CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman City Council had a light agenda Monday evening, devoting much of its time to recognizing Craft Beer Week and Cullman’s own local brewery Goat Island Brewing, along with presenting a downtown beautification project that will bring colorful flowers to downtown streets.
Mayor Woody Jacobs presented a proclamation in recognition of Craft Beer Week to Goat Island CEO Mike Mullaney, who just reopened his tap room to the public a short time before the meeting. The statement celebrated craft breweries as “job creators and community gathering places.”
After the meeting, Mullaney told The Tribune that the re-opening of Goat Island’s tap room “went well. We didn’t advertise or anything, so it was kind of a soft opening. But we had all the tables pretty far apart, and we’ve put together what we’re calling a ‘sneeze guard,’ so a big plexiglas shield at the bar. I think it went real well. We had a nice scattering of people but didn’t pack the place out, which we didn’t really want to do anyway. But it was good to get back open, that’s for sure.”
According to Mullaney, the shutdown “completely dried up all of our draft sales; any beer that we sold in kegs stopped completely, and it still hasn’t started back, of course. We’ll see what happens after the restaurants start back. But we were able to continue to sell in cans- we have two products: the Blood Orange and the Richter’s Pilsner- to grocery stores and that kind of thing. The demand for cans went up, and so it didn’t completely make it better, but it certainly helped us. Then during the whole time, we’ve had the ability to sell to-go beer, and we’ve had a steady stream of people coming in and getting growlers and six-packs. So that has helped us, as well. And we did get the PPP loan, so that has helped us keep all of our employees; we didn’t lay off anybody.”
Big news
About the same time the COVID-19 shutdown began, Goat Island head brewer Paul White departed for a job in another field, leaving the brewery in need. After a nationwide search, the crew located 13-year veteran brewer Matthew Schumacher in Seattle, Washington, just as he was looking to relocate his family to a small town setting.
Said Mullaney, “It’s really going to allow us to get to that next level that we felt like we were heading for, so we’re excited about that, really excited about that.”
Downtown beautification by the basket
Mayor Jacobs displayed a hanging basket that will hold flower arrangements, along with a bracket that will allow the mounting of the basket to a street light pole. The City will place 24 of these baskets along U.S. Highway 31 through downtown Cullman.
Jacobs reported that the purchase of the components would have cost the City $500 per basket/bracket assembly, or $12,000 total, to purchase from a commercial supplier. For the project, though, the council was able to turn to Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism mechanical specialist Kenneth “Kenny” Harrison, who was able to make the components in-house at a cost of only $80-90 per assembly.
Said Jacobs, “We really appreciate Parks and Rec’s assistance in this project, and Kenny especially. We’ve got a couple of other things we’re going to have him working on; we’re not going to reveal those yet, but somewhere down the road. This is going to really make Main Street pop with some flowers.”
Council business
The council approved:
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A special event request from Amy Mayfield of the American Heart Association to hold a free event and celebration including a fundraising 5K run/walk, health screenings and games at Depot Park Sept. 12, 2020 from 9-11 a.m.
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A special event request from Melissa Hudson of The Crossing to hold a fundraiser and worship event at Cullman County Fairgrounds pavilion and parking lot May 16, 2020 with a Swamp John’s drive-through fundraiser from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., followed by an evening worship event with music, testimonies and prayer from 6-9 p.m. The City’s approval covers noise only; The Crossing will have to get approval from the Cullman County Commission for use of the site.
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Resolution No. 2020-83, authorizing the mayor to approve general liability, property and workers compensation insurance.
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Resolution No. 2020-84, to extend the existing bid for various types of rock with Blount Springs Materials Company until March 31, 2021.
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Resolution 2020-85, to authorize the mayor to enter into a sublease with Cullman Christian School for the continued use of its basement at the Beech Center, 1803 Beech Ave. SE as a storm shelter.
The Cullman City Council will meet next Monday, May 18 at 7 p.m. in the Cullman City Hall Auditorium. The public is invited to attend, subject to occupancy restrictions.
