City employees responsible for the bright decor around downtown Cullman were recognized at the Monday, Jan. 13, 2020 city council meeting.

The City of Cullman is growing just a little, thanks to a new property annexation that will add nearly 40 acres of land at the western edge of town.

At its regular meeting Monday, the Cullman City Council approved the annexation of 39 acres of property owned by Charlotte Cruce into the city. The property, located near Main Avenue Southwest, will enter the city zoned for R-2 residential use.

R-2 zoning allows property to be used primarily as single-family housing, and permits both detached homes and attached, townhouse-style dwellings. Parks, schools, playgrounds, libraries, and similar facilities are also permitted on a conditional basis, but R-2 zoned property may not be used for commercial or industrial purposes.

In other business at its regular meeting, the council:

• Appointed Samuel J. Dillender as the new superintendent of the city sanitation department, ahead of the retirement later this month of longtime superintendent Larry Jones.

• Confirmed and ratified the existing 7.5-mill ad valorem school tax that has been in place since 2012. Adopting an ordinance to affirm the tax, which will neither increase nor decrease the amount of tax presently collected, was done by both the city council and the Cullman County Commission at the request of the Cullman City School Board, which anticipates bond-issued capital improvement financing later this year.

• Approved the vacation of a utility easement on lot 57 in the Dirty Creek subdivision.

• Approved a request from Steve Smith of the Cullman High School Softball Boosters to hold a 10K run to support the softball program. the run will take place at 8 a.m. Feb. 8, and will embark from Desperation Church.

• Recognized city employees who decorated downtown for the holidays.

The next council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27 in the main auditorium at Cullman City Hall.