OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/Tuscaloosa, Alabama/City Council Meetings
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Tuscaloosa City Council Committee Meeting - November 3, 2026

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, November 3, 2026
BodyTuscaloosa, Alabama
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateTuesday, November 3, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
⇩ GET FROM SOURCE

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Original source
Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Order.

Speaker 2

0:00

I hope you've had an opportunity to look at the minutes of the last meeting.

0:06

Do I have a motion to approve?

0:08

Motion approved the minutes.

0:09

I have a second.

Unassigned speaker

0:11

Is that me?

Speaker 2

0:12

Yes.

Speaker 1

0:13

Second.

Unassigned speaker

0:13

I

Speaker 2

0:14

second.

0:14

All in favor?

0:16

Aye.

0:16

All right.

0:17

They are passed.

0:18

Thank you.

0:21

Mr.

0:22

Foster.

Speaker 1

0:23

Yes, sir.

Speaker 2

0:24

All right.

0:24

I wasn't sure who was going to grace us up here this afternoon.

0:28

Go ahead.

Speaker 1

0:29

This is for creation of the exhibits technology for the savings center job classification.

0:34

This is the position that uh will be responsible for all of the uh exhibits and technology related in as well as being responsible for the uh technician group who will uh work events uh and and and support the rest of the facilities such as the STEM hub and uh all the the other technology spaces as well as the third floor, all the administrative offices and things like that.

Speaker 2

1:03

Well to me, all of this is what it's all about

Speaker 1

1:08

yes sir.

1:08

Yes, sir.

1:09

This is this was this was in this year's this year's budget and uh was in our presentation that

Unassigned speaker

1:14

we had.

Speaker 2

1:15

I mean that'll be what the savings center is.

1:18

If this person doesn't do his job, we'll have to find somebody else.

Speaker 1

1:23

Absolutely, yes, there's a very important position.

1:25

Yes, motion approved.

Speaker 3

1:27

See

Speaker 2

1:27

all in favor?

1:28

Aye, thank

Unassigned speaker

1:29

you.

Unassigned speaker

1:30

Are

Speaker 2

1:30

you with us on the next yes, sir?

1:32

All right, more saving.

Speaker 1

1:34

This is to change the uh job description and classification grade of the IT service desk manager.

1:41

Uh when uh La Shonda and I were working on the exhibits technology manager, the IT services manager is almost the exact same set of responsibilities for audio visual and desktop and other things like that, and so this is setting the grade to the same grade as the exhibits technology manager so we don't run into a uh inequity.

2:03

This was in the budget, so it wasn't this year and accounted for it.

Speaker 2

2:06

Any questions about this?

2:07

No sir.

2:08

Motion approved.

Speaker 3

2:09

Second.

Speaker 2

2:09

All in favor?

2:10

Aye.

2:11

All right, thank you.

2:13

Mr.

2:13

Holmes, good

Speaker 3

2:14

to hear from you.

2:16

Uh this is uh authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement.

2:19

This is uh ultimately a renewal of our contract with Huntsville Direct Communications.

2:24

This would be Steve Raby who has handled the lobbying uh for the city for the last predates me, so probably seven, eight years.

2:32

Um he's done a done a great job for us, uh has a good inside track down in Montgomery and thus far has not asked for an increase in what we pay him annually, which is uh four thousand dollars a

Unassigned speaker

2:43

month.

Speaker 2

2:44

Any questions about that?

2:46

How well sorry?

2:50

Um no questions.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Technology and Innovation█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Summary of Proceedings

Tuscaloosa City Council Committee Meeting - November 3, 2026

The Tuscaloosa City Council committee met on November 3, 2026, to discuss and approve several personnel matters and a contractual renewal. The committee approved the previous meeting's minutes, created a new Exhibits Technology Manager position, reclassified an IT role to maintain pay equity, and renewed the city's lobbying contract.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: The minutes of the preceding meeting were unanimously approved.

Discussion Items

  • Creation of Exhibits Technology Manager: Mr. Foster presented the creation of a new Exhibits Technology Manager position for the Savings Center. The position will oversee all exhibits and technology, supervise the technical event staff, and support the STEM hub, events, and administrative offices. A council member voiced enthusiastic support for the role, calling it "what it's all about." The position was included in the current fiscal year's budget.
  • IT Service Desk Manager Reclassification: Mr. Foster discussed a proposal to reclassify the IT Service Desk Manager job description and grade. The change aligns the role with the Exhibits Technology Manager to prevent a pay inequity, as the positions share a similar scope of responsibilities. This adjustment was budgeted for in the current year.
  • Lobbying Contract Renewal: Mr. Holmes presented a renewal of the city's contract with Huntsville Direct Communications (Steve Raby). Mr. Raby has provided lobbying services to the city for approximately seven to eight years at a monthly rate of $4,000. Mr. Holmes noted Mr. Raby's strong performance and successful advocacy in Montgomery, as well as the fact that he had not requested a rate increase.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes Approved: The previous meeting's minutes were approved unanimously.
  • Exhibits Technology Manager Position Created: The position was established to manage the Savings Center's technology and exhibits.
  • IT Service Desk Manager Reclassified: The role's job classification and grade were adjusted to match the new Exhibits Technology Manager position.
  • Lobbying Contract Renewed: The committee authorized the mayor to execute the renewed agreement with Huntsville Direct Communications.

All votes during the meeting were unanimous voice votes.

Meeting Transcript

Order. I hope you've had an opportunity to look at the minutes of the last meeting. Do I have a motion to approve? Motion approved the minutes. I have a second. Is that me? Yes. Second. I second. All in favor? Aye. All right. They are passed. Thank you. Mr. Foster. Yes, sir. All right. I wasn't sure who was going to grace us up here this afternoon. Go ahead. This is for creation of the exhibits technology for the savings center job classification. This is the position that uh will be responsible for all of the uh exhibits and technology related in as well as being responsible for the uh technician group who will uh work events uh and and and support the rest of the facilities such as the STEM hub and uh all the the other technology spaces as well as the third floor, all the administrative offices and things like that. Well to me, all of this is what it's all about yes sir. Yes, sir. This is this was this was in this year's this year's budget and uh was in our presentation that we had. I mean that'll be what the savings center is. If this person doesn't do his job, we'll have to find somebody else. Absolutely, yes, there's a very important position. Yes, motion approved. See all in favor? Aye, thank you. Are you with us on the next yes, sir? All right, more saving. This is to change the uh job description and classification grade of the IT service desk manager. Uh when uh La Shonda and I were working on the exhibits technology manager, the IT services manager is almost the exact same set of responsibilities for audio visual and desktop and other things like that, and so this is setting the grade to the same grade as the exhibits technology manager so we don't run into a uh inequity. This was in the budget, so it wasn't this year and accounted for it. Any questions about this? No sir. Motion approved. Second. All in favor? Aye. All right, thank you. Mr.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com