The city of Cullman signed off on what council president Jenny Folsom described as a “flat” $55.5 million budget Monday, Sept. 23, just more than a week ahead of its effective date of October 1.

Folsom said there was less than a one-half percent increase from the previous year’s revenues. However, each council member discussed some of the budget’s key changes in respect to their individual committee assignments.

Folsom, who in addition to her role as council president chairs the city’s General Government Committee, said she was pleased to report all city employees would be receiving a 4 percent salary increase as well as a planned one-time $800 supplement to their paychecks in November. She also added that the city would be absorbing the 4.75 percent increase in employee’s insurance costs.

Public Safety Committee Chair Brad Smith said the Cullman Police Department would be adding additional patrol units and implementing Master Patrolman and Master Sergeant positions into the departments newly restructured salary schedule. Smith said the city would also be restructuring the salary schedule for the city’s emergency dispatchers as well as adding an additional dispatch console with the goal of adding another dispatcher in the future.

One of the main highlights of the public safety budget, Smith said, was the digitization of the city’s municipal court records which he said he hoped created a more streamlined and effective system.

“A lot of this stuff that is older and on paper is being moved over onto computers. Obviously a lot of that has been pretty backed up and hopefully this will streamline the court system here in city court,” Smith said.

Utilities Committee Chairman David Moss and Public Works Committee Chairman Johnny Cook both said there would be no increases in the city’s residential water, sewer or sanitation rates.

Moss also said the $10 million paving budget was the city’s largest to date. This included the 4th Street SW streetscape project, the Logan Street Community Development Block Grant neighborhood improvement project and the installation of a new traffic light at the intersection of Main Avenue and Sheradon Street.

Moss said the city had submitted its grant for widening U.S. Hwy. 278 near St. Bernard which would also be included in the budget if approved.

“We feel good about what we’ve submitted but we’ll know more about that either at the end of the year or the first of next year,” Moss said.

Tourism Committee Chairman Clint Hollingsworth the ongoing construction of the OmniPlex Sports and Civic Center was one of the most anticipated projects within the budget. He anticipated its completion within the year but said the city had planned for several other parks projects which were expected to begin during the next year.

Hollingsworth said grant funds would soon bring pickleball and basketball courts to East Side Park along with playground renovations and the installation of a new dog park. He said the renovation of the Heritage Park splash pad and playground were also expected to begin soon.

Mayor Woody Jacobs drew from a lesson he credited the late, former councilmember Andy Page for instilling in him as he praised the council and department head’s capability to come together and work as a single cohesive unit.

“One of the things I want to talk about it is a term coach Page had while he was with this council that we’ve really picked up on and kept around. That term is teamwork,” Jacobs said. “It really makes a difference in these things that we’ve got going on here in town.”

Jacobs also praised the city’s ability and willingness to work together with the area’s State and Federal representatives to secure funding for local projects. He said within the last four years over $25 million in federal grants had provided funding for local projects. City officials estimated this was roughly twice the amount of federal funding the city received from 2016 to 2020.

“That helps all kinds of different projects that have happened in the city of Cullman from water lines, sewer lines and streets,” Jacobs said. “That goes back to that teamwork phrase. Having relationships with those people [Representatives] matters…People used to say ‘Why do y’all go to Washington D.C.?’ and my answer always is ‘That’s where they keep the big checkbook.’”

In other business the council:

— Set a public hearing on October 21 to consider and act upon all objections or protests for the removal of an unsafe structure located at 1509 Bower Drive SW.

— Approved a special event request from Christy Brock for a block party on a portion of 10th Street NE on September 28 and 29 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

— Approved to restructure the Fire and Rescue Department’s work cycle in accordance with the Fair Labor and Standards Act.

— Adopted the employee pay matrixes, job descriptions and classifications.

— Adopted the position control for the fiscal year 2025.

— Approved the community service contracts for fiscal year 2025.

— Approved the city’s continued support of the Cullman City Schools’ capital improvement plan.

— Proclaimed the third Wednesday in October as Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day.

— Awarded the bid of $48,900 for an asphalt road widening machine to Brown Equipment Company, LLC.

— Awarded the bid of $ 79,500 for electrical materials for Depot Park improvements to West Cullman Electric.

— Awarded the bid of $201,394 for taxilane maintenance at Cullman Regional Airport to Ameriseal of Ohio, Inc..

— Approved $33,023.19 in change orders at the OmniPlex Sports and Civic Center.