By Trent Moore

trentm@cullmantimes.com

Mayor Paul Barnett and the Holly Pond town council considered their options regarding the Cullman Electric Co-op franchise fee in their community Monday night at the town’s monthly meeting.

The council has the choice of dropping the 3 percent franchise fee, which is currently charged to Cullman Electric Co-op customers in Holly Pond, or continuing to allow the Co-op to collect the fee, with the money then being handed over to the town.

Barnett recommended the town continue with the fee, and place the funds in a special account to pay for a sheriff’s deputy to patrol the community.

“I recommend we put it into a separate fund to fund a deputy.”

The fee currently collects approximately $38,000 a year from Holly Pond residents.

A deputy arrangement similar to the one proposed by Barnett, between the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and Dodge City, costs the municipality approximately $37,000 annually.

Barnett said he believes hiring a deputy is the right move and would be an asset for the community.

“With us paying his salary we would have some input as to when and where he patrols,” he said. “That’s what I’d like to see us do.”

The town council has until October to make a decision regarding the franchise fee and plans to discuss the matter further at next month’s meeting.

More information on the proposed town storm shelter was also presented at the meeting, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rejected the original design because it would have been attached to the town hall’s current basement.

FEMA believed that by connecting the proposed shelter to the existing basement, the facility would not be safe enough to meet the agency’s 361 safety standards.

“A retrofit (of the current basement) may be possible, but it would be very costly,” Barnett said.

The town is now working with Leonard Design and the Cullman County Economic Development Office on a new storm shelter design and grant application that will not be connected to the current town hall.

The re-designed shelter will be approximately 30 x 65 feet in size. The council hopes to send a new shelter design to FEMA soon.

Budgeting has not yet been discussed, and hinges on if the town receives a government grant for the construction of the shelter.

The council also:

‰ Received Mayor Barnett’s announcement that he will not be seeking reelection in the upcoming local election.

‰ Discussed the recent completion of street work to widen Turkey Hop Road East from a one-lane to a two-lane throughway. The town collaborated with the Cullman County Road Department on the project. The cost of the work is not yet known, as the town has not yet received a bill from the road department.

‰ Received an request from Red Cross Executive Director Kenneth Kilgo, encouraging the town to donate to the local Red Cross.

‰ Decided to lease a new Toshiba copier from Oce for $140 per month to be used at the town hall.

‰ Decided to allow the Holly Pond school band to practice at the baseball field temporarily.

‰ Discussed the possibility of adding two sets of bleachers to the town t-ball field. The matter will be further discussed at the next meeting.

‰ Discussed the option of adding a veteran’s memorial at the town park.

‰ Voted to keep three portable restroom facilities at the town park until the end of July. New bathroom facilities at the park should be ready to open by the end of the month. The rental fee for the three units is $300 per month, which is paid from the general fund.