County joins City in scaling back water restrictions; readies for special events

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Wendy Sack

Cullman County Water Department Manager Randall Waldrep speaks with attendees after the meeting.

CULLMAN – Cullman County Water customers are now in the same boat as those who get their water from the City of Cullman. Both systems are now on Phase I water restrictions, scaled back from Phase III, thanks to recent heavy rainfall in the area.

At Tuesday morning’s Cullman County Commission meeting, the commissioners voted unanimously to move back to Phase I of the County’s Emergency Water Conservation Plan.

According to Cullman County Water Department Manager Randall Waldrep, Lake Catoma, the main water source for all of Cullman County, was up 10 feet Tuesday morning. Since area ponds have filled back up and the ground is saturated, Catoma is now rising more with each rainfall. On Monday night, David Freeman, manager of the Cullman City Water Treatment Plant, reported that Catoma was up 9 feet.

This means that Lake Catoma is now approximately 13 feet below full pool, 2 feet above the Phase II restriction threshold.

In new business, four event agreements were given the green light:

  1. Event agreement with Loomis Bros. Circus to host a family circus event at the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center  Feb. 3-5
  2. Event agreement with Full Throttle Power Sports, Inc. for a Hill Climb and Barbie Jeep Race and Night Ride at Stoney Lonesome OHV Park on Feb. 4- Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker joked, “I told (County Administrator) Gary Teichmiller if he would enter, I’d buy him a Barbie Jeep!”
  3. Event Agreement with SSR, LLC for a Southern Rock Racing/Night Ride event March 10-11 at Stony Lonesome- Stony Lonesome Park Manager Tyler Lindsey reported that the event brought in 2,700 people last year.
  4. Event Agreement with Midwest Motorsports, LLC for a Str8-Up Hill Climb/Night Ride event April 22 at Stony Lonesome

Also in new business, three appointments were made: Gordon Sandlin was re-appointed as chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) for FY 2017; Phyllis Little was re-appointed as vice-chairman of the LEPC for FY 2017; and Ginger Hicks was re-appointed to the Regional Housing Authority for a 4-year term to expire in Feb. 2021.

In remaining new business:

  • Resolution 2017-15- Renew Participation in Liability Fund for Jan. 1, 2018-Dec. 31, 2020- passed
  • Authorize the chairman to sign the participation agreement with the ACCA for the Liability Self-Insurance Fund for Jan. 1, 2018-Dec. 31, 2020- passed
  • The commission voted to reject the single bid from B.H. Craig for the Duck River South Pedestrian Bridge, due to being over budget, and authorize St. John & Associates to negotiate for the work through the receipt of informal bids per bid law provisions.
  • The commission authorized the chairman to sign a Premises Lease Agreement with the Cullman County Soil & Water Conservation District to store hay at the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center. The hay is a part of the County’s hay relief project and is being stored in a building behind the Ag Center.
  • The commission authorized Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry to award the bid for the construction of the sheriff’s office’s storage building facility to Genesis Construction, Inc., to be paid for from the sheriff’s discretionary funds.
  • The commission authorized the Cullman County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director to sign the renewal for the RAVE Alert Notification System for a period of Jan. 27, 2017-Jan. 26, 2018 at a cost of $9,100.
  • The commission approved a plat for Shoreline Estates subdivision located in District 2 on County Road 41
  • The commission approved a re-survey of plat of lots 8, 9, 21 and 22 of Kelsey Grace subdivision, Phase II, located in District 4 on County Roads 617 and 618.
  • The commission granted a one-year extension for surety bond on Hidden Shores subdivision, located in District 2 on County Road 71.
  • The commission authorized the chairman to sign a service agreement with Iron Plant for the auction of the vehicles surplussed from the County Road Department.
  • The County Sanitation Department will surplus four trucks and one copier.
  • The County Road Department will surplus seven trucks.
  • The County Road Department will purchase the following from the ACCA bid list:
    • One heavy duty lowboy tractor ($114,989)
    • Six heavy duty dump truck chassis ($119,310 each)
    • Six 16-feet steel dump bodies ($23,464 each)
  • The County Road Department will purchase a 500-gallon fuel tank from Acme Tow Dolly Co., LLC for $7,258 plus shipping.
  • The commission rejected Bid No. 1254 for one of more full-size SUVs
  • The commission rejected Bid No. 1255 for one of more full-size SUVs (no bidders)

The Cullman County Commission will meet again on Tuesday, Feb. 14. A work session will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the meeting to follow at 10 a.m. in the commission meeting room. The public is welcome to attend.

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