Selma City Councilman Carl Bowline plans to meet with Selma Chief of Police Spencer Collier in the near future about the high number of shootings going on in his Ward 1 District, which includes Old Cahaba Road, Marina Drive, Dallas Avenue and Old Orrville Road. 

The polling places in Ward 1 are Memorial Stadium for the East side and the National Guard Armory on the West side.

“If the shooting continues, someone will die,” Bowline said. “I don’t want it to happen on my watch.”

Bowline won the Ward 1 seat on Aug. 24, 2016 in a landslide victory over Uleter Nix. The seat was vacated by longtime city councilman Cecil Williamson.

Public safety has always been a priority for Bowline, the Parks and Recreation Committee chairman and owner of Madden & Associates, an advertising company in Selma.

In a separate issue, Bowline still plans to meet with Mayor Darrio Melton and recreation director Sean VanDiver about the ongoing Parks and Recreation issues. The Alabama Wage and Labor has visited a few times over its numerous equal opportunity complaints.

“I recommended to the mayor that the Park and Recreation center should be completely retooled,” Bowline said. “He hadn’t gotten back with me.”

Two residents had requests for the nine-member City Council during the Citizen’s concerns session.

Barry Hilliman of Diamond One Construction in Valley Grande sought permission from the council to pave Norwood Drive, but on Selma’s side. Norwood Drive is between the city limits of Selma and Valley Grande. 

The council unanimously approved Hilliman’s request.

Water Avenue Baptist Church pastor Winston Williams approached the Council about assisting with the Sunrise Selma Soccer Club, which would be a program for middle and high school kids.

The council will look more into the request of Williams, a former soccer coach at Concordia College-Alabama.