The Marengo County Commission denied again Tuesday a request by the City of Linden for the county to provide road workers and equipment to pave remaining dirt streets in the city.

By three-to-two, the commission voted not to provide county workers and equipment to help pave parts of eight streets in Linden. Commissioners Max Joiner and George Baldwin voted in favor, and Commissioners Ken Tucker, Freddie Armstead and Charles Moore voted against.

Terry Tyson, Linden public works director, and City Administrator Cheryl Hall had first made the request at the commission’s August meeting but were denied. Mayor Pat Vice had spoken out against the commission’s action at recent Linden City Council meetings.

Vice spoke to the commission Tuesday asking for help and reminding the commissioners that Linden was part of Marengo County.

The City of Linden planned to pay all expenses incurred. There was no estimated cost mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting.

Commissioner Joiner was in favor of county workers being involved as long as it was on off-time. The City of Linden already contracts with the county for motor grader work on Fridays.

County Engineer Ken Atkins said it would be a month until the work could be done for Linden.

Vice expressed his appreciation for the recent county work on the Linden Industrial Park road. "That’s your industrial park road, too. It’s in Marengo County.

…If we have to put this out for private bid, it will delay this, and we’ll be out of the paving season."

Commissioner Armstead said he was concerned about roads in his district which had yet to be worked on.

In other action from Tuesday’s commission meeting, a liquor license for the Saltwell Grocery was approved, and a liquor license for Club Paradise was denied.

The commission approved Dr. Peter Keen to do drug screening of county employees.

Lindsy Gardner, director of the Demopolis Public Library, asked the commission for additional funding for fiscal year 2003. She is trying to develop an English as a second language program for the library.

She also wants to provide computer classes for Spanish speaking residents in Marengo County.