ANDERSON — For eight years, Frankie McClain has been the city of Anderson’s attorney.

But he’s an attorney-for-hire, working on a contract for just when the city officials needed him. Now, it’s time, those officials say, for a full-time attorney.

At the Anderson City Council meeting on Monday, the council approved in a unanimous vote to hire a full-time attorney.

“We believe it’s about time,” Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts said.

The vote was taken after an executive session to discuss whether to hire him full time.

On Nov. 1, McClain will become the city’s full-time legal counsel. And in the city’s 2008-09 budget, they’ve allotted for $206,000 for the city’s legal needs. McClain’s salary will be paid out of that amount.

Mayor Roberts said they are already paying McClain for an average of 20 to 25 hours a week. Having him on the salary full-time will help expedite city business, such as code enforcement cases.

“Most of the cities our size have full-time attorneys,” the mayor said.

The city of Greenville has four full-time attorneys on its payroll, he added.

McClain said he was pleased at the council’s decision on Monday.

Also discussed Monday night was the rezoning of about 5 acres of land on Rantowles Road, just behind the Walgreens on East Greenville Street. The property’s owners, L.K. “Brother” Bailey, Richard Bennett and James Belk, want to develop the land into a combination of neighborhood retail space and office space.

There was some discussion about what kind of retail would moved into the neighborhood commercial buildings. And one of the property’s owners, Richard Bennett, said they are looking at something like a medical supply company to go into the space.

And all of the buildings will be built out of brick and stacked rock, he said.

The council agreed on first reading to rezone the land from single family residential to either neighborhood commercial or neighborhood professional. The rezoning requires three readings.