Tuesday Update: City buys land downtown

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
The city council voted Monday night to purchase one of the last remaining vacant lots in downtown.
The city had an early-July option date to purchase the land that sits across from the post office. The almost two-acre plot of land belongs to Community Spirit Bank.
The city voted to pay $125,000 for the property.
Councilman Craig Grissom said the city purchased the land in case more municipal buildings are needed in the future.
"It is one of the last lots downtown that doesn't have something there," he said.
The city could look at building a new city hall on that site in the future, officials said.
If so, the police department's office areas would be expanded and would remain in the current city hall building.
The council also hired two full-time firefighters and four more that will be paid through a federal grant. Marcus Hill and Robbie Richardson were hired as full-time firemen. Those hired through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services grant were Rhett Bradford, Bryan Sutton, Jason Miller and Justin Kimbrough.
In other business, the council: