SILVERHILL, Alabama --- In a small town such as Silverhill, children's safety is a top priority and the town of Silverhill hopes a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation will make getting to school even safer.

At its regular meeting on Monday, the Silverhill Town Council adopted a resolution to apply for a 2012 Safe Routes to School program grant for the construction of sidewalks in town.

Similar grants have been implemented locally in both Robertsdale and Loxley and Cara Stillman with Grant Management said the grant is also designed to promote activity among students.

"The idea behind the grant is to make it safer for students to walk or ride their bikes to school, thus promoting a healthier lifestyle," Stillman said.

The grant, valued at up to $150,000, will pay 100 percent of the construction and engineering costs for the sidewalk project. In the past, Stillman said, the grant required municipalities to contract and pay for their own engineers, but now, since the Department of Transportation uses its own engineers, the grant is more cost effective for small municipalities like Silverhill.

The town plans to construct sidewalks connecting Seventh Street to Second Avenue, from Second Avenue to First Street and from First Street to Highway 104.

Since the resolution, numbered 458, was first introduced to the council Monday, it was necessary for the council first to unanimously vote to suspend the rules, the adopt the resolution by roll call vote. All council members were present at Monday's meeting.

In other business Monday, the council voted to provide printers for the town's patrol cars. Total cost of the project, which would include the purchase of printers, converters, paper and installation costs, came to $3,296.90 and would be paid for out of an equipment fund set up from drug seizure money.

The council also voted at Monday's meeting to surplus three vehicles for the police department, which included two vehicles from drug seizures and a retired cruiser. Police Chief Kim Wasdin estimated that the town could get $3,000 to $3,500 for the three vehicles.

The council voted unanimously to suspend the rules, then voted unanimously to adopt resolution 457 to surplus the vehicles.

In other business Monday, the council:

• Voted unanimously to suspend the rules, then to adopt Resolution 456, removing former clerk Bonnie McNeil's name as a co-signer on Citizens' Bank accounts. The accounts were set up shortly after McNeil's retirement and her name was retained on the accounts because she was training current clerk Patricia Bankester.

• Denied a request to purchase a banner from the Central Christian School Booster Club.

• Met with resident Hershel Corbin about a high water bill. While Mayor Tim Wilson said while the council could not authorize reduction of the bill, Corbin would be allowed to make monthly payments over the course of a year to pay down the bill. The town could also help Corbin contact various agencies that could help with payment.