At Hanceville we try to be positive and progressive. To me, being progressive means we’re not sitting on our rear ends doing nothing, we are going to be moving forward. We are very proud of that. We have a lot of projects going on, so we are just going to keep pushing forward.”Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail
CULLMAN – Thursday night, Jan. 14, the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Affairs Committee hosted a panel presentation, the State of the Community 2016, at TP Country Club. The forum allowed the city and each of the county municipalities a chance to share information on their communities with Chamber members and the Cullman business community.
While most of the speakers talked about budgets and finances, they also highlighted various departments within their communities and plans for 2016. Some had specific goals set and were eager to share them.
“The Christmas Flood of 2015,” Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker began, “according to my presentation here, we got 8.5 inches of rain, but I think we can add 8 more inches to that in a 24-hour period. The Cullman County damage fees are to exceed about $975,000. When I left the courthouse this morning, we were still repairing shoulders and roads and will probably be repairing more next week, so that will increase quite a bit.”
Representing Good Hope, Councilman John Harris named some of the businesses new to the area in 2015, including Onin Staffing, Hosanna Florists, The Cotton Gin, R.E. Michel Company, Sunflour Bakery, Lakeside Sports & Recreation and MasterPro Audio. He also detailed a special project, beginning soon.
“I guess the next biggest ongoing project that we are fixing to bid on is the Bavar Creek Bridge,” said Harris. “The existing 78-foot-long bridge has an efficiency rating of 31.4. Anything rated below 50 is considered unfunctional, obsolete and should be replaced. The bridge will be replaced with a triple barrel 14-foot-wide by 12-foot-high concrete box culvert. The latest construction estimate for this is $724,652.04. ATRIP (Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program) funds will cover 80 percent of the construction costs and 80 percent of the inspection fee. We, Good Hope, will pay for the remaining 20 percent of each cost plus the total cost of the engineering design.”
Mayor Kenneth Kilgo of West Point praised all the mayors in Cullman County for working together. He listed his area’s three new businesses as Magnet Paints, Double K Sales and Premier Bank.
“Magnet Paints is a nationwide specialty paint facility. They moved their operations from Manhattan, New York to West Point, Alabama. We couldn’t be any happier; they put good people to work in the community. They have been in business since 1925, and they do underbody paints. They have 23,000 contracts in cities and companies throughout the United States, so they are sending paint all over the U.S. everyday.”
Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail’s presentation featured current and upcoming projects, including a cleanup and remodel of “the old empty buildings in the middle of town.” Top floors of some of the buildings are slated to be converted to apartments, with the possibility of making them available to Wallace State students as dorms. Sidewalks are being poured and the large ditches along Highway 31 are being filled.
“At Hanceville we try to be positive and progressive,” Nail said. “To me, being progressive means we’re not sitting on our rear ends doing nothing, we are going to be moving forward. We are very proud of that. We have a lot of projects going on, so we are just going to keep pushing forward.”
Mayor Herman Nail of Holly Pond was up next. He kept his speech short and to the point.
“I just want to leave you with this right here,” he said in closing. “Holly Pond is going to grow. More people are going to come to Holly Pond and I will tell you why. Things are going to happen in Holly Pond that is (sic) going to make a difference in people’s lives, just give us about four or five months to see what comes about. It will be beneficial to the whole county and a lot more people will have a job to work.”
The evening’s final speaker was Cullman Mayor Max A. Townson. He said he wants Cullman to continue to be a great place to live, work, play and raise a family. He mentioned the city’s plans to build a new fire station on Highway 157. He discussed the Christmas flood and its effects on the city’s roads and bridges and the Duck River Dam and how quickly it was filled thanks to those same torrential rains. The city’s retail expansion was also a big topic.
“The Chamber has been busy this year,” Townson explained. “We have had the most ribbon cuttings ever! We are happy to have these new businesses. Publix was one of those new businesses this year. I stood out there when they first opened the doors. People were lined up and I shook everybody’s hand that came in. I can’t tell you the people who said, ‘Mayor, we don’t have to go to Decatur anymore’. That’s what we are trying to do. We are trying to bring you new things into this community so you don’t have to go to Decatur, Huntsville or Birmingham. Shop Cullman first, right?”
To find out more, visit the Chamber at http://www.cullmanchamber.org/.
