Demopolis to review city departments’ staffing, pay levels

Demopolis City Council’s finance committee will review various city departments’ pay scales and bring a recommendation to the next meeting Dec. 18.

A delegation from the city’s public works and horticulture departments appeared at Monday night’s council meeting, with those departments’ pay scales on the agenda for discussion.

Little was said however, as council member Bill Meador made a motion to defer the discussion to the finance committee. He said other departments’ pay levels should be part of the discussion also.

“There are inadequacies in other departments as well,” he said.

Council member Charles Jones Jr. said he wants the council to receive a recommendation from the finance committee at the Dec. 18 meeting. Grayson agreed that the discussion does not need to “drag out.”

Toward the end of Monday night’s meeting, Fire Chief Tommy Tate asked that a portion of the $252,000 cut from his current year’s budget be restored for the purpose of hiring additional staff.

He said he is down two firefighters due to departures.

Mayor Mike Grayson told Tate the two of them would get together to discuss fire department staffing further.

In other matters, the council:

• Approved Tate’s request to apply for various grants for a fire truck and equipment. The grants, if awarded, would require a five percent match from the city.
• Re-appointed Willard Williams to the Water Board, appointed Shawn Hall to the Industrial Development Board and appointed Bill Mackey, Hugh Overmeyer and Jim Parr to the Marengo County Economic Development Authority.
• Approved Wendy’s and Parr’s for the city’s economic incentive program. Parr’s incentive will be limited to three years since it is an existing business.
• Approved bid specifications for the Rosenbush Building Warehouse, to include a requirement that renovation begin with three months, finish within 18 months and follow Department of the Interior guidelines.
• Re-zoned the property at 301-321 S. Cedar (the old Food Fair Building) to B-3-C to allow a furniture store at the location.