DEMOPOLIS &8212; Longtime city employee William Brown Jr. was honored during Thursday night&8217;s City Council meeting with a moment of silence. Brown, who had been an employee of the City of Demopolis for over 20 years, died Wednesday at U.A.B. Medical Center in Birmingham following a brief illness.

Following the moment of silence in Brown&8217;s honor, the council requested a resolution be presented to his family during Brown&8217;s memorial service for his years of dedicated service.

Funeral services for Brown will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Christian Chapel Baptist Church in Demopolis. Interment will follow in Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Demopolis. The remains will repose at the church beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Public viewing will be held from 1-7 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home.

In other unrelated business:

4The council unanimously passed a proposal for a sales tax holiday.

4Parris Pugh, environmental director for the state of Alabama Public Health office in Linden spoke to the council about mosquito control. Pugh said he is proposing $35,690 in funds left over from Hurricane Katrina be used in Demopolis to held fight against mosquitoes. He said the funds should be released next week.

4The council approved the plan commission recommendation to approve the placement of a columbarium at a local church.

4The council approved the Personnel Committee&8217;s recommendation to authorize the Center for Governmental Services at Auburn University to assess the city&8217;s personnel structure pending approval by the Finance Committee.

4The council accepted the Personnel Committee&8217;s recommendation to make preparations for the 2007-08-budget year to add an assistant building official to the staff.