On the recommendation of Councilman Kenneth DuHon, the Heflin City Council voted Tuesday night to research the possibilities of developing an equine park.

DuHon said there is a big interest in horse shows and rodeos and he suggested using the old dump site on Old Edwardsville Road as an equestrian park with an arena. “I would just like permission to explore this. Tourism is A Multi-billion dollar business and there is no telling at the number of people that might come here from other states to participate,” he said. Heflin Mayor Anna Berry said she would be attending a meeting of the East Alabama Regional Planning Commission and would see if there is any grant money available for such a project.

In other matters Mayor Berry displayed some photos of vandalism at the Troutwine residence in front of Clebure County High School.

Heflin City Clerk Terri Daulton said someone ran a vehicle through her yard and there was also note made of the destruction of a business sign down the street in front of Mandy Camp Johnson’s accounting office.

Most of the council speculated that teenagers are ones doing the damage. There was also reports of stolen produce from the produce dealers in town.

The council also discussed the possibility of accepting Bailey Lane into the city as a street but Councilman Jerry Gaines noted that the city would be liable should an accident occur on the one-lane road. He stressed the importance of the road being widened and brought up to standards and the mayor stated that the city probably did not have the money.

A public hearing on Vallarta’s liquor license will be held at the next council meeting on July 16 at 6:30 p.m. A public hearing on rezoning for a restaurant on Oxford Street will also be held at that time.

Remodeling of the site has been done and a sign erected even though it is within a residential area. Councilman Curtis Turner raised the question of “how could it have got to this point without a business license” and being zoned properly.

Berry said the business obtained a county license and there was just some misunderstanding. “It’s got to be rezoned before they can open,” she said.

Berry said the city will not participate in the sales tax holiday again as she doesn’t think the “holiday” will make that much of a difference. “We didn’t do it last year and honestly we need the sales tax,” she said.

Tracy Ervin and Tracy Perry were reappointed to the Heflin Planning Commission and Jerry Cash and Vicky Whitman were reappointed to the Heflin Industrial Board.

Berry also informed the council that Ashton Place subdivision is now in the hands of Metro Bank.

She said a representative of Metro Bank had asked about the city taking over the streets there. Berry said she told him what the bank would have to do “that should have been done to make it a city street by the previous owner.”