City aims to preserve old jail cell; phone line will streamline trash pickup

In the process of getting ready to tear down the old Demopolis Police Station, city officials discovered the building contains a large jail cell, capable of holding 12 prisoners, from the original town jail.

At the Demopolis City Council meeting Thursday, members decided to ask for alternate bids on tearing down the old station. The first bid would be to completely remove all building materials, and the second would be to preserve the bull pen cell, believed to be more than 100 years old.

Mayor Woody Collins announced the city would set up a designated phone line for people to use when they have trash to be removed from their property.

The current practice Is for trash removal trucks to roam the city’s streets all day looking for yard debris and trash. Under the new system, Collins said, residents can leave a message on the call line giving the address and describing the trash to be picked up. That way the city can use its resources more efficiently and save money.

Pinnacle Pellet Mill, now being constructed at the Airport Industrial Park, has been plagued with thefts of material, including 3,000 pounds of copper wire. The company received the okay for the city to provide an off-duty policeman and police vehicle to deter thefts until construction is complete.

The testing of water in a ditch behind Richard Fountain’s home on Ash Street has been delayed again. At first the delay was because the testing lab in Birmingham had no time slots to handle the samples, and then rains prevented collecting a viable sample.

Mayor Collins took time to thank all the city departments and partners who worked together during the “horrible weather” Wednesday.

“Me being a rookie in this situation, I didn’t really know which way to turn and what needed to be done,” he said. “Those folks guided me through that. In dealing with each and every one of these entities, I never heard the word ‘no’ a single time,” he continued. “That’s what sets Demopolis apart.”

In other business:

• Building inspector Julius Rembert said another fire training exercise is being set up to demolish the house at 700 Pettus St.
• An ABC application from Mohand Abu Alfoul for the Minit Shop, 1503 Hwy. 43 S., was granted for off premises retail beer and table wine.
• Some pipe has been laid along Roman Alley, and Councilman Nathan Hardy said Marengo County will help with the grading of a steep section of the road.
• Because of conflicts, Demopolis will not be represented by the mayor or any councilman at the annual business meeting of the Alabama League of Municipalities in May.