The town council and mayor of Summerdale have reconciled with the police department through a series of talks and meetings, but the February council meeting was packed with nearly 20 people still concerned.

Mayor David Wilson and the town council have allowed police chief Dwain Riebeling to hire two new police officers to replace the ones recently lost. At the council’s work session last week, members of the community showed up in droves to support their police department after Wilson sought Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack for options regarding the policing of the town. One of the options suggested called for the Summerdale Police Department to be dissolved and replaced by sheriff’s deputies.

Riebeling has already hired one officer with the approval of the mayor and council.

The police department, the mayor and Councilman Ralph Clopton held a five-hour meeting on Monday evening to discuss any issues regarding the police department. Wilson and Riebeling were both pleased with the outcome.

“We feel like everything has been worked out and we are looking forward to the future,” Riebeling said.

Wilson publicly apologized for anything he said at last week’s meeting which was improper regarding the police department, but he also said he was glad the meeting with the police department went well.

“I just wanted all of the officers to go ahead and let me know what was on their mind, anything, everything. I understood a lot of their concerns and my misunderstandings. I would like to say thank you all. At the conclusion of the meeting I let the chief know that I still have an obligation to look out for the best interest of everything and everybody. That is what I am intending to do,” Wilson said.

At a previous council meeting this month the town council voted to annex in 231 acres, which was called the Upper City Limits Corp. near the Foley Beach Express and the Baldwin County Beach Express. Wilson said around the same time last year a large chunk of nearby property was annexed into Summerdale as well.

“We currently have annexed, or pretty much drawn the line, between the boundaries of Foley and Summerdale. Foley pretty much worked their way up to the Beach Express and we have been able to work our way down to the Beach Express. I think that was a monumental council meeting where we really increased the size and boundary lines of the town of Summerdale,” said Wilson.

The town council also passed a resolution approving the 2010 Baldwin County multi-hazard mitigation plan, which the mayor described as a 500-page report put together by Baldwin EMA. Since the town approved the plan and is included in the plan FEMA funds will be much easier to obtain in a disaster situation.

“If you did not participate in this and adopt this resolution you could be limited in your FEMA support funds,” said Wilson.

The plan is available on the county’s website.