Athens-Clarke County commission meets late into the night

ATEHNS - Weary members of the Athens-Clarke County Commission met for nearly nine straight hours before adjourning at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday and still didn&#39;t finish all the items on the agenda. <br> <br> Mayor Heidi Davison attributed the length of the meeting to more than two hours of public comment and a lengthy list of zoning items. <br> <br> Davison said, ``I don&#39;t think anyone was inattentive and everyone was trying to pay attention. But by 2 a.m., I was really having a hard time staying focused. I don&#39;t think it&#39;s for the public&#39;s benefit that we meet at that time of night.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Seven zoning items were tabled and will be addressed and voted on at the March fourth meeting. <br> <br> Commission clerk Jean Spratlin, who has worked for the county for 28 years, remembered another meeting in the late 1980s when the old Athens City Council adjourned at 2:30 a.m., more than seven hours after it began, but all business was completed. <br> <br> The mayor has proposed a rule change to ensure future voting meetings must end no later than 2 a.m.