Red Bay city workers to get raise

By Staff
Jonathan Willis FCT Staff Writer
Monday night's Red Bay city council meeting was a good one for city employees.
The council voted to give a lump sum total equal to a two percent raise to all full-time city employees on Dec. 9. The council used a Jan. 3, 1978, letter from the state attorney general's office as precedent for the action.
However, the council went into executive session to determine how much and when to give the checks.
City attorney Brian Hamilton said afterward that all sunshine laws were followed and that no decisions were made in the closed-door session, although Alabama code states that executive sessions can only take place to discuss lawsuit
matters with attorneys or "the good name and character" of a city employee.
Neither of these two factors appeared to be present to merit Monday's executive session.
The council also broke into a short executive session to discuss the retirement of city clerk Shirley Cody, who will be leaving effective Dec. 29.
The council voted on a motion made by council member Rayford Seahorn to contact Linda Holcomb for the position as new city clerk.
In other business, the council voted to give $1000 per year to the Franklin County technical response team to help in case of emergency spills and other disasters. The equipment was purchased with grants and will be housed at Russellville fire station #2, but will be maintained by funds from all the municipalities in the county.
The council also voted to match 25 percent of the money needed to place a severe weather siren in Red Bay. The siren will cost the city $3750.
In other business, the council voted: