American flags are seen at the Cullman County Courthouse.

Still only a few months into its new schedule after implementing a new law that requires evening meetings, the Cullman County Commission is making a small but significant timing adjustment.

Beginning next month, the commission is moving the customary work session that precedes each of its monthly meetings from 4:30 p.m. to a new earlier time of 4 p.m., giving commissioners and meeting guests an extra half hour to go over, and then take a brief break from, the evening’s agenda before the regular meetings start at 6 p.m.

As before, the public is invited to attend both the work sessions and the meetings, and the change does nothing else to commission’s once-monthly meeting schedule. The new work session time of 4 p.m. is set to take effect beginning with the commission’s July 20 regular meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. on that day the commission meeting room of the Cullman County Courthouse.

In other business at its regular meeting this week, the commission:

• Approved a renegotiation of interest payment on its 2015-2016 water revenue bonds. A financial officer who helped construct the new payment plan said the county will save $330,000 annually (about $45,000 per month) in reduced interest payments, which will drop to an approximate rate of 1.5 percent.
• Ratified a City of Cullman property tax abatement for Goat Island Brewing, in the amount of $39,690.
• Ratified a City of Cullman property tax abatement for Aegis Fence Company in the amount of $84,825.
• Ratified a City of Cullman property tax abatement for J.E. Lortie, Inc. in the amount of $23,400.
• Approved a request by the town of Berlin to begin participating in the County’s joint bid program.
• Changed the speed limit along a portion of County Road 1301 to 15 mph.
• Recognized retiring CARTS employee Teresa Givens for 17 years of service.
• Ratified insolvencies, errors, and taxes in litigation for 2020; and uncollected insolvencies and taxes in litigation for pervious years, for Cullman County Revenue Office.
• Approved a supplemental easement adjustment to accommodate TVA’s installation of fiber optic cable at two properties to which it already has easement access for other infrastructure.
• Condemned property to extend aviation easements for flight safety near the Cullman Regional Airport.
• Approved the county economic development office’s request to apply for a competitive $400,000 Community Development Block Grant for the resurfacing of County Road 18. If awarded, the county would contribute an additional $300,000 toward the project.
• Authorized local matching funds for federal awards to fund the Cullman Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) for the 2022 fiscal year.
• Authorized commission chairman Jeff Clemons to sign a monthly service plan with ADS for a security upgrade at the county water department shop, at a startup cost of $3,327.50 and a monthly service charge of $32.35.
• Awarded a construction contract to low bidder Wiregrass Construction Company, Inc. for the runway rehabilitation project at Cullman Regional Airport, pending FAA approval.
• Amended a budget amendment to accommodate $30,500 in new camera and fiber optic cable equipment for the airport’s security system.
• Appointed Travis Kress and chairman Clemons to the local tourism bureau.
• Approved the surplus of a variety of miscellaneous office equipment to be sold at govdeals.com.
• Approved the $14,000 purchase of a transceiver box, antenna, and laptop computer for the water department.
• Postponed action on a decision whether to participate in the Invest Alabama program in partnership with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama.
• Approved a change in language in the county employee handbook concerning employees’ participation in political action committees to reflect current Alabama law.
• Designated the office of Dr. James Thomas on Cherokee Avenue as a collection site for county drug and alcohol testing.
• Approved a plat proposal for Oakview subdivision on County Road 1435.
• Approved a plat proposal for Magnolia Ridge subdivision along County Road 71.
• Approved a plat proposal for Serenity Pointe subdivision near County Road 338.
• Awarded to Warrior Tractor a bid for the leasing of two rubber-tired excavators.
• Rescinded a bid for a road bed processor, and awarded the bid to second-lowest bidder to Scott’s Excavating & Hauling Inc., after the equipment to be obtained via the initial bidder did not meet the contingent inspection requirement.
• Approved the minutes of the May 18 regular commission meeting.