Company.

So this is that same data, just putting a graph, just so you can see it.

We picked the 1,000 and the 1,500 just to chart it out.

But uh there you see how Huntsville lays up.

This is the top 30.

There's actually 50 in the list, but when I had 50, you couldn't see it on this slide, so I cut it off at 30.

Also, I kind of wanted to get Birmingham on the list.

So speaking of State comparisons, this is data that every utility submits to the Department of Energy on an annual basis.

Interestingly enough, Huntsville Utilities does not submit this directly.

TVA submits this data on our behalf to the Department of Energy.

I don't know why government data takes so long.

The most recent data that they have is from 2024, but in 2024, the average Huntsville residential rate for the year was 11.5 cents.

That includes the fuel cost.

That's all in.

That is everything.

Again, that was 2024.

TVA has done some rate increases, and Huntsville's done some rate increases since then.

So we will continue to update this as new data comes out.

At that time, the municipal average, the other city-owned utilities across the State were at 11.9 cents.

The cooperative systems, such as like Joe Wheeler or North Alabama or ARAB and the ones in the lower part of the State came in at 14.5 cents, and then at the time Alabama power was 16.8 cents.

Shows that difference in the state.

This chart is every utility that buys power from TVA, which is 153 utilities.

And what this does is it says if a customer bought 1,200 kilowatt hours of usage, taking into account the availability fee, taking into account the fuel cost adjustment, taking into account the regular rate, all in, what was that cost on an average basis?

And Huntsville is there highlighted.

You see it comes out a little under 140 bucks for an average residential bill based on our 1200 KW rate schedule.

That purple line is top quartile of this list.

Those yellow lines, and I have shown this chart to the Council before, are the other large utilities in the Tennessee Valley.

So we're the only large utility in the Tennessee Valley to be top quartile at this time.

And this is data from, I believe, June 30th, 2025, which is when this data was available.

Every month we do our own survey looking locally.

So this looks at Athens Decatur, Fayetteville, Scottsboro, Gunnersville, North Alabama Electric Co-op, Pulaski Electric, Joe Wheeler, and Alabama Power.

And this, our staff does this chart every month, and I look at it carefully every month, and you see we're just a few cents higher than Decatur.

Athens is uh is uh really doing a bang up job there, being at 139, we're at 146.

Um I will draw your attention to Alabama Power at 203.

Just a reminder for folks that, of course, when you get your Huntsville utility bill, everyone says it's what?

It's the light bill, right?

I got my light bill, you don't believe how expensive it is.

Well, there's more than just light on there.

So if you live in the city of Huntsville, um you are going to have multiple services on that bill.

Or if you live in New Hope, or if you live in uh, you know, even Madison and Madison County, there's other billing units on that bill.

So you see City of Huntsville there, it this is average electric usage, average water usage, average sewer usage, average sprinkler usage, a trash fee, and average gas use.

Meaning if you were less, you were like the dead middle customer and used the dead middle median numbers, your bill would be in February 2026, your bill would be about 272 dollars.

And this is not average for a cold winter period.

Again, this is average throughout the year.

About half that bill is electric, half of it is everything else.

Water, sprinkler, sewer, gas, garbage.

Okay.

And uh you see, uh New Hope's actually even higher because their water rates are higher.

And they recently implemented a sprinkler rate like we do, and as you see, that's a that's a that's a tidy sum.

Okay.

Most importantly, how do we respond?

First off, we have to make sure our numbers are right.

Right?

We got to take this seriously, and I take this very seriously.

We have to check our work.

And we need to bring in outside people to check our work.

So two of these things happen all the time, and they're at the top and at the bottom.

But Maldon Jenkins is currently doing our financial audit.

They're working on wrapping that up now.

And it's taken a little longer because we changed systems part way through the year.

So they are having to do part of the audit on the old system and part of the audit on the new system.

But they're getting it all dialed in and they are going to get that audit ready and presented in the next month.

It is going to be presented to our board in April.

And I know uh City Finance Department is very eager to get that audit in so the city can complete its audit.

I think importantly, to this body and to our customers, we have hired a national accounting firm named Baker Tilly to conduct a billing audit, meaning go through, since we change software systems, go through with a new set of eyes and check the math, check the numbers, check the process.

So Baker Tilly has conducted its initial review and found no significant problems or discrepancies.

We asked them to go back and do it again.

Only this time, use four times the number of customers that they checked last time.

I want it to be clear.

I want it to be right.

If there is a problem, I want to fix it.

ESOURS is a new contract that we are just finalizing now.

They are a technology company with experience in the electric metering business.

We want them to come in and go through our entire metering system and entire metering workflow.

Now that we are on the new system, check the work, make sure the data is flowing.

We're not dropping a decimal place here, there somewhere, that the data is properly flowing from point A to point B.

So eSource is getting their work kicked off now.

CRI, Carrigs and Ingram, local firm, they sometimes do our financial audit.

Interestingly enough, due to Helmsville utility statutes, we have to have a different auditor every other year.

So CRI has been one of those auditors in the past.

We have asked them to go back and do a full fiber financial analysis, because when we built our fiber system, it was part of the electric system.

As I think I have mentioned to some of you, I would like to talk to the Council about eventually spinning that into its own separate thing.

But I need to know before we do that how much money is owed back to the electric system before we can have that conversation.

So we have hired Car Riggs and Ingram to come in and do that analysis to say, okay, if you ran the fiber as its own utility, how much money would need to go back to pay the electric system for its investment in that in that?

But that's a conversation for another day and would also be brought to this council for consideration.

But I put it on the list just so you could know we have got a lot of people going through our numbers right now.

A lot of outside entities going through our numbers.

And then finally, TBA regulatory insurance, they're not new.

Every year, TVA is in our building going through our numbers, checking our work, both in terms of customer service policies and in terms of our rate designs to make sure that we are doing the right thing.

Okay.

Now, again, I mentioned we have got a great customer service team.

These are the numbers just from January and February.

I know Council got calls and emails.

I understand.

I got calls and emails.

Our customer service team got a tremendous amount of calls and emails.

In January and February, they filled in nearly 46,000 calls and had over 5,600 people walk in the door.

On the commercial side, businesses, which is remarkable when you consider that we have about 25,000 businesses.

You have about 4,000 calls that came in.

So what you saw there is about a quarter of our customers contacted us in January and February to talk about bills.

One of the key insights that is down there is when we changed to our new billing system, Huntsville Utilities began absorbing the credit card fee.

Since we have been absorbing the credit card fee, the amount of customers paying by credit card has increased by about 25 percent, which I think is helpful to customers if they are trying to manage some of those payments.

A very important thing that we do is energy audits.

We have got a great team.

We used to charge for this, we're not charging for it anymore.

We will come in and do an in-home energy audit with experts that this is all they do, and they will come in and do an assessment of your home and look for issues, look for opportunities, and give you a printed report with recommendations.

And you can we are about booked out about two weeks right now, but you can uh email, call, and we will get you on the list and we will come out.

When I moved to Huntsville, Adam come to my house, it was very helpful.

When my parents moved to Huntsville, we had them come and look at their house, very helpful.

It is a good team, they know what they are looking at.

They are here to help.

No cost.

This is even more important.

We have great agency partners.

And you see here during these winter bills, they have so far provided over $850,000 to low-income customers that are having trouble getting the bills paid.

Community Action Agency, Huntsville Assistance Program, Catholic Center of Concerned, First United Methodist Church, Priority Veterans, St.

Vincent DePaul, the Elm Foundation, and others.

I mean, the list could go on, but these are great organizations that pour their heart and soul and work super closely with our collections team to solve problems that need to be solved.

And often they are calling us, and sometimes we are calling them.

But it's a great relationship, and I appreciate everything that they do to help these customers.

And you could see the number of homeowners that they are residents that they have helped.

Huntsville Utilities has a program that we manage called Project Share.

Customers will donate into that.

100 percent of the money goes into the fund.

There is no administrative overhead.

It helps customers over 62 years of age or disabled on fixed or low income, which most of the customers in that category are going to fall into.

During January to March, that's also helped 183,000.

So you add those together, that is a million dollars worth of support that has come in to help customers during this critical payment period.

Now I am going to shift gears a little bit to talk about advocacy.

LieHEAP.

LIHEAP is incredibly important Federal program that has existed for many decades that goes to local utilities to help customers pay low-income bills.

The way that it works is Congress authorizes the money, they give it to the States, and in our case it goes through a DECA.

A DECA then distributes it to community action agencies throughout the State.

So Huntsville Community Action Agency administers these funds in Huntsville Madison County, and then they distribute these funds to low-income customers to help them with just winter bills or emergency when they are going to get their service disconnected, they can come in, drop some money on the table and help keep the lights on for them.

Every year we fight to keep Congress funding this program.

We send people to D.C.

to go walk the halls and talk about how important it is that this program stays funded to help customers who need it the most.

Now this is a little bit of a tangent, but the Universal Service Fund has nothing to do with the electric utility.

It has nothing to do with gas utility.

Has to do with your telephone bill.

Why am I bringing it up?

Because it is an example of a good idea.

When Congress passed the Telecommunications Act in 1996, they created the Universal Service Fund.

And when they did that, on every person's cell phone bill, there is a charge that goes into help.

Been in place since 1996.

It has, I am sure helped innumerable people.

It is also used for schools and libraries, but it helps low-income people.

And all of us, when we pay our cell phone bills, there's I looked at mine, it's about 20 some odd cents.

It moves around a little bit.

Goes into the Universal Service Fund, and it is distributed out through the telephone companies to again help low-income customers get access to cell phones.

Wouldn't it be nice if we had something like that on the electric side?

So one of the ideas here, and I would take your counsel and guidance and find out if you want to make this a priority.

Huntsville Utilities has a voluntary roundup program, which means we will round up your utility bill if you want us to.

And right now that money goes to the Schools Foundation.

It does not generate much money.

It generates about maybe $50,000 a year.

I mean, don't get me wrong, $50,000 is real money.

If all of our customers participated, it would generate over 1.2 million dollars a year.

That is a big delta, right?

So and how do I get that number?

235,000 customers divided by two, because I am saying, you know, 235,000 dollars.

If it's 50 cents, right, half of them are going to be half of it above, half of it below, right?

Half of 235 is what, 118-ish, somewhere in that range, 117-ish.

So that's that would be generated every month times 12.

Currently, in state law, we are not allowed to charge this on an opt-out basis, which means your bill will automatically get rounded up unless you call us and say, don't round up my bill.

You can still opt out, but right now we don't have a mechanism to do that.

It has to be a voluntary opt-in.

We could consider, and I will tell you, TVA is our rate regulator.

They don't love opt-out programs.

They did not shut me down.

They said our preference is voluntary opt-in programs, not opt-out programs.

I understand that.

I understand that is sensitive.

But it could make a difference because you could still fund the schools as we have been funding them, but you could put some of that other extra money in to support low income.

Again, that's just an idea.

Don't know that customers might say that's a terrible idea.

Okay.

But it's an idea of a way to try to put more money on the table because energy pricing, it is tough for me to say that it is going to go down, right?

You look at what is happening geopolitically, you look at what is happening in our own region with our power supplier.

There's a lot of investments that need to be made.

That is going to cost money to do it.

We have some programs here that also help flatten the bill for customers, and then I am done and ready to take your questions.

I am sorry I have taken so long, but I did want to take the time to make sure everyone understood what I was presenting here tonight.

But we have a fixed billing option.

If customers want to pay the same amount every single month, we have a program for that.

About 50 customers are on it.

Why?

Because it gets recalculated twice a year, and then if you're up or down, it gets true up.

So if all of a sudden there was a big spike in the bill, then you are going to have to true that up.

What I am on in my house is the average monthly billing.

It is a rolling 12-month average.

So as the bill goes up and down, and my bill does fluctuate, but it fluctuates $20, $30, not $200, $300.

So that's an option that is available to any customer that would like it.

So I realize I have thrown a lot of information at you.

I am happy to take your questions.

It was a lot of information, but it was really valuable information.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Kelly.

Council members, what questions do you have, Mr.

Kling?

Thank you, Madam President.

First of all, I appreciate you giving the comparison.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, I understand that.

At least from the numbers you show, it's hurting more in Birmingham.

It's hurting more in Jackson, Tennessee.

You guys uh your rates are lower than most of the areas, but again, they are high.

Um I was struck by one thing uh that you had mentioned at the last time.

You're a not-for-profit entity.

Yes, sir.

You are still expensive.

I mean, it's for everything, but you are for not-for-profit.

Alabama Power Company, Birmingham, Mobile Montgomery, and other cities, uh, those are for profit, and like you pointed out, the rates are higher.

Uh so that's a little bit of a moral victory.

Um I think you have got a great thing.

I liked what you were talking about as far as you know, things you can do to help people, uh, your home energy audit, which is a good thing that you are doing.

I am wondering if perhaps on a more general basis, is there a way that your media, your public relations uh people can get on the Internet and all everything else that you do to kind of come up with tips?

What are the things that people can buy at the local building supply place for home insulation, uh, the little pipe insulation things, places that can be glued or caulked, you know, all those types of tips.

But it seems like you're in a great position and people are definitely interested.

But if if you could somehow use the uh people that you have just to get a general public information campaign out, you know, a press you could do a press conference and your folks can follow up.

But just this way, uh it's out there about what can be done, what are particular steps a person could take, like next weekend they they can go down the building supply step store, what do they need to buy, what are the things that they can do?

And you might have some tips that they hadn't even thought about.

Uh I hadn't realized how much um energy loss comes from the bottom of an outdoor, you know, door.

And uh those types of things.

Attic insulation, how important that is.

But uh I appreciate everything y'all are doing, and um, you know, again, I think we all understand people in this community as well as all your whole service area are all you know very concerned and hurting these days.

Yes, sir.

I'm I appreciate you bringing weatherization to my attention.

We have had very strong uh community outreach on that in the past, but it's been a while, and we need to redouble our efforts there.

We have hosted workshops and whatnot, and we had some great employees that really had a heart for that.

And uh one in particular I'm thinking of retired.

We got to make sure we pick up that mantle and we keep carrying it forward.

So I appreciate you uh reminding me of that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Other questions, Mr.

Meredith.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh I'm gonna jump around based on my notes.

Um how big a hit is it financially to Huntsville utilities to absorb the credit card service fees?

Yeah, it it is it's money.

I'm afraid I don't have that.

I had that number in my mind when that decision was made about a year ago.

Um the good news is when a utility company, we get we get kind of a special deal with the credit card companies.

When a utility company does not charge the fee, they charge us a lower fee.

So if we pass the fee on to our customers, they charge us a very high fee, just like every other merchant.

But as a utility company, or honestly, I think governmental entities, if if you do not pass that fee on, they give you a lower rate.

And it's significantly lower.

So it helped us absorb that.

We did that to create less friction with the customer and make it easier.

Um it did increase costs a little bit, but what it has done is it significantly increased the amount of electronic payments that we are getting.

So we're saving on postage.

And we're saving on the most expensive way a customer can pay a bill is to come and walk into our lobby because of the staffing and all the things that are associated with that.

So we have got a significant number, and a matter of fact, Takish can probably remind me because I I heard it, but it didn't stick, but a significant amount of our customers are now paying their bills electronically, and that helps us reduce cost.

Thank you.

Um if you could get the cost of the credit card service fees and the savings on the postage in correlation to that, I'd appreciate it.

Yes, sir.

Well, uh we have that information when the board approved that change, so I just need to be fine.

Thank you.

Um is an availability charge in relation to other utility companies charging a utility charge?

Sure.

Huntsville is unique in that we call it an availability charge.

Most call it a customer charge.

And it's very common.

I don't know of a utility in the Tennessee Valley that does not charge a customer charge.

Now the numbers vary.

I know some that charge more than $35.

Um, maybe even higher.

I know some that charge $9.

So the numbers differ.

But yeah, it's a it's a very common, because it is a fixed revenue that comes in.

And if I if I go back to that slide that showed that breakdown, and we've talked about this as basically a smoother effect.

One, it creates stability in Huntsville utility revenue because it's not based on variable usage.

But if that HU base number where it says 27720 was less, then those other numbers below it would need to be higher to recover the same amount of revenue.

Thank you.

You mentioned the auxiliary heat and that it uses more energy.

Yes, sir.

Which is more economical?

To plug up a space heater or to use that auxiliary heat?

Ooh, that is a great question.

I don't know that I am sophisticated and expert enough to answer that question.

I might have to phone a friend.

But I will tell you the technology is not much different.

There is work now with heat pumps to create cold climate heat pumps that work that do not use resistant heating and work better in cold weather, they're very expensive.

As that technology gets better, maybe the situation will get better.

Our friends in Chattanooga were testing some cold climate heat pumps a while back through a program with the Department of Energy.

But again, those costs are real high.

When people's HVAC goes out, they're usually not looking to spend a lot of extra dollars.

But yeah, I would have to, I don't know if Joe has any thoughts on that.

But I will say that it is different technology.

Like you know there's the kind that are oil-filled.

They look like little radiators.

I would think that is probably a little bit more efficient.

Okay.

But the others, it's just heating a coil, either inside your unit or outside of your unit, it's basically the same technology.

Thank you for mentioning the radiant heat, the radiator heat, though.

Yeah, I have a feeling that is going to be more efficient, but I'm not an expert in that.

Yes, sir.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Joe Goethe's Huntsville utilities typically, Councilman, what is happening when customers are using a space heater to supplement the heat that their central unit is not giving them?

That's in addition to the energies being pulled by their central unit.

You can't switch uh well, you could turn it off, but it that also not advisable because you know we'll hear from customers that say, you know, I use nothing but space heaters.

That's going to be generally more expensive.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

Yes, sir.

Um you mentioned the low threshold of 40 degrees.

Yes, sir.

Is there a high threshold?

For heat pumps, again, heat pumps are a heat exchange system, and so when it gets hot, what it is doing is it is pulling the coolness out of the air.

So, sure, I mean if it got real hot, but as I understand it, they operate well over 100 degrees.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

Excellent.

Um They were really designed, by the way, for hot weather.

Okay.

What's happened is it's getting colder in the Southeast right now.

It's a maybe it will change again, but right now it's getting colder in the winters than it than it was.

Yes, sir.

With regard to smart meters, um, what time of day are the actual readings happening?

Okay, sure.

So the meter registers usage every 15 minutes.

Uh it stores that usage in a in a memory cell, and then about four times a day, could be six, but around every six hours, it will broadcast those readings.

It will take that collection of 15-minute readings and it will broadcast them about every six hours back to the Huntsville utility system where it's sucked into our database.

Now I'm assuming those the gaps in between those 15 minutes.

What is the assumption being made?

So what it is doing is it is measuring how much energy did you use, say at 9 o'clock and at 9.15, and it's measuring the difference in usage.

So just like your regular meter, your old meter registered your usage from the first of the month to the 30th of the month, it is just measuring how many electrons flowed through in a 15-minute period.

It's just doing the same thing, it's doing it more granularly.

Instead of a whole month of usage flowing through the meter and it's saying electron, electron, electron, electron for a whole month, it's only capturing minutes of that, storing it doing the next 15 minutes storing it instead of a whole month at a time.

I see I may have confused you in that.

So there's no there is no extrapolation.

In other words, um the old meters actually measured exactly exactly what was used.

There is no mathematical formula that extrapolates well, if you use this much in this 15 minutes compared to the next 15 minutes where we are going to take the high end of that and say all 14 minutes were at that high level.

No, sir.

It works very similarly to the to the old meters.

It doesn't do it electromechanically, it does it digitally.

But if you have ever used the digital multimeter in your workshop, right?

It is the same technology.

It is just measuring the current that flows through the meter and it is recording that.

And finally, um what is the cost of opting out of smart meter use?

Yeah.

So obviously there was a lot of attention here at Council about that.

The electric board decided to allow for an opt-out option.

There is actually a couple of scenarios.

Scenario number one is we're still going to your house and reading your water meter, which for a lot of customers we are.

In that case, there is a $10 surcharge to opt out of the electric read because now we need to go up and read your electric meter, which honestly that part is not the costly part, but we have to now manually process your meter reading separate from all the other meter readings.

And so the $10 surcharge there is basically to handle the additional manual processing associated with man handling that.

There is also a $10 charge if we are not going to your house to read your water meter.

But you use our new app.

There is a mechanism in that new app that allows you to take a picture and send it to back into our billing system.

And then it is automated.

We don't have to manually process.

But there is still additional costs associated with that because there is some additional work that is going on and there is some technology that we have got to put in place to make that work.

And that is a customer-driven, do they take that once a month?

That is the hard part for the customer.

They're going to have to take it basically within a day or two time period.

And that is something that has to happen if you do not have someone coming out and reading the water meter.

Now, if you want to go the most expensive option, it is where someone from Huntsville Utilities drives to your house, just to your house to read your meter alone, and that cost is going to be somebody remember?

Fifty dollars.

Fifty dollars.

Is there if someone has a smart meter on their home now wants to opt out, is there a charge to switch the meter out?

No, there is no charge to switch the meter out.

We will swap, we will swap the meter back.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Ms.

Watkins, I believe you have some questions.

How are you doing?

Yes, ma'am, I'm well.

Good to see you.

So I have a couple of questions.

Do you have a year-to-year comparison of the utility bills or rates average to that we can compare, like from year to year when the weather changed?

What our rates have been over time?

And a comparison for what the bill was last year compared to this year.

Yes, ma'am.

I can certainly prepare that.

That is not hard to do.

I will say that between last winter and this winter, the number that will have changed is if you are in a house that had more than a 200-amp service, that availability fee is going to be higher.

It is going to be 2170.

Before last year it was still going to be 1723, I think was the number.

If you don't mind, you know, when you get time, can you do a four-year comparison and send it?

Yeah.

We'll do.

No problem.

Thank you.

Okay.

So got a comment, then I got another question.

Alabama is at number three for the highest monthly utility bill with the average of 575.

This accounts for approximately 11.38 percent of the average Alabamians' incomes.

This report was done by MOOC.org in November 2024 and it was nationally published.

Yes, ma'am.

So that's that's some concern.

You know, uh we're not the biggest state, but we are ranked number three.

I'm uh ma'am, that's a serious issue for the State of Alabama.

If it's the same report that I read, um it also highlighted that Huntsville's rates were significantly lower than the States.

Yeah, but still, we are looking at these high rates.

And uh just like you said you got calls.

That's all I got was calls.

Yes, ma'am.

Calls, calls, calls about the utility bill.

And I even called you about a couple of bills myself.

Yes, ma'am.

Um I want to know um.

How much of the current increase is directly tied to the October 2024 uh rate adjustment?

I believe that rate adjustment was around three and a half cents.

Oh excuse me, three and a half percent.

Three and a half percent.

Yes.

Um phoning a friend is you can get back with me on it if you don't know it.

Three point three point nine and then one point one.

So cumulatively, I guess it is five percent.

Yeah.

Thank you, Karen.

See, don't I have heartburn with that because 12 days before I was sworn into office, the council voted on that.

Because twelve days before I was sworn into office, the council voted on that.

Yes, ma'am.

And I and I know it was on purpose.

I know Jenny over here about the fall out.

But it was on purpose because no one wanted me to come in this council chamber and question and ask about it and not vote for it.

But I digress.

I'll go on from that.

Um was the last time you had a gas increase?

It was November of 2022, I believe was the last time we raised gas rates.

Is that voted on by the council?

No.

So about 20 years ago, the council passed an ordinance delegating the setting of gas rates to the gas board.

So that was just approved by the gas board.

It was not approved by City Council.

Now the Council could could revoke that ordinance if you wanted to, but that ordinance has been in place for about 20 years.

And um, do you adjust the rates like in the wintertime?

Do the rates happen to go up or in the summertime, do the rates happen to go down?

Yeah, that's a great question.

Most gas systems have we talked about the fuel cost adjustment.

They have what is known as a PGA or a power uh purchase gas adjustment.

Hunsible utilities doesn't do that.

We have a fixed rate.

It is the same rate uh every month.

So we don't have a very sophisticated gas rate.

It is the same rate every month.

And again, I believe last time it was changed was November 2022.

We expect to have to do something with gas rates.

I believe it is in 2028, because we are having to uh pay for an upgrade of pipeline costs, and that will be reflected in a couple of years.

The pipeline that the council voted on.

No, this is another pipeline, and it is one reason that we had that conversation about a new pipeline because those rate increases are just going to keep coming.

Okay.

How is the public notified when gas rates go up since it is not voted inside of council chambers?

It's been a while since we have done it.

Uh but I believe we communicated on social media and put it on the bill.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Yes, ma'am.

Any other questions?

Well, Mr.

Kelly, again, thank you very much for a very informative presentation.

Um I hope it answered many questions that people have.

We thank your staff as well for being here.

It is my understanding, Mr.

Kelly, that you will stick around.

Your staff will stick around for people who have questions.

Um we also are we have several folks who during our agenda-related comments have questions about utilities.

So if you'll stay to hear those as well.

We would appreciate that.

Encourage people to avail themselves of our customer service staff if useful here tonight.

Wonderful.

Ms.

Watkins has another comment.

Um I asked um Mr.

Kelly to stay to listen to the comments related to House of Utilities, and he graciously accepted.

So thank you for that.

Oh, yes, ma'am.

Happy to.

Thank you.

Um we are going to go ahead and finish, Council members, if it's all right with you, uh the matters with outside legal representation, and then our public hearings to be held and to be set.

And then if it's all right with everybody, I think we'll take a break.

And then we will hear agenda-related comments, including those that are specific to Huntsville Utilities.

Just so everybody knows what we are doing.

Because it has been a long evening so far, and we have still have lots of work to do.

So we'll move on then.

Thank you again, Mr.

Kelly and everyone from Huntsville Utilities for being here.

All right.

8A.

Matters with outside legal representation.

Madam President.

Yes, sir.

I'm sorry to interrupt you.

If you'll let me read it.

Okay.

8A is the Council decision on personnel hearing for Calvin Haddon, Huntsville Fire Department held on February 27, 2026.

I move to overturn the decision of the personnel committee and return the matter back to them for a full hearing.

Is there a second?

Second.

We will move on as their discussion.

My concern about putting it back is why is that necessary if we don't agree?

Um it just seems as though if you send it back, we might be seeing it in in another couple of months if they decide to take the same action.

If we vote against it, then it is a done deal, correct?

If we would vote against it, then the finding of the personnel committee is upheld.

So vote against it?

I'm I'm sorry, if if we vote against Mr.

Kling's motion.

Oh, well.

My concern is the send it back portion of what Mr.

Kling said.

So it would go to understand what sending it back would mean.

That great question.

So that would be a point to address.

It would go back to the personnel committee.

This time it would be for a full evidentiary hearing.

Last time it was just a just cause hearing was this aggrievable matter.

So this full evidentiary hearing then would lay out the entire grievance process.

Which then could wind up back before council.

It could indeed.

But it but with a broader scope of evidence.

Other questions or comments?

Let's do a roll call vote.

Mr.

Kling, how do you vote?

Aye.

Mr.

Meredith is nay.

Ms.

Watkins.

Nay.

Chair votes aye.

This is 2-2.

So the matter then will we will be upholding, since since the motion did not prevail, we will be upholding the finding of the personnel committee.

No.

I want to vote against it.

I want this firefighter to prevail.

And this is unusual.

Most of the time when we do these, it's the motion is to uphold.

That is why I had questions about what he was talking about.

So I didn't really know what I was voting on because it's not traditional, and the explanation was if we don't, if we take his motion, then it goes back and then could ultimately wind up back here, which I think is a miscarriage to make the gentleman go through this twice.

I think that we should not uphold what the uh what the grief is.

Mr.

Riley, would you like to help us straighten this out?

I will be happy.

The rules are clear.

This is an unusual situation in that usually the appeal that is before the council is for the full presentation of evidence.

That did not occur in this case because in this case the appeal was for determination that the grievance filed by the employee did not fall within the types of grievances allowed under Section 14.1.

And that decision shall be reviewed by the Council in that circumstance only on the issue of whether the matter was aggrievable.

So really there's two choices here and that is do we overturn or does the council overturn the uh finding of the personnel committee?

At which point it goes back to the personnel committee and it has a full evidential hearing.

In other words, you are saying we do believe this grievance is due to be heard.

So thank you.

I just wish we had done it the way we have been doing it ever since I have been on council.

This new verbiage is very confusing, and I would like to change my vote because I I do not want to uphold what was done.

I want this firefighter, frankly, brought back to the status he had before this action was taken against him.

Okay.

Mr.

Hang on just a second.

Mr.

Riley, would in fact sending it back to the full evidentiary hearing restore anything to the firefighter, or would it simply give him an opportunity to make his full case?

What it would still do is it would simply overturn the prior decision of the personnel committee, which was this was not a type of grievance that is heard.

So what you are doing is overturning that and returning it to the personnel committee where a full evidentiary hearing would be held.

So in other words, it goes back and the employee gets an opportunity to have a full evidentiary hearing.

At the conclusion of that, that we we can't presuppose what the personnel committee will do.

The personnel committee will either uh you know uh uphold the employees' position or they'll uphold uh the position of the uh of the department head.

And depending upon what that is, one or the other of them could then appeal to the council.

And that would be on the full evidentiary hearing.

Okay.

Um who gave a second to the motion?

I did.

Okay.

Um I wish you had just done it the way we had been at least I had been programmed to do it.

The change through me, and I would like to change my vote so that it does go back.

Well, Mr.

Meredith, that is absolutely your privilege.

So should we just, Mr.

Riley, we would just um call for the vote again?

I believe that that would be the simplest way to do it.

If there are no objections, we will call for the vote again.

That way we can make it clear what everybody's intention is.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Kling, how do you vote?

I.

Mr.

Meredith votes aye.

Ms.

Watkins votes aye.

And the Chair votes aye.

Then it is unanimous.

And the decision of the personnel committee is overturned.

It will be turned back to the personnel committee for a full evidentiary hearing.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate your patience.

It was confusing to me, and I apologize.

Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

We will go on then to public hearings to be held.

9A is a public hearing in order to hear, consider, and act upon all objections or protests, if any, for removal of a public nuisance.

At 4313, Chalet Circle Northwest, Huntsville, Alabama, and consideration of a resolution ordering abatement of a nuisance located at the same property.

The public hearing is now open.

Mr.

Irwin.

Yes, Councilmember Scott and Community Development Department.

So this property of 4313 Chalet Circle was in violation of the State Public Nuisance Act for abundance of junk.

The property owners were notified that this will be the time and place and where they may appear before the council to present any objections for the abatement of the property.

We work for voluntary compliance for several months on this property and failed to get a resolved issue.

The property continues to be in violation.

So we are before you tonight seeking authorization to abate this public nuisance.

Thank you, Mr.

Irwin.

Is there anyone here who wishes to comment on this matter?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to approve the resolution?

Move to approve.

Motion from Ms.

Watkins.

Second from Mr.

Merritt or from Mr.

Kling.

Any questions for Mr.

Irwin?

Seeing none.

We'll call for the vote.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Thank you, Mr.

Irwin.

9B is a public hearing on the zoning of 1.41 acres of land lying on the south of Sutton Road, west of Woodside Drive to residence 1A district, and the consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

The public hearing is now open.

Good evening, Mayor, City Council, Lady Cassama, Planning Services, standing in for Thomas Leus, our manager.

Our first case is for the consideration of zoning of 1.41 acres of land lying on the south of Sutton Road and west of Woodside Drive to residence 1A district.

This was annexed to the city limits December 2025.

Residence 1A district would be consistent with properties along Woodside Drive over here.

Thank you.

Is there anyone here who wishes to comment on this matter?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion from Mr.

Kling, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Any questions or comments from Ms.

Kassama?

Hearing none.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

All opposed.

Motion carries.

Thank you, Ms.

Cosoma.

And consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

The public hearing is now open.

This is for the rezoning of 1.15 acres of land lying under west of Bell Road and south of Bell Park Lane from residence 1B district to residents to district.

So this property or this area outlined in blue will be part of this area outlined or colored in yellow, which has been approved for a residential subdivision.

And so the rezoning it to residence one B to two will just match the entire subdivision, residential subdivision.

There is a current or existing plat restriction that there will only be single family detached home for this subdivision.

Is there anyone here who wishes to comment on this matter?

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to uh approve the ordinance?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Mr.

Kling.

Any discussion?

All in favor, please indicate.

I opposed.

The motion carries.

And finally, oh no, we do have two more.

9D is a public hearing on amending zoning ordinance, Article 75 alcoholic beverage to modify the title to Article 75, alcoholic beverage and consumable hemp product establishment regulations.

Article 75, Section 75.1 definitions, 75.3, permitted establishments by districts, and 75.7, severability to modify and add regulations related to consumable hemp products and Article 92, Board of Adjustments, Section 92.5.3.

Permitted uses as special exceptions to modify subsection 92.5.3, paragraph 2, and consideration of an ordinance pertaining to the same.

The public hearing is now open.

This is for the consideration of amending our zoning ordinance.

This is for the consideration of amending our zoning ordinance, Article 75 alcoholic beverage to modify the title to Article 75 alcoholic beverages, beverage and consumable hemp product establishment regulations, Article 75, section 75.1 definitions, 75.3 permitted establishments by districts, and 75.7 severability to modify and add regulations related to consumable hemp products in Article 92, Board of Adjustment Section 92.5.3 permit uses as special exception to modified subsection 92.5.3.

Really did a lot of the heavy work in research and making sure you know we are including this in our regulation the appropriate manner.

So again, this is related to the enacted Alabama State House Bill 445, which was enacted May 6, 2025, became effective July 1st, 2025 with full compliance January 1st of this year.

So the proposed zoning ordinance amendment is to incorporate into our zoning regulations the provisions of this state bill, which has enacted, like what I mentioned during the states.

HB445 puts the enforcement authority for licensing, regulating, manufacturing, marketing, and sale of consumable hemp products to the ABC board and provides to treat hemp derived products similarly to alcohol, focusing on age gating and safety standards.

So a lot of the regulations really is going to be enforced by the state.

And so the proposed zoning ordinance will only handle the land use component and the siting and development standards for retailers and other types of establishment that sell consumable hemp products.

There will also be changes in our city code, which will happen tonight as well of ordinances to update how business license application will be processed and enforcement and penalties as it relates to the state consumable hemp product laws.

So again, like what I mentioned, um, with regards to our zoning regulation, these are the authority that was given by the state bill to our municipality.

And so the amendment will be on the title.

Article 75 alcoholic beverage will now be modified to include our consumable hemp product establishments.

Also in the amendment, we are clarifying certain definitions, uh, including our protected uses, whereas we are including that major arterial.

We're just clarifying that if they are separated by major arterial, then you know that will be a good enough buffer distance from our protected uses.

Again, for the retailer, there will be an exception.

Um, the 75.7 will be a definition for our hemp, consumable hemp product retailers.

Uh separation restriction again, just clarifying that major arterial separation restriction again, making sure that you know our alcoholic beverages also have a distance from uh package sales and specialty retailer of consumable hemp products.

Again, this is also separation restrictions in our highway business C4 for our package sales and specialty retailer of consumable health products.

Our severability will now be renumbered and moved to 75.8, because our 75.7 will now be dedicated for our consumable hemp product regulations.

We're starting off with 75.7.1, where we have definitions included in it, uh, which is basically based on the state legislature measurements, and this is just to clarify where do we actually start the measurement of that distance from our establishments, and then adding permitted establishment by districts.

This is the meat of uh of the zoning regulations.

So again, um first establishment will be your retail food store consumable hemp products retailer, and so all of this zoning district one to seven will allow them as an accessory use with 500 feet distance separation from protected uses and restriction exemption if they are within uh shopping center with a minimum 100,000 square feet of floor area.

And so all of this zoning district 1 to 7 will allow them as an accessory use with 500 feet distance separation from protected uses and restriction exemption if they are within a shopping center with a minimum 100,000 square feet of floor area.

The second establishment will be specialty retailer of consumable hemp products.

This will be allowed in our highway business C4 district in our heavy industry district with 500 feet distance separation, restriction exemption for minimum 100,000 square feet floor area and 1,500 feet distance from another specialty retailer.

Another establishment will be our pharmacy consumable hemp products retailer.

This will be allowed as an accessory use to a pharmacy in a and in any district in which pharmacies are allowed subject to any qualifications or restrictions applicable to pharmacies.

And last but not the least, we are amending Section 92.5.3 for permitted use as a special exception where we would allow a retail food store consumable hemp product retailer as an accessory use to a specialty store if they are located within 500 feet.

However, again, this is under the Board of Adjustment, meaning the Board of Adjustment will have an oversight on approving those special exception applications.

So again, grandfathering is not really included in our zoning ordinance, but it is a policy that we have adopted for any kind of regulations that we adopt.

So any retailer that has lawfully been selling CBD and other consumable hemp products prior to the enactment of the state law and the city's zoning amendment will not be prohibited by the zoning amendment from continuing to sell consumable hemp products after the passage of this zoning amendment.

But you know, it will be a case-to-case basis as well.

We would recommend for all those businesses that do have that lawful license to sell to kind of contact our zoning administrator to check and if they would have to reapply, you know, just provide that evidence that they were lawfully selling those products.

Thank you.

It's been a while since we opened the hearing.

So I will open the hearing again and make sure we all know that.

Is there anyone here who wishes to comment on this?

Please, sir, come to the microphone right here.

If you'll give us your name and address for the record and make your comments.

Good evening.

My name is Phillip Smith.

My business is 5,000 Whitesburg, Suite 104.

If you want my home address, I'll give you that one too.

That's fine.

Thank you.

I own the franchise for SunMed, your C B D store here in Huntsville, Alabama.

We have been in business here in Huntsville for six years.

Up until I heard her say that I was going to be grandfathered in if I crawled through some special hoops.

I was under the impression that if this passed, I was going to have to close up and lose my life savings, basically, because that's what I have investment in this.

I retired out of the Marine Corps.

I came here back home, because I'm from here.

An open store after I've worked in one work a couple of years.

I am scared to death that I am going to find out tomorrow morning that I'm going to be shut down.

That's why I am here.

So if that is the case, then all I have to do is prove that I have been working on a business license for Mount City Hospital for four years, that's no problem.

And I think if afterwards you would like to have a conversation with Ms.

Kasomers and concerns, confirm that with you.

Thank you, sir.

Is there anyone else who wishes to comment on this matter?

Seeing none of the public hearing is closed.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

So Mr.

Kling, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Council members, do you have any questions?

Is there any discussion?

Ms.

Powder.

The gentleman that just was at the microphone, you know, we can ready to vote.

And I I don't know if his question is answered or his concern is addressed.

And I hate to vote on something, and I don't know if if it has been addressed with him yet.

So, Ms.

Kusama, would you like to again give us that answer?

So again, like what he mentioned, he was lawfully operating and selling C B D and or consumable hemp products.

So that shouldn't be a problem.

Um that one.

We just need to review and ensure that all the paperworks are you know readily available so that he can keep on continuing operating and selling those products.

Mr.

Riley, would you like to weigh in?

I concur with that says you that of course we have got Mr.

Watson here and he concurs as well.

Yes.

Ms.

Watkins, does that answer your question?

Yes.

I just want to make sure that it was addressed before we vote.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Council members.

Mr.

Meredith, Mr.

Clean.

Thank you.

You had mentioned paperwork.

Is this paperwork that's necessary for him and others to be grandfathered something that they keep on an ongoing basis anyway?

Or is this a special new paperwork that they are going to have to work on to submit to be granted?

So again, you will be uh considering this as well as an amendment to the city code for business license business licenses.

Um so that will be happening after this presentation.

So this is just the zoning portion of it.

All the business licenses will be addressed by that amendment in the city.

Is there any way we can attorney to the Watson, would you like to come share your thoughts?

So Joel Watson, Assistant City Attorney.

Um, as uh Ms.

Kasama alluded to, there is another process that you are going to consider later on in the agenda.

Uh part of that process is the approval of the state consumable hemp license that they have to have approved at the municipal level.

And one of the checks that goes into that is are you in the appropriate zoning district?

And for individuals or entities that have already been operating, the question will be, are you grandfathered?

And that would be considered as part of that process.

So it's just part of the normal paperwork to get that approval.

Okay, so it's not a special hoop that he is going to have to jump.

It's not special, it's part of the regular process.

Thank you very much for that clarification.

Thank you.

Mr.

Kling.

If if I'm sorry, one more?

And just for Mr.

Riley, this is not going to require any amendment to the zoning or 19A in terms of the grandfathering.

No, the grandfather clause is already in what you will be adopting.

Thank you for the clarification.

Well done.

Thank you, Madam President.

Mr.

Kling.

Similar to what the uh gentleman in the audience said, I've heard from other people, I'm sure council members have also.

So anyway you can get the word out, uh, because I understand there have been local businesses that have been operating, no problem, good good citizens, good corporate citizens, and uh we um I know this is a new area, so to speak, but uh I think it just really make sure you get out to everybody about the fact that if your grandfather your grandfathered in, if you're already existing, and nothing changes.

Yes, sir.

We will certainly clarify that for that normal regular procedure for getting that business license.

Good.

Any other comments or questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

I have to post motion carries.

And council members, and for the public's benefit, when we get to nine item 19A, that's when we'll talk about licensing.

We will move now to final um hearing 9E is a public hearing on a vacation of a portion of a right-of-way at 608 Church Street.

Um public hearing is now open.

Who is going?

Is any is anyone going to make a presentation on this?

It's just vacation.

Okay.

Mr.

Wine.

Then very good.

Uh we'll open now, open now for public.

Ladies come.

Okay.

Sorry, couple of case for that one.

So this is for the consideration of a vacation of right-of-way uh located on or a portion of a right-of-way at 608 Church Street.

Um as you can see, this was a remnant of the church street that has already been realigned over here.

And I will move.

Oh, yeah.

So this is that right-of-way.

Um that will be vacated.

Um, as you can see, we've already realigned church street over here.

And so this will no longer be necessary.

The public hearing is now open.

Is there anyone who wishes to comment?

My name is Amanda Ragland, and my address is 333 Franklin Street.

Thank you.

And the Vine Group and the Vine Pastoral Counseling Center will be very grateful for your affirmative vote on this resolution.

And the Vine Group is this subsidiary corporation or the Vine Pastoral Counseling Center.

The Vine Counseling Center is a nonprofit organization.

We've been in existence since 1999, and I am privileged to be the executive director.

I am proud to say that since 1999, we have provided 113,000 sessions to the community.

24,000 of those are scholarship assisted sessions representing 1.5 million dollars of assistance that we have poured into the community of Huntsville.

So we are in a capital campaign right now to renovate the building at 608 Church Street that will be our forever home.

And we are going to use the money that we have raised to beautify that corner and to continue providing services to Huntsville citizens.

And I thank you in advance and greetings of respect to you, Mayor Battle, and to members of the Council.

Thank you in advance.

Thank you, Mr.

Aglin, for being here.

Are there any other comments?

Hearing none, the public hearing is closed.

Council members, there is no vote at this time.

This matter will be taken up at items 18A and 18B.

We will now move on to public hearings to be set.

10 A is a resolution to declare a public nuisance located at 195 Wilkinson Drive Northeast, Huntsville, Alabama, to set the date for when objections will be heard.

Is there a motion to set the hearing for April 9, 2026?

So moved.

So motion from Ms.

Watkins, second from Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

Motion carries.

10 B is a resolution to set a public hearing on a vacation of a right of way at 2204 First Street and the introduction of a resolution consenting to an introduction of an ordinance vacating the right of way pertaining there to.

Is there a motion to set the hearing for April 23rd, 2026?

So moved.

Motion by Mr.

Clings, second by Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed motion carries.

10 C is a resolution to set a public hearing for Kirk Parker doing business as Starship Limousine service for the operation of two limousines.

Is there a motion to set the hearing for April 9, 2026 regular council meeting?

So moved.

The motion from Mr.

Merritt, second by the chair.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed the motion carries.

That completes all of our public hearings.

Now, Council members, unless there is an objection, I would like to take a uh 10-minute recess.

We will come back at 816.

We will hear agenda-related public comments and then move on with the rest of our meeting.

We will take a break now.

Call the meeting back to order.

Uh where are my council members?

Mr.

Kling is has entered the chambers, and we have Mr.

Meredith, Ms.

Watkins.

The meeting is called back to order.

We will now begin the agenda-related portion of our meeting.

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.

You may sign up to speak you these folks have already signed up to speak on the roster prior to the meeting.

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

Each speaker may address the council for three minutes.

Speaker Shower Flane from entering into a dialogue with council members or city staff and from making comments regarding the good name and character of any individual.

I'm just going to call the Huntsville Utilities, those who have indicated that Huntsville Utilities is a concern.

We'll just let them go as a group.

Mr.

Horn.

Thank you.

Hang on just a second.

Yeah, that was quick, wasn't it?

Let me get three minutes.

Okay, let's try that again.

Okay, got it.

Okay.

Mr.

Horn.

We ready?

I'm ready for you.

All right.

Nice meeting you.

My name is Chris Horn.

I'm sitting here with the uh address.

Address, please, sir.

Oh, 6203 Olson.

6203.

Olson.

Stop on by.

Yeah, yeah.

You stop on by since I'll give you my address.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

Yes.

Short story.

1952, 1940s.

We had just won the war.

1950s comes in.

Toff Toy, General Top Toy comes in in 1952.

Around that time, the City of Huntsville, Big Spring Park was running out of water.

It was a crisis.

Carl T.

Jones, who was Mr.

Huntsville at that time, goes out as the State engineer, city engineer, on a mission to find the cleanest water in Huntsville.

He finds it at a place called the Willie Jones Estate.

400,000 gallons per minute, the purest spike of oil water, it is water, but it looks like oil is expensive.

And he says we need to have that water.

Three months later, General Toftoy just discovered this that in a top secret mandate from ABA has said clearly that he needed isolated aquifer water, and they had already discovered it at that spot.

He needed that water from that spot because the Redstone arsenal was already contaminated.

This is a national defense issue.

What we are going to be seeking is the support from the City Council so that we can find an opportunity to go after probably about $3 to $30 billion in infrastructure that comes from the National Defense Authorization Act.

They have pots of money that are there that are just for the issues that we are discussing right now.

Mr.

Horn, I am just going to stop you for a minute.

I have turned off your time.

Can you please tell me which agenda item this relates to?

I am sorry.

Which agenda item does this relate to?

These comments are for items that are on the agenda.

So why are you paying me off?

I need you to tell me which agenda item this relates to.

Huntsville utilities.

The billing.

I thought you said that we were just discussing the Huntsville Utilities.

Huntsville Utilities billing.

Yes.

So are you talking about billing?

Can you allow me to finish?

I will be talking about billing.

I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page.

Thank you, sir.

So the reclaim my time, actually.

So the impact of this NDAA would be the opportunity for the Federal Government through Tommy Tupperville and K and Katie Britt and Dale Strong to be able to create an investment in the critical infrastructure of Huntsville.

And this is legacy investment, and it is also forward-looking investment.

And that money is included in the NDAA, which means you don't have to spend any money.

A part of that is utilities.

A part of that could be water.

A part of that could be reducing the debt from the utility infrastructure that we just got through speaking to.

And so it is important to understand that to reclaim this injury to the family.

It doesn't have to cost you.

It is actually something that is going to make the city money.

And that is more important than anything.

John Hamilton happens to be one of the most knowledgeable people in this area, and certainly we want to be able to partner with the city at very least to have the conversation of how this can help the critical infrastructure issues that we will have.

The gentleman who is over the West talked about it, but he never talked about the legacy costs of the pipes underground, the water, and how that impacts the electric costs.

And we believe this NDAA solution is the proper way to go.

So we're going to be looking for a resolution, and very least the conversation, so we can be more accurate behind the scenes and come back with something more clear, because this may be about electric or water.

It is still Huntsville Utilities.

Thank you.

Mr.

Horn, I am not entirely sure that was related to Huntsville Utilities bill or questions about it.

So as everybody comes up, I am just going to ask you if this is about Huntsville Utilities billing.

And the comments that Mr.

Mike.

That is the agenda item.

The agenda item is Huntsville Utilities billing.

Yes, sir.

Mr.

Kling.

It might be helpful.

Make sure everybody understands the room.

There are two separate uh public comment periods that we have.

The one that we are doing now is you turn your microphone on.

Okay.

There is a little confusion, but we actually have two separate public comment periods at this meeting.

The one that we are doing now, it relates to items that are on the agenda.

That's why the President kept referring to Huntsville Utilities and Hudson Utilities billing.

And then at the very end of the agenda, we have what is known as non-roster agenda public comment.

So she is just trying to get everybody steered to the correct area.

So that's what this is all about.

So that's what we have to do.

No, sir.

Mr.

Mr.

Horn, you were done.

Mr.

Horn, your your time is up.

Mr.

Horn, your time is up.

Anyone else wishing to comment on Huntsville Utilities?

I will call your name.

If you're if you are not going to be talking about Huntsville Utilities billing and questions related to the billing conversation that we had, we can delay your comments until the end of the meeting.

Everybody understand what we're doing here.

So the next person signed up is Michael Jones.

Mr.

Jones, are you going to be talking about Huntsville Utilities billing and questions from okay?

We'll wait then.

Brenda Jones Elliott.

Questions from Okay.

Ray Mohammed, questions for Mr.

Kelly?

No.

Kayler Jones.

We will wait.

I will hold you then for after the meeting.

Gary Gary Jones.

Okay, we'll just wait until after the meeting.

We have then Michael Francis.

It's Michael Francis here, sir.

And and your comments are related to the Huntsville Utilities presentation that you just saw.

Or billing.

It was a it was a presentation about billing.

Yes.

Yes, sir.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes, they are.

Thank you, sir.

Then please give us your name and your address for the record and we will start your three minutes.

All right, Michael Francis and 2420 Crestwood.

Thank you, sir.

So I wrote it down.

Um on August 27th, I received a bill from Huntsville Utilities that was shocking, but I just knew that it was a mistake.

So I didn't really panic.

Um I would just go down there and straighten this whole thing out.

So the following day I headed down to the office and showed them the bill and said, this simply isn't right.

Let's look into this together to get it straightened out because there is no way that my family of four used 113,000 gallons of water, leading to a bill of 1,381 for the month of August.

Our family is responsible with energy resources.

If you know nothing else about black families, you know this.

You're going to turn them lights off.

You better not leave the door open, letting all my cold air out, and you better not use up all the hot water taking up taking those long showers.

So I was told that this must have been a leak at my house.

Fun fact.

Did you know that an average residential swimming pool holds 20,000 gallons?

So I am being told that I had a leak it that amounted to around seven swimming pools worth of water at my house.

My house is a little over 1,300 square feet, and I have a kitchen, a water heater, and two bathrooms.

But I went home, checked inside the house, my crawl space, the yard, listen for leaks, and everything was as dry as an overcooked piece of chicken breast.

So back down to so I went back down to Huntsville Utilities.

I went to let them know my findings.

All the reps, by the way, were very nice.

Um so I will give them that.

In turn, they say they still cannot accept that.

So I had a licensed plumber come out and inspect everything.

And guess what?

No leak.

Uh no leak.

I take that back to the Huntsville Utilities and they told me that's not good enough.

I need you to have another plumber come out that specializes in leak detection.

Why?

I don't know.

But I did that as well.

And after having my yard dug up, guess what?

Still no leak.

Surely after having two different professionals come out to the House, their findings would be grounds enough to have Huntsville Utilities correct my statement.

But no.

They still insisted that I was that it was my fault.

By now I had received another bill in September for 39,000 gallons, and in October back down to 3600, not 36,000 but 3600 gallons.

So that is more of a normal use.

So I went to them and asked to explain to me how I go from normal usage up to astronomical usage down to crazy high usage and then back down to normal usage, all without having any repairs done in my house.

And the answer that I was given was it must be a leaky toilet.

Are you kidding me?

Remember, I only have two toilets.

I would definitely have heard if my toilets were leaking seven swimming pools worth of water in the house and gotten it repaired immediately.

But there was no leak anywhere and no repair to be made.

Their claim of high water usage was simply a farce.

I tried to escalate for I try to Thank you, sir.

Your time is up.

But we do have representatives from Huntsville Utilities here, and I encourage you to go and talk to them and share and work this out with them.

All right.

They said at your discretion that you can allow for additional time.

I was just trying to see if they were because of the nature of his concern.

Can we not give him an additional minute?

But it is it is very rare that we do that.

Um particularly because we have representatives here from Huntsville Utilities that could personally one-on-one address his concerns.

I would like for everybody to I would also like to uh chime in the council members.

Yeah.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm sorry if I'm a um find my place.

Okay.

Their claim of their claim of high water usage was simply a farce.

I tried to escalate for weeks, come into the office about a dozen times trying to talk to different people to hear my issue, but it was to no avail.

Finally I was faced with a tough decision, but it was easy.

By January 5th, I could either pay the bill, which had now ballooned to $2,676, or have our utilities cut off.

So I had no choice but to cave.

That is about as violated as I have felt in a long time, as this was not a result of our doing.

Having to choose between keeping the family warming and keeping our hard-earned money.

So, Mr.

Kelly, I'm glad that you are here.

I'm sure that you were not aware how your company violated me by levying false claims upon me and my family and giving me essentially a one-sided ultimatum to pay or have utilities cut off in the middle of winter.

But now that you are aware and being the upstanding gentleman that you are, I am sure that you will look into this as if I were your family member or friend, so that we can come to a resolution.

I had to tweak this since you said you had a team here.

Thank you for bringing your team so that you are that so that we can look into this further.

Looking forward to working with you all tonight.

Thank you.

Your time is up, Mr.

Kelly.

Would if you would like to meet with his gentleman, I think, or your customer service representatives, I know that that would be appreciated.

Next speaker is Dr.

Angela Somerset.

And subject is Huntsville Utilities.

Well, good evening, everyone.

My name is Dr.

Angela Somerset, and I reside at Nine Chalk Stone Street.

This is a very complicated issue in regards to Huntsville Utilities, and it is a very imbalanced relationship.

Many of the citizens are feeling as though we're getting the same answer over and over that it is always our fault.

Well, I am one of the citizens that has had the privilege of looking at the TVA invoices when they're billed.

I've seen the partnership credits.

It takes letters to the Department of Justice.

It takes having to meet with city administrators that are not often willing to have discussions in a professional way where our doors closed and we're treated as as professionals.

And then to come and find out that a large portion of those bills where they are receiving partnership credits and fuel adjustments, they're not being passed on to us.

You're passing on the charges, but you're not passing on the credits.

And then we have the purchase of these computers.

Where is all this money coming from?

And then I heard the CEO say this evening about the Google fiber that that's an issue because we already know that the TVA contract is based on electric money being used for electric expenses.

But yet it was purchased for Google Fiber.

Within that folder right there, where the new attorney, Mr.

Kaufman, did not want to answer my questions, or he stated that my reason for it was not acceptable to him.

That's not Alabama law.

So I actually had uh an informational form filled out both in 2020 and 2022, and one of them simply said for research.

But it is so sad that you have to resort to social media and having to motivate citizens to help them to be able to understand.

Let's be fair.

As a physician, it is about a relationship with my patients.

It is about a relationship with these citizens.

As a doctor, it is hurtful to me to hear people not be able to afford their medicines because their bills are so high.

My farm in Georgia, I reside on 84 acres, a generic, a well, and my utility bill was 76 dollars.

Something is definitely wrong.

We are pouring out money with and they are spending without accountability.

They are presenting capital expenditures, but they never come in and present that register to show what they are doing.

So I also have in that bag, whether Mr.

Kaufman wanted to reveal it or not, is that in 2019, the wages for Wes Kelly's salary was $321,000.

Now you multiply that by seven more years.

Where do you think that we are?

This is our company.

We are not your employees.

We vote you in.

This is our building.

These are our tax dollars.

And we are asking for answers, and it can't always be the citizens' fault or that it's not efficient enough, or your toilet is running.

Thank you, ma'am.

Again, Mr.

You have members of Huntsville Utility ear.

You can have a conversation with them about your concerns.

We have two other uh people signed up, not on Huntsville Utilities.

Uh one was Mr.

Phillips Smith, subject was Hemp, and I believe he already spoke.

It's Mr.

Smith still here.

And then Turney Goskin, uh the agenda item is 20X police memorandum.

Hello.

Uh my name is Tierney Gaskin.

Uh my address is correct on the sheet.

Um I live in Huntsville.

Uh perfect.

Today I am here to talk about the proposed memorandum between the city police and the state drug task force.

Uh I worry that this may actually increase the workload of our officers more than it will alleviate the workload.

Uh it at least has the potential to.

If the council moves forward with this memorandum, I ask that the city officials also invest time, money, and training into the infrastructure that will help prevent the spread of dangerous illegal substances.

I'm not just talking about law enforcement.

I'm asking you to look into city partnerships with research-based treatment facilities, having officers who work on the drug task force trained on how addiction actually affects people's bodies and brains.

De-escalation training for every officer who is going to be handling that.

I ask that the city acknowledge and act on the fact that the illegal substance issues that the entire country faces is not only a law enforcement issue.

It's a systematic issue.

And if the city does not have a balanced approach to this issue, we are setting up our officers to fail.

And that is just a waste of resources at that point.

So that's what I have on that.

I would also like to note that later in the agenda, we do have an item that sets aside 237 acres for a project Gemini.

And we don't I don't know what that is.

Um and I've tried to look and I can't find anything out about it.

Um I just think that if we are going to be setting aside 237 acres of land for this project, um using public stuff that the public should be able to know what the project is, at least what it would be.

The uh the only thing I've learned is that it could be a solar lease and that might alleviate some of the bills, but is it a solar lease for us to pay them to build their solar and pay them for their solar energy, or is that kind of thing?

So I would just appreciate if at some point um we could have uh an explanation on what that is.

Um thank you.

That's all.

Thank you.

Uh that concludes our agenda-related public comments.

And again, those who have signed up, and I I believe that might have been a mistake on our end.

We got it on the wrong uh roster.

Uh we will let you go first on the public comments at the end of the meeting.

That brings us to mayor's comments.

Mayor Battle.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um over the past three three days, we've had 7400 visitors to the City of Huntsville, or a number of them were visitors of the City of Huntsville at the AUSA conference.

Um they had every inch of the uh Von Braun Center uh covered up with uh exhibitions and uh and training programs and and all the programs that they had had with um uh Army uh USA's um Global Force uh symposium for uh for the winter.

Uh also at the same time, Geo Huntsville.

Uh many people don't realize we have 15,000 people in the City of Huntsville who work in the geospatial industries uh in the mapping area, and it works very well, it ties very much into our technology uh realms.

Uh they were having uh their own symposium out at um out uh where was it oh it it was out of the botanical gardens.

Uh and uh had two to three hundred people there, had General Zellman, who is the number two uh is uh a three-star general with uh Space Command uh gave an address and several other addresses.

It was um a very well well attended event, and uh it kind of shows why we get into the geo world is because it ties to everything else that we do.

Um also um let's see.

Uh we uh had the opportunity Tuesday night to go to the quarterly music um roundup to talk about where the music commission was and what the what's been done in the last quarter and what we're looking forward to having having happen in the next quarter.

One of the things to look out for is there's a microwave day.

He calls it a graduation, who he calls death a graduation.

Others call it a ceremony or our ceremony to honor him.

There will be a couple of couple of events happening over the next uh couple of weeks.

If you'll look on our web page, you'll find out about those.

Um Microwave Dave was a um uh a strong force in this community, and he was one who gave people who uh who just love music and wanted a place to play it, uh, gave them a place to play and uh and an audience to listen to them.

And you know, he put on some some great uh festivals over on Cleveland Avenue and um was uh a great person for doing that.

So we will miss him.

And that's all I have, Madam President.

Thank you, Mayor Battle.

We'll move to Council Member comments.

Uh again, uh Councilmember David Little is not here, but he asked me to uh share some shout-outs to Water Pollution Control, Public Works, Traffic Engineering, HPD, and Parks and Rec for their help with a citizen concerns this uh in the last few weeks.

We'll move to Mr.

Meredith.

Thank you, Madam President.

I have been getting a lot of calls today, so I need to clarify.

Um I am not running for re-election this cycle.

This cycle is only districts two, three, and four.

So that's why I'm not running for re-election this cycle.

I fully intend to run for re-election when this cycle, when my cycle comes up in two years in 2028.

So, yes, I I do intend to run for re-election when the time comes.

This year is not my time.

Um I want to thank Dr.

Peck at the University of Alabama Huntsville for her kind invitation to be on a panel of elected officials who spoke to her local and state government class on Monday.

Uh to a person, they asked some very timely and pertinent questions that I know I thoroughly enjoyed answering.

And it was great to join a panel with my good friends, City of Madison Council President Mara Roblosky and State Education Board candidate Connie Spears, both of whom I have had the privilege of collaborating with on past issues.

Last week I had the pleasure of touring the North Alabama Home Builders Authority and witnessing the good works that they do in providing the requisite training for entry-level construction jobs and hearing about the partnerships they have for their graduates to earn post-secondary degrees, certifications, and training to further those careers.

Most recently we hosted the Springfest West event, which was a huge hit for families in the area.

Um we had bouncy castles and um carnival type games.

We had um several booths that included uh a church group, um AM's uh extension uh STEM uh trailer.

Um we had uh Huntsville Fire Department there with the big ladder truck that all the kids and of all ages because some adults had uh no problem getting in there and and playing, uh particularly taking pictures behind the wheel.

Um and we also had a SWAT um truck out there uh that folks loved uh having.

There was line dancing instruction, twirling instruction, folks were playing paddle ball, folks were playing basketball, so it was just a wonderful event and invite everyone to look out for next year's event.

We've also held uh free screenings, free health screenings that were warmly received by the surrounding neighborhoods, and the Look Who's Cooking program held there is off to a flying start.

Many folks um during that time have asked me why the building isn't named after any particular individual.

And the answer is from my perspective, it was far more important to have the Moniker West Huntsville Recreation Center in order to create a sense of community that has not been there or acknowledged before.

So that's why it is named West Huntsville and not taking the name of any individual.

And then finally, I would like to invite uh Ms.

Penny Smith to come to the podium.

I've been asked a bunch of questions from citizens about how the U.S.

Federal government now being insolvent, what that means to the financial future of the city of Huntsville.

Okay.

Thank you, Penny Smith, Director of Finance.

So we there's a couple of articles out there about the Treasury announcing that the federal government is now insolvent.

The federal government has actually been technically insolvent for many, many, many, many years.

It is what we we usually call the federal deficit.

Just means that your liabilities are greater than your assets, but you cannot particularly pay your debt.

The reason this is not a particular problem for the federal government is that the federal government can print money.

So they they back that through the full faith and credit of our government.

So we're not backed by gold or stuff like that.

We're backed actually by that full faith.

Many, many people may know about or be invested in what's called treasury notes, T bills, that kind of thing.

So that is an investment into our federal government.

That is part of that back and forth sway of the government.

But let me set aside because I don't I don't want to get outside of my my kind of purview.

Um I'm not, and let me make a little bit of disclaimer, I am not an economist, and I am not a financial I am accountant by trade.

So um so I know enough to be a little bit dangerous.

Um, but that is that is the scope of that.

As far as for the city, it actually we do not depend on the federal government for our local finances.

So the city is funded through sales and use taxes, um, through through lodging taxes, local taxes that are create our revenue base fees.

There are fees like privileged license fees or other fees.

Sometimes there are charges, so that we talked earlier this evening about our utilities.

We also have charges for sewer service and charges for garbage service that are services provided by the city.

So for those customers.

But um through that, so the city is not dependent on the on federal government now.

We we have grants that come from the federal government, and um, but those grants are not are not dependent, at least at not this point, on on whether or not the government is insolvent.

Again, our government continues to operate indeed.

I think there's only been one time in our history when we have actually balanced a budget uh for the federal government.

So um so it has been, it has been very long time since our government has actually been solvent.

Um that is that is kind of a problem for somebody else.

We have a balanced budget every year.

The City of Huntsville um has a balanced budget every year.

We pay our bills, we pay them on time, um, and we are a good credit, um, hence the triple A credit.

We just went through this.

Um, and so our bonds are are rated that way.

And uh and so the City of Huntsville does fine, and we we are able to afford the uh the debt that we maintain on our books.

Thank you very much.

I think that's gonna go a long way to smooth the feathers of some folks that I know have been calling me kind of irate about what's going to happen to our city given the federal government uh we will continue to monitor um the situation at the Federals.

Obviously, the markets play play a part of that, and um, and we are involved in that, but I have I I am constantly in touch with a few of our financial advisors that we have, um, both paid and and through through banks and otherwise, and so make sure that they keep us abreast of any if they see any problems on the horizon.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Smith.

Thank you.

Madam President.

Thank you.

Mr.

Meredith, Ms.

Ms.

Watkins will hear from you next.

Good evening.

I want to thank uh Sarah, Sam, and Lily, who are our council staff.

They do a lot of work for this council, and I want them to know it does not go unnoticed, and we sincerely appreciate them.

I want to thank Scott Irwin, Chris McNeese, and Nick Nini, because every time I call you answer and you solve problems really quickly.

So thank you for that.

Um last Thursday I had an opportunity to visit uh the detention center.

Uh George Sapp invited me to come and talk to some of the youth there.

And um I'll just say this: we have got to find ways to reach our youth.

We're losing a generation of kids, and it's scary.

Amen.

Um I want to thank Juri and Isabel for showing the Buffalo Soldier documentary on this past Sunday at Caverie Hill School.

Um if you've never seen the Buffalo Soldier documentary, he has it on YouTube.

You can go on YouTube and watch it.

You really need to see the it is just mind-blowing how a local young man made this film, and he's doing it himself.

He doesn't have any big production company or any sponsors behind him, but he's out here doing the work.

Um women's expo is this Saturday, and the Easter egg hunt will be at the um Stoner Field on Saturday.

I think it starts at 11 o'clock.

I think this is the tenth year that they have done the Easter egg hunt.

So if you have kids, uh you want to come volunteer, come on out.

It's gonna be a lot of fun.

They're gonna have a lot of Easter eggs, giveaways, and food.

So come out and have some fun.

Um April 2nd at 5:30 at the shower center.

Um city staff will be there along with myself.

We're going to have a meeting to talk about the shower center.

Um, want you the public to come.

We want your input.

We're gonna we're talking about doing a remodel or rebuild, and you really need to be there to understand the dynamics of what a rebuild will be and how it it will reduce your space.

But I still want the public to be there.

I want your input.

Lastly, uh I missed the last council meeting because I was out of town, but the previous council meeting, there was several individuals that came to the microphone and accused the council members of being liars.

I don't take kindly to being called a liar because I don't lie.

I'll tell you the truth, whether you like it or not or whether I like it or not.

But there was an allegation that we had an agreement with ICE.

Now, Friday, I want to thank John Hamilton, Chief Childs, and attorney Riley for sitting down with me with the gentleman to go over the agreement that we had, which does not include us going picking up people on the street with an ICE agreement.

So to be clear, we do not have an agreement with ICE to just stop people randomly and pick them up.

The MOU is specific for us to be able to be reimbursed for when we have to meet out with the agents to go to a specific pickup for someone who has allegedly committed a crime.

It is not like you see on the news.

And I just want you all to know this.

There are a lot of things that you might not agree with on this council, and it's a lot of things that you might say that we don't do, but I can tell you this.

I have not lied about nice agreement, and none of the council members have either.

So to alleviate the stress that you're feeling about ice, we do not have an ice agreement.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Watkins.

Uh Mr.

Clink.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh I want to thank everybody that came to my town meeting uh that I had uh good spontaneous uh round table group uh at the library, and uh to me that's kind of what government's all about.

Uh one-on-one elected official, uh talking to the people who have questions, concerns, want to request assistance, and um very good group of folks, and uh I think I see one of our folks who comes and uh want to thank him and all the others that show up because it's a good process.

Uh concern I have, and I think it's being addressed, but I just want to make sure we really stay after it.

Morris Elementary School has a problem with overflowing parking uh coming over into the Crestwood Drive neighborhood area.

And in doing so, kids are having to run across the street to get to their parents because their parents are not lining up on the school property.

In some cases, there are cars that are actually parked in the middle lane of Bob Wallace as though it was a parking lot.

And uh police department has come over and there's been a CRO who's been there a couple of times, and I think he's been um making contact with parents and getting them to move, but uh the problem has a habit of coming back when they're not people there, but uh we need to find some sort of definitive um permanent solution with more schools so that all of the waiting traffic can park on campus instead of having to worry about kids crossing over on Crestwood Drive, going uh over uh Bob Wallace Avenue, potentially someone could get injured, and we definitely do not want to see that.

I um am looking forward to Saturday.

It's gonna be a busy day.

I'm gonna have to get up real early to get going.

Uh opening day at uh Mayfair Park for the International League gets underway that morning.

After that, uh I am going to do a wardrobe change, then I head over to Sherwood Park.

They're gonna be having a big yard sale throughout the entire neighborhood area, and there are always a lot of good bargains and a wonderful supply of baked goods that are made fresh that morning for sale, so I'm looking forward to going over there and uh coming back uh with a pretty good supply of groceries.

Uh that afternoon at campus 805 at the Butler Green, the India celebration is gonna be taking place, and again, more good food, uh, a lot of great culture and uh a lot of great music and art.

So that's that's a great event.

It's going on at the Butler Green, and it's open to the public, and I think it's certainly worth uh going to.

We are now creeping out of cold weather, and uh we're getting that little optimistic time of the year.

There are buds that are coming out, and just as important, uh street resurfacing is getting underway in earnest.

Um walking in the neighborhoods over the last week.

Um I've seen holiday drive, which is nine-tenths of a mile long, is uh being prepped uh for resurfacing.

Pansy and Ponciana, too, long-standing uh needed uh resurfacings over in the Mayfair neighborhood, are being prepared for resurfacing.

Uh Hastings Road over in the um uh Lower Piedmont neighborhood was uh recently completed their resurfacing.

Hillmont Circle over in College Park is being prepped for resurfacing.

So this is that great time of the year.

We're seeing resurfacing taking place in neighborhoods.

Uh and uh not just in the district I represent.

Other council members are seeing all of that great progress taking place, and it's uh it's a good thing, and it's something that's done after a cold, wet, freezing winter, and people can really get out and they'll see a good shot in the arm in their neighborhood when the new coat of asphalt comes in, and uh that's something that's really uh looking forward to seeing those projects complete.

And I wanted to give a shout out to Kathy Martin.

Kathy has done yeoman's work working with the uh residents who live along Governors Drive east of California Street.

Uh a lot of concerns, complications going on with uh traffic and getting uh those um um houses prepared with upcoming road widening construction taking place in that area, just east of uh California Street.

Uh there are ten property owners, California.

Um Kathy's done a great job working with Alabama Department of Transportation, working with the City Departments and making everything as painless as possible for the people who live up there and uh again I appreciate her professionalism, very attentive to the concerns that the uh people have, and she has done a great job.

And that's all I have, Madam President.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Kling.

Thank you, everybody, for your comments.

I will simply conclude by wishing everyone a very blessed Easter week and uh joyful Easter Day.

We'll go on to our Finance Committee report.

14A is a resolution authorizing expenditures for payment.

Yes, Madam President, I move for authorization and approval of expenditures in the amount of 27,481,858.18 cents.

Second by the chair.

Any questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

I posed.

The motion carries.

Is there a report from the Finance Committee?

Not today.

We will move on then to 14B.

14B is an ordinance authorizing the reallocation of funding from ordinance number 25-794 to provide support for the Panoply Arts Festival.

Uh moved second.

Motion from Mr.

Clink, second from Mr.

Meredith.

Mr.

Kling, would you like to give us a brief explanation?

Uh basically, unfortunately, some very sad news.

Uh the sculptor who was going to be putting in a fifth sculpture out at West Lawn Park passed away.

And the funding for that was coming through the Arts Council, and uh I thought it would be best just to take that money, reallocate it uh to the Arts Council to be used for uh panoply, and I think that would be a great legacy for the uh uh sculptor who passed away just to see all the joy, all the art, all the enthusiasm taking place at um downtown Huntsville, Big Spring Park on what hopefully is gonna be a beautiful spring days uh to celebrate the arts.

Very appropriate.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

I oppose, motion carries.

Now we have board appointments to be voted on.

We have several board appointments.

The last one I will require the majority vote of the count or unanimous vote of the council.

We will need four votes for that.

15A is a resolution to reappoint Walter Lee Ellenberg to the Air Pollution Control Board to his current seat for a five-year term to expire, April 11, 2031.

Is there a motion?

So moved.

Motion from Mr.

Kling, second from Ms.

Watkins.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed, motion carries.

Mr.

Meredith has left the dais.

15B is a resolution to reappoint Paul Wyland to the Air Pollution Control Board to his current seat for a five-year term to expire April 11, 2031.

So moved.

Motion from Mr.

Clink, second from Ms.

Watkins.

Any discussion?

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed motion carries.

Mr.

Meredith has rejoined us on the dais.

15C is a resolution to appoint Jackie Bellamy to the Community Development Citizens Advisory Council place 10 to the seat previously held by Brasil Rawlis for a three-year term to expire April 14, 2029.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith.

Second by the chair.

All in favor, please indicate.

On opposed, motion carries.

15D is a resolution to reappoint Richard Godwin to the Community Development Citizens Advisory Council, place 12, is the current seat for a three-year term to expire April 14, 2029.

Motion to approve motion from Mr.

Meredith, second, second from Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

Unopposed, motion carries.

15E is a resolution to appoint Alton Conwell to the Community Development Citizens Advisory Council place two to fill a vacancy due to the resignation of Belinda Hampton for the remainder of a vacant three-year term to expire April 14, 2028.

Or motion?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second by the chair.

All in favor, please indicate.

Any opposed, motion carries.

15F is a resolution to reappoint Jeremiah Dameron to the Community Development Citizens Advisory Council Place 7 to fill a vacancy due to the resignation of Becca Schmidt for the remainder of a vacant three-year term to expire April 14, 2027.

Vote approval.

Motion by Ms.

Watkins, second by Mr.

Kling.

All in favor, please indicate.

Opposed, the motion carries.

15G is a resolution to reappoint Benita Gill to the Community Development Citizen Advisory Council place 5, her current seat for a three-year term to expire April 14, 2029.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Ms.

Watkins.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Opposed, motion carries.

15H is a resolution to reappoint David Driscoll to the Bingo Review Committee to his current seat for a two-year term to expire April 8, 2028.

So moved.

Second.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Nay.

Nay.

The motion is not approved.

So we have that motion.

The motion fails.

So we will have to find another replacement for that.

Thank you, Council Members.

And then 15 aye.

Is a resolution to reappoint Patricia King to the Bingo Review Committee to her current seat for a two-year term to expire April 8, 2028.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

Motion from Ms.

Watkins.

Second from Mr.

Meredith.

This will require four votes.

And so we will just take a roll call vote.

Mr.

Meredith.

Aye.

Mr.

Kling.

Mr.

Kling, how do you vote?

I would have to think about that with the Mr.

Mr.

Watkins.

Ms.

Watkins, how do you vote?

I will I'll vote aye.

Chair votes aye.

Mr.

Kling votes aye.

We have four votes.

The appointment is approved.

The reappointment is approved.

That concludes our board appointments.

We have no board appointment nominations.

Are there any nominations from the floor?

No, ma'am.

Then we will move forward.

We have no hunt utility items.

We have just a couple of legal department item transactions in 18.

The public hearings for these were held earlier.

18A is a resolution consenting to the vacation of a right of way of 608 Church Street.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

Motion Meredith, second from the chair.

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed, motion carries.

18B is an ordinance vacating right of way at 608 Church Street.

Chair moves for approval.

Second.

Second from Mr.

Meredith.

All in favor, please indicate.

Opposed, motion carries.

We are now moving on to unfinished business items for action.

19A is an ordinance to amend and oh, this so this is the item that was mentioned earlier related to the one that we approved in the public hearing.

19A is an ordinance to amend and rename Chapter 3 of the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 3, Alcoholic Beverages and Consumable Hemp Products, and to amend Chapter 1, Section 7 of the Quote of Ordinances General Penalty, continuing violations, and to amend Chapter 15, Section 85 of the Code of Ordinances license schedule to add provisions relating to consumable hemp products.

Is there a motion to approve motion from Ms.

Watkins?

Second from Mr.

Meredith.

Ms.

Smith.

Hi, Penny Smith, Director of Finance.

So this is the sister part to the zoning piece that Ms.

Ksama introduced and put up here and was discussed earlier.

So basically, this is the method by which people will get licensed for hemp.

So even if you are currently established in that, you need to come contact our office, and many people already have.

And get the paperwork through.

It will look and feel just like a an alcohol, an alcohol license.

So it will go through the alcohol committee.

We're looking at renaming that now that we're working through the hemp products as well.

So but it will look like that.

And so there will be approval through that committee, and then they will become licensed by the city for that as well as it's what's on the other side.

There is no fee for this by state law.

We cannot charge anything for that.

Okay.

Council members, any questions?

Anybody?

Mr.

Meredith.

Did we motion and second this one?

We do.

Okay.

Thank you.

I believe you were the second, actually.

Okay.

A motion was from Ms.

Watkins and the second was from Mr.

Meredith.

Any other questions or comments?

I had a concern about the penalties associated with this.

Could you delve into the penalties?

So the penalties are per state law, right?

Let me get our attorney up here to answer that one.

So Joel Watson, Assistant City Attorney.

The penalty provisions in here are actually the same provisions that are in the State Code.

But the way the State Code has done it is they give enforcement to the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

So to give you an example, if a licensed establishment were to say, sell these products to someone who is 15, the enforcement mechanism for that is to go to the ABC board under the state law, and they could do a revocation or suspension or impose a fine.

So the purpose of including this in this ordinance is to give us a local ability to address that as well.

So it would make it addressable through the municipal court.

All right, but there would not be at least on a first defense.

Essentially prison time.

So I believe the provision is for $50 for the first time or up to six months in jail, but that is pretty standard for all misdemeanor violations.

And that's in most of our other provisions that go to municipal court.

Thank you, sir.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The motion carries.

19B is an ordinance declaring certain property surplus and to be disposed of by auction.

The Chair moves for approval.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second from Mr.

Meredith.

Any uh discussion?

Yes.

Someone.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilmember, what's before you is uh in if you look at the package, many many pages of lots of little pieces of equipment and things that the fire department uh is now ready to dispose of as things that are broken beyond repair or obsolete beyond their beyond their life cycle.

So it's uh there's a laundry list of small things that uh that they've collected up through the year.

So generally about once a year, they will uh take their obsolete items and they go off to auction.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Any posed?

Motion carries.

Uh 19C is an ordinance to declare a certain real property as surplus and authorizing Huntsville utilities at sale and conveyance to Madison Utilities.

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second by the chair.

Any discussion questions?

I had a question.

Okay, Mr.

Meredith.

Um how much are we selling this for?

And is that market value?

Yes, sir.

We agreed to sell it at the appraised value, and that appraised value is around a million dollars.

Which certainly makes it market value.

Yes, sir.

Thank you very much.

That's all.

Any other questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Uh any opposed motion carries.

19D is an ordinance annexing 1.23, 1.33 acres of land lying on the north side of Winchester Road and west of Shields Road.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Merrick, second from Ms.

Watkins, um, Ms.

Kassama.

This is for the consideration of annexing 1.33 acres of land lying on the north side of Winchester Road and west of Shields Road.

Um this was introduced March 12th.

So again, this property is located on the north side of Winchester.

Winchester over here, SHIELDS over here.

As you can see, it is already well surrounded by properties within city limits.

Any questions from Ms.

Cassana?

Questions about this?

Any uh all in favor, please indicate.

I've motion carries.

19E is an ordinance to declare certain properties surplus and no longer needed for municipal use.

Motion to approve.

Motion for Mr.

Meredith, second from the chair, uh second from Ms.

Watkins.

Councilmembers, uh what's before you is an item you generally see once a year.

Uh you know uh quarterly General Services will take any fleet that's uh damaged or uh beyond repair and auction it off once a year.

We'll pull one of those cars out and uh and with your approval tonight donate it to Crime Stopper and they use it as a they auction it off as a fundraiser for crime stoppers.

In this particular case, it's a 2013 Ford Fusion that is uh is beyond its uh usable life.

Any other questions or conversation or discussion?

All in favor, please indicate.

Motion carries.

19F is an ordinance to declare a certain property as surplus and authorize the mayor to negotiate terms involving the lease of the property for Project Gemini.

Chair moves for approval.

Second.

Second by Mr.

Meredith.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President, Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So council members, uh, this item before you is what we bring before you multiple times a year if we are selling property that was under the city uh ownership or entering into a lease, think of City Center downtown across from Big Spring Park, uh that type of ground lease.

This one is a little unique in that the property that you see on the screen is jointly owned by the City of Huntsville and Madison County Commission.

Um in partnership, this is a project that we have been working on.

I think when uh West Kelly presented the task force of Huntsville Utilities and the goals uh was local generation that uh power generation, I should say, of that TVA is now allowing as a portion of their portfolio.

Certainly tonight.

Billing has been a very big topic, and one of the ways to control some of those costs is for Huntsville Utilities to do some self-generation of uh so this would be a partnership uh with a company that we have done business with before, the North Huntsville uh solar project uh was done by with Huntsville Utilities in Uris.

They're actually a subsidiary of Toyota uh International.

Uh this would generate uh 40 megawatts of locally sourced power and put directly onto the Huntsville Utilities grid.

Uh the Mass County Commission has already approved declaring this surplus.

Should you do this uh tonight or next council meeting, we would actually bring you terms of a lease.

Uh the same terms of a lease uh was actually on the Madison County Commission agenda uh will be tabled to their next meeting uh pending on the direction of this council tonight.

Questions for Mr.

Davis?

Mr.

Meredith?

Um in reading it it it says authorizing the mayor to negotiate terms.

Is this negotiation only?

Once those terms are negotiated, is it going to come back before the council for a so uh those negotiations are through uh the purchase of that partnership with Huntsville Utilities?

Uh Project Gemini through Euris will actually make the capital investment and uh sell that power back to Huntsville Utilities, uh certainly it's at a lower rate than what they have to buy from TVA, so it is advantageous not only to Huntsville Utilities, but to our ratepayers.

Uh that terms of that lease would come before this body.

The first step is for both the county and the city to declare it surplus so that we could bring you that body, that document.

Sounds great.

Thank you, sir.

Excuse me.

Anyone else have questions?

All in favor, please indicate.

Aye.

Opposed, motion carries.

Thank you, Councilman.

That brings us to thank you, Mr.

Davis.

That brings us to 20 new business items for consideration or action.

These items will be approved in one motion unless any member of the council wishes to remove an item for discussion, the reading of each item will be waived unless Councilmember requests otherwise.

Uh council members have shared with me that they would like to hold items F, G, H, L, N, Q, R, U, Y.

Are there any other items that anyone wishes to hold?

Just for clarification, did you say M or N?

N as in no.

Yes, ma'am.

Mr.

Kling, you have anything you want to hold?

I don't think there's anything left.

F U.

And Y.

Yes, F is the.

You're good with F?

Okay.

Okay.

So then it will not be F.

Thank you.

Okay.

Anybody anybody have anything else?

All right.

Well then the Chair moves for consolidation and approval of items 20A to 20 F.

20 I to 20 K.

20 M, 20O, 20 P, 20 T, and 20 V to X and 20Z to AB.

Is there a second?

All in favor indicate?

Aye.

Any posed?

Motion carries.

All right.

We will then go to we will start with 20 G.

20G is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement between the City of Huntsville and HDR Engineering Inc.

for independent design check and peer review services of an engineering design for pedestrian access redevelopment quarter park project number 71-26-SP29.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Motion from Mr.

Meredith, second from Ms.

Watkins, Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

Shane Davis, Director of Urban Economic Development.

So Council members, what is before you is exactly what is stated in the resolution.

It is a peer review for four bridges, the three cable suspended pedestrian bridges for the park project and then the railroad trussle bridge.

So the design is complete.

It's been 100% completed, but part of that Federal grant process that is helping pay for this is a third-party peer review, because they are at least the pedestrian bridge going over two U.S.

highways.

It's almost like an audit, an engineering audit, so there will be independent calculations, wind tunnel testing of the design.

So we're just following those guidelines under the Federal grant, the $20 million Federal grant that will fund this project.

So the contract amount for that is 494,035.

Again, it's for four bridges that they will do independent, essentially 60 percent design checking calculations, bridge foundations, piers, uh wind tunnel testing as far as the elevation of the future bridges.

Questions?

Mr.

Mayor?

My question was is this money from the federal government or is it the city's match to the federal government?

So it's an 80-20.

So we've got we have 20 percent matching funds and yes, got it.

Thank you.

Good question.

Yes, that's all.

Other questions?

Anyone have other questions?

All right.

All in favor, please indicate.

I think prize.

Motion carries.

20H.

Is the resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement between the City of Huntsville and Building and Earth Sciences LLC for construction materials, testing and inspection services for Clinton Avenue Surface Parking Lot project number 71-26-sp 19?

Is there a motion?

Chair moves for approval.

Second, second from Ms.

Watkins.

Mr.

Davis.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um so Councilmember's last council meeting, you approved a construction contract for the construction of the new surface lot, the corner of Monroe and Holmes to provide additional parking for downtown in and around the BBC.

This is for geotechnical testing for the so for sole compaction testing, the concrete testing, and the asphalt testing for us to construct that project.

You have approved the construction contract.

This is pretty typical.

You will see facilities do this with parks and rec projects.

Uh Kathy Martin certainly would with construction projects.

Uh so it's with Bill North and Science to do material testing or 40 not to exceed it's a time materials based on test, but it's not to exceed 47,350.

Questions?

Mr.

Yes, ma'am.

Why is this coming after we have authorized the resurfacing?

Um folks contacted me as to why this wouldn't come first to make sure that it's geo.

What you are doing.

What you are doing makes proves that it can support the work of the resurfacing.

It seems like we're pulling the cart horse in front of the cart.

Sure.

So this is not a cart in front of the horse.

This has nothing to do with street resurfacing, or we're not making a repair to an existing parking lot.

So during the design process, we certainly did soul testing to make sure that the ground and the compaction was suitable for this type of project.