County Mayor Shelvy Linville presented a framed Proclamation honoring the service of the late Anna Dean Carter to Macon County at Monday night's regular meeting of the county commission.

Accepting the Proclamation, on behalf of the family, was Ms. Anna Dean's daughter Debbie Murray. The family was also presented with the respectful black bow and ribbon that had been placed on Ms. Carter's chair following her untimely death on October 20.

The Proclamation read, in part, "...Commissioner Anna Dean Carter has rendered invaluable service to County Government and the people of Macon County...and the Commission recognizes that Anna Dean Carter diligently and faithfully served the people as County Commissioner for 18 years in a tireless and distinguished manner...

"...the Commission recognizes that Ms. Carter has been a devoted public servant to Macon County, serving on many Boards and Committees in addition to her work as County Commissioner...(and) will be greatly missed by her family and friends with her passing...

"...the Commissioners wish to express their public appreciation for Anna Dean Carter's many years of dedicated service to Macon County and extend condolence to the family."

Later in the meeting the commissioners passed on second and final reading a recommendation to the Senior Citizens Board of Directors that the Senior Citizens Building be named after Anna Dean Carter.

An effort to re-zone a parcel of property known as the Lewis Harden Property on the southwest corner of the intersection of Hwy. 52-west and the Oakdale Road failed following a public hearing during which a number of residents of an adjoining subdivision protested to change.

At least a dozen persons raised their hands when asked by Mayor Linville "who opposes the re-zoning" of the property from R-2 (residential) to C-1 (commercial). Only two persons (relatives of Lewis Hardin) expressed support for the change, arguing that Hardin wished to open a "flower shop" on the property, and that this was a "harmless business" wishing to locate next to the surrounding residential area.

Residents argued that there was no guarantee that the property would... remain... a flower shop in the future, and that none of those present wanted to live near a gas station (which might sell beer) or a car wash or some other such commercial business.

Following the public hearing the commissioners voted on the re-zoning proposal with only a handful of the nineteen commissioners present voting in favor, and the motion failed.

This was apparently the 4th time an owner has attempted to rezone the property as commercial. The residents of the area thanked the commissioners for their decision to allow the area to remain zoned R-2 (residential).

ROAD SUPERVISOR Audie Cook brought a Monthly Report and three bids on a new road grader for his department to the commissioners.

After much discussion of (1) a John Deere grader; (2) a Komatsu grader; and (3) a Caterpillar grader, and the respective Net bids with the trade-in of a nearly new Cat Track Loader, and two old graders, the commissioners voted down separate motions for the purchase of the Komatsu and the more favored Caterpillar machine.

Several commissioners opined that no large capital purchases should be made using fund balance money, or by borrowing more money, until the county is reimbursed by FEMA for more than $1-million is tornado cleanup expenses sustained following the February 5, 2008 tornado.

Audi Cook then asked for permission to attempt to make the purchase of a new grader using money from his own budget to fund the purchase of either the Cat (445,890 net with the trade-ins) or the Komatsu ($15,065 with the trade-ins), "if I can find the money?"

The commissioners agreed to let Cook do the trading if he could come up with the money.

The road supervisor had argued that he needed the new equipment before winter weather sets in, due to a state shortage of road salt this year, and the need for an additional grader to both clear roads of snow, and to help maintain the 145 miles of gravel roads still existent in the county.

Other routine business included the election of several Notaries Public, and approval of four of five budget amendments presented to them. The commissioners refused to grant the Assessor of Property the transfer of $1,000 in his budget to pay overtime, apparently because he had been directed during budget meeting for 2008-09 to remove the overtime line from his budget.

Commissioners will meet again on the 1st and 15th of December in the upstairs courtroom of the county courthouse, beginning at 6 p.m. each evening.