The Columbiana City Council is making counseling services for medical, family and other issues available to firefighters.

According to Councilmember Tom Seale, the Employee Assistance Program has been available to full-time employees of the city in the past.

He said the council thought firefighters, who are part-time employees, were also participating in the program but were not.

During the council&8217;s Jan. 3, meeting, Seale said, the council voted unanimously to allow firefighters to participate in the EAP despite their part-time status.

In another matter, Columbiana joined other cities and the county in its support of the Shelby Baptist Medical Center Open-Heart Surgery program.

The fight to keep SBMC&8217;s Open Heart program ended last week when Brookwood and Baptist Health System came to an agreement.

Under the consent agenda approved without a vote of the council, Seale said the council consolidated bank accounts by eliminating duplicates.

The council closed the 7-Cent Gasoline Tax account at First National Bank of Shelby County and transferred the remaining balance to that account at Regions Bank.

The council closed the Library Operating account at First National and transferred the remaining balance to that account at Regions Bank.

The council also closed the Downtown Improvement account and Park Grant accounts at First National Bank and closed the Beautification Board account at First National Bank and transferred the funds in that account to the General Fund.

Other business agreed to under the consent agenda included approval of the minutes of the Sept. 20 regular meeting and payment of accounts listed on an a Dec. 30 printout.

Councilmember Danny Kelley and Ouida Mayfield were both absent from the meeting