By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News

The future Regional Library at Warrior building is being renovated, but city leaders are also strengthening the library in other ways.

On Monday, the Warrior City Council hired Karen Moody as the new library director. Moody has several years of experience as a librarian and came “very highly recommended,” said Mayor Johnny Ragland.

After talking with her during a work session prior to the meeting, council members unanimously voted to bring in Moody as the new director.

Moody said she has experience building up a small library into a large, busy facility. The council thinks she is well-suited to make the transition to the new state-of-the-art library that will open soon.

There is no projected opening date for the new library yet.

Moody is not a strict librarian: she likes to see libraries humming with activity rather than being silent facilities where people constantly get shushed for talking.

The city hired Moody following the previous director’s resignation.

The council also made other personnel decisions on Monday, including transitioning building inspector Mike Tumlin from part-time to full-time.

Tumlin is the first full-time building inspector the city has had in several years. He began working for the city last fall.

“Mike has taken a big load off of my shoulders and also from the police chief (Ray Horn),” said Ragland. “He’s been doing an outstanding job.”

The city also hired Lewis Jolly as a full-time equipment operator; he was previously a part-time worker.

In other business, the council:

• Adopted a resolution supporting the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s athletic programs, in the wake of UAB President Ray Watts shutting down the school’s football program

• renewed a franchise agreement with the Birmingham Water Works Board

• announced that the city will hire a part-time employee to work at the Warrior Senior Center; the job will be posted for two weeks

• voted to send the city clerk to required municipal clerks training at a cost of $694

• added John Jackson to the Warrior Fire Department’s swingman list

• agreed to allow Fred Berry to leave his fireworks trailer at the Fuel Z gas station property for another year

• heard from the Commercial Development Authority that the board will now meet the first Monday of every month at 6 p.m. Members of the authority will also attend Warrior City Council meetings on the third Mondays in order to keep the council updated

The next regular city council meeting is Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m., at city hall, with a public work session at 5 p.m