The Jemison City Council approved a resolution Monday night setting a special election for a wet/dry referendum.

A petition was presented to the council with 336 signatures, 230 of which were registered voters of the city. The petition had to bear a minimum of 220 signatures from registered voters to warrant a referendum.

The election will be held Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 at the Jemison Fire Station located at 191 Main St. from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Mayor Eddie Reed said the council approved the resolution in order to give citizens an opportunity to vote on the issue.

“It’s the people’s decision, not the council’s decision,” he said.

A new law enacted by the Alabama Legislature allows municipalities with a population of 1,000 or more to hold a wet/dry referendum. The minimum number of signatures equals 30 percent of the registered voters who turned out for the city’s last general election.

The question will appear on the ballot as follows: “Do you favor the legal sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages within the city limits of Jemison, Alabama?”

Voters will then mark either “Yes” or “No” on their ballot.

In other business, new water lines have been connected in the recently annexed Oak Grove community, Reed announced. The next step is to pave roads in the area. The city is currently awaiting contractors.

Also, the council discussed possibly changing the date for the Christmas Tree Lighting. A final date and time will be announced later.