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During Tuesday’s Linden City Council meeting, Mayor Charles Moore delivered the news that Jack’s Family Restaurants plans to build a location in Greensboro in December 2018 or January 2019, wait a month or two and then reconsider a location in Linden.

Back in May, the council approved offering an incentive package to the company in order to encourage them building a Linden location. The package was discussed during an executive session, and the details of the package have not yet been released.

In early June, Moore offered to sell a plot of land to the company for $7,500. After that, preparations began on both sides in order to build a location in Linden, according to Bruce Ward, who is secretary for the city council.

However, by mid-July, a representative from Jack’s told him the company was considering a Greensboro location first. In response, Moore offered to speak with the council about simply giving the company the property in order to bring Jack’s to Linden.

On Tuesday, Moore shared his latest correspondence with a Jack’s representative, which took place on Aug. 17, during which he asked for the status and timeline of the project and what the City of Linden can do to move things forward.

“If there are any hold ups, we need to know what we can do on our end to help move the project along,” Moore said during the email correspondence.

The representative replied that the company would instead be building a location in Greensboro before revisiting the possibility of a location in Linden.

In the emails, Moore replied that a Jack’s location is “really wanted here in Linden, and we will do anything within reason to bring them here.”

During the meeting, the council also approved repairing the motor in a van used to transport inmates who are on work release from Camden Community Based Facility and Community Work Center to Linden to do odd jobs around the town and back for $5,600.

Other items discussed by the council are:

• Police Chief Robert Alston informed the council that a street light is needed on Prowell St. between Seventh and Eighth Ave. He also announced that the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign started on Aug. 17 and will last until Sept. 3.

• Moore announced that two speakers that were blown at the Linden Football Field have been fixed.

The Linden City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month at 4:30 p.m. at city hall.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, August 25 issue of the Demopolis Times.)