A leaky roof at Demopolis Public Library will soon be replaced.

The Demopolis City Council approved a bid Thursday to have a new roof put on the library. J&M Roofing won the bid with the low price of $48,530.

Librarian Morgan Grimes said part of the children’s section on the second floor has been cordoned off due to leaks.

“We’ve had to section that off. It’s ruined several ceiling tiles,” Grimes said.

The current roof is more than 25 years old. The library’s roof has been patched over the years but that only temporarily stopped the water, Grimes said.

City Clerk Sam Gross said the bid specifications said the new roof must have a 20-year warranty.

The council also went into a 30-minute executive session to discussion financial matters. They later approved offering Primer Holdings, LLC the state trooper property and economic incentives to give the developer.

Mayor Mike Grayson said he couldn’t discuss the pending deal and what might be done with the property if it is sold but that more details should soon be available.

In other business, the council took the following actions.

•Authorized Police Chief Tommie Reese to apply for a COPS grant that would pay 75 percent of the salary for two new police officers. The program focuses on hiring veterans coming back from war zones, Reese said. If the grant is awarded to Demopolis, the funds could potentially be used for school resource officers. The Demopolis Board of Education is expected to discuss the matching funds at its May meeting.

•Appointed Marvin Johnson to the cemetery board in a 5-1 vote. Grayson voted for Mark Dollar.

•Accepted a bid to demolish to dilapidated houses, one on A Street and the other on Second Avenue. Eaves Construction won the bid with a combined price of $7,810.

•Voted against a resolution that would have opposed Alabama House Bill 257 and Senate Bill 217.

•Renewed the hospital lease between the city and Tombigbee Healthcare Authority.