The Chelsea City Council met Tuesday night faced with the task of filling the chair at the end of the table in the upstairs meeting room of the First National Bank.

That seat was vacated Monday when Allen Boone resigned from the Chelsea City Council to pursue a job opportunity requiring him to move to Florida.

&uot;It was a huge disappointment not to be able to fulfill my term to its entirety,&uot; Boone said.

&uot;This area will be sorely missed.&uot;

Boone, too, will be missed, according to several Chelsea residents. He has served on the council since his election in 2000.

Mayor Earl Niven could not be reached for comment on Boone’s departure.

Boone and his wife, Jane, and 9-year-old son, Broderick, have lived in Chelsea for five years.

&uot;It is tremendously disappointing,&uot; he said. &uot;I take having been elected very seriously. At the same time, events beyond our control precipitated this.&uot;

Boone was formerly employed by the Birmingham-based HealthSouth Corporation but was the victim of a job cut in light of the company’s financial difficulty following allegations that high ranking HealthSouth officials were involved in a corporate scandal.

If not for those circumstances beyond his control, Boone said he would remain in Chelsea and continue to serve on the council.

But his search to continue a career related to his experience in sleeping-disorder medicine technology led him to Florida, where he accepted a job with a healthcare company in Jacksonville.

He announced his resignation from the council Monday, effective immediately so that the council &uot;can find a suitable replacement and get them up to speed&uot; quickly.

&uot;The community has already a wealth of assets in its people, its churches, its families,&uot; Boone said. &uot;The biggest thing is to make sure those values are never lost.&uot;

Among the advancements of the council during his term, Boone said he is most proud of the support of the schools and recognition of families in the community.

He also cites the new water line along U.S. Highway 280 as a development that &uot;will do tremendous things for Chelsea.&uot;

&uot;This is a very tight-knit community,&uot; Boone said.

&uot;It has tremendous growth potential. The steps that are taken now are going to set the course for future development.&uot;