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With all members present, the Demopolis City Council got underway with a relatively uneventful meeting on Thursday night. Among the top issues of the night, Mayor Woody Collins asked the council to allow him – or one of them – to look into updating the city ordinances on fireworks and burning. 

“The bad part about it is,” Collins said, “we have a burn ordinance, and the state has a burn ordinance. And the state says that … if we don’t agree with them, that you take the one that’s most restrictive. Well, that’s the objective thing. Which is the most restrictive?” The Mayor hopes to clarify and rewrite the city burn ordinance, with the council’s approval of his authority to do so. He extended this same request to regard fireworks stands.

The council also passed a resolution to tear down and clean up the abandoned property at 811 4th Ave, a property previously discussed as a problem. After approval of the resolution, they proceeded to accept a bid from K.J. Williams Land Service to tear down and remove the building, including the concrete slab.

A software license for Avenu tax software was approved to renew for an additional three years following the realization that the city had recovered approximately $500,000 more over the past three years of usage than it had compared to the three years prior.

A quick pass came to the resolution to vacate the alley behind Robertson Bank downtown, leaving it subject to all existing easements for utilities to repair and replace components.

In case they forgot to, since they couldn’t find it immediately, the council voted again to approve an entertainment district for an event at the Theo Ratliff Activity Center on June 7. 

With the Police Chief’s support, they also approved an ABC Transfer Application for Sunoco Food Mark on Hwy 80.

Among other items discussed: 

A sewage backup in the basement of the Civic Center, and the need to not only clean it up but find the source of the problem to prevent future occurrences. 

In a closed Executive Session during the Council’s work session, the council discussed a yet to be disclosed change to the personnel manual for the Demopolis Police Department.

The council’s next scheduled meeting is April 3.