The Maplesville Town Council approved Dawn Smitherman as the new town clerk during a regular meeting Monday.

Smitherman will fill the position after current Town Clerk Sheila Haigler retires in March.

The council approved for Smitherman’s pay as town clerk to be $9.50 per hour with a 25-cent raise each quarter.

“We’re proud to have you,” Mayor W.C. Hayes said to Smitherman.

Haigler announced her intent to retire at the council’s regular meeting in January and said she would stay long enough to train the person the council approved to hire.

After the town had received applications for the town clerk position, the council held a personnel meeting Jan. 30 to discuss the process of hiring a new town clerk.

Then, council members reviewed applications and made their top selections, and the top applicants were interviewed.

Kenny Barrett of the Maplesville Fire Department presented the department’s report for Chief Michael Drewry.

The council approved an equipment request for having pump tests conducted soon on the department’s two fire trucks for $400.

Barrett said the pumps on the fire trucks must be tested this year, and with pump tests estimated to be about $200 per truck, the department would need $400 to have its two trucks tested.

The council approved to pay up to $500 to change a truck’s water pump that was damaged during a recent freeze.

“We’ve got to have that pump,” Barrett said.

The council also approved for two fire department officers to be able to sign for money the department collects.

As a volunteer entity, the fire department raises money to use at its members’ discretion, and when new officers are installed, the council must approve for two new officers to have the authority to sign the department’s checks for the bank.

The council approved Assistant EMS Chief Christine Epperson’s request for $500 to order fire safety materials to distribute to children at Maplesville’s Heritage Day in April and during the back-to-school period in August.

“That would get us back some of our stock of stuff to give to the kids,” Epperson said.

For the police department, quarterly raises for officers Keith Avery and Bridgette Ellis were approved by all council members except Patty Crocker, who abstained from the vote due to having a family member in the department.

Chief Todd Ingram said January was a slow month for crimes with only 16 reports filed.

“January was the slowest month we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Ingram said. “That’s your objective. You don’t want a high call volume because that means stuff is happening.”

Court Clerk Cindy Brown presented January’s warrant report and said the month started with 863 warrants and ended with 858, 10 new warrants were issued, nine were recalled and six were served.

In addition, $100 was collected through Safe Streets Act.

The council tabled a decision about how to address animal control issues for police officers that come in contact with citizens’ aggressive animals during traffic stops.

Hayes brought up the following police issues to discuss with the council: usage of tobacco products in police cars, reporting vacation and time off to the mayor and usage of sick/personal leave.

The council approved prohibiting the use of tobacco products in police cars and all town property, including vehicles and buildings; requiring officers to let the mayor know when they will be on vacation; and classifying sick and personal days allotted to all town employees as paid time off (PTO) days that can be used either way.

For the street department, Barrett said garbage truck repairs are nearly finished.

Regarding street personnel, the council approved: to terminate Darrell Goodwin’s employment; to hire new garbage worker Josh Franklin; and to give Barrett the authority to hire a someone part-time for up to 30 hours a week at $8 per hour, pending the council’s approval.

In other business, the council:

•Approved monthly financial reports.

•Approved for councilwoman Patty Crocker to attend monthly Chilton County E-911 Board meetings in the event that Hayes is unable to attend.

•Approved for Ingram to gather information about new bulletproof vests for police officers.

•Discussed two properties listed as nuisances on complaint forms filed at town hall and tabled a discussion about an Alabama Power street light for County Road 10.

•Approved a renewal contract for RDS, which collects the town’s taxes.

•Approved a remodeling project for town hall offices this year.

•Approved additional pay for town employees that helped residents during January’s winter storm.