By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

CALERA – The Calera City Council appointed a sign permit review committee during the Nov. 19 meeting.

The committee is composed of Mayor Jon Graham, City Clerk Connie Payton, Sewer Operations Director Doug Smedley, Planning Commission member Randy Krueger and Council member Ernest Montgomery.

The committee will review sign ordinances and proposed signage across the city. The committee was created as a reaction to the proposed mural on the exterior wall of Head to Tails Grooming on U.S. 31. Due to businesses purchasing advertising space in the mural, Graham said the painting will be off-premise signage.

City Engineer Chris Pappas said the sign committee should review every sign that comes in for permitting.

During the work session, the council discussed purchasing P25 radios for the 11 new police cars, which will be available next month, according to Finance Director Roy Hadaway. The expense was approved during original budget discussions.

A $340 programming and installation fee will be charged for each radio unit, so Police Chief Sean Lemley plans to install new radios instead of installing current radios, then replacing them in the new cars.

“A lot of the equipment in the cars now was from the cars before them. Some of that equipment is 15-20 years old,” Lemley said. “We can’t maintain it anymore.”

Lemley updated the council on the Shelby County 22 and Alabama 25 railroad crossing repairs. The railroad company patched the Shelby County 22 crossing by filling potholes with asphalt. Lemley said the company plans to repair the crossing further.

During the meeting, the council also:

-Tabled a discussion about a local auto dealer’s request to hold an auto tent sale in the Calera Walmart parking lot, as a representative from the auto dealer or Walmart did not attend the meeting.

-Approved seven ordinances to rezone annexed land to “clean up the (zoning) map,” Graham said.

-Honored former Council member Mike Roberson for his years of service.

“It’s been an honor and a pleasure,” Roberson said.