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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

The Clanton City Council unanimously appointed Don Driver to the vacant District 3 seat during a Feb. 22 meeting.

Driver will serve the remaining term of former City Council member Sammy Wilson, who died from COVID-19 complications Jan. 28.

Driver was one of two District 3 residents who submitted a resume for the position. Driver will also fill Wilson’s previous seat on the Water and Sewer Board.

Two Bibles were used during the swearing in ceremony. Mayor Jeff Mims said one of the Bibles had belonged to former Mayor Billy Joe Driver and the other had belonged to Wilson.

The Feb. 22 meeting also included two first readings for ordinances. One would allow sale of alcohol in for consumption on or off the premises of the business selling it. The other would approve a limited warranty deed to transfer the ownership of the future Alabama Farm Center site, which is jointly owned by the city and the county, to the Alabama Agriculture and Exhibition Center Cooperative District.

The second reading of the ordinance will be at the March 8 meeting of the Council at 5 p.m. A vote is also expected to be made at that time.

The Council did approve covering 50% of employee’s family coverage for health insurance and 60% of the cost of health insurance to add just one person (spouse or one child) to the employee’s health insurance. The City will continue to cover 100% of the induvial employee’s health insurance.

The Council also approved:

• A one-year prohibition on new wrecker services from establishing in the city of Clanton. Mims said this will give the city time to update the planning ordinance to designate a specific zone where these businesses will be permitted.
• A plan for giving 80 hours of additional paid sick leave for COVD-19 related time off with specific guidelines.
• Moving forward with an application for a grant for a bridge and to develop a dog park in the unused portion of Goose Pond Park.