HANCEVILLE — Newly sworn in last week in Hanceville, Jimmy Sawyer’s first meeting as mayor was a productive one as he and his city council colleagues moved through a busy agenda.

In addition to declaring Sawyer’s newly-vacated Place 5 seat vacant and set to be filled soon by an appointee, the council reviewed the city’s annual tax expenditures report under provisions of the Rebuild Alabama Act, with Sawyer noting that the city is seeking $200,000 in infrastructure funding through the program this year.

The council separately voted at its Thursday, Jan. 11 meeting to accept a $34,745 public safety foundation grant through Firehouse Subs, to be used for the purchase of equipment for the city’s fire department. In conjunction with the award, the council also approved an additional $4,000 in spending on necessary supplemental equipment, which will furnish department vehicles with the fixtures needed to accommodate the equipment supplied through the grant.

In other business at its regular meeting, the council:

• Approved repairs to a fire department brush truck, with a $12,000 grant awarded by the Cullman County Community Development Commission allocated to cover the cost of the repair up to that amount. The council also amended the city budget by $12,000 to reflect the award and expenditure, while voting to cover any additional repair cost.
• Voted to revoke a health insurance stipend option for Hanceville employees, citing a lack of employee interest since the date it first was offered as a benefit.
• Heard routine staff report updates from heads of the city’s public works, police, and parks and recreation departments.
• Approved the minutes of the council’s Dec. 28 regular meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Hanceville City Council will be held Thursday, Jan. 25, at 5:30 p.m. in the council meeting room at Hanceville City Hall. A 5 p.m. public work session will precede the meeting at the same location.