By Marla Jones,Reporter • marla@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala. — The Fort Payne City Council held their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, December 4. 

The Council was asked to consider annexing two parcels containing approximately 50 acres and located on Roden Drive by property owner Marlon Blalock. The Council will consider the offer and resume talks after the first of the new year. 

Ordinance 2018-07 sets the salary and benefits for the Mayor and Council for the 2020 administration was set aside for the second meeting of the month, which will fall on Tuesday, December 18. 

The motion carried to pass Resolution 2018-47 declaring the 1974 fire truck as surplus property, which makes it no longer needed to public or municipal services. It was placed for sale on govdeals.com.

The Council approved Resolution 2018-48, which authorizes an expense account for the Council President and Councilmembers for $100 per month as a refundable expense for the 2020 administration. 

In new business, Human Resources Officer Don Fisher addressed the renewal of the Sick Leave Bank. He stated that after months of review, he felt that there were two competing policies: the sick leave bank and the catastrophic relief clause. 

Fisher said that he would like to do away with the sick leave bank and if the employees were still employed by the City, then the hours would be returned to their sick leave account and just use the catastrophic relief clause.

“It’s just a lot of redundant work with no need,” said Fisher. “In the next few months, I will be taking a closer look at the catastrophic relief clause and cleaning that up.” 

Employees expressed their concerns over how the elimination would affect the cap on their current built sick leave hours. One employee, who had worked with the City for 37 years, stated he did not want to lose the 45 days that he had accumulated. 

Mayor Larry Chesser suggested to Fisher that he write his plan, let the Council review it and then they could take action at the next meeting. 

The Council discussed Ordinance 2013-08 pertaining to the picking up of leaves.

Parker recommended that the City either pick up all leaves or none at all. The Council elected to give Parker the authority to clean up the ordinance and passed the purchase of a new leaf blower. 

In order for the City to pick up your leaves, they must be on City property, which is the street. 

The next meeting of the Fort Payne City Council will be held on Tuesday, December 18 at 12pm on the second floor of City Hall.