SILVERHILL — The Silverhill Town Council conducted routine business at its regular council meeting Monday night at Silverhill Town Hall.

The council held two public hearings during the council meeting for rezoning of property.

In the first public hearing, Burt Jones asked permission to produce biofuel on his property for his own consumption.

Jones had gone before the town’s Planning Commission, which recommended that the property be rezoned from R-1 to B-2, which is the only zone that allows for the production of chemicals.

After some discussion, Jones said that he would rather keep his property zoned residential.

“If I have to rezone to business in order to do this, then I just won’t do it,” Jones said. Jones subsequently withdrew his request for rezoning.

The other public hearing involved rezoning property from R-1 to R-3 to allow for a variance for resident Michael Ching to run his CPA office from his home.

After several residents expressed concerns about the request and the precident of allowing a business in a residential area, Ching addressed council members and residents present.

He and his pregnant wife were in the process of moving to Silverhill, Ching said. His wife had several complications, including near-death experiences, with her first pregnancy and his sole purpose was to move his business from Robertsdale into his home to be close to his wife.

“I am not looking to do anything that would be detrimental to Silverhill,” he said. “We do very little tax work and most of our clients are not local so there would not be any traffic generated by the business. I just want to be close to my wife.”

R-3 allows for churches and schools, as well as single and multi-family residences without a variance. Ching would have to apply for a special variance in order to allow for his business.

Council members voted unanimously to approve the rezoning request.

In other business, Phillip Long came before the council Monday, asking for the council to approve the vacation of an alleyway. The action was taken initially in 2002, but because of an oversite, the action was not recorded in the town’s minutes at the time.

Carl Johnson, who handles much of the property along the right of way as part of his mother’s estate, said the town issued a warranty deed to vacate the right of way, but Long said when he purchased the property, he could not receive the deed until he petitioned for the vacation of right of way. Each of the other property owners would also have to sign a petition for vacation of right of way.

Mayor Tim Wilson asked the town attorney to draw up a document that could be brought before the council’s next meeting Tuesday, Sept. 4.

In other action at Monday’s meeting the council:

— Voted to purchase an ad in the Central Baldwin Chamber Magazine at a cost of $600.

— Voted to purchase an ad in the Baldwin County Fair tab at a cost of $150.

— Voted to purchase an ad in the Central Baldwin Middle School Yearbook at a cost of $195.

— Voted to purchase an ad with WHEP radio at a cost of $69.

— Renewed the AlaTax contract for business license collection.

— Approved Ordinance No. 374 to advertise for a new police chief.