Bryan Cheatwood won’t have to commute quite so far anymore to do a job he’s well prepared for. The Vinemont-area resident has joined the Cullman County Road Department as chief engineer, following a lengthy stint in the same position over in neighboring Winston County.

The Cullman County Commission recognized Cheatwood’s recent appointment at its regular meeting Tuesday, with chairman Kenneth Walker saying the commission is “honored” to add Cheatwood to its road department staff. Cheatwood, who served 13 years with the Winston County Commission — the past eight as chief engineer — replaces former county engineer John Lang, who resigned from the position late last year.

Cheatwood joins assistant engineer John Brunner, who’d been filling the chief engineer vacancy on a temporary basis since Lang’s departure. “I just consider it a great blessing to be able to serve the community here,” said Cheatwood.

In other business at its regular meeting Tuesday, the commission:

• Approved a 50/50 share toward funding a new 10,000 square-foot building at Cullman Regional Airport, with the City of Cullman picking up the other half of the estimated $400,000 project.
• Approved a declaration of emergency related to recent storm and flooding damage to county-maintained roads, bridges, and drainage areas. Requested by county EMA director Phyllis Little, the declaration is effective from Feb. 5, and will help expedite the process of applying for emergency repair funding, should Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declare a statewide emergency in connection with widespread flood damage across the state.
• Ratified the City of Cullman’s tax Abatement for a facility expansion at Rusken Packaging, Inc. against the company’s planned $7,800,000 investment in a major addition to its existing facility. City officials told the commission the 48,700 square-foot expansion is expected to create between 25 and 30 new jobs at a starting wage of $15 per hour.
• Approved the renewal of the county’s ad valorem tax levy for 2020. The renewal does not raise, adjust, or create any new taxes; rather, it fulfills the commission’s requirement to annually collect ad valorem taxes at existing rates.
• Awarded to C.H. Harris of Cullman a $761,304 bid for construction of a car wash and bath house at Stony Lonesome OHV Park. The bid undercuts park officials’ previous $774,820 budget estimate for the project.
• Authorized chairman Walker to sign a contract with Keefe Commissary Group for commissary services provided to inmates at the Cullman County Detention Center.
• Extended a standing bid for polypropylene pipe to Bear Concrete of Cullman.
• Awarded a standing bid for bituminous plant mix material for use by the road department to Good Hope Contracting, which was the lowest bidder for supplying the material.
• Approved associate commissioner Kerry Watson’s reappointment of Phillip Garrison to the Solid Waste Authority Board for a 4-year term expiring November 20, 2023.
• Approved the minutes of the commission’s January 28 regular meeting.
• The next regular commission meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the commission meeting room of the Cullman County Courthouse. A public work session will precede the meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the commission conference room.