AC failure forces court to relocate by Roxanne McKnight with The Meteor

County Commissioners had to scramble to make plans to replace the courthouse's air conditioning system when courthouse employees showed up to work Tuesday only to find that the aging unit had broken down, apparently without remedy.

Even with temperatures in the 80s, doors propped open and large fans set up, the courthouse was sweltering, with employees threatening in jest to close their offices early.

The court met at the Kimbro Center for its special meeting, which had been scheduled for Tuesday since the courthouse was closed Monday for Columbus Day. The commissioners voted unanimously to advertise and accept bids for a replacement air conditioning system, an agenda item that had to be added immediately on an emergency basis.

County Judge Art Henson estimated that the replacement costs, including condenser, coils and labor, would be about $65,000 for a 60-ton unit. He said four companies had been contacted to submit bids. In the meantime, he said, “a semi should be showing up any minute with a rental unit” to allow for some degree of comfort until the replacement is installed.

In other action, the court voted to

€ proclaim November as “Official Home Care and Hospice Month” for 2007 for Madison County;

€ establish the “Keep Madison County Beautiful” program (instead of “Keep Madisonville Beautiful”), adopting committee bylaws and selecting members;

€ name Bobette Heaton as the contact between the “Keep Madison County Beautiful” program and the state;

€ submit the names of Don Reynolds and Bruce Morrison as candidates to serve as director on the Madison County Tax Appraisal Board to represent Madison County;

€ accept a $100 bid from George Davis and MacArthur Davis on a property no one had bid on;

€ adopt the Madison County Clerk's revised archival plan for 2007-08, which involves digitizing old records;

€ establish a relationship with 211 of Brazos County to ensure cooperation in an emergency;

€ appoint Phillip Grisham to serve as a member on the RC&D committee; Grisham abstained from voting;

€ allow Texas Midstream Gas Services to install gas pipes beneath Bundic and Blagraves roads;

€ execute a lease-purchase agreement with Caterpillar to buy a road grader;

€ advertise bids for road materials in the upcoming year since the estimated total this past year was very close to the limit at which bids must be placed according to Mosley.

€ advertise bids on a new or used tractor and a used backhoe for Precinct #2, and;

€ give Henson the authority to put in place and remove a county burn ban as needed.