By Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — At the organizational session of the Fort Payne City Council, the new council and Mayor Brian Baine were sworn in by Judge Andrew Hairston. The council members are as follows: Walter Watson, Lynn Brewer, Johnny Eberhart, John Michael Smith, and Phillip Smith.
The Council elected Walter Waston as the Council President and Lynn Brewer as Pro-Tempore.
The following appointments were made:
- City Clerk, Robert A. Parker
- City Treasurer, Tricia Clinton-Dunne
- Municipal Attorney, Rocky Watson
- Municipal Judge, Glenn Shed
Approved the name depositories and signatories (Mayor Brian Baine, Council President, City Clerk, and City Treasurer) for City funds and accounts at:
- First Fidelity Bank
- First State Bank of DeKalb
- First Southern State Bank
The following were approved by the Council:
- Set the schedule for the upcoming Holiday Season (Thanksgiving-Thursday and Friday, Christmas-Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Years Day )
- Authorized the payroll department to process checks for one-time pay adjustments to city employees.
- Announced (6) vacancies on the DeKalb/Cherokee Gas Board
- Set the interview date for the candidates for FPIA Board
The following ordinances and resolutions for passed after the Council “Suspended the rules for immediate consideration”.
- Ordinance 2020-08 which designated the Police Chief and Fire Chief “Officers” of the City
- Ordinance 2020-09 placing a 4-way stop at 4th and Grand Avenue North
- Ordinance 2020-10 established the Rules of Order for Council meeting and date and time, as the first and third Tuesday of each month beginning at 1 p.m. Councilmember John Smith objected to the time, stating that his platform had been to change the time of meetings to a nightly meeting to have more citizen involvement.
The Fort Payne Council will meet for a work session, beginning at 12:30 p.m. on November 10 at City Hall.