PHOTO: The Rainsville City Council discusses lowering the speed limit on parts of Highway 35 in Rainsville.

By Marla Jones, Reporter

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — (Full Video of the Meeting at the Bottom) The Rainsville City Council held their regularly scheduled meeting on March 5, 2018.

The Council formally adopted an ordinance to sell a piece of property formerly used as an alleyway to Mark Mitchell in order for Black’s Tire to expand their business. The ordinance called for a sale price of $3,000. The vote had one dissenter in Councilman Marshall Stiefel. Stiefel said, “I just think we need to be transparent and let all businesses know of the land sale. I am all for business in town...but...a few weeks ago we spent thousands of dollars giving citizens equal rights for (vacated) easements and alleyways. We had two or three meetings and I think we should have done that for this.”

The Council also approved the submission of paperwork to the Alabama Department of Transportation seeking a reduction of the speed limit on the stretch of Alabama Highway 35 that runs from the Rainsville city limits to the intersection of Highway 35 with Marshall Road. The request asks for the state department of transportation to reduce the speed limit from 65 mph to 55 mph. Councilman Bejan Taheri discussed the need of reducing the speed of traffic, “ Since we installed the flashing caution sign at intersection of Alabama Hwy 35 and Love Road, we still have wrecks at this location.  In February, we had two only a few days apart. We monitored speeds for three weeks and we had excessive speeds of 82, 79 and 78” said Taheri. “So we think it we reduce it to 55 MPH, it may solve it because when you give a motorist 55 they automatically will drive up to 10 mph over speed limit.”

Other items approved during the meeting were as follows:

• Hired Anthony Westbrooks as a full-time worker with the street department’s mowing crew
• Approved the purchase of a new lawn mower from Boykin Tractor for $12,600.00
• Approved for Chief Willimac Wright and Justin Harper for training at cost of $440.
• Approved the purchase of a camper shell for $2,913.00 for the fire department.
• Approved Resolution 03-05-2018 to surplus gear from fire department.
• Announced the presentation of a Key to the City to Jeremy Pruitt on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at the Tom Bevill Center.
• Congratulated the Plainview Varsity Boys for winning the AHSAA Class 3A State Championship

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be March 19, 2018.  Workshop begins at 4:15 and Council meeting at 5 p.m.

Watch the full video below: