During its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Dec. 2, the City of Huntsville moved forward with the formal introduction of four redistricting plans.

During five City Hall public meetings in October and November, members of the public submitted three of these plans, with the fourth developed by the City of Huntsville Administration using input from City Departments, Council, and the public.

Redistricting takes place every ten years following a census count, ensuring compliance with the constitutional right of one person, one vote. It also prevents districts with uneven populations, such as one Council member representing 30,000 citizens and another representing 10,000.

This process was particularly important this year, with census data indicating a population increase of 20 percent in Huntsville over the past decade, making it the most populous city in Alabama.

Mayor Tommy Battle expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Redistricting Team, “who have worked tirelessly with the public, Council, and Administration to get us to this point. I’m confident the Council will choose the plan that best represents all of Huntsville.”

In addition, the Council voted to extend live music an additional hour to 11 PM on weekend nights and to 1 AM on New Year’s Eve in the Arts and Entertainment District in Downtown Huntsville.

A further measure taken during the meeting was a resolution authorizing Mayor Battle to enter into funding agreements enabling the construction of a future Northern Bypass from 1.2 miles east of Pulaski Pike to U.S. Hwy 431.

The Huntsville City Council will adopt a final plan at the Dec. 16 Council meeting.

Notices of all public hearings will be published in a newspaper of general circulation and posted on the first floor of the Municipal Building, on the City’s website at HuntsvilleAL.gov, and on HSV TV on Comcast channel 16 and 1088 and on Knology Channel 42. For more information, visit here.