Council thanks citizens for repairing merry-go-round; passes resolutions

Demopolis City Council members took less than 10 minutes to pass four resolutions at their meeting Thursday and then joined Mayor Woody Collins in applauding local citizens who have stepped up to repair the merry-go-round in the Public Square.

Louis Padilla approached the mayor after being unable to spin his grandchild on the merry-go-round. He volunteered, along with friends who are skilled craftsmen, to disassemble the ride and completely rebuild it. The work is being done at their own expense and on their own time.

Padilla said he and his friends are willing to help the city whenever possible. “Don’t hesitate to ask” with whatever the city needs, he told the Council. “We’ve got the people to do it.”

Collins added that this latest volunteer effort is a continued example of the renewed vitality in Demopolis. “There is a wonderful spirit running through the community right now.”

The first of the four resolutions passed determines the proper legal name used in the Certificate of Reincorporation of Whitfield Regional Hospital. Confusion arose when the hospital is said to be doing business as the Tombigbee Healthcare Authority, but it also referred to as The Tombigbee Health Care Authority. The differences are minor but require legal clarification.

It will be referred to as the Tombigbee Healthcare Authority, also known as The Tombigbee Health Care Authority.

The second resolution authorizes the city to join with the State of Alabama in the future disbursement of settlements from the opioid cases. The resolution authorizes the City Clerk to execute any formal agreements to implement such settlements instead of requiring the Council to pass a resolution every time action is needed.

Annually the city must pass a resolution to receive money from the Rebuild Alabama Act. Last year Demopolis received about $39,000. The funds are used to make repairs to roads. The resolution passed unanimously.

The final resolution concerned the protective restrictions of an Urban Renewal Project passed in 1953, which expired in 1978. A company wants to build on the property, which formerly was the site of Mr. G’s Restaurant on North Walnut, but the firm wanted to make sure there were no legal restrictions in the way. The resolution that passed states the project is defunct.