Commissioner Garry Marchman, Commissioner Kerry Watson, Cullman County Parks and Recreation Director Doug Davenport and Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker at Tuesday’s Cullman County Commission meeting (Nick Griffin for The Tribune)
CULLMAN – The Cullman County Commission gave special recognition to Cullman County Parks and Recreation Director Doug Davenport, at its meeting Tuesday morning. Davenport received a North Alabama Elite Tourism Professional Award from the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA) last week. Cullman County Museum Director Drew Green and Goat Island Brewing’s John Dean also received the award from AMLA. According to AMLA, the award is for “tourism employees demonstrating outstanding customer service and hospitality in the 16-county North America region.”
A public hearing scheduled for June 12 concerning the vacating of a portion of County Road 1614 has been canceled. That portion of road sits in the Town of Berlin, which has been officially incorporated since the hearing was originally scheduled, Cullman County Attorney Chad Floyd explained. As a result, the Town of Berlin will be holding off on that request until the new government is fully established before re-submitting the request at a later date.
The commission approved Resolution No. 2018-21 to submit an application for the Better Utilizing Investment of Leverage Development (BUILD) competitive grant program to make repairs to county roads. The County is submitting 12 roads in its application to be re-paved. If awarded, the grant would be worth $12,643,750 and the County’s 20 percent match would be 2,528,750.
The commission approved an agreement with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and former Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson for jail consultation services. Amerson served as sheriff of Calhoun County for 22 years before announcing his retirement in 2016.
The commission approved a request from Cook Ministries to hold a Suicide Prevention Awareness meeting in front of the Cullman County Courthouse on Sept. 7 from 6-8 p.m.
Repairs and upgrades were also approved for Smith Lake Park. The installation of lighting by Cullman Electric Cooperative at the new Smith Lake Park boat launch was approved at the cost of $22,452.36 for labor and materials. Hail damage repairs to electrical equipment were also approved for the cost of $16,732.28 for labor and materials.
A $50,000 purchase order to YELTEK was approved for camera surveillance equipment for the sheriff’s office. The equipment order will complete the plan the sheriff’s office has been working on to replace and upgrade the surveillance system at the Cullman County Detention Center.
The commission approved a $5,000 donation to the Link of Cullman County to support its 2018 Summer Kindergarten Readiness Program. The program helps prepare incoming kindergartners for the school year.
Commissioner Kerry Watson reappointed Pam Nail to the Cullman County Center for the Developmentally Disabled 310 Authority Board for a six-year term to expire on April 1, 2024.
The commission approved the purchase of five pick-up trucks by the Cullman County Water Department off the state bid list through Tallassee Automotive, Inc. Four of the trucks are $26,017 each and a Donohoo Chevrolet truck will be $32,369.25 for a total cost of $136,437.25. The new trucks will replace some of the water department’s high-mileage vehicles and one that was totaled in the hail storm. Another pick-up truck purchase was approved for the Cullman Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) after one of its trucks was destroyed in the hail storm.
To end the meeting, the commission awarded three bids: Bid No. 1280, to lease a rubber- tired excavator, was awarded to Cowin Equipment Company; Bid No. 1281 for a full-size SUV to replace a hail-damaged vehicle at the Juvenile Detention Center was awarded to Mitch Smith Chevrolet; and Bid No. 1282 to purchase concrete was awarded to DCA Ready Mix Inc.
The Cullman County Commission’s next meeting will be held Tuesday, June 12 at 10 a.m. in the commission meeting room.
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