Clanton’s City Council last night approved the purchase of four cars for its police department.

The council awarded the bid to Chuck Stevens Automotive of Mobile on a low bid basis. The company bid $23,379 on a black vehicle to be used by a department investigator and $23,239 each on three patrol black and white cars. Chuck Stevens is the holder of the state bid for police cars.

Six bids, ranging from $30,500 to the low bid, were submitted. Both McKinnon Motors and Stokes Automotive submitted bids on the vehicles.

In other business the council voted to rescind a motion that would have placed $1.5 million of city funds in institutions outside the city. Mayor Billy Joe Driver said after the last meeting the city learned it could deposit all of the $1.5 million locally and be covered through the SAFE program. The council agreed to deposit the funds in People Southern Bank.

The council approved a resolution seeking approval of a COPS Recovery Hiring Program request that if approved will pay the salary of up to three new police officers. It approved a sales tax holiday for Aug. 7-9.

Motions were approved that will allow the city to seek bids on a new ladder fire truck, a pick-up truck for the street department and a pick-up truck for the waste-water division of the water department.

It accepted the resignation of Rocky Mims from the Clanton Police Department and hired Jeffery Bennett to work with the street department.

A motion was approved to purchase a dump truck under state bid from Long Lewis for $54,719.

The council also discussed ways to reduce vandalism that is occurring at City Park using cameras and stepped up patrols.