Falkville Town Council approved an amended zoning ordinance to allow truck terminals to be a permitted use in an M-2 (light industry) zone at a regular meeting Tuesday night.

The move paves the way for Venture Trucking to locate and operate a terminal on Buster Road in the northwest corner of the Highway 55 and I-65 interchange.

The ordinance was passed on to the council with a recommendation for approval from the town’s planning commission.

A public hearing was conducted to give the public an opportunity to speak for or against the ordinance. However, no one from the audience spoke. The ordinance was approved with unanimous consent after a motion was passed unanimously to suspend the rules.

Two other provisions were contained in the ordinance. One allows for the keeping of livestock on two acres or more in a residential zone, subject to the approval of the Board of Zoning Adjustment. The other permits the town to approve the issuance of a certificate of occupancy to an applicant in a B-3 (residential) zone, subject to certain conditions. The first provision met the approval of the planning commission while the second didn’t.

In other business, the council:

• purchased a generator for the municipal building at a cost of approximately $23,000.

• contracted with Local Government Services LLC for telecommunications franchise advisory services for $3,000, plus out of pocket expenses not to exceed $500.

• approved a $3,100 reimbursement to Falkville Fire Department as one-half of the cost of replacing a central heating and cooling unit at the fire station.

• approved the renewal of a franchise agreement with Charter Communications, increasing the amount of tax payable to the town from three percent to five percent.

• approved as surplus property four inoperative police department vehicles and miscellaneous items and approved for disposal as salvage.

• Approved training for police officers as follows: school resource officer Seth Sullivan to attend the Alabama Safe School Training Conference in Gulf Shores June 2-6 for $225 plus lodging and expenses, officer Vaughn Lambert attended ROCIC training in Gatlinburg, Tenn., March 2-5 for $125 plus lodging and expenses and Police Chief Chris Free and officer Aaron Burgess to attend property and evidence room compliance training in Birmingham Feb. 25-26 for $225 each.