More than 20 residents – including three former commissioners who previously voted in favor of the project – attended Thursday night’s Covington County Commission meeting to encourage the paving of Braswell Road.

The encouragement was effective, and commissioners voted 3-1 to move forward.

The previous administration on Sept. 28, 2012, authorized the letting of bids for the project, which was placed in the current fiscal year budget.

But when the new administration took office, it froze paving projects.

Commissioner Carl Turman asked fellow commissioners to rescind that motion to let bids, and to move forward with having the work done y county crews and equipment “when available, upon authorization of the engineer, and without interference with FEMA or state-funded project.”

The project is to begin a the intersection of Braswell Road and Wamblesville Road and continue south along Braswell Road for a distance of 9,396 feet, and Elmore Road from Hwy. 55 to Braswell Road, a distance of approximately 5,300 feet.

Turman, along with, Commissioners Harold Elmore and Kenneth Northey, voted for the project; Commissioner Joe Barton opposed.

Prior to the vote, former Commissioners Bragg Carter and David Ellis spoke in favor of the project, and said it was fully authorized by the previous commission.

At a workshop meeting Tuesday, current Commission Chairman Bill Godwin said he didn’t believe the commission properly authorized the paving of the road

Carter said he was concerned for residents who had agreed to have trees cut, then had the project stopped.

Ellis said, “We all came to agreement to pave Braswell Road. It doesn’t matter what road you pave in the county, somebody else wishes it was theirs. I ask you to honor the project and move on with it.”

In other business, the commission:

• Agreed to give $500 to the Lucile Pierce Family Center.

• Agreed to do site prep work at South Central Alabama Mental Health’s Montezuma Center for a playground.

• Accepted a low bid of $16.38 per foot from J.D. Fields for steel pilings for a bridge project.

• Renewed a contract with Southern Health Partners for inmate medical services at no increase in cost. Barton/Elmore.

• Reappointed Rebecca Mauldin to the South Central Mental Health Board.