In light of the recent decision to move forward with replacing the lights and light poles at Scott Park, Linden Mayor Charles Moore gathered $106,000 from the city’s Industrial Development Board.

In 2008, the IDB borrowed $250,000 from the City of Linden for a construction project and have been making monthly payments since then. However, with the impending costs of the Scott Park updates and the IDB being financially able to do so, Moore requested the last of the payments in full, which he was granted.

Moore informed the Linden City Council of these developments during Tuesday’s meeting.

Police Chief Robert Alston also announced the hiring of a new police officer, who started this week, and requested approval to purchase a new police SUV, which was included in the city’s 2018-2019 budget.

“We’ve got eight to 10, maybe 12, weeks before it will even come it because it’ll have to be built,” he said.

Alston estimated the cost to be around $30,000 with no down payment necessary, and the council approved the purchase.

Other items discussed by the council include the following:

• approving the 2019 Severe Weather Tax Holiday, which is scheduled for Feb. 2019.

• City Clerk Barbara Cannon notified the council that auditors will be in Linden the week of the 15th.

• Councilman Neal Jackson notified the council of a street light out on Main Street near Family Dollar. Moore said that Alston is aware of it and marked it with tape so it will be changed.

• approving UPS employees to use golf carts during some package deliveries during the holidays.

• proposing a resolution to start selling alcohol on Sundays from 1 p.m. to midnight. The resolution must go before the state legislature in early 2019 before becoming law. At previous meetings, the council discussed time slots but did not officially propose a resolution reflecting the 1 p.m. to midnight time slot.

• entering executive session, with no vote following.

The Linden City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at city hall.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, October 6 issue of the Demopolis Times.)