Meggie Morrison visited the Maplesville Town Council on Aug. 11 to suggest the establishment of a food bank in town for residents in need.

“When our town needs help, we go to Jemison or to Clanton,” Morrison said. “Other towns are trying to help our community. Why don’t we try to help our community?”

She said the food bank would be a Christian-based operation similar to Through the Grace of God Ministries in Clanton and the SonLight Center in Jemison.

Donations of canned goods, non-perishable food items and specialty items such as deer meat would be accepted.

“I don’t know what it will cost to get started,” Morrison said. “I’m not a paper pusher; I’m a people person. People would come in once a month and get 30 pounds of groceries. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is.”

Morrison said the food bank would not require much space and suggested it be based in an old house the town owns and plans to demolish.

Another idea mentioned was using extra space in the town’s train depot.

“If we establish one here, it would just be a small space,” Morrison said, and added that a freezer to store meet and shelves to store non-perishable food would be needed.

Morrison said the food bank would provide food locally for individuals and families in need.

It would also be the place where people could find a listening ear.

“Sometimes, people just want someone to talk to, even if they come in for food,” Morrison said. “They still have a lot on their mind.”

Mayor W.C. Hayes Jr. thanked Morrison for addressing the council and said he would look into the food bank idea.

The council approved to post a part-time position in the street and garbage department for $85 per day to drive the garbage truck two days a week.

Applicants must have a commercial driver’s license.

Those wanting to apply should call Maplesville Town Hall at (334) 366-4211.

The council will vote on the position at the next regular council meeting in September.

The council approved Maplesville’s animal control report for July and August.

The report listed a total of three calls, including one call at Chevron for a stray dumping trash in the parking lot, one call on Highway 139 for dogs attacking livestock and one call on animal cruelty on Highway 139.

The council approved quarterly 25-cent pay raises for Maplesville police officer Frank Jones and Town Clerk Dawn Smitherman.

The council tabled a decision on bids for the demolition of the Brown Brothers building downtown to continue discussing the bids and their amounts.

The council also approved the fire department’s new ISO rating released in July.

Maplesville’s rating improved from a 6 to a 5/5X.

The lower the rating is, the better homeowners’ insurance rates are inside the city limits and 1,000 feet from a fire hydrant.

For more information about the ISO rating, visit ClantonAdvertiser.com and see future editions of the newspaper.