By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster resident Stacy Rakestraw will serve as Alabaster’s Ward 3 councilwoman through November 2012 after she was appointed to fill the seat during a May 21 City Council meeting.

Rakestraw, the children’s director at Evangel Presbyterian Church and an employee at Judy’s Plantscapes, was appointed to fill the vacancy left when former Ward 3 councilman Adam Moseley stepped down earlier this year to accept a position on the city’s first Board of Education.

Rakestraw was selected out of a pool of three candidates, all of whom were interviewed by current council members during a May 17 work session. Other candidates were Suzanne Clemons, a math teacher at Thompson High School, Scott Long, the owner of E21 Realty and the Property Management Group Birmingham.

During her interview, Rakestraw said she would like to create an “adopt-an-intersection” program, giving businesses the opportunity to adopt and care for certain areas of the city. She also said she would like to see more city support for small businesses.

Rakestraw suggested possibly forming an Alabaster chamber of commerce, and said she would like to see the city better support school athletic programs.

Council members praised Rakestraw for being “plugged in to the community,” and said she presented several novel ideas.

Ward 6 Councilman Scott Brakefield encouraged Rakestraw and the other Ward 3 candidates to run again during the August municipal elections.

“I want to encourage those not appointed to put their names out there and run again in the upcoming election,” Brakefield said.

In other business, the council:

-Voted unanimously to grant a wholesale table wine and beer license and an importer’s license to the Georgia Crown distribution company, which is constructing an $18 million new facility in Alabaster’s Shelby West Corporate Park.

-Voted 4-2 to approve the $6,913 purchase and installation of a street light at the intersection of Hill Spun Road and Willow Point Lane. Council members Bob Hicks, Sophie Martin, Tommy Ryals and Brakefield voted in favor, and Councilman Rick Walters and Council President Jim McClain voted against.

-Voted unanimously to approve the $414 purchase and installation of a street light at the intersection of Shelby County 17 at the entrance to the Lacey’s Grove subdivision and to approve the $900 purchase and installation of a street light on Shelby County 17 at the entrance to the Sterling Gate subdivision.