Huntsville City Council • District 5 September 2025
Touring West Huntsville Recreation Center
I know District 5 is eager for the opening of the West Huntsville Recreation Center on Martin Road. And after a recent tour of the facility, I can tell you we’re moving closer to a ribbon cutting ceremony. The center – in its final stages – will feature two indoor gymnasiums equipped for basketball, volleyball and pickleball as well as meeting rooms for gatherings and events. Even more pickleball courts will be available outside.
President's Forum Hits the Road
We had some fun with a little different approach to the monthly President’s Forum for September. Instead of bringing the community to City Hall as we normally do, this time I went out to the community. We traveled to different places across Huntsville and did interviews with community leaders. If you haven’t had a chance to watch the forum yet, give it a look. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did in producing it.
More jobs are coming to District 5 as Performance Drone Works (PDW) cut the ribbon on an 87,720 square foot facility in Thornton Research Park. PDW is expected to create 525 jobs with average annual salaries of more than $105,000. PDW specializes in advanced drone technology, and this new facility will help them in their mission to support our nation’s defense efforts. It was a privilege to visit with PDW executives and celebrate their growth in Huntsville.
Helping nonprofit organizations fulfill their missions to help make Huntsville a better place is one of my favorite parts of the job. So it was a pleasure to present a $5,000 allocation from the District 5 Council Improvement Fund to the North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (NACH). This funding will support their ongoing efforts in serving Huntsville’s unhoused community. This will assist NACH in aiding clients obtain vital records, such as IDs and birth certificates, needed to open doors to employment, housing and a second chance at stability and success.
For a firefighter at Huntsville Fire & Rescue, the job is a lot more than just riding on the flashy red trucks to emergency calls. Firefighter Matthew Gonzalez, who works at Station 16 on Jeff Road in District 5, shares what it’s really like being a firefighter. “I look forward to actually coming into work each day,” he said.
It was an honor to attend the annual Beatification Awards ceremony and help present awards to businesses and individuals who go the extra mile to help make Huntsville, well, beautiful. I also applaud the efforts of the Huntsville Beautification Board to identify and recognize the worthy award winners. Congratulations to all the winners.
