Photo: Chairman Kenneth Walker and Commissioner Kerry Watson with CARTS drivers who won at the nationals.
CULLMAN – The Cullman County Commission met, without Commissioner Garry Marchman who was absent, on June 14 with Chairman Kenneth Walker and Commissioner Kerry Watson in attendance, and therefore, establishing a quorum.
The commission recognized their Cullman Area Rural Transportation System’s (CARTS) drivers who competed in a national event in Oregon recently. Driver Wade Hancock placed first out of approximately 78 competitors from throughout the country in the bus driving event. Drivers Keith Patterson and Dennis Grove were also recognized.
A resolution was passed setting the speed limit on Country Road 712, off of Bolte Road and County Road 702, to 20 mph per a resident’s request and evaluation from County Engineer John Lang. Also approved was an agreement with ALDOT to begin the resurfacing project along an almost five-mile stretch of County Road 222 from County Road 410 to the I-65 interchange. The county will be responsible for 20 percent of the cost of the project.
The chairman was authorized to sign an Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Agreement, along with EMA Director Phyllis Little, with Alabama EMA for $1,807 and for federal EMPG funding for $10,673 for the 2015 fiscal year.
In Resolution 2016-19, the commission entered a joint resolution with the Utilities Board of the City of Cullman for the installation of pipeline from the Duck River Reservoir to the water treatment plant. The agreement “will govern the perimeters surrounding the water line installation that will go from the new reservoir to the water treatment plant. Several roads are going to be affected but we’ve worked out details with them and everything will come out better in the end. They will restore everything to as good or better condition than what they found it after they get done completing the work,” according to Lang.
An application to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs’ (ADECA) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for funding of the resurfacing of County Road 1568 was approved. The road, which is in Fairview and Baileyton, suffered damage from the 2011 tornadoes and the Christmas Day flooding of last year. The $270,941 grant would require a $60,332 contribution from the commission.
Wiregrass Construction was selected to realign the taxiway at Cullman Airport by submitting the lowest bid. Also, the commission agreed to a one-year maintenance contract extension with Richard Electric, Co. for $1,825 for the service of six generators.
The commission agreed to purchase two Takeuchi 240 mini excavators for its water department for the total amount of $87,000 which was a budgeted cost. They also agreed for the purchase of two garbage trucks for $113,074.18 each to replace two older units.
CARTS’ software program, RouteMatch, which aids in routing and statistics, was granted a payment of $24,044.61 for upgrades and updates.
In other business, the company that provides the county’s traffic signs, Extension Traffic Signs, Inc., was awarded a contract and a bid for concrete pipe was rejected by the commission. The “Free Dump” program, held in May, allowed for 407 tons of trash to be dumped for free and the 2015 Insolvents, Error and Taxes in Litigation were approved.
Lastly, four vehicles from the Sheriff’s Department were surplused, three to GovDeals and one donated to the Cullman Fire Department.
The Cullman County Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Cullman County Courthouse with a work session at 8:30 a.m. and the regular meeting at 10 am. The next meeting will be held on June 28 and both the work session and the regular meeting are open to the public.
