By Tiffany Green

STAFF WRITER

GARDEN CITY — The Garden City town council decided to hold off on pay increases for town employees at Monday night’s monthly meeting.

“Budget concerns was the main reason we are holding off the pay increase,” said Paula Kretzschmar, council member citing the struggling economy.

Town clerk Pam Leslie and town maintenance manager Eric Allred recently asked for pay raises to whatever the council deemed appropriate. Leslie currently makes $16.99 an hour and single health insurance is included. Leslie, who did not attend Monday night’s meeting, stated in a previous interview she normally works 40 – 45 hours per week and has been the town clerk for five years.

Allred currently makes $16.79 and hour and works 40 hours a week.

Mayor Harden Davis said it will be discussed after the first of the year.

In other business Davis reported on the proposed tornado shelters. He said the town would be given three years to build them and they want to build five.

“They will be F5 tornado shelters and each would hold 96 people with a bathroom and first aid station,” Davis said.

President of the town’s historical society, Mary Seibert, who has been remodeling the Little Schoolhouse historic building, was at the meeting to report on the progress being made.

“It’s beautiful on the inside,” she said.

Except for the plumbing and electrical, all the work has been done with the help of volunteers.

“There is still work that needs to be done,” she said. “We didn’t have enough money so we did the work ourselves.”

Seibert said the Little Schoolhouse is one of the oldest in the state and wants people to appreciate it.

“Our Little Schoolhouse is priceless,” she said. “We need to be proud of it.”

Kretzschmar discussed the upcoming carnival to be held at the park on Halloween and invited everyone to come.

Council member and county school bus driver Tim Eskew commended the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office for patrolling the area in the mornings making bus stops and the town safer.



In other business, the council:

‰ Approved the budget.

‰ Passed ordinance 08-192, a fire service fees.

‰ Passed a motion to donate a defibrillator to Cullman County Rescue Squad.

‰ Passed a motion to allow FEMA to use town hall facilities.

‰ Passed a motion to continue the association with the Chamber of Commerce by paying the $120.75 fee.



‰ Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 221.