The Cullman County Commission held a special-called meeting on Monday to pick a company to repair storm-damaged buildings. / W.C. Mann for The Tribune
CULLMAN – On Monday afternoon, the Cullman County Commission held a special meeting to review proposals from three construction companies to perform repairs to County facilities damaged by the March 19 storms: Craft & Associates, Inc., C.H. Harris, Inc. and Eidson and Associates, Inc. Of the three, Craft and Associates was chosen based on previous project experience.
The proposals did not contain bids, since the full extent of damage has yet to be ascertained, and the commission does not take bids on such projects, according to Chairman Kenneth Walker. The documents listed the contractors’ qualifications and previous projects as evidence of their ability to handle this set of projects.
The most heavily damaged County facility was the combined Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and County Detention Center, and that was the deciding factor for the commissioners. The facility was constructed by Craft & Associates, and the commission felt that the original builder would know best how to perform repairs.
Commissioner Garry Marchman said, “I think if you look at overall just basic qualifications, I think any of them would meet the minimum qualifications to do the job . . . Craft actually worked on the facility that has the largest amount of damage.”
“That’s what caught my attention,” said Commissioner Kerry Watson, “was that they were the ones that were involved in the building of the Detention Center. They’d probably know more about the building than anyone else.”
Marchman added before the commission’s vote, “I personally want to thank all of them for taking an interest in what we’re doing here, because it’s huge to us and it’s a tough decision to make.”
While the discussion centered on the Detention Center, the County’s contract with Craft & Associates will cover all County facilities damaged by the March 19 storms.
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