The Atmore City Council took a step toward a number of new projects at Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting, including a new law regarding pets inside the city limits and finalization of redistricting.

The city council discussed the possibility of expanding the current city ordinance pertaining to leash laws for city residents with pets. The addition, if approved, would restrict ownership of pets to no more than three adult dogs over the age of three months and would require owners to keep pets on a leash in public places.

The city council also held the first reading of ordinance 11-2013, which would change district lines in Atmore to bring the city into compliance with state and federal laws following the latest census. Changes to the current districts would include the inclusion of Rivercane and surrounding rural areas into District 3; the inclusion of Atmore Municipal Airport into District 1; a portion of District 5 that will become part of District 2; a portion of District 1 that will become part of District 4; two portions of District 5 that will become parts of District 2 and District 4, respectively.

The city council also held the first reading of ordinance 10-2013, which would complete the annexation of the Atmore landfill. Both ordinances will be voted on at the council’s next meeting on July 22.

The city council also approved the letting of bids for an extension of the runway at Atmore Municipal Airport. The improvement would extend the runway to 5,005 feet and includes the need for an environmental study to be conducted using federal and state grant money. The extension of the runway is also expected to be paid primarily through the use of grant money, with 95 percent coming from federal and state funds and the remaining five percent from the city.

In other business the council:

• Approved the sending of 34 formal notices to owners of properties with grass and weed nuisances.  Failure to respond to the notices will result in the city’s abatement of the nuisance at the owners’ expense.

• Heard from Atmore Public Library Director Cathy McKinley, who reported a strong showing of attendance at this year’s Summer Reading Program.

• Heard from Jimmy Beck representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, who thanked the mayor and city council for support in this year’s Fourth of July flag distribution around the city.