CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Commission Tuesday morning recognized Sportsman Lake Park employee Nancy Maddox, who is retiring after 11 years of service at the park. Other staff members from the park came to congratulate and wish Maddox well in her retirement.
Former Cullman County Sheriff Wendell Roden will receive an increase in his supernumerary retirement benefits after adjustments made necessary by the passage of local Amendment 1 in 2018.
Amendment 1, known locally as “the sheriff’s food bill,” related specifically to Cullman County, proposed an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that effective beginning the next term of office of the sheriff, all allowances or amounts received by the sheriff for feeding prisoners would be deposited in a special account and used for feeding prisoners in the county jail and any excess in the fund would be authorized to be used for law enforcement purposes by the sheriff and to provide that, at that time, the annual salary of the sheriff of Cullman County would be equal to the annual salary of the judge of probate of Cullman County. (Proposed by Act 2018-409)
Cullman County Attorney Chad Floyd explained, “He (Roden) is what is known as a supernumerary sheriff, and because of the proposed local Amendment 1 passing in 2018- it became effective in January 2019- Mr. Roden was due an increase in his retirement benefits. The passaged of local Amendment 1 tied his base pay to the base compensation of the probate judge.”
Being a “supernumerary sheriff” means that when Roden was sheriff, a portion of his salary was paid into a retirement fund, and the County is responsible to pay Roden his retirement benefits.
The commission also passed a resolution requesting the Alabama attorney general’s opinion regarding elected officials and whether they are allowed to participate in educational/military incentive pay programs. Cullman County recently implemented an incentive pay policy with elected officials being excluded.
Floyd said, “There is some legislation under Title 11 in the omnibus that would tend to support that elected officials should be allowed to participate if a uniform increase were given; however, there’s a constitutional provision that states they cannot. This will help clarify that.”
The Cullman Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) facility at 1950 Beech Ave. SE will soon receive security upgrades when a magnetic locking system is added to the facility’s doors and new ADS badge security system is put into place. The badge security system will cost $4,839.75 to install and the security door system is $1,255.
In other business, the commission approved the following:
- Renewal of the firewall at Cullman County Courthouse for three years at the cost of $6,912
- Purchase of four Land Pride RC5710-10’ heavy duty rotary cutters from Dixie Tractor through Source Well bid at a cost of $15,800 each
- Authorized Chairman Kenneth Walker to negotiate and sign a lease agreement with Cullman Electric Cooperative for the Bates property
- Authorized Walker to execute a right-of-way easement and underground easement in favor of Cullman Electric Cooperative in order to supply electricity to the storm shelters at Stony Lonesome OHV Park
- Authorized Walker to sign the Inmate Communications System agreement with Inmate Calling Solutions, LLC d/b/d/a ICSolutions
- Accepted a quote for inmate stop-loss insurance for $60,540, a 22% decrease in cost from the previous policy
- Surplus of two generators from the water department 1990 15KW and 1987 60KW
- Authorized water department head Randall Waldrep to trade surplus generators to the City of Hanceville in exchange for light tower
- Approved proposed plat for Loretto subdivision located in District 2 on County Road 255
The next commission work session will be Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 8:30 a.m., followed by the commission meeting at 10 a.m.
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