CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman City Council on Monday night said goodbye to Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism (CPRST) Executive Director Nathan Anderson before adopting the city’s 2020 fiscal year budget. Anderson leaves CPRST after Oct. 1 to take a position as CEO of a Nashville-based event logistics company, though he will remain a consultant to Cullman through the month of October to assist with the transition. Look for a separate story on Anderson’s departure.
Budget adopted
The council passed a total budget of $95,791,053, a 9% reduction from last year’s $102,338,416 budget. The decrease was due to a reduction in utility construction and repairs of damage from the 2018 hail storm.
The budget features a 4% pay raise for City employees, and will cover all City employee insurance increases. The City also covers Air Evac Lifeteam employee family coverage, employee memberships at the Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center and cancer insurance for advanced firefighters.
The budget also the largest amount ever for street paving, and will include projects on Alabama Highway 157, West Main Avenue, Old Hanceville Highway and multiple smaller neighborhood streets. The budget also includes traffic light projects at Olive Street and U.S. Highway 31 and at First Avenue and Second Street Southeast.
The public safety budget will allow for the purchase of eight police patrol vehicles, 18 laptop computers for patrol vehicles, 42 radios and a chest compression device for Cullman Fire Rescue.
The recreation and tourism budget includes the completion of Art Park, design engineering of the new multiplex facility at the old Marvin’s on Main Avenue, completion of Cullman Regional Airport taxiway rehabilitation and the design phase of the airport’s runway rehabilitation.
The budget’s funds include:
- General Fund Budget $40,134,660
- Property and Sales Tax Fund $7,280,000
- Miscellaneous and Special Fund Budgets
- 4-Cent Gas Tax Fund – $94,000
- 7-Cent Gas Tax Fund – $160,000
- Industrial Purpose Fund – $193,500
- Alabama Trust Fund – $409,000
- Corrections and Court Fund – $107,000
- Court Judicial Fund – $78,000
- Industrial Park Fund – $167,000
- Industrial Access Road Fund – $10,000
- Parks and Recreation Construction Fund – $16,000
- Downtown Revitalization Fund – $886,000
- Brunner Street Fund – $978,548
- Debt Service Funds – $1,581,362
- Property and Sales Tax Fund $7,280,000
- Sewer Fund $7,922,400
- Water Fund $18,480,184
- Utilities Board Water Division $12,439,512
- Airport Fund $2,432,600
- Parks and Recreation Fund $8,968,650
The council adopted numerous special event requests, including requests from:
- Christy Turner of CPRST to hold Oktoberfest in various locations throughout the City of Cullman Oct. 2-5
- Christy Turner of CPRST to hold the 16th Annual Oktoberfest 5K and 10K runs starting at the Festhalle Oct. 5 at 8 a.m.
- Jackie Cook Porter of Finders Keepers to hold its annual street and sidewalk sale on Oct. 3-5
- Austin Hinds of Diablo’s Southwest Grill to hold two carnival days with bouncy houses and face painting Oct. 12-13 from 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Melissa Fowler of 1120 County Road 1492 to hold a walk and pray for the city of Cullman and its citizens starting at the Cullman County Courthouse going to the Train Depot and then back Oct. 15 starting at 11 a.m.
- Karen Speegle of Seventh Street Baptist Church to hold its annual Fall Harvest Festival Oct. 27 from 6-8 p.m.
- Wilma Whateley of Grace Episcopal Church to hold its annual Trunk or Treat Oct. 31 from 5-8 p.m.
- Taylor Tischhauser of the National MS Society to hold a fundraising walk for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Heritage Park April 18, 2020 from 9 a.m.-noon
- David Price, Jr. and Connie Brakefield to close a portion of First Avenue Southeast to hold their wedding at Richter Chapel June 27, 2020 starting at 4 p.m.
The council passed the following resolutions:
- No. 2019-86 to recognize October as Dyslexia Awareness Month
- No. 2019-87 to adopt the annual budget for fiscal year 2020
- No. 2019-88 to amend the position control detail for fiscal year 2020
- No. 2019-89 to adopt the new pay matrix, job descriptions and job classifications for the fiscal year 2020 budget
- No. 2019-90 to apply for ADECA grant funds through the Alabama Counts 2020 Census Grant Program
- No. 2019-91 to grant a 10-year tax abatement for Webb Wheel Products, Inc., which is expected to make a capital investment of $2,909,741 in a construction/expansion project
- No. 2019-92 to grant a 10-year tax abatement for Goat Island Craft Brewing, LLC, which is expected to make a capital investment of $200,000 in a construction/expansion project
- No. 2019-93 to renew the contract with Air Evac for employee family coverage.
- No. 2019-94 to extend the bid for pipe with Bear Concrete Products, Inc. for an additional year
- No. 2019-95 to authorize the mayor to convey 1.23 acres to the Vinemont-Providence Volunteer Fire Department for the appraised value of $12,900
- No. 2019-96 to appoint officers of the City of Cullman
- No. 2019-97 to enter into an agreement with the First Responders Benefits Program to provide cancer insurance and long-term disability insurance coverage for city firefighters effective Jan. 1, 2020
- No. 2019-98 to enter into an agreement with The Prewitt Group to provide life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance coverage for city employees effective Jan. 1, 2020
The council held a first reading of Ordinance No. 2019-28 to vacate and surplus a 5-foot alley beside The Mary Carter Store, subject to a utility easement, and suspended regular rules of procedure to pass the measure at the same meeting.
The Cullman City Council usually meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m. in the Cullman City Hall auditorium. The public is invited to attend.
See the full video of the Sept. 30 meeting here.
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