On Monday Pell City did not allow a zoning board approved development at the old Avondale Mills property. The 4-2 vote disallowed the development of an $11 million apartment complex. Councilmen Donnie Guinn and James McGowan were the ‘yes’ votes on the matter.

Pell City also approved the financing of a new ladder truck that the fire department put through tests in February. The total financing through Metro Bank will be over 10 years with the first $61,680 payment coming next year.

A two mil tax collected by the city will pay for the previously used 1999 unit, which would normally cost over $1 million new. “I really think all-in-all it’s a big occasion. We preserved our ISO rating and more importantly, we preserved the safety of our citizens,” Mayor Bill Hereford said.

“This is a great opportunity and a great buy,” fire chief Patrick Draper said when his crews were testing the truck over the past few weeks. “With the population of this city, we absolutely need a ladder truck.”

The used truck comes with a five-year warranty, reupholstered seats, a $20,000 new paint job and $10,000 in new LED lighting.

The city also approved $65,000 for improvements to the iCademy campus related to infrastructure around the site. Councilman Greg Gossett was the sole ‘no’ vote, citing the wording of the agreement for his non-approval.

The city will also improve the boat launch at Lakeside Park to allow for winter access to Logan Martin Lake. “We can now pick up some winter fishing tournaments,” Mayor Bill Hereford said.

The city also took up the issue of Coosa Cable operating without a franchise license. “We’ve known this has been going on for some time… It’s time to draw the line in the sand,” Councilman Donnie Guinn said.

A request calling for the collection of beer tax to be used to fund the library was adopted.

At their previous council meeting, city leaders voted to install three DSL lines with a monthly cost of $173.

They also voted to continue with Veolia collecting garbage and recyclables for the next three years. There will be no increase in collection fees for those years.