GOOD HOPE — The Good Hope City Council passed an economic development incentive to help a local homebuilder build 10 new houses in the city. 

Silva Enterprises, owned by local resident Jeronimo Silva, will be building the houses on Reid Road in a subdivision called San Antonio.

During Monday night’s council meeting, the council approved an incentive to pay for the installation of a 20-inch gutter for the subdivision after no one spoke against or in favor of the resolution during a public hearing that was required by state law.

As part of the resolution, the council set a cap of $15,000 to be spent on the gutter, and any costs over that amount will have to be covered by Silva.

During the council’s meeting on Jan. 27, Good Hope Mayor Jerry Bartlett said the price for the gutter will be around $7.75 per foot for the 1,000 feet of gutter, meaning the price will likely be around $7,500.

He said every house built in Good Hope means more people moving into the city, and each house brings in an average of around $1,000 in sales tax every year, so providing an incentive to build more houses should make the city more than it is spending on the incentive.

“Every year, just in sales tax alone, we’re bringing in $10,000 extra from those 10 extra houses,” he said.

In other business, the council also heard from promoters for a new fair that will be coming to the city in April. 

Tom Pearson, speaking for Ultimate Fair, said the event will take place on April 7-11 at the plot of land at the corner of Hathcock Road and County Road 437, across from Good Hope’s City Hall and Municipal Park.

He said the fair will feature plenty of attractions for visitors, such as large rides, family rides and a midway circus, along with traditional fair foods like funnel cakes, Polish sausages and fried Oreos. 

Pearson said he and his wife looked at the location on Monday and spoke with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office about sending a deputy to help with traffic and any other issues that may occur, and everything is good to go to bring the fair to town.

“Everything will work perfect,” he said.