MURFREESBORO – As the members of the Murfreesboro Town Council adjourned their Tuesday meeting, they did so with heavy hearts.

Just a few moments before, the council approved Town Administrator Molly Eubank’s retirement. Once the meeting was adjourned, each of the board members gave Eubank a hug.

Eubank has worked for the town of Murfreesboro for 23 years, first as town clerk and then as town administrator.

“I’m going to enjoy life while I can,” she said about her decision to retire.

Eubank already has plans with what she will do with her spare time when she retires on February 28.

“I’m going to paint and draw,” said Eubank who has a college background in art.

Other plans include continuing with her volunteer work with PAWS of Hertford County, traveling and reading. Eubank said she has a pile of books that are just waiting to be read.

She said she will keep her job as town clerk for Como and still be part of the town’s rescue squad.

Eubank said working with the citizens is what she’ll miss the most about her job. She said she always had an open door policy in her office where anyone could come to talk to her.

“There are so many parts of the job I’ll miss,” said Eubank. “I won’t miss the stress.”

In other business, the town council approved the rezoning of land located on the east corner of 158 By Pass and NC 11. The land was rezoned from residential to commercial.

Under the classification of C-2 the land could be used for retail stores or services such as banks, restaurants, service stations or offices.

The board also announced the postponement of a second public hearing for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

Jim Winston of Winston, Williams, Creech, Evans and Company, LLP presented the town’s audit. The only issue was with what Winston called “transportation.”

Eubank said the transportation issue was due to the repairs to the Holly Hill Road dam and that the town had applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to see if they could receive funding.

“What you said you were going to do with the money you did,” Winston said addressing the board. “Over all, the town had a good year.”

During the department reports, Police Chief Darrell Rowe reported that the fire department had just passed its inspection that morning.

Rowe also reported that the department had responded to 96 calls last year with 60 percent of the calls outside of the city limits.

Moving on to the Police Department report, Rowe said the department had just acquired $4,000 worth of equipment from Law Enforcement Support. Some of the equipment that was obtained were cots to be used during hurricanes.

Rowe also said that the department had accepted the resignation of Officer Daniel Vaughan to allow him to move on to the Highway Patrol. Vaughan will be stationed in Mecklenburg County.

Rowe also offered thanks to his officers for their work during the recent stand off in the city. He called the officer’s work “super professional” and thanked the dispatcher.

The board approved the motto, “A reverence for the old and a passion for the new,” for the town. The motto was suggested by Janet Vincent during the committee reports. It was inspired by a visiting minister from Charlotte who said the phrase after he was giving a tour of the city by Vincent.

Mayor Lynn Johnson addressed the deaths of State Senator Robert Holloman and State Representative Howard Hunter, Jr. during in the meeting’s invocation as well as the mayor and council reports.

“It’s sad to know that both of our representatives are gone,” said Johnson.