Ongoing improvements at the Cullman Regional Airport received a boost this month, as the Cullman County Commission signed off on a matching contribution, alongside the city of Cullman, to fund the local share of a $229,000 upgrade project paid primarily through a Alabama Department of Transportation grant.

At its August regular meeting, the commission agreed to chip in the required $28,000 in matching local funds (the city of Cullman is doing the same), in the process fulfilling the grant’s 75/25 percentage match stipulation. The larger balance of the project will be paid through the ALDOT award.

Airport manager Ben Harrison explained that the measure simply extends into a second phase the ongoing work at the airport to complete work already under way to upgrade the facility’s taxiway surfaces. “This is an extension of the grant that we had last year,” he said. “We were not able to complete some of the grant last year, because we did not have enough money to do the paving. … This is the second phase of that grant.”

In other business at its regular meeting, the commission:

— Approved the county’s Transportation Plan for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to satisfy eligibility terms for the use of project funds authorized by the Rebuild Alabama Act.

— Allocated county-designated federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the purchase of a new paving machine, a shoulder widener and three tractors to be used by the Road Department.

— Authorized the purchase of a 2019 John Deere compact loader from Ft. Payne Water Authority, to be used by the road department, in the amount of $58,000.

— Authorized chairman Jeff Clemons to sign a change order from Stateline Mechanical, in the amount of $12,583, for ongoing HVAC improvement work at the Cullman County Courthouse.

— Authorized JMB Holding, LLC to finalize grading work, in the amount of $19,715, at the county’s new Pandemic Response Center.

— Approved a lease buyout, in the amount of $81,901.29, from CAT Financial for two hydraulic excavators.

— Approved an agreement with Cullman Electric Cooperative for outdoor lighting and a right of way easement for the supply of electrical power power at Smith Lake Park.

— Approved an agreement with Vector Security, in the amount of $13,975, to upgrade the existing fire alarm system at the county’s Economic Development and Sales Tax building.

— Approved a payment to ServPro for remediation at the County Board of Education building, in the amount of $19,144.18.

— Approved the reappointment of Terry Bentley, a nominee of associate commissioners Watson and Duke, to the E-911 Board for a four-year term expiring on Sept. 1, 2028.

— Approved the reappointment of Samuel Tucker, a nominee of associate commissioners Marchman and Freeman, to the E-911 Board for a four-year term expiring on Sept. 1, 2028.

— Approved the appointment of Brian Bradberry, a nominee of the City of Cullman, to the E-911 Board for a four-year term expiring on Sept. 1, 2028.

— Approved the appointment of commission nominee Kenneth Cornelius to the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association for a two-year term expiring on Sept. 30, 2026.

— Approved the renewal of stop-loss insurance offered by Lloyds’ of London at an estimated annual premium of $685,318, a figure which represents a 1 percent increase in the county’s annual cost. The renewed coverage also includes a single deductible increase for a specific claim type to $150,000, and takes effect beginning Oct. 1 of this year.

— Approved the renewal of air ambulance service with AirMedCare, covering all active Cullman County employees who are eligible for employee benefits, at an estimated annual county-funded premium of $32,500. The renewal, which applies to the 2024-2025 fiscal year, takes effect beginning Oct. 1 of this year.

— Ratified the purchase of a Ford F600 Super Duty truck, to be used by the Sanitation Department, in the amount of $164,601.

— Approved a preliminary plat proposal for the re-subdivision of the Broadway/Eva Subdivision, a minor subdivision containing two lots, located in Commission District 1 on County Road 1435.

— Approved a preliminary plat proposal for Catalina Crest Subdivision, a major subdivision containing 12 lots, located in Commission District 4 on County Road 287.

— Approved a preliminary plat proposal for the re-subdivision of the Green Acres Subdivision, a minor subdivision containing six lots located in Commission District 2 on — County Road 1223.

— Approved a preliminary plat proposal for The Reserve Retirement Village Subdivision, a major subdivision containing 21 lots, located in Commission District 3 on County Road 717.

— Approved a preliminary plat proposal for Chaney Branch Farms Subdivision, a major subdivision containing 18 lots located in Commission District 2 at the corner of County Road 1191 and County Road 1196.

— Extended an existing bid to North Alabama Chemical for jail supplies and chemicals; another bid to Central Paper for laundry and kitchen chemicals; and another to Apeiro Solutions for fogging machine chemicals. All of the bids were extended for a duration of one year.

— Extended for one year an existing bid to Berco, Inc. (DBA Havoline Express Lube) for service of the Sheriff’s Office and various other county vehicles.

— Approved the surplus of numerous Road Department items to be auctioned online at Gov Deals.com or by any other necessary means. Below is a list of the surplussed items:

– 1991 International 4900 (VIN # 1HTSHNGR5MH340709

– 2003 Ford F-150 (VIN # 2FTRX18W63CA45006)

– 2007 Ford F-150 (VIN # 1FTPW14V47K94591)

– 1999 International 8100 (VIN # 1HSHBADN2XH699692)

– 2008-2011 John Deere 5101260640)

– 2006 Massey Ferguson Model MF5465 (VIN # R023019F25222AF411A)

– 2019 Wacker Neuson ST31 (Serial #WNCS0506VPUM01317)

— Approved the surplus of the numerous Parks Department items, to be auctioned online at GovDeals.com or by any other necessary means. Below is a list of the surplussed items:

– One (1) air-up slide

– Two (2) air-up bounce house

– 2006 Turf Golf Cart (Serial # RG0639-685620)

– 2008 Club Car Golf Cart (KG0823-909465)

– One (1) Green Bridge — 36 ft X7ft

– One (1) Yellow Bridge — 36 ft X7 ft

– One (1) Yellow Bridge — 36 ft X5 ft

– Thirteen (13) 7-foot aluminum ladders

– One (1) Morse Drum Handler

The next regular meeting of the Cullman County Commission will be Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. in the commission meeting room of the Cullman County Courthouse. A public 4 p.m. work session will precede the meeting at the same location.