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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

Two rezoning requests will be presented to the Clanton City Council for the first time during its Jan. 24 meeting.

Although this will be the first reading and no vote is anticipated, there will be a public hearing where community members can speak for or against the rezoning requests.

Jeffrey and Melissa Hann are requesting a property on Creekwood Drive by rezoned from R-1-A (Single Family Residential) to AG (Agricultural). Thomas Cole Owen has requested 198 Kemp Place be rezoned from R-1 (Single Family Residential) to AG (Agricultural).

The Clanton Planning Commission has recommended denying both requests.

“Something we do not want to. get into is going back from R-1 and rezone it back to agriculture,” Mayor Jeff Mims said, during a council work session on Jan. 20. “Agriculture just has too many loopholes. We have no control over it, and that is why the zoning board voted these two down.”

The council will consider an amendment to the ordinance to the regulation requiring a facade be put on metal buildings to require that if a building is repaired, such as from a fire, the masonry facade would still be required.

While giving an update on the new garbage agreement with Amwaste, Mims said the city will likely start taking the rubbish it picks up to Calera.

The mayor also updated the council that the city would be receiving a portion of the opioid class action lawsuit. Mims said he would like to see the money used for some kind of awareness/ prevention efforts.

The city is also pursuing funding for a number of capital projects through the state. Mims said that having engineering work already completed on the projects may put them ahead of other municipalities pursuing funding. Millions of dollars are anticipated to become available for infrastructure from the federal government this year. Mims said because the funding will be available nationally there is some concern that there will not be enough workers to complete the projects in the required timeline.