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The City of Demopolis is encouraging residents and businesses to help make streets more presentable by moving their garbage cans after pick-up.

District 4 Councilman Bill Meador presented a letter during a city council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 3, that will be mailed as a way of reminding citizens to pull their garbage cans back to their homes after pick-up.

“Having the cans at the street can get in the way of water flow and street cleaning, and it takes away from the appearance of the city,” Meador said.

Meador added that he hopes the letter will be enough for residents to act. “I’m not seeking an ordinance … I’m hopeful that people will take care of it on their own,” he said.

Other items discussed by the council included:

• Mayor John Laney said he has re-appointed Andy Brenner to the city’s Planning Commission.

• Laney announced that City Clerk Sam Gross had been elected the secretary for the Alabama Association of Municipal Clerks.

• Building Inspector Julius Rembert reported on current efforts in dilapidated properties, which includes an upcoming burning of a structure at 503 Third Ave. Other properties discussed included 405 Chestnut St. and 703 Washington St.

Rembert also said letters will be re-sent to some property owners who did not previously receive certified letters regarding their properties. “We don’t have to provide an additional notice, but we will do so,” he said.

• During the public comments portion of the meeting, Harold Park addressed the council on several matters, including asking for more transparency from local government.

“It’s been a tough two years (in Demopolis) and I’m hoping things will be a lot smoother this year between citizens and our elected representatives and that you will represent all the people and see more transparency from all of you as a group,” Park said.

Park also spoke about ongoing traffic issues on Walnut Street, specifically speeding between the downtown railroad tracks and Jackson Street, as well as 18-wheelers not following the city’s truck route.

In addition, Park said he was disappointed that the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce denied a request to the Sons of the Confederacy to have a booth at Christmas on the River. He said the organization is a non-profit that planned to use the space to look up family ancestries to see if they qualify as members of the group.

“We were denied application due to having a political agenda,” he said. “We are just trying to do good for the community.”

The meeting ended after an executive session to discuss “personnel matters.”

The next council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 17, 5:15 p.m., at Rooster Hall.