CENTERVILLE -- Rezoning along a portion of Carl Vinson Parkway could help create as many as 30 new jobs in Centerville.

City council approved a change from C-1, commercial, to M-1, light industrial, on property to the west and south of Sunbelt Plastics, one of Centerville’s few industrial concerns.

Property owner Jim Davis of Lizella, who requested the rezoning, appeared before council and said rezoning would allow Sunbelt to expand and add workers. He said Sunbelt’s new owners, Southern Imperial Plastics of Illinois, have indicated they wish to expand and potentially add 10 new workers to the three shifts Sunbelt typically runs now.

Centerville City Attorney Rebecca Tydings said the property Sunbelt is now on is zoned M-1 as are other nearby properties. She said Centerville’s future land use plan allows for such development.

Davis said Sunbelt will likely expand to the west of current facilities. He said Southern Imperial bought Sunbelt in August of this year.

Davis said he is developing property south of Sunbelt for office-warehouse use which also requires M-1 zoning.

Council unanimously approved the request.

In other business Tuesday, council approved spending $19,105 to replace outdated guardrails along a bridge on Houston Lake Boulevard. City officials said they have been eyeing replacement of the 20-year-old guardrails and had recently been asked by state officials to do so.

Council also approved $13,456 for Christmas bonuses for city employees, $200 for full-time and $100 for part-time employees. They also changed their Jan. 1, 2013 meeting to Jan. 8 and made Monday, Dec. 31, a holiday for employees in addition to the standard New Years Day holiday which falls on Tuesday.

Contact Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.