Brooks asks for leeway on former county property
By Jim Cox Co-Publisher

Thomasville automobile dealer Harry Brooks asked Clarke County Commissioners Monday for some leeway in contract restrictions governing the development of property he purchased for a new dealership back in March.

The Alabama Department of Transportation has been looking at several designs for the Highways 5 and 43 intersection in front of Brooks Chevrolet. Brooks had purchased property across the street, along 43, for a new dealership but ALDOT’s latest proposal calls for a new 90 degree intersection that would take at least two acres of the property. ALDOT is proposing a traffic signal at the revamped intersection.

Commissioners had put restrictions on the property to ensure that it was not being purchased for development speculation.

County attorney Bruce Wilson told commissioners that if the restrictions are lifted, “He [Brooks] can do what he wants” on the property.

Brooks said it was always his intent to sell some of the property anyway but ALDOT’s plans now force him to look at other options in order to make the property work best. “It is still my intention to build [a new dealership] there,” he said.

“I just want some freedom to be allowed to develop” the parcel within the restrictions of ALDOT’s proposals, he told commissioners. “It isn’t my intention to break the spirit of the agreement,” he added.

Commission Chairman Paul Bradford said, “I just want to see it [the property] developed, to employ some people and bring in some tax revenues.”

He said that Brooks was a good businessman employing people and contributing to the community and he believed that he would do what is right.

At Tuesday’s official meeting, Bradford said the issue is being worked on by the county attorney.

Courthouse heating and cooling

Commissioners are faced with a deteriorating air conditioning and heating system in the courthouse. A representative with Johnson Controls, who has worked on the system, told commissioners Monday the county may be able to spend a few thousand dollars on the cooling tower now and get by for a few more years. Eventually, though it will have to replaced and could cost $75,000. The entire system is over 30 years old and needs replacing, he added.

The county has budgeted about $30,000 annually for the system and the Johnson Control rep said that he could work within that figure to make annual improvements. He did say that at least one air handler needs to be replaced now and that the cost will exceed $7,500.

Specs for the air handler will be developed with County Engineer Sam Noble’s help and the project bid out before next summer.

Caterpillars to be bought

Commissioners agreed Tuesday to contract to buy eight new Caterpillar road graders at $194,996. The price is good through the end of the year. The eight existing graders will be sold at auction later next year. The county has been guaranteed a better price for four Caterpillars than they paid three years ago. The other four, Komatsus, won’t bring as good a price.

Noble had analyzed the situation closely and said the county should be able to work itself out of a $376,000 continuing debt for road graders over the next few years by buying all Caterpillars now and selling them for top dollar at auction later.

Other business

In other business, Tuesday commissioners:

 executed an agreement with Alabama Tombigbee Regional Planning Commission to administer the EDA Grant obtained for the Louisiana Pacific OSB mill project;

 agreed to fill two clerk positions in the Appraisal Department;

 agreed to a permanent pay increase for two jailers and heard Sheriff-Elect Bobby Moore’s request for a pay increase for Sheriff’s Secretary Jill Walker;

 agreed, at Utilities Superintendent Jack Greer’s suggestion, to modify the Allied Waste Contract so that Allied Waste can supply “like new” instead of “new” dumpsters for commercial users. Greer said the reconditioned dumpsters are in good shape and will save commercial users 10 to 20 percent;

 agreed to Commissioner Patricia DuBose’s request to endorse the addition of a center turn lane on Highway 43 in north Jackson that city officials there are promoting.

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