Photo: l-r, Joe Golden, Bill Strandlund and Josh Speakman speak to attendees after the CCCDC meeting.
GOOD HOPE – Three local schools will be able to supply their students with Google Chromebooks now, thanks to grants approved tonight by the Cullman County Community Development Commission (CCCDC).
The CCCDC awarded $11,952 to Fairview Middle School, $10,000 to West Point Intermediate School and $9,231.30 to Fairview Elementary School for the laptops at this evening's meeting, which took place at Good Hope City Hall.
Other grants approved were:
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2214- $8,000 for Veterans Day program
- Bethsadia Volunteer Fire Department- $12,000 for interior paint and vinyl flooring
- Cold Springs High School- $12,000 for ball field lighting and installation
Grants from the CCCDC, which exists to assist all nonprofits in Cullman County, are capped at $12,000 and must fall into one of the commission's four required categories: education, economic and community development, conservation or fire protection. There is also a limit of one grant per nonprofit per calendar year.
Grants declined tonight were:
- Fairview High School- $8,000 for new band uniforms, due to not falling into the education category
- Fairview Middle School- $7,980 for camera system for fire protection, due to multiple submissions from the same nonprofit (approved for Chromebooks; see above)
- Holly Pond High School- $8,000 for Chromebooks and cart, due to multiple submissions from the same nonprofit
- Town of Garden City- $18,000 for road and drainage pipe repair, due to the Town of Garden City receiving funds within the past 12 months
- Holly Pond High School- $12,000 for digital sign in front of school, due to multiple submissions from the same nonprofit
- Holly Pond High School- $3,999.96 for robotics team competition kits, due to multiple submissions from the same nonprofit
- Fairview High School- $12,000 for new band uniforms, due to not falling into the education category
- Holly Pond Middle School- $8,000 for Chromebooks, due to multiple submissions from the same nonprofit
- Running in Circles Foundation- $12,000 for Running in Circles 24-hour race, due to this being the first year of the event and not having a history of economic impact on the community, and money going to a church and to an organization outside of Cullman County (Bethany Village at Camp McDowell)
- Childhaven- $8,000 for gutters, due to Childhaven electing to re-submit next month with changes to grant proposal
- Wallace State- $6,000 for Garth Stein Reading Seminar, due to a discrepancy on the grant application; will re-submit
Funding for CCCDC grants comes from taxes- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in lieu of taxes and beer taxes. CCCDC board members are appointed by Alabama state legislators.
Board members are:
- Bill Strandlund- appointed by Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman
- Bradley Williams- appointed by Rep. Corey Harbison, R-Good Hope
- Joe Golden- appointed by Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview
- Josh Speakman- appointed by Rep. Ed Henry, R-Hartselle
"We never intend to be the prime, sole source of funding for anyone. We only intend to supplement," said Strandlund.
Williams stressed to the attendees that the board has to be careful in their approval process. "This is the taxpayers' money," he said, emphasizing that the board has to be frugal and use the money in a responsible manner.
To learn more or to submit a grant application, visit http://co.cullman.al.us/cccdc/cccdc.html.
The next meeting of the CCCDC will be on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. at Good Hope City Hall.
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