JACKSON -- Residents of Gerald Street want the city to move all heavy commercial truck traffic off their street, situated between East Jackson Boulevard and Rosamund.

A petition, with 27 signatures - representing 100 percent of the property owners on Gerald, was presented to the Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday,by Bill Schubert of 848 Gerald.

Schubert said residents are upset with the semi-truck, car-carriers that unload new cars at a dealership on East Jackson. He said after the cars are unloaded, the semi-trucks use Gerald Street to get back to East Jackson. "They have already torn down some overhead lines and they are starting to break up the pavement," Schubert said. "We ask the city to remove the heavy commercial traffic off of our street." The petition was referred to the police department for study.

Ward 1 Alderman Paul Sander asked the city staff to conduct a study to determine the need for additional street lighting along East Jackson, from McDonald's Restaurant to the vicinity of Williams Creek. Sander said he has received requests for the study.

In other action, the board accepted the resignation of Ward 2 Alderman Phil Johnston, who has accepted a new job in Oklahoma. The resignation took effect Monday. However, the board voted to allow Johnston to continue to serve as Ward 2 alderman until his replacement is elected in April. The temporary appointment will save the city the cost of a special election.

Also approved was an ordinance authorizing the Jackson Police Department to provide - when requested - emergency and mutual aid assistance to other nearby political subdivisions.

The board accepted the plat map for the first phase of the Bent Creek Condominium Project, the first condominium project in the city. The project is already under way.

There was no opposition during a public hearing to rezone a tract of land in the Little Schumer Number Five subdivision from M-1, industrial, to R-1, residential. The tract is located off August Street, near Litz Park.

The board voted to change its Jan. 18 meeting to Jan. 19 because of the observance of Martin Luther King Day, and the Feb. 15 meeting to Feb. 16 because of the Presidents' Day holiday.