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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

The Jemison City Council focused on needed upgrades during its Oct. 4 meeting.

The council unanimously approved a three-year contract with Invoice Cloud Inc. for payment processing for utilities and other services.

Mayor Eddie Reed said the new contract was a part of upgrading options.

Councilman Rex Bittle asked if the council was already in a contract that it would need to terminate.

City Clerk Vicki Potts confirmed that it was not. She said she would notify the company currently being used that the city was no longer going to use them for processing. The current company will still be used for mailing bills, while Invoice Cloud Inc. will be used to process payments.

The council also unanimously approved purchasing three trucks from Stivers Ford on a five-year lease.

“This is a necessity,” Reed said.

He said the trucks being replaced for the maintenance department are outdated and have increased repair costs.

It was estimated that it would take at least seven months for the vehicles to come in.

Reed said the vehicles that the city was getting rid of would be declared surplus and sold.

A new full-time magistrate position for the court was approved. Reed said the case load has become too large for only one magistrate to handle.

“I checked around other cities, and I checked with Clanton,” Reed said. “They have three court magistrates. They are handling 150-175 cases a week.”

The Jemison Court judge had spoken to the council about the need for a second magistrate during a previous work session.

Also during the meeting, Reed gave the council updates on needed projects for County Road 153 and County Road 786.

For County Road 153, Reed said the needed drainage pipe had been ordered, but there would be a delay in delivery. Completely fixing the section of road in question has been estimated by the Chilton County Engineer to cost $44,000, Reed said.

On County Road 786, Reed said the grade is too steep, but there is a spring under the road that will need to be re-directed before a permanent solution could be put in place.

The meeting closed with Reed commenting on the good financial position the city was in at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.  The city has enough leftover that some will be put in reserve.