By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Candidates for the vacant seat on the Pelham City Council shared thoughts on projects ranging from an elevated rail transit system on U.S. 31 to forming a Pelham league of businesses during their Feb. 13 interviews with the council.

During the interview session, current City Council members Steve Powell, Karyl Rice, Bill Meadows and Council President Teresa Nichols asked each of the 10 candidates a series of eight questions dealing with the city’s “critical needs,” plans for the city’s future and how the candidates would work with the existing council members.

Council members also asked candidates to share their thoughts on recent council actions, such as the purchase of a large tract of land next to Pelham City Park and the passage an implementation of a new city employee pay plan.

Candidate Bob Sullivan, a former Pelham councilman who has lived in Pelham for more than 30 years, said he would like to see Pelham’s vacant businesses filled, and said he would work to organize more events at the Pelham Civic Complex and other city facilities.

David Ladewig, who currently serves on the city’s park board, said traffic is a “terrible problem” for the city, and said he would like to see an elevated rail transit system constructed down U.S. 31 from Alabaster’s Colonial Promenade shopping center to the Riverchase Galleria.

Ron Scott, who said he has been living in Pelham for seven years, said he was concerned about “retail leakage to other communities,” and said he would like to see a Pelham-based business alliance.