HUNTSVILLE – The Huntsville City Council spent a lot of time at its regular meeting Thursday night discussing the development of Mill Creek and the Choice Neighborhood Initiative, a two-day music festival plan Mayor Tommy Battle introduced last month and the hands-free driving ordinance.
Mill Creek was only up for informative talk, while the festival and cell phone measures both passed with a vote.
However, a vote shortly before the meeting adjourned upstaged previous action somewhat when newcomer David Little, who was elected in a 2022 runoff to represent District 2 and took his seat in November, was selected as council president.
Little replaced John Meredith (District 5), winning with a 3-2 edge in a roll call vote with Jennie Robinson (District 3), Devyn Keith (District 1) and Little voting yea to his nomination by Robinson.
“Another member approached me, I don’t know, a couple of months ago and I go, ‘Gosh, I don’t even know where the bathroom is, I’m so new,’” Little told 256 Today after the meeting. “Gave it some thought, talked to my wife, it doesn’t turn into a whole new job but I wanted to make sure it was the right decision (to accept the nomination).”
Robinson will remain in the role of President Pro Tem and Kling (District 4) is Third Presiding Officer.
“I want to make sure we communicate,” Little said. “I think there’s been a lack of communication among other council members.”
Festival greenlighted
Festival music will return to the city in the form of a yet-to-be-named, two-day event at John Hunt Park. From 1993-2009 and again in 2011, the city held the three-day Big Spring Jam downtown.
The council voted unanimously to allow Battle to enter into a three-year partnership agreement with C3 Presents to produce the festival, which will run for three years beginning in 2024 if plans come together in time or 2025.
“This will have significant appeal and should attract music fans from other states and possibly other countries,” Battle said. “The investments we’ve made over the years to John Hunt Park are already attracting large-scale sports events, and it’s also what appealed to C3 Presents.
“It’s the perfect venue for an event of this magnitude.”
C3 Presents is a well-known event producer. The company’s profile includes the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas, Lollapalooza in Chicago and its seven international editions, presidential inaugurations and the NFL Draft.
Huntsville Music Officer Matt Mandrella said he is excited to see the city teaming up with C3 for the event.
“C3’s global body of work speaks for itself, and the fact that a festival producer of their caliber is committed to developing a signature event in Huntsville speaks volumes to our reputation as an emerging music city,” he said. “Their team is very excited about coming to Huntsville, and we’re confident they will deliver the world-class festival experience our community deserves.”
The festival will be either in late September or the weekend before the Austin City Limits Festival. Crowd estimates for the first festival at John Hunt are 30,000. The exact timing of the inaugural event – 2024 or 2025 – will depend on logistics and talent acquisition.
Mill Creek progress
Also Thursday, Shane Davis, director of urban and economic development for the city, gave the council an update on Mill Creek. That project in the area that was formerly Butler Terrace and Butler Terrace Addition was initiated to improve what’s been a depressed housing territory.
To view video of his presentation and a Q&A with the council, visit www.huntsvilleal.gov.
Hands-free law
The council adopted an amendment to an amendment made previously by Little to the original hands-free driving measure he proposed, then passed the altered ordinance. The new law will strengthen the state’s hands-free mandate. Huntsville’s law will make violations a primary offense, while the state rule is a secondary offense.
Keith asked that jail time be taken out of the ordinance’s penalties in lieu of a fine and/or community service as ordered by a judge. Both Keith and Meredith said their north Huntsville constituents expressed to them they feared racial profiling could play a part in police stops because of the law, but Keith voted for the amended ordinance which passed 4-1.
Meredith, who wanted the law to be a secondary offense, voted nay.
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