CULLMAN, Ala. – The Holly Pond Town Council on Monday evening voted to cancel its planned construction of a senior center when the lowest of three received bids came in well over $200,000 above the budget set by a grant received by the town. Terry Acuff of Community Consultants, with representatives of St. John and Associates, explained to the council that jumps in costs of materials coupled with supply chain and other issues have made such overages commonplace in recent days.
Plans for a 2,000 square foot building, which the town hoped to build for a little over $300,000 – including $250,000 received through a grant – came in at $529,344.18, even if the town did its own sewer lines and parking lot construction. In all, the lowest bid still left Holly Pond having to come up with another $231,224.18 out of pocket. The council voted instead to reject all three bids and return the grant money to the State, with hopes of reapplying for a higher grant amount in an upcoming cycle.
The town will still have to pay $30,417.72 in fees to Community Consultants and St. john and Associates but, as one councilman remarked, “That’s a lot better than $231,000.”
The council also voted to:
- Donate $700 to the Cullman County Library System’s summer program
- Accept all future money from the American Rescue Plan as a standard allowance that will allow the town to use all received money with less necessity for itemized reporting
- Authorize Mayor Carla Hart to contract for repairs to the town’s storm shelter, which has suffered water damage from leaks
- Adopt a resolution calling on the Alabama Department of Transportation to widen Highway 278 to four lanes between East Point and downtown Cullman and build a new bridge at St. Bernard. State Rep. Randall Shedd is circulating the resolution among municipal councils in the county.
The Holly Pond Town Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at the Guy Hunt Library. The public is invited to attend.
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