SILVERHILL, Ala. – After tabling action on the matter twice, the Silverhill Town Council moved forward at its meeting Monday night to levy a towing fee of $250 on vehicles where traffic citations involve alcohol or drug related arrests.

The council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt Ordinance 396, which will now be publicly advertised before being brought back to the council for final adoption. Council member Steve Brooks was not present at Monday’s meeting.

The ordinance proposal was initially brought before the council at its July 5 meeting and was presented to the council for consideration at its July 18 meeting, but was tabled after attorney Josh Myrick expressed concerns about the ordinance.

The ordinance was presented to the council again at the council’s Aug. 1 meeting, but was again tabled after it was found that corrections to some of the wording in the ordinance needed to be made.

The ordinance would require the owner of the vehicle to fill out a form and return the form to the chief in order to retrieve the vehicle. The ordinance would require the cooperation of Dixie Towing, which handles the towing for most of the town vehicles.

The ordinance would only involve vehicles in which an arrest involving drugs or alcohol has been made, such as a DUI or stop in which drugs are found in the vehicle.

When the ordinance was presented for consideration in July, it was reported that 39 arrests in which the fee would have been enforced if the ordinance were currently in effect. Chief Kim Wasdin said at the Aug. 1 meeting that since the ordinance was initially presented, eight more arrests had been made which would have brought in $2,000 for the town. Monies from the fee would be used solely to purchase equipment for the police department.

In other business Monday, the council:

• Adopted Resolution 442 establishing a police department equipment checking account.

• Adopted Resolution 443 allowing the town to apply for a grant to provide a generator for town hall in case of emergencies. The $150,000 grand would require a $37,500 match by the town, which could be matched by in-kind services, Mayor Tim Wilson said.

• Adopted Resolution 444 allowing the town to apply for a grant to replace the town siren, which would be used as a warning system in case of emergencies. The $25,000 grant would require a 25 percent or $6,250 match by the town.

Both grants were made available upon the request of Governor Robert Bentley after tornadoes ripped through the northern part of the state earlier this year.

• Adopted Resolution 445 providing a vacation of right of way in the Silverhill Subdivision between Second Avenue and North Avenue, including a portion of Fourth Street and two 16-foot alleys.

• Voted to move its next meeting from Sept. 5 to Sept. 6 because of the Labor Day holiday.

• Received a request from a property owner to reduce a high-usage water bill. Wilson said, with the approval of the council, he would inform the property owner that the town has voted in the past not to reduce the water bill, but it would do what is necessary to help the property owner make payments on the bill.

• Agreed to allow Chief Kim Wasdin to host the October Chiefs’ Breakfast at Town Hall on Oct. 31.