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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

The Clanton City Council is looking into becoming a network city with MainStreet Alabama.

“There is a company here in Clanton that would pay the $500 fee for us,” Councilman Billy Singleton said in a work session on Jan. 7. “It wouldn’t obligate us to anything at all. It just gives us access to the application process … It’s a long process, but if at some point this is a course we want to follow, it may be good to get started to get involved.”

MainStreet programs in other cities have been a part of downtown revitalization and beautification projects.

A resolution to move forward with becoming a network city is expected to be considered at the Jan. 11 voting session at 5 p.m. at Clanton City Hall.

Also expected on the agenda for Jan. 11 is a renewal of Farmers Home Furniture’s lease.

Farmers Home Furniture has submitted a lease renewal request for five years with a five-year renewal option for the city-owned property it rents. Mayor Jeff Mims said the proposal would increase the rent by $100 over the first five years and another $100 over the second five years.

The Clanton City Council received an update on proposed changes to the wrecker service rotation agreement the police department uses for responding to wrecks.

Police Chief Erick Smitherman said each wrecker service on the list will be required to have all of the same equipment and have posted business hours for residents to come take care of the vehicle.

All of the businesses on the list will also have an inside place with cameras to store vehicles involved in potential death/homicide cases. Whichever wrecker company is on rotation to respond to the scene will be responsible for getting all of the needed equipment to the scene.

“If it (the vehicle) is blocking a city street or highway, we call our rotation (wrecker service),” Smitherman said. “If we can push it offsite … or they can push it to the side of the road, then … they can call their own.”

He said there had been issues in the past with vehicles blocking traffic after an accident, and the driver wanted an out of town wrecker service, which meant traffic was blocked for longer.

The changes are expected to be considered for approval during a voting session, possibly during the Jan. 11 meeting.

Also during the meeting, Mims gave an update on the project to tear down dilapidated houses with the grant funds that had been received. He said some that had been on the list had already been taken care of by the property owners, but others meeting the grant specifications could be added. Mims expects the work to begin about 60 days from now.