Clanton’s City Council voted unanimously Monday to purchase 57 acres of land off Pinedale Road, adjacent to the city police department’s firing range, for $171,000.

The land would allow Clanton Police to move its firing range to a more beneficial location.

CPD Chief Brian Stilwell said the current range is becoming inadequate as the state increases requirement for firearm training. He said the move, to a five-acre tract on the new property, would also move the range farther away from the closest residences.

“I think we would be able to do some real good training out on that property,” Stilwell said before the council’s vote.

The land could also be the site of a new fire training tower that will be needed soon by the city’s fire department.

The council approved another police-related request: the purchase of six “entry-style” bulletproof vests.

The vests will cost $8,400, and a grant has been secured that will reimburse the city for half of the purchase.

Stilwell said officers serving warrants, or entering residences for other reasons, currently use vests intended for patrol instead of the entry. The entry vests would offer better protection, he said.

In other business, the council:

•Voted to secure architectural plans for transforming a residence owned by the city into a meeting place for Chilton County Senior Connection, a group that meets at the Clanton Recreation Center. The residence is located off Highway 31, adjacent to city park property.

•Discussed the application of a wholesale wine license tied to a storage unit address. Jeff Reece, the license applicant, said he plans to distribute wine from Hidden Meadow vineyard in Jemison to local eateries and package stores. Reece said he lives outside city limits and therefore cannot establish the license for his home address. He said no wine would be sold out of the storage unit and that the operation would be in compliance with state laws.

•Entered into an executive session to discuss a ongoing legal matter before adjourning.