The lack of water drainage along the curbs that line both directions of U.S. Highway 31 was one of the key discussions held during the Thorsby Town Council meeting on Monday.

Solutions were tossed around, as Councilman Neil Benson presented the possibility of a street sweeper providing a solution by cleaning out the curbs.

“You can’t even tell that there’s a curb there anymore,” Benson said.

According to Public Works Director Terry Jackson, the problem is that grass has grown up over the curbs. As a result, rainwater is staying in the road instead of shedding off into the ditch.

The curbs were last cleaned out about a year ago.

Mayor Jean Nelson informed the Council that any decision must first be brought through the state, due to the fact that it is part of the highway system.

The town only has immediate permission to cut the grass along U.S. Highway 31, Nelson said.

The process of informing the state will begin and an update should be available at the next Town Council meeting on Aug. 15.

Thorsby Fire Chief Lee Gunn informed the Council that the plan to replace the window air condition units in the fire station with a central air unit is progressing.

“We should have estimates by the next meeting” Gunn said.

Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett was attending a convention and could not attend the meeting.

The Council also agreed to pass an ordinance that approved the use of electronic voting and counting systems during elections.

According to Thorsby Town Clerk Crystal Smith, the systems are the same that have been used in past elections, but the ordinance makes it a permanent fixture moving forward.

In other news from the meeting, the Council:

•Approved Trent Ray for a role in a volunteer capacity with the Thorsby Fire Department.

•Approved acknowledgment that only one person will be running for each of the five Town Council seats.

•Approved to pay the town’s bills.

•Approved the minutes from the previous meeting.