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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

The Clanton City Council discussed several future plans during a March 24 work session.

Approving a part-time position for Senior Connection is one plan that will be up for a vote at the March 28 meeting at 5 p.m. at Clanton City Hall.

Mayor Jeff Mims said Senior Connection director Vanessa McKinney, whose salary is paid by the city, is planning on retiring soon. The part-time person would work with McKinney training to take over as director.

Mims said Senior Connection is contributing $10,000 toward the position, which will remain part-time even after the person becomes director.

Two grants have been secured for the Senior Center on Enterprise Road. One grant was for $5,000 and one for $3,000. The Senior Center runs the Meals on Wheels program and will use the funds for gasoline and a deep-freeze freezer. It is the largest Meals on Wheels distribution program in the state, according to Chief of Staff Bob Woods.

Work is starting on developing a master plan for the city’s park system. Items that will likely be included are a dog park, batting cage building and constructing an outdoor stage. Grants will be pursued to fund these projects.

Mims said the stage would be moved from it is usual set up spot, so it would be out of the sun. Renting the stage for events, such as Peach Jam, has gotten expensive. Eliminating the cost of renting a stage was thought to likely pay for construction in three years.

Whether to have the annual July 4 fireworks show this year was also discussed. Mims said the cost with the company that does the show has risen to $26,000 for a 25 show because of the cost of fireworks.

“Last year, it was about $18,000,” Mims said. “We tried to get people to bid on it, and nobody would bid on it.”

Council member Billy Singleton said if the show date was not so close to the Peach Festival and Peach Jam, it might be possible to get sponsors for the event.

Council member Mary Mell Smith said the event is always well attended and enjoyed by the community.

Having the fireworks show to end Peach Jam was also discussed. Mims asked the council to think about what they wanted to do, and he would find out when a final answer would be needed.