From the desk of Council Member Michelle Watkins, District 1

Huntsville City Council • District 1 January 2026

woman in black speaks into microphone addressing reporters with several people in background

Voicing Support for Huntsville Businesses

Council Member Michelle Watkins held a City Hall news conference on Dec. 16 to express her support at a grassroots effort by north Huntsville restaurant and club owners to proactively ensure safe and welcoming environment for customers. The business owners, who joined Council Member Watkins at the news conference, are working together to keep those with the intent of harm and destruction away from their establishments and sharing information to alert each other to potential threats and disruptions.

“We’re here to talk about creating safer nights, creating safer jobs for employees and safer neighborhoods for residents who live nearby,” Council Member Watkins said. “Today, we stand together to say safety is not negotiable and respect for our community is the standard.”

District 1 Town Hall on Feb. 19

Council Member Watkins will hold a town hall on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at House of Hope and Restoration Church, 2525 Aspen Dr. NW. The meeting will have a wide-ranging agenda and include presentations by Huntsville Police North Precinct Capt. Scott Widner, City Administrator John Hamilton and General Services Director Ricky Wilkinson on upgrades to the Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Recreation Center, an update on code enforcement by Community Development Director Scott Erwin and Public Works Director Chris McNeese on roads.

three people pose for photo, one holding deck the districts district 1 winner sign

collage of photos of home decorated at Christmas

D1 Deck the Districts Winner

Congratulations to the Franzo family, District 1 winner of the Huntsville City Council's Deck the District Holiday Lights Contest! They were recognized by Council Member Watkins at the Dec. 18 Council Member and presented with a prize package. Deck the Districts invited residents of all five City Council districts to show off their holiday spirit with festive light displays.

close up of road with double yellow stripes and reflector

Road Resurfacing in District 1

The City Council recently approved funding for Phase 1 of the City’s road improvement plan for the 2026 fiscal year. The improvements include resurfacing and concrete work for neighborhood roads. Several streets in D1 are part of the projects. Some of those include:

Crestmore Avenue from Brookmeade Street to Club View Drive
Leftwich Street from Grizzard Road to Kavanaugh Drive
Mastin Lake Road from Memorial Parkway to U.S. 72 East

woman speaks at podium holding microphone with large window in background

Bright Future for Boys & Girls Club

Council Member Michelle Watkins was honored to attend the ribbon cutting to open the Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama's newest facility. Located at 3911 Pulaski Pike NW, the Frank J. Williams Boys & Girls Club – built on STEM innovation, digital learning and workforce readiness – serves more than 1,000 youth each year.

Register for Girls on the Run

Registration is open for the Girls on the Run 2026 season. Open to girls in grades 3-5, The program is designed to inspire participants to recognize their inner strength, increase their level of physical activity, imagine their possibilities and confidently stand up for themselves and others. Teams will be offered at the Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Recreation Center and Fern Bell Recreation Center. Each site is limited to 15 participants.

Find Out More

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Welcoming Eli Lilly to Huntsville

At a Mars Music Hall program that included Gov. Kay Ivey, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to invest $6 billion to build a next-generation manufacturing facility in Huntsville – the largest industrial private investment ever made in the State of Alabama. Lilly’s campus will focus on domestic production of small molecule synthetic and peptide medicines, including oral GLP-1 products. The project will create 450 high-value jobs, including engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians.

woman poses for photo in hallway with colorful decorations on left

A Fun Day in the Life of Huntsville Animal Services

Riley Ferrell, Community Engagement Coordinator at Huntsville Animal Services (HAS), has one of the best jobs around. Check out the video as she shares a day in her life at HAS, which includes spending time with dogs and cats and then sharing about them on social media as part of an effort to help them find their forever homes.

Watch the Video

BLASTing the North Alabama Music

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library recently added 50 new albums from north Alabama artists to its free BLAST music streaming platform as the city’s music ecosystem continues to grow. The platform now features music from 245 artists and 279 albums, representing a wide range of genres including metal, Afrobeats, punk, spiritual, hip-hop, R&B, blues, folk and more.

More Info

COMING UP

Jan. 8: City Council Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Huntsville City Hall

Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Municipal Offices Closed

Jan. 22: City Council Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Huntsville City Hall

Jan. 29: City Council Joint Work Session with Huntsville City Schools Board of Education, 4 p.m., Huntsville City Hall

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305 Fountain Circle
Huntsville, AL | 35801 US

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