DAPHNE, Ala. —The Lake Forest Property Owners Association Thursday requested the council’s support of watershed restoration efforts to the tune of $10,000.

John Peterson, president of the Lake Forest Property Owners Association, requested funding for the restoration of Tiawassee and D’Olive creeks.

David Yeager, a representative of the D’Olive Watershed Group, explained that problems include Lake Forest’s lake filling up and sediment flowing into Mobile Bay and killing sea grass beds.

Yeager said data has been collected, and the group soon will pay an engineer to plan physical changes and request federal aid.

The council was asked to provide $10,000 of the nearly $60,000 for the engineer and to provide support when they approach the federal government.

Engineers will be brought in around late February and the group hopes to award a contract for the project by late spring, Yeager said.

A study in 1979 showed D’Olive Bay once had the best fishing in the area, Councilman John Lake said.

“The sediment chocked the fish out — which has had an impact on Bay Front Park,” he said. “If we fix the situation, we would have a beautiful, sandy beach there. It would improve everyone in Daphne’s quality of life.”

In other business, developers asked the city council to rezone 13 acres east of U.S. Highway 98 and south of Park Drive to an R-4 high-density, multifamily district.

A representative of Engineering Development Services said the current zone of B-2 general business district would cause much more traffic and noise problems to the residential area if a large business were built.

Councilman Ron Scott agreed.

“A B-2 would be much more intense than a R-4,” Scott said. “I feel this is a positive development and that we should go forward.”

Developers have researched Park City’s main concerns about the 154-unit project: traffic increase and water strain.

Engineering Development Services’ traffic study showed that traffic would increase, but the roads’ level of service would not decrease.

Developers have also addressed Rob McElroy, general manager of Daphne Utilities, about the water supply. They said McElroy believed that enough water would be available.

Also Thursday, Ed Nelson, Recreation Board chairman, asked the council for permission to apply for a design grant from the Alabama Art Council to revamp the Nicholson Center.

The recreation department wants to team up with Bay Rivers Art Guild to provide art classes for the community. Nelson said the Nicholson Center would accommodate art classes far better than the current BRAG facility, a small building behind City Hall.

Nelson urged city leaders to make a decision because the application deadline is approaching.

“March 1 is the application deadline for the grant to start Oct. 1,” he said.

Time is of the essence, also, to man Fire Station 1, according to Councilwoman Cathy Barnette.

Barnette requested that approximately $250,000 go to pay for six firefighters. That number, specified by fire Chief Bo White, is required to have two workers on three shifts.

Also Thursday, Mayor Fred Small requested maintenance issues that should be addressed in the next couple of years: a new roof and air conditioners for the Justice Center and new roofs for the Daphne Public Library and Recreation Center.

Small suggested that council members designate $100,000 a year a few years to cover maintenance costs.

Ernest Berger, chairman of the citizen’s committee for government salaries, asked the council to increase future council member’s salaries to $15,000 per year. Berger, a former business vice president of human resources at General Electric, said the council hasn’t raised salaries for 12 years.

The committee’s members believe current pay would prevent citizens from balancing their current jobs and the responsibilities of council members.

“The average number of hours per month spent on city council matters is 63 per member,” Berger said. “You are making important decisions for our community and should be properly compensated.”

The committee also suggested paid cell phones for council business communications.

The group suggested a full-time mayor’s salary of $85,000 or a part-time salary of $37,500 annually. In a part-time mayor situation, a full-time city administrator should receive $75,000 to $95,000 annually, Berger said.