Latest news with #HuntsvilleCityCouncil
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Huntsville City Council holds work session to discuss unkept properties
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Huntsville City Council hears from concerned community members about unkept properties all the time. A work session was held Friday morning to address these concerns. The number of these rose to a point where District 2 Councilman David Little asked for a work session to discuss what the council can do to address these issues. Madison County School employees receive $1,000 salary raises During the work session, Huntsville Community Development Manager Scott Erwin gave a presentation to the council on what his department does to enforce the upkeep of properties. Erwin said the department issued about 8,300 notices in 2024. A majority of which were due to the condition of people's yards and houses. Around 5,600 people voluntarily complied and fixed the issue, while 2,600 didn't in the time allowed. Therefore, the City had to step in. 'One of our priorities is educating our community and increasing our voluntary compliance rates for grass, weeds, junk, house structures,' Erwin said. 'We find that we have a very high success rate when we educate and inform our community when there is an issue they might be in violation of.' City leaders hear the frustrations of those living near the nuisance properties, but said they have to give everyone due process to fix the issues. Decatur Morgan Hospital achieves CLABSI infection rate of zero 'If we are not following due process, then all of a sudden it is a federal issue,' Little said. 'It could be something as small as a weed issue could become a Supreme Court issue.' Due to the number of people who voluntarily complied after receiving a citation, District 3 Councilwoman Jennie Robinson said during the meeting that if the Community Development Department issued more citations, it could help properties get cleaned up faster. Erwin said the department has seven inspectors, which can make it hard to get out to every area of the City in a timely fashion, which led to the council being introduced to a new technology that could help. Huntsville's Chief Innovation Officer, Larry Lowe, presented an option that the council could consider, which would add cameras to garbage trucks. These cameras would scan people's properties when picking up trash. 'Essentially, what would happen is the garbage truck would drive every single road, they would take an image, and they would process the data,' Lowe said. This would alert the department to potential violations but wouldn't automatically result in a citation. 'It simply gives us where a potential violation may be,' Erwin said. 'We will lay eyes on it, again, we are not going through neighbors looking, it actually tells us where they may be a condition that exists.' Little said he's all on board with this and wants the council to act quickly on it. He also said that he knows enforcing the care of these properties can be a double-edged sword. 'Somebody's having a hardship, you know well, let's give them another 10 days,' Little said. 'There's other times when people are gaming the system, or hard to track down, and now the neighbors are dealing with this blighted property, so what can we do to protect them too.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Access and usage rules changing for Huntsville public buildings
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Huntsville City Council voted unanimously Thursday to change public access and usage rules for public buildings around the city. The decision comes on the heels of what council members say was an ambush by people self-proclaimed as 'First Amendment auditors' just a few weeks ago. Huntsville police say crime rates have gone down, while population has gone up These auditors visit public facilities across the nation, recording officials and demanding answers. City leaders in Huntsville said the goal of these auditors is to provoke said leaders and catch it on camera. 'The advent of popular thing that's occurring across the country, the so-called First Amendment auditors who sweep into a building and, they kind of overwhelm your security staff,' Huntsville City Attorney Trey Riley said. 'And the next thing you know, they're all over the building sticking cameras in people's faces. And as a general rule, trying to incite anger or misconduct on the part of employees.' District 1 Councilmember Michelle Watkins was not at City Hall when the so-called ambush happened a few weeks ago, but she details the event based on what her colleagues told her. 'Individuals just coming in, you know, saying that they were in a public facility, they had a right to record,' Watkins said. 'And they have a right to record, but in certain areas. You can't go in while someone's conducting business.' 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. It's not the first time people have done this in Huntsville. 'Reba Audits 51-50 5-0' filmed her First Amendment audits and posted them to YouTube in 2019. She visited buildings all over the city from the Madison County Sheriff's Office to the West Precinct. The encounters drove city leaders to now take action. 'We just want to make sure that we're protecting our employees and that we're just providing a safe environment for people to walk in,' Watkins said. 'That they don't feel, you know, like someone's threatening them or being up in their face.' The new ordinance restricts when and how the public can access buildings around the city, but it doesn't stop there. 'Simply put, it is an ordinance designed to control physical access to many of the city's public buildings and facilities, especially City Hall, as well as access to information within those facilities,' Riley said. 'And by that, I mean the ability to photograph and video, record and do things of that nature.' Watkins said residents of Huntsville should not be concerned and that the ordinance is set in place solely to handle situations like the auditors. 'I just want to make sure we don't tread on that nod of freedom of information,' Watkins said. 'If someone wants to exercise their First Amendment right, that they had that opportunity.' Watkins added that recording inside of a city council meeting is still permitted, but recording inside of an employee's office unauthorized is not. Riley said that the city is working on signage to help clarify the statute depending on the situation. It will apply inside other public buildings across the city, with him giving the example of the Solid Waste Disposal Authority. Riley also said he believes the punishment will be fines up to $500 for not complying. The ordinance also states that if someone does not leave after they are instructed to, they could be subject to criminal trespassing charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Big changes coming to Big Spring Park
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Plans to expand Big Spring Park are in motion after the Huntsville City Council meeting Thursday night. The city plans to add about 2.4 acres of land to the park's east side once the old City Hall is demolished, including the grass hill near the AT&T building. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. The plans are still being developed, but currently include a covered plaza and pavilion, nature-inspired playground, restrooms, water features and artwork displays. However, the city emphasized the plan's ADA compliance, adding accessible walkways and paths outside just staircases amidst elevation changes in the park's topography. District 3 Huntsville City Councilwoman Jennie Robinson said people frequently ask her what will happen with the old City Hall, and she is thrilled the land will be used to help the park. 'But, the question everybody always asks is, 'What happens to the old one?'' Robinson said. 'And they're really excited when they hear it's going to be returned to the park, and it's actually going to expand the park. It adds public spaces that people will be able to enjoy on a regular basis, can be used for events. So it really increases the functionality of the park.' The city said the plaza area will include artwork and rain fountains among a water feature to 'help minimize city noise'. The plans add that a lower terrace and ADA-compliant walkway will connect the plaza area to Big Spring Park West. The plans further include artwork displays throughout a winding path, inspired by San Francisco's Lombard Street, which doubles as an ADA walkway connecting Church Street to Fountain Circle at the end of the park. The city estimates the old City Hall will be demolished around June of this year, and park expansion construction will start around August or September. It hopes for the park to be finalized and complete by the end of 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
