The Centre City Council, during its Tuesday, Nov. 27 meeting, approved totaling a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria police vehicle which was heavily damaged recently after being struck by another vehicle on Main Street in Centre and to use the insurance payment toward purchase of a new police vehicle.

Fortunately, there were no injuries in the accident. During the meeting, Mayor Tony Wilkie reported that AllState Insurance offered to total the vehicle for $5,081.

While he hoped for a better price, Wilkie said this would probably be the best option since the estimated cost to repair the vehicle exceeded $5,000.

At this time, Wilkie explained, the council does not have funds budgeted for another police vehicle.

Later in the meeting, however, the board approved declaring five police vehicles, each with more than 100,000 miles on them, along with a seized Honda and a Ford Ranger in the street and sanitation department, as surplus property, putting them in a local auction and using the proceeds to purchase another police vehicle.

Centre Police Chief Kirk Blankenship, Wilkie said, obtained a price on a new vehicle from Capital Chevrolet for $28,713.40 (including $26,283.40 for the vehicle, $2,430 for the cost of installing police equipment.) The council approved the purchase.

The council approved a once-a-year Christmas raise for city employees including $500 to full-time employees with 10 years of service, $300 to full-time employees with six months of service and less than 10 years, $100 to part-time employees with six months of service, $100 to volunteer firefighters with six months of service and $50 to call in help and employees with less than six months of service.

On the subject of city employees, the council approved performance raises for Centre Police Officers Bobby Winters and Billy Roach and Street and Sanitation Employees Chris Johnson and Donnie Lowe.

Re-visiting an issue from a previous meeting, the council approved a gentlemen’s agreement with Dekalb-Cherokee Gas. Presently, the municipalities of Centre, Fort Payne and Collinsville have representation on the DC Gas Board based upon their population.

The council wanted to pass a resolution prohibiting Fort Payne from adding any more board members, which would give Fort Payne a majority on the board.

While Fort Payne agreed not to add more members at this time, officials refused to sign anything, Mayor Wilkie said.

“We are back to a gentlemen’s agreement with the council and mayor of Fort Payne,” said Wilkie. “They expressed wishes to keep their number the same.”

In other business, the council:

-Approved seeking an appraisal and considering selling a parcel of land in the Centre Industrial Park near the old tractor dealership.

-Approved renewing contract with RDS (Revenue Discovery Systems) for collection of lodging tax.

The council scheduled its annual Christmas gathering which will be held Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. (following the town council meeting at 5 p.m.) in the Cherokee County Health and Rehabilitation Center Activities Building.