District Judge Rusty Turner swears in David Moss as the newest member of the Cullman City Council Monday evening. (W.C. Mann for The Cullman Tribune)
CULLMAN – The Cullman City Council on Monday officially appointed David Moss to fill the seat of departing Councilman Garlan Gudger, who will shortly assume new duties as the new senator for Alabama Senate District 4. After the council took its vote, District Judge Rusty Turner administered the oath to Moss, who was surrounded by his family.
After Moss took his seat, the council said its official good-bye to Gudger, presenting a resolution in his honor and giving him a plaque holding the first gavel he used as council president. Gudger served on the Cullman City Council for four years before being elected council president, a position he held for the next 10 years.
The resolution read in part, “During Garlan’s time on the council, many changes took place in our community. Throughout them all, his leadership was instrumental in ensuring that Cullman not only weathered those changes, but thrived. And the citizens of Cullman have long held Garlan in high regard for his years of dedication to public service and to the betterment of our community.”
Council fills new city engineer post
In addition to its own new member, the council also named Erica York to fill the recently-created post of city engineer. York is a 2016 graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering; she has worked as a plant engineer for Alabama Power for the last two years, after working for the company for two years through a college co-op program.
The council also set out its committee assignments for the coming term:
General Government (Finance, Administration, Risk Management, Maintenance, Economic Development, Human Resources and Building)
- Chairwoman: Jenny Folsom
- Vice Chairman: David Moss
- Members: Johnny Cook, Clint Hollingsworth and Andy Page
Public Works (Garage, Street, Traffic, Sanitation and Arborist)
- Chairman: Johnny Cook
- Vice Chairman: Clint Hollingsworth
- Members: Jenny Folsom, David Moss and Andy Page
Public Safety (Police, Fire, Dispatch and EMA)
- Chairman: Andy Page
- Vice Chairman: Johnny Cook
- Members: Jenny Folsom, David Moss and Clint Hollingsworth
Tourism (Parks and Recreation, Airport, Museum and Chamber of Commerce)
- Chairman: Clint Hollingsworth
- Vice Chairman: Andy Page
- Members: Johnny Cook, Jenny Folsom and David Moss
Utilities (Water, Sewer, Wastewater Treatment Plant and Utilities Board)
- Chairman: David Moss
- Vice Chairwoman: Jenny Folsom
- Members: Johnny Cook, Clint Hollingsworth and Andy Page
The council also approved a new salary schedule for the mayor and council members, to take effect in Nov. 2020. At that time, the mayor’s salary will be $78,000. The council president will receive an amount equal to 20 percent of the mayor’s salary, or $15,600. Other council members will receive an amount equal to 18 percent of the mayor’s salary, or $14,040.
Other council business
When the council got down to business, it started by approving a request from Jackie Cook Porter for a special event permit to hold a Christmas Open House at Finders Keepers, 201 First Ave. SW on Nov. 9, 2018 from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. Porter plans to hold a street sale and have live entertainment including traditional Christmas carolers.
The council then approved several ordinances and resolutions:
- to participate in the 2019 State Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday from Feb. 22-24, 2019
- to enter into a mutual aid agreement with the Cullman County Sheriff that will allow officers of the Sheriff’s Office and Cullman Police Department to render assistance to each other across jurisdictional lines
- to vacate and surplus 3.97 acres of City property located southeast of the Deer Trace subdivision
The council lastly approved the following board appointments:
- Clint Hollingsworth to the City of Cullman Utilities Board
- David Moss to the Cullman Jefferson Gas Board
- Todd Floyd to the WellStone, Inc. Board of Directors
- Mike Voss to the City of Cullman Housing Authority
The Cullman City Council meets on the second and fourth Monday evenings of each month at 7 p.m. in Cullman City Hall auditorium. The public is invited to attend.
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Garlan Gudger had his family on hand as the council presented him a resolution and his first council president’s gavel.
