Commissioners refused to vote on a proposed off-premise beer license for Straughn’s Tiger Quik Stop Thursday.

It was the third attempt made by owners Tabitha and Ricky Harrison to allow patrons to purchase beer at the store located across from the Straughn High School stadium.

In previous commission discussions, as well as the Tuesday workshop, school board officials said they felt the opportunity for misfortune was too great to license the business.

Chairman Bill Godwin said Mrs. Harrison stated the couple’s case “very eloquently” in a workshop Tuesday. Mr. Harrison said he’d continue to make his request until a vote was taken.

“All I’m asking is that you treat me fair,” Harrison said. “All I want is an opportunity to make my business work and to be successful. I’m going to keep showing up until they treat me fairly.”

But, when a motion to approve or deny was called, no commissioner was willing to speak for or against granting the licenses.

However, commissioners did agree to make some concessions to a previous decision to freeze all hiring and purchasing assets, but Commissioner Harold Elmore’s motion to resume all construction projects was denied.

It took several minutes of discussion about Robert’s Rules of Order regarding who has the ability to amend a motion before commissioners decided to follow through with purchase of six sheriff’s office vehicles and a trailer for the engineer’s office approved by the previous commission, and to allow the hiring of a new clerk in the county appraisal office.

Commissioners also agreed to continue work on a $25,000 renovation project at the USDA building, located across from the county health department. By doing so, it fulfills the terms of the newly negotiated lease. County Administrator Brenda Petty said the new lease will generate more than $15,000 in additional revenue for the county.

Commissioners did not, however, undo a freeze it had placed on road projects, other than those funded by FEMA.

The meeting – the first since the new commission changed its meeting time to the evening hours – drew a crowd of more than 30 people.

In other business, the commission:

• heard the annual report from the probate judge’s office.

• appointed Opp Councilman Arlin Davis and Godwin to serve on the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission;

• adopted its rules and procedures.