The Holly Pond Town Council held its first meeting of the new year Tuesday night. (Maggie Darnell for The Cullman Tribune)
HOLLY POND – The Holly Pond Town Council at Tuesday’s meeting granted Mayor Bill Oliver permission to pursue two grants which will allow renovation of the town’s sewer plant and intake lines.
The mayor and council also issued a proclamation, with Oliver saying, “We as the Town of Holly Pond declare Jan. 11 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.”
Oliver noted the other municipalities in Cullman County were asked to issue the proclamation as well. “We’re hoping our county goes 100 percent,” said Oliver. The Cullman County Commission on Tuesday declared January Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
In old business, a new ordinance was introduced to change the price of a business license issuance fee. A motion was made to make the new fee $10, as opposed to the Town’s current 50-cent issuance fee. The council cited money lost on mailing as one reason for the proposed increase.
A concerned business owner asked the council to not make the new fee $10, stating, “Ten dollars plus the 50 (dollars) is a bit over the line.”
A new motion was made to make the fee $5, which passed, with one council member abstaining. The new fee will take effect in 2020.
The council mulled a new speed limit ordinance that would make school zone speed limits 20 mph and other roads within town limits 35 mph (with the exception of U.S. Highway 278). Roads with limits already less than 30 mph would remain the same. Town Attorney Dan Willingham suggested the council make a list of roads that currently have a posted speed of 35 mph and any roads that should have a lower speed limit. Oliver asked the council to ride around town and find roads that should be less than 35 mph. The ordinance was tabled until the council’s February meeting, giving Willingham an opportunity to write a new ordinance with the updated items.
The council rescinded a previous motion to give a pay raise to the Town’s hourly employees, replacing it with a motion to give a one-time $400 bonus at the beginning of the year to the hourly employees and one salaried employee. The motion passed unanimously with a roll-call vote. The council will discuss a pay raise at its next budget meeting.
The Holly Pond Town Council meets on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Guy Hunt Library. The next Council meeting will be Feb. 2.
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