The Lawrence County Commission will take out a loan to repave the part of County Road 107 that was turned into a chip-and-seal road more than a week ago.

Lawrence County Engineer David Lynd will pay back the loan next year with monies from next year’s Motor Vehicle Gas Tax funds and will get back his $1.2 million budget.

That was the gist of a special Lawrence County Commission meeting Tuesday afternoon. Lynd sent a letter to the commissioners, advising that if the commission agrees to apply for the loan, “our office could expedite plans and bid documents,” allowing the road to be resurfaced this fall.

Lynd did not attend the meeting.

Under the agreement, the commission will pay the interest on the loan.

The commission then re-appropriated Lynd’s budget that had been unappropriated at last Thursday’s commission meeting after both the commissioners and some residents expressed frustration with the chip-and-sealing of an asphalt road and with Lynd for having not answered questions about it.

Three residents who live along or who regularly use County Road 107 attended the meeting.

“Your intention is to have that repaved before winter?” James Earl asked the commission. They replied, “yes”.

Steven Gillam lives on Township Road 1245, which adjoins County Road 107.

He said he was pleased with Tuesday’s action.

“The county commission has done a very commendable job,” he said, but added Lynd had been “inaccessible to the people who elected him.”

More than a week ago, the engineer’s office began chip-and-sealing a roughly three-mile portion of County Road 107 between the Lawrence County Fairgrounds and Fairland East Elementary School.

That roadway had for years been owned and maintained by the state as State Route 7.

When the Chesapeake Bypass was completed, that roadway because State Route 7 and the county assumed care of the old highway.

Residents objected to the chip-and-seal, saying the move reduced an asphalt road to a gravel road. They also complained that calls to Lynd’s office went unanswered.

The commission asked Lynd to meet with them and the residents to address the situation but he did not do so, prompting them to yank his budget.