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The Jemison City Council unanimously voted on Monday to appoint Donnie Lane to the vacant District 2 council seat.

The council had an open position after Jim Henderson resigned from the council during the June 3 meeting.

In August 2012, Henderson won the municipal election for the District 2 seat after defeating incumbent Lane by 62 percent of the vote compared to Lane’s 38 percent.

The council has previously gone through similar procedures with Lane by appointing him to fill the District 2 seat to finish out the term for an elected council member.

In 2008, Lane was appointed to finish out a four-year term of former council member Robinson who resigned from his post shortly after being elected.

Legally, the council was required to announce a vacancy on the council during the June 17 meeting.

After declaring the vacancy, the council would have the ability to vote to fill the vacancy by a majority vote of the council.

Lane, who sat with the other councilmen at the beginning of the meeting, prior to being appointed, thanked the council for appointing him after they unanimously voted to appoint Lane.

Lane will finish the term of former council member Henderson for the District 2 position.

“I appreciate this and am glad to be back,” Lane said.

City Clerk Sheila Hogge proceeded with the swearing in procedures, allowed Lane to sign the official documents naming him councilman and Lane proceeded with the rest of the meeting as the new councilman for District 2.

Mayor Eddie Reed said he was happy to have Lane back on the council and appreciated the council working together to fill the seat.

In other news, the council:

•Unanimously voted to approve Terrence Hogan of Jolly and Company to work with I.H. McNeill, a public accountant, for funding of a bond for a County Road 42 paving project.

•Approved to post a job opening in the maintenance department.

•Approved a $1-per-hour pay increase for Shelby Posey due to extra job responsibilities with the city as town superintendent.

•Amended an ordinance establishing pay grades and pay steps for full-time police department personnel officers. The ordinance would begin Oct. 1, 2013, for the fiscal budget year for 2013-2014.

•Voted to allow Derrick Garrett with Jemison Cub Scout Pack 74 to take his cub scouts to Jemison City Park and enhance the flag pole area for a service project.

Garrett told the council the enhanced features to the flag pole would provide ease during flag ceremonies and proposed several amenities including stepping stones around the flag for the project. The council unanimously voted to allow the Cub Scout Pack 74 to work on enhancing the flagpole at the park and thanked Garrett for his willingness to help with the project.

•Voted to spend $1,666 from the General Fund for outdoor advertising on billboards along Interstate 65.

The council heard from RealtySouth realtor Kevin George who has been working with Reed and Jemison Administrative Assistant Shannon Welch each Tuesday to come up with different ways to develop the city.

George explained that a partnership had been formed among George, the city of Jemison and First Financial Bank in Bessemer to develop the city with several parcels of land along I-65. The billboard on the northbound side of I-65 would market undeveloped property in Jemison and ask interested parties to contact George for real estate options.

Some of the examples for potential developments George mentioned during the meeting could include a hotel, a retail business and a truck stop with a restaurant.

Although nothing has been decided, George was merely listing possibilities of potential development from the parcels if sold.

The southbound billboard along I-65 would be used to promote the city of Jemison and would be given to the city to use temporarily for a one-time production cost of $650.

The council voted to commit $1,666 for the use of both billboards in an effort to develop the city.

Reed told George that he would like the city attorney to review everything before proceeding forward but thanked George for wanting to help in attracting developers to the city.