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By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

The Jemison City Council approved plans for a new fire station in its regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 6.

The new fire station will be a convenience for firemen and police and provide better coverage to Jemison. Mayor Eddie Reed said the frequency and length of trains coming through town is an issue affecting the current fire station, which is on the opposite side of the tracks from the major businesses and schools of Jemison.

Reed said station number two would help firefighters and police service the eastern part of Jemison. He said there are “other entities looking at the interstate at this time,” and believes the fire station would make the city more attractive and safer as the need for a second station grows.

The council also made plans to discuss potentially moving its scheduled meeting times to accommodate more people.

Councilman Rex Bittle suggested the council consider having meetings during the day so people could come during regular work hours. He also cited city workers being an important part of many meetings as a reason for the change, and said he believes they might be more available to come during the day.

Reed said the council will ultimately decide what to do, but he suggested a trial period of having one meeting each month at its current time and one each month at a new time during the day. He said the trial would allow the council to see what works best.

The council will discuss this issue in its Feb. 16 work session.