GOOD HOPE — The Good Hope City Council approved a sewer contract with Cullman to help bring a new business into the city on County Road 222, and also had the first reading of an ordinance for another new business to lease the old Cotton Gin property during Monday night’s meeting. 

Good Hope is currently working to expand its sewer system into the area around exit 305 on I-65, and the sewer agreement with Cullman will allow the new business that is looking to move into the city to have wastewater services faster than Good Hope would be able to provide them.

Mayor Jerry Bartlett said the business can be added to Good Hope’s sewer system once the city is able to expand into the area, but Cullman is also willing to keep the agreement indefinitely if the business wants to stay on Cullman’s system. 

“When we expand out there, they could come on to us, but if they chose not to, they could stay,” he said. 

During the council’s Feb. 6 meeting, Mayor Jerry Bartlett said the plan is for a sewer line to run under Reid Road to the property from the Cullman sewer manhole in front of the new Palomino RV Resort on County Road 222.

As part of the agreement, the owner of the property will be responsible for building a small pump station on the land and paying the sewer tie-on fee, and Good Hope will be responsible for paying for the sewer line to be installed, he said.

Bartlett said the two cities will soon meet to work out the final details of the agreement, but he anticipates Good Hope’s total costs to be around $40,000 to $50,000.

The council also had the first reading of an ordinance for a lease agreement with Stash House Properties, LLC for the property that formerly contained the Cotton Gin restaurant.

Bartlett said the lessee will be opening a “multifaceted business” on the property and will be expanding the current building on the property and making other improvements, and it should be a business that local residents will be excited to see come into the city. 

“We really think that this has the potential to really be good,” he said.

Good Hope purchased the property, located at 123 Lindsey Road, for $500,000 in January with the intent to sell or lease it to any restauranteur who may have been looking to move into the city.

The agreement would be for a lease with option to purchase with Stash House Properties, and the council will likely have the second reading and consideration of the ordinance during its next meeting on March 8. 

Bartlett also updated the council on the installation of new LED lights on exit 304 of I-65. He said the installation will be taking place during this week to replace the old lights with the new brighter, more energy efficient ones. 

The city paid $56,388.50 for the lights and the labor to have them installed on the interstate on-ramps and off-ramps, and the council passed a motion for Bartlett to surplus the old lights and try to sell them on GovDeals.com.