CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Commission on Tuesday evening proclaimed April as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” and applauded Cullman Caring for Kids for their child abuse awareness efforts and commended their promotion of programs in the community that are designed to help prevent child abuse.
County Attorney Emily Johnston read from the Proclamation, which states, “Cullman County supports and encourages all our residents and community leaders to wear blue each Monday in April in observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month…Our commitment is to have healthy, happy children and to support the effort of Cullman Caring for Kids and all others who observe the importance to bringing awareness to this tragic problem.”
The commission also amended the county employee handbook to allow new employees to have access to all sick and vacation time as it is earned during any probationary periods. The current handbook had stipulations stating that probationary employees could earn leave time but could not use it until they became classified employees at the end of six months. These stipulations were suspended at the beginning of the pandemic, so the council decided to continue the practice of allowing employees access to all sick and vacation leave earned immediately after hire.
The policy also states leave hours over 480 are forfeited at the end of the year. During the pandemic, many employees were absent, causing others to fill in, which meant they did not get to take their vacation time and have accrued more than 480 hours. The commission voted to extend the annual leave carryover through June 3, 2022.
In other business, the commission:
- Adopted the 2022 Division F Phase I Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan which is a plan that was already in place for the county and has now been adapted to a regional plan.
- Approved a tax abatement for Brothers Concrete Supply, LLC in the amount of $2,882,036. This is a new company forming in Cullman by the Dodge City Exit. It is projected to create 22 jobs and reporting pay at $60,000 a year. It will create approximately $100,000 over a 10-year period for community education systems and $404,000 a year in local business revenue.
- Passed an abatement extension for HH Technologies. An abatement was passed in 2020 for HH expansion in Bremen. During the pandemic, it has been difficult for the business to acquire labor and materials, and the building schedule fell behind. HH Technologies requested an extended timeline for work to be finished on their building.
- Authorized the ELC Detection and Mitigation Grant for Cullman County Correctional Facility through the Alabama Department of Public Health in the amount of $532,049 which will be used for upgrades at the jail. One major purchase will be a contactless walk-through scanner for visitors.
- Appointed James Golden to the Cullman County 310 Board with a term to expire in 2023 to fill the open position due to the death of Mrs. Peggy Day.
- Authorized the chairman and county attorney to sign the Federal 2022 Certifications and Assurances for the Federal Transit Administration Assistance Programs.
- Approved the proposed plat Priscilla subdivision containing 3 Lots located off County Road 1725 and County Road 1721.
The next commission work session will be Tuesday, April 19 at 4:00 p.m. The next meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. in the commission office conference room on the first floor of the Cullman County Courthouse. The public is invited to attend.
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