HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The Hanceville City Council Thursday night set new, higher salaries for the mayor and city council members for the first time in more than a decade. The changes will be effective following the 2020 municipal elections. The salary for the position of mayor will jump from $31,000 to $54,000, unless the mayor is appointed to the Cullman Jefferson Gas Board, then it will be $42,000. The mayor pro tem position’s pay was set at $500 per month and other council seats at $400 per month. Council members currently receive $350 per month.
Welcome Back Hanceville
Hanceville is gearing up for the Welcome Back Hanceville concert Saturday, April 27 featuring Irlene Mandrell of Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. Other performers include Cody McCarver and Vicki Lynn Maxwell.
Mayor Kenneth Nail shared, “The last few days we’ve worked really hard cleaning up downtown and getting the sidewalks clean.”
The free concert is Saturday night in downtown Hanceville from 4-7 p.m. There will be a meet and greet with the performers from 2-4. The City plans to have portable bleachers brought in but suggests people bring a lawn chair or quilt to sit on as bleacher seating will be extremely limited. The mayor is also addressing handicap accessibility for the concert.
The Welcome Back Hanceville concert is just one of several planned concert events for the city. The 2019 Summer Concert Series has three events scheduled. On June 8, Three on a String and Jessie Priest Music will perform at Veterans Park. The Natchez Trace Band and Another Hero will be playing in Veterans Park on July 20. Finally, The Kingsmen and Genisis will be playing at the Hanceville Civic Center on August 24.
The council gave approval for the City to obtain a special license that would allow alcohol sales at the Natchez Trace Band concert in July.
Hanceville Parks and Recreation Director Ashley Dye addressed the council, saying, “We were looking to see if we could attempt to obtain all the licensing and do what we needed to do to possibly sell alcohol at that one event. We will not be selling it at the first concert or the third. It would be at Veterans Park.”
Dye hopes to contract the alcohol sales through Cabin Fever Beverages and has a meeting with Budweiser in hopes of getting a sponsorship.
The one-day event license costs $150 with a $50 filing fee. A City ordinance requires $300,000 liability coverage that will cost an additional $1,200 but by contracting through Cabin Fever, the City will profit from the alcohol sales.
Nail explained, “What we’ve done here, we done the first concert as a family-friendly concert. The next concert is kind of a Southern Rock concert, and to be honest with you, if you don’t have beer at that concert you might as well just not have that concert. That’s just the truth because the folks that’s going to go listen to Southern Rock, they want to drink a beer.”
The City hopes to offer different concerts that appeal to all people as it looks to continue hosting public concerts and other events. After an in-depth discussion, the council gave the approval with Councilman Jim Sawyer abstaining.
Paving bids
The council opened sealed bids at Thursday night’s meeting for paving work to begin soon. The streets listed for paving are Forrest Drive, Melton Drive, Stiles Street, West Railroad Avenue, East Railroad Avenue and a portion of County Road 662 within Hanceville city limits.
The first bid was for the virgin asphalt the city will purchase directly for the paving project. C.A. Lankford was the only bidder offering the asphalt at $65 a ton. The project is estimated to require 1,000-1,400 tons of asphalt. The council approved the bid.
The next bid was for the paving and labor. There were three bidders and the low bidder was John’s Paving at $28,500. The bid includes the price of hauling, paving and tack. The council approved the bid.
Announcements
Saturday, April 27 is Cullman County People Against a Littered State (PALS) Spring Clean-Up. Residents can use the dumpster behind city hall, but tires, paint and chemicals are not accepted. The dumpster will be available from 8 a.m. until noon. PALS is asking citizens to pitch in by picking up garbage around their homes and neighborhoods. Garbage bags provided by State PALS can be picked up at city hall.
The annual Senior Fish-O-Rama will take place on May 3. The Kids’ Fish-O-Rama will be May 4.
The next city council meeting is May 9 at 6 p.m. preceded by the work session at 5:30.
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