By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

The Jemison City Council met Monday night for an organizational meeting to pass ordinances and conduct other business.

The council passed an ordinance to allow the city’s workers the option to accumulate time off in a sick leave bank. Mayor Eddie Reed said the council met with the workers and department heads to discuss this ordinance before passing it.

“They were elated with it. They are all in favor of it,” said Reed. “We’re here for the workers. Things that make things go smoother for the city as we provide services for them are the things that we want to do for them.”

Reed said the ordinance also gives incentives to workers to finish their work earlier around the holidays. If the department heads agree that all the work is done, the workers can leave early to prepare for the holidays.

The council will let the police chief decide how to compensate officers, as their line of work might not allow them to leave work early.

“We don’t want the policemen to feel that they have been neglected,” said Reed.

The mayor said the citizens come first, and the department heads have discretion to decide that workers must finish their normal work hours to complete a project if necessary. The goal of the ordinance is to balance the needs of the public and those of the city’s workers.

“We have one of the best staffs in the country … We have the best workers, the best professional workers in my history of the city,” said Reed. “[We] do these things for incentives to help our workers feel a part of our city.”

In other business:

• The council voted for Sam Reed to remain as the designated mayor pro tem.
• The council appointed Sylvia Singleton as city clerk. The mayor appointed Chief Shane Fullmer as city public safety director, Chief John Dennis as fire and rescue director, Jeff Brumlow as the city attorney and Tammy Miller as magistrate of court.
• There was a public hearing for the Sunshine Package Store liquor license. The store has applied for a license, and all the legalities have been handled appropriately. The council took a vote and approved the issuance of a license to the store.
• The council has obtained quotes for the cost of repairing the parking lot at City Hall. No action is being taken now, and the council is waiting to see what costs may come up soon for other paving projects in the city.