Madison City Council Regular Meeting - November 10, 2025

The Madison City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, November 10, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. Mayor Ranae Bartlett presided; Pastor Mike Oliver of Trinity Baptist Church gave the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. All seven council members were present. The council confirmed there were no amendments to the agenda and voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the October 27, 2025 meeting (Minutes No. 2025-20-RG). Every formal vote taken during the meeting was unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the regular and periodic bills to be paid.
• Approved Resolution No. 2025-358-R, extending the joint purchasing agreement with the City of Huntsville for light-duty vehicles from Woody Anderson Ford.
• Approved Resolution No. 2025-371-R, ratifying a contractor agreement with Launch Broadband, LLC, and Ryan Creek Technology Associates, Inc., for installation of a railroad crossing camera and monitoring solution, at a cost of $1,824.94 from the IT Department budget.
• Accepted a $500.00 donation from Tractor Supply Company Foundation for the Madison Police Department donations account.
• Councilmember David Bier reported that Finance Committee meetings will be held at 4:45 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month going forward.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Heather Morgan (District 5, speaking on behalf of IVOte Madison) expressed support for Resolution No. 2025-363-R, the renewal of live streaming, recording, and archiving of city meetings. She said recording and archiving removes barriers for residents who cannot attend in person, and made three suggestions: record and archive all City Council work sessions; pursue permanent archiving rather than archiving only through the end of the council term; and reconsider excluding interview meetings from recording and archiving, especially for public-facing leadership roles such as police chief.
• Margie Daly (District 6), who said she has 21 years of council-watching experience and 12 years of elected governance experience in a city of a quarter million, spoke for the public record. She urged the council to adhere to Alabama ethics code 36-25-5, file personal and family gains over $5,000, and recuse from votes involving potential conflicts. She cited alleged conflicts involving organizations such as the Trash Pandas, Main Street, MVP, UAH, HHS, Palmer Park, Dublin Park, AYSO, SBA, the Huntsville 100, and a Winter & Winter metal dog shelter project she said cost taxpayers more than a million-dollar home per square foot. She alleged influence peddling and pay-to-play patterns, named several individuals, and warned of fines and jail time.

Presentations and Council Reports

• Fire Chief Williams recognized the promotion of Sam Yates from firefighter to Driver, effective the last pay period. Yates completed the annual promotional process, which included an oral interview, a written test, a pump scenario, and street driving.
• Mayor Bartlett announced that City Hall would be closed November 11 for Veterans Day, recognized veterans in the audience, reported that almost 500 people attended a community meal, noted that Chuck's Fish would offer a free Thanksgiving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with donations going to Madison Visionary Partners, and announced an Instagram photo contest with the Chamber of Commerce running November 10 through January 19 with amateur and professional categories.
• Councilmember David Bier (District 2) thanked staff for onboarding and training and praised the Madison Police Department after a ride-along.
• Councilmember Billie Goodson (District 3) presented Resolution No. 2025-359-R, authorizing a $250 expenditure from the Council Special Projects Fund for Santa for the December 5 Polar Express Christmas Trail; it passed unanimously.
• Councilmember Michael McKay (District 4) had nothing to report.
• Councilmember Alice Lessmann (District 5) presented four unanimously approved resolutions: No. 2025-372-R (City Attorney), No. 2025-373-R (City Clerk-Treasurer), No. 2025-374-R (Fire Chief), and No. 2025-375-R (Police Chief), each appointing and establishing the salary for the position.
• Councilmember Erica White (District 6) reported on the Diwali celebration sponsored by the Huntsville India Association at James Clemens High School.
• Councilmember Kenneth Jackson (District 7) announced a mental health fair on November 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Midtown Elementary, openings on the Police Citizens Advisory Committee and the Beautification and Tree Board, a fall litter cleanup on November 22 at 9 a.m., and his weekly newsletter.
• Council President Maura Wroblewski noted the Hogan Breakfast honoring veterans and the Alabama League of Municipalities training mandated by the 2024 legislature, and announced the first work session on November 19 at 5:30 p.m., with the agenda posted on November 12.

Board and Committee Appointments

• Councilmember Erica White was appointed to Ex-Officio Place 1 of the Planning Commission for a term expiring November 4, 2029.
• Council President Maura Wroblewski was appointed to Place 3 of the Water & Wastewater Board for a term expiring November 4, 2029.
• Scott Motz was appointed to Seat 3 of the Madison Police Citizens Advisory Committee for a term expiring April 27, 2029.

Department Reports

• Engineering: Approved Resolution No. 2025-355-R, a professional services agreement with S&ME, Inc. for environmental consulting for FY2026 wet-weather monitoring, not to exceed $21,840 from Fund 11. Approved Resolution No. 2025-360-R, awarding Bid No. 2025-019-ITB for the Old Madison Pike & Hughes Road Intersection Improvements project to Rogers Group, Inc. for $1,071,000 from Fund 38.
• Fire & Rescue: Approved Resolution No. 2025-370-R, declaring one 2002 E-One fire engine surplus and authorizing its sale through online auction on GovDeals.
• Legal: Approved Resolution No. 2025-363-R, renewing the city's policy for live streaming, recording, and archiving of City Council, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Adjustment meetings and expanding it to City Council work sessions as standard practice unless a very sensitive topic is discussed. Interviews and executive sessions will generally not be live-streamed, and technical failures will be handled by recording and posting the meeting as soon as possible.
• Public Works: Approved five equipment purchases: a 2026 tandem axle dump truck from TruckWorx for $191,148.47; a track loader from Thompson Tractor Company for $103,055; a mini excavator from Thompson Tractor Company for $73,559; a 2026 F-550 4x4 crew cab flatbed from Woody Anderson Ford for $67,684; and a 2026 F-550 4x4 crew cab dump bed from Woody Anderson Ford for $76,255.
• Recreation: Approved Resolution No. 2025-362-R, awarding Bid No. 2025-020-ITB for the Palmer Park Baseball Backstops project to Renegade Contracting, LLC, for $676,177.84 from Fund 38. Staff confirmed the project covers eight fields, with a February 1, 2026 completion target and one quad staged at a time to avoid losing field space.

Key Outcomes

• All resolutions passed unanimously, and all board/committee appointments were approved by acclamation.
• The council expanded the live-streaming and archiving policy to include work sessions; Mayor Bartlett noted that the permanent record retention period remains under study by staff, IT, and legal.
• No public hearings were held.
• The next work session is scheduled for November 19, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.
• The meeting adjourned by motion after no further business.