Comer plans new police station

The city council voted Oct. 4 to accept bids on the construction of a new police station adjacent to city hall. They plan to convert the garage space on the east side of the building for the purpose. This will give the police department its own building with much more room for offices, an evidence room and separate entrances.

Chief Brent Zellner’s current office is in one room inside city hall.

The new facility will not only give the police badly needed space, it will make the current office available for use by the city government.

In other business Oct. 4, the county learned that Comer police made eight arrests in September, issuing 38 citations and investigating 16 incidents and three accidents. They responded to 139 calls for service.

Zellner said that there were no arrests or incidents at the Madison County Fair .

The city’s other construction project, the Travel Museum being built behind city hall, is now 80 percent complete. Most of the modifications of the building are finished and work is underway to complete the wiring, plumbing and air conditioning systems. The city still hopes for a grand opening by the end of the year.

The council discussed the grass mowing program, especially the use of city equipment to mow grass on private property being used by the city for special events. The council decided to continue mowing the field behind the fire station that is used as an assembly area for the Christmas parade. But they will only mow it once a month during the fall season.

Royal Oaks Subdivision announced a fall cleanup and asked the city to place “neighborhood watch” and “no soliciting” signs in the subdivision. They also asked for more visible speed limit signs on Brickyard Road.

The council voted to rezone a lot on Madison Street from residential to government. The lot was recently purchased by the city as a buffer for the water treatment pond. They announced a budget hearing for Oct. 12, at city hall. They decided to sell the city’s dump truck for $18,000 and use the money to replace the damaged backhoe.