Where's MLK Drive in Flomaton? Right there

Flomaton resident Ted Dean handed out a few smart phones to members of the Flomaton Town Council Monday night and asked them to pull up the Google map of Flomaton, which shows Martin Luther King Drive as Straughn Street.

“I'm not being rude, but I was told if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck,” Dean said.

He questioned who changed the name of Martin Luther King Dr.

“Martin Luther King Drive does not exist,” Dean said.

Utilities Superintendent Shaun Moye said the name has not been changed and said Google is hard to work with. He said Martin Luther King Drive has been submitted to Google and also noted that Apple has the road listed as Martin Luther King Drive.

The app WAZE, which was purchased by Google, has it listed as Martin Luther King Drive.

In addition to Martin Luther King Drive, Moye said Google still has Dr. Van Avenue listed as Houston Street.

“It's a Google thing,” Moye said. “I've submitted it to them 10 to 15 times.

Councilman Jim Johnson said any time an emergency call is made, it's called Martin Luther King Drive.

“It's a slap in my face,” Dean said. “I went to work to get the name changed and it hasn't.”

Councilwoman Lillian Dean also asked why the repaving of Martin Luther King Drive was not included but Upper Creek Road and Carter Drive were approved to be repaved through grant funds.

Mayor Dewey Bondurant Jr., said the grant funds were only enough to do Upper Creek Road and Carter Drive.

“It bothers me and it's not according to Hoyle,” Dean said.

Dean also questioned Mayor Bondurant about a previous meeting when the council voted to give employee raises and then at the end of the meeting asked the council to approve taking $80,000 out of the town's line of credit to pay bills.

“I think if you had asked for the raises and the loan at the same time it would have been different,” Dean said.

She said she felt the way it was handled, it belittled the council.

Bondurant apologized for not mentioning the loan first.

“That night I felt bad about it,” Bondurant said.

“Seems like we got a loan to give raises,” Dean said.

“The $80,000 was asked for after the raises,” said Councilman Buster Crapps. “We had no idea we needed the $80,000.”

“I said I'm sorry, it won't happen again,” Bondurant said.