DAPHNE, Ala. — City leaders Monday elected Eric Nager to take the District 6 council seat Regina Landry vacated two months ago.

Nager was absent from the meeting and will be sworn in at a later date. He will serve the remainder of Landry’s term until the municipal elections in November 2008.

Nager, a financial adviser and an officer with the U.S. Army Reserves, has said, like all candidates, that the city should court expansion with caution.

“We need to manage growth smartly,” he said during a Dec. 10 work session that served as his job interview. To that end, “I feel the council is doing a pretty a good job,” he said, citing limited high-rise zoning and the council’s case-by-case consideration toward developments.

He named enthusiasm and his interest in the position as assets.

“I like numbers, I like graphs and charts that show trends, growth improvement and problem areas,” he said at that work session.

The council also unanimously voted to make 30 percent of grant funds available for expanding the Daphne Public Library.

The project includes new carpet and a new entranceway and improved storage and equipment security. This should cost around $65,000. The council voted to provide $15,000 in addition to the grant money.

In other business Monday, firefighters Jason LeSource and Grant Gruwell were sworn in by Judge Tom Doyle. The firefighters will be an asset to the department because they are also paramedics, Daphne fire Chief Bo White said.

Also, the council unanimously voted to purchase self-contained breathing apparatuses for the fire department from Sunbelt Fire Inc., for $5,130 each. These masks provide breathable air in hostile environments.

During the meeting, the council decided to aid TimberCreek developer Alan Cox when he addresses the state about a service road at County Road 13; to do this they gave a verbal expression of support. This means the council agrees to no binding dollar amount for the service road until the contract includes new information that Cox offered, Jay Ross, city attorney, said.

Cox said the Baldwin County Commission will put up their $4 million before Daphne is asked for funds. “Baldwin County will put up their four-ninths of the cost before Daphne puts up their one-ninth,” Cox said.

Also Monday, City Attorney Jay Ross motioned that the council retain special council for a pending lawsuit against Council President Greg Burnam. Maria Nicholson, a city employee, last summer named him — along with other city workers, for other reasons — as a defendant, citing sexual harassment. He has denied all allegations in the suit. The council voted unanimously in favor of Ross’ motion; Burnam cast an abstention.

The council also voted in favor of setting the public hearing and the first read for an ordinance that would ban smoking throughout Daphne; the hearing is set for Jan. 7, 2008. Burnam cast the lone dissenting vote.

The council also appointed Philip Ellis to the Industrial Development committee during Monday’s meeting.