Members of the Jemison City Council unanimously voted on Monday to allow the Jemison Police Department to purchase five vehicles.

The council voted to approve resolution 07-07-14 R-1 that states the city will enter into a lease agreement to lease/purchase five police vehicles through Creative Leasing Company.

According to the resolution, the city would enter a three-year municipal finance plan of $51,055.06 per year with the first payment due Feb. 1, 2015.

The council also voted after meeting in executive session for more than one hour to appoint Sylvia Singleton as the new assistant city clerk, effective immediately.

Council members entered into executive session to discuss preliminary negotiations involving matters of trade or commerce and the reputation, professional competence and job performance of a city employee.

When the executive session concluded and council members reconvened into regular session, councilman Rex Bittle made a motion to appoint Singleton as the new assistant city clerk.

Mayor Eddie Reed said the posting for the job was done in-house.

Prior to the executive session, the council heard from Clanton Police Department Sgt. Cameron Bates who presented a plaque to the Jemison Police Department recognizing former JPD officer Joshua Newman who was killed in the line of duty.

Bates told the council that names of officers who are killed in the line of duty are placed on a National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C.

“It is my honor to give this plaque to you all so that everyone is reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that officers give for the police department,” Bates said.

Bates explained for an officer to have his or her name placed on the memorial, paperwork has to be filed.

Newman’s name was placed on the wall in 2012.

Bates said there are more than 20,000 names inscribed on the wall in Washington D.C.

There are a total of five officers from Chilton County with names listed on the wall.

Bates said Patrolman Clyde Wesley Gregg, who worked with the Maplesville Police Department, was killed by gunfire on Dec. 8, 1959.

Sgt. Gerald Leon Horn worked for the Maplesville Police Department and died June 12, 1981, from a vehicular assault.

Deputy Sheriff William Obra Wilson with the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department died from a heart attack on Feb. 26, 1984.

Clanton Police Officer Richard H. Buckner died in an automobile accident on July 28, 1991, and Newman died March 5, 2011, from an automobile accident.

The council also heard from Reed about a potential sewer grant the city could acquire for a trailer park on Alabama Highway 191.

Reed told the council the area where the trailer park is located is experiencing sewer problems, and the city could apply for a grant to help with the issue.

“We have contacted our engineer to see what is out there,” Reed said.

Reed said the city had not received a resolution explaining the grant prior to the start of the council meeting, but asked council members to consider voting to give permission for the engineer to pursue a grant.

Council members unanimously voted to give permission to move forward in obtaining the grant.