By Stephen Dawkins

The Jemison City Council on Monday decided on a different supplier for new playground equipment in the city’s park.
The council had awarded a contract to Giffen Recreation of Pelham, but the company is not a member of the U.S. Communities government purchasing alliance, councilmember Sam Reed said.
Had it gone with a company not on the U.S. Communities list, Jemison would not have been able to receive a Land and Water Grant, so the city instead will purchase equipment from GameTime.
Because of its inclusion on the U.S. Communities list, Reed said Jemison could award a contract to GameTime without bidding out the project—which the council did at a regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall.
Reed said the change should not cause any delays on the project and that the cost of the equipment will be comparable to what Giffen was going to charge.
The council also voted to annex land owned by Roger W. Hill into the city. Hill’s land is adjacent to Highway 31 north of Jemison.
The council was unsure exactly how much land would be annexed but seemed to agree that it was about 100 acres.
The council also renewed a contract with RDS, a company that analyzes sales tax information.
Yolanda Watkins, RDS regional account manager, gave a presentation to the council and said her company in three years had discovered 192 businesses operating without a license.
Watkins said the license purchases accounted for more than $20,000, of which the city received half.
The council also voted to adjust the water bills of six residents.
The council went into executive session to discuss possible litigation before paying the bills and adjourning.