A longtime member of the Cullman economic development team passed away late Monday, only hours after receiving recognition from city leaders for her 25 years of service to the city, as well as the wider Cullman community over the years through her many outreach efforts.

Brenda Horn, who had worked for more than two decades in the CEDA office and served as a consultant to the city Industrial Development Board, passed away following a brief illness that prevented her from being present at the city council meeting Monday to receive her recognition in person. Many friends, colleagues, and members of Horn’s family attended the meeting in her stead to receive the honor on her behalf. Ms. Horn would have turned 80 years old in July.

Economic development director Dale Greer said Tuesday Horn was a focused, no-nonsense asset to the ID Board and to the city, as well as a good friend. Active in GOP politics at both the local and state level, she energetically advocated for causes and candidates she believed in, he added.

“In a note I had written to her family, I joked that I probably hadn’t voted in a single election over the past 25 years in which Brenda wasn’t already on top of it, telling me whom I should and shouldn’t vote for,” said Greer. “In seriousness, she was a very straightforward kind of person; with her, there was no grey area or any in-between. You knew where she stood. People have no clue how much she helped our city’s economic development efforts through the years. She was just a special person.”

A celebration of life visitation will be held for Brenda Nelson Horn on Friday, May 20 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Moss Service Funeral Home in Cullman. Her funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 21 at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church, followed by a graveside service at Cullman City Cemetery.

In other business at its regular meeting Monday, the city council:

• Formally declared vacant the Place 1 city council seat left empty since the passing earlier this year of former council member Andy Page.
• Adopted resolutions appointing Nathan Anderson and Jay Galloway as Park & Rec director and Waste Water Treatment superintendent, respectively.
• Adopted a resolution issuing a one-year moratorium on planned unit development in the City of Cullman.
• Approved a special event request from Christy Turner of Cullman Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism to hold this year’s Dinner on First Farm-to-Table fundraiser in the Warehouse District beginning at 6 p.m. on May 19.
• Approved a special event request from Michael Lake of The Kingdom Center Church to hold a fundraising concert and worship event at 102 Main Avenue NW on May 22 from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.
• Authorized an application for the 2023 fiscal year for matching state and federal funding improvement projects at Cullman Regional Airport.
• Held a first reading, but took no action on, a proposed ordinance to rezone property along Third Avenue SE from R-1 Residential to R-4 Residential.
• Held a first reading, but took no action on, a proposed ordinance to annex properties owned by Joseph and Emalie McGaughey on County Road 1300 and County Road 1301 into the city under R-1 Residential zoning.