WEST POINT — Recent changes in the Cullman County Road Department’s policies on residential culvert installations may soon be mirrored by the town of West Point.

On Monday, Dec. 18, West Point Mayor Gerald Schafer discussed an ordinance which would pass along the costs of having a culvert placed under newly installed driveways to the town’s residents. Schafer said residents have always been required to purchase their own culverts, however under the current policy, the costs of installation and the needed gravel have fallen on the town’s shoulders.

Schafer said the proposed policy comes after he became aware of a similar policy change at the Cullman County Road Department, who the town has typically outsourced its culvert installations.

“We would hire the county to do the few yards we’ve had because they were always real reasonable, but apparently they’ve stopped doing all of that. That’s the way I understand it,” Schafer said.

County engineer Phillip Widener told The Times on Wednesday, Dec. 20, how the county’s policy went into effect last month after increasing labor and material costs had begun to financially strain the department. County Commissioner Jeff Clemons said the county has been losing roughly $300,000 each year from culvert installations.

Moving forward, Widener said the road department will be using a system similar to the Alabama Department of Transportation that would require residents go through a permitting process with the county and, once approved, be responsible for sourcing their own installations.

Town attorney, Dan Willingham said because of the low amount of tax revenue within the town, the cost of outsourcing to another third party would be unfeasible.

“Y’all don’t have a tax base, you have an ad valorem tax and you have a sales tax. The city of Cullman has enough taxation that they can choke a mule, but a citizen in West Point doesn’t pay enough taxes for you all to supply them a culvert or, frankly, the mechanism to put it in,” Willingham said.

Willingham had already put together a rough draft of an ordinance which would implement the proposed changes, but said it lacked specifics such as the specifications for the culvert itself and how costs would be distributed.

A final version of the ordinance is expected to be presented to the council in January 2024.

In other business the council:

• Approved a one-time pay increase of $2,000 for town clerk Joann Jones.
• Approved a $300 donation toward the town’s Senior Center Christmas meal.