Good Hope council implements new School Fund Grant process

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The Good Hope City Council normally meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. (Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune)

GOOD HOPE, Ala.– The Good Hope City Council on Monday night voted to implement a new way of helping the Good Hope Schools through a School Fund Grant. In addition to the yearly donations the City gives the four Good Hope Schools each year, the City will distribute as additional $15,000 from alcohol money to school projects through a grant application process.

Councilwoman Susan Eller explained, “What we are trying to do, is people come and come and come, so we are trying to limit that. One time a year we are going to have $15,000, and instead of people coming, it will be a grant, and everyone can apply.”

Each year Good Hope High School receives a $15,000 donation from the City and the remaining Good Hope schools (middle, elementary and primary) each receive $4,000.

“This additional $15,000 is brand new and we are implementing it into our new budget,” said Mayor Jerry Bartlett. We also, anytime any of our organizations go to state, we pay $250 on their expenses. We will still do that. We just decided we are going to take (an additional) $15,000 and we are going to distribute it as best we can, fairly.”

Eller added, “When we passed the alcohol sales in Good Hope, one of the things we wanted to do was give it back. We put that money aside in a special account for special projects.”

The applications will be reviewed by a five-person board consisting of two school administrators, two members of the city council and Good Hope’s Cullman County School Board representative or an appointee of the school board member. The administrators and council members will rotate each year when applications are reviewed.

The council also discuss new personnel changes for city employees. but no action was taken. The proposed ordinance was tabled until the next scheduled meeting. Major changes to the personnel policy include health care benefits, cell phone safety guidelines, medical protocols and the offering of Hepatitis B shots.

The proposed change in health care benefits is for the City of Good Hope to pay for family insurance. Bartlett said he hopes the change will be a great incentive to help keep valuable employees in a highly competitive job market.

He said, “We’ve got an excellent crew of workers. I would like to do what we can to keep them.”

The City currently pays for employees’ coverage only.

The mayor and council also went in a 20-minute executive session to discuss an economic development project. Joining the mayor and council were Rep. Corey Harbison, R-Good Hope Cabin Fever Beverages Co-Owner Joseph Fisher and City Attorney Rita Nicholas. There was no further discussion about the executive session upon their return.

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