Story by Donna Thornton 

Todd Bowen is the new assistant police chief in the City of Rainsville, after action by the council this week.

Bowen was promoted to replace Matt Crum who resigned the position recently.

Bowen expressed thanks for being given the opportunity.

Josh Wilson was promoted to captain in the police departments investigation division.

Council members approved giving Crum his service weapon upon his leaving the department, something Mayor Rodger Lingerfelt said the city has been doing for some time.

The Rainsville Fire Department will be looking for a new fire fighter after the resignation of Austin Widget. Council members noted that the department will be owed money for Widget’s training. He is leaving the department to go to the Scottsboro Fire Department.

Council member approved re-doing the paving agreement with Wiregrass Construction. Originally, the project would have stopped at Parker and George Wallace; the change will continue it to Broad Street behind Broadway Church, and down to Samples Street.

The addition will increase the cost of the project to $1.318 milliion, but still will be some $268,000 less than the projected cost had been.

Paving work is underway by the city will include widening Scott Avenue from 16 feet to 18 feet – which will require cutting a couple of feet off some driveways and resetting some mailboxes on the street. That work will be done by the contractor.

Council members approved two contracts Boozer and Son Construction for building two headwalls on Samples Street and two on Circle Drive to address drainage issues. They voted as well to proceed with repairs to pavement after that work is completed and settled or compacted, at a cost of about $6,000.

In other action the council voted to:

Unsurplus a 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe and put it back in service for the police department

Accept a quote from Kevin Brown for $3,800 to replace pipe on Everett Road

Purchase a computer work station for the city clerk from Farmers Telecommunications at a cost of $2,303

Provide a $1,000 sponsorship for the Rainsville Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, to benefit the chamber’s scholarship program

Approved hiring Ben Johnston to do an appraisal of the Steven Skaggs property (21 acres)

Purchase $2,300 worth of steel for the training facility from Apache Welding

Authorized the mayor to negotiate the sanitation agreement with Sylvania and Ider

Approved purchase of a Kubota lawn mower for the street department, at a cost of $16,900

Approved purchase of a Dell XPS Desktop computer at a cost of $2,202.99, and two Dell Inspirion 16 Plus laptops  at a cost of #3,497.98, both for the wasterwater treatment plant