Cleared to use a portion of the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on local infrastructure, the Cullman County Commission this month is eyeing outside engineering help to upgrade portions of its water system.

At its regular March meeting, the commission selected Goodwyn Mills & Cawood (GMC) as its first choice to conduct engineering work on federally-funded upgrades to the water delivery system overseen by the county water department.

Using an evaluation score sheet to narrow down available firms to do the work, the Birmingham-based company rated highest, followed closely by Cullman’s St. John & Associates, which the commission flagged as a qualified alternate to carry out design work, should GMC negotiations stall.

In other business at its regular meeting, the commission:

• Proclaimed the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention awareness month in Cullman County.
• Extended the county’s abatement of non-educational ad valorem taxes to HH Technologies through June 30 of this year, with the targeted project having been extended by two months beyond its original April completion.
• Designated May as spring clean-up month, with information about this year’s free dump day at the Cullman County Landfill and other cleanup incentives to be announced soon.
• Agreed to pay $69,448.33 to County Risk Services as outstanding fees owed to the third-party group for the county’s annual worker’s compensation audit.
• Approved associate commissioner Garry Marchman’s nomination of Grace Potter to the Wellstone board of directors for a 6-year term.
• Approved chairman Jeff Clemons’ nomination of Josh O’Neal as a reappointed member of the Wellstone board of directors for a 6-year term.
• Approved the purchase and installation of 5 door access controls at the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office from ADS at a cost of $14,941.49, to be drawn from budgeted detention center funds..
• Approved the installation of push-to-talk backup radio systems for county emergency services at a cost of $11,179.22.
• Approved the purchase of upgraded meter-reading and server software for the Cullman County Water Department from Sensus FlexNet in the amount of $101,487.
• Approved a plat proposal for Radford Place II — 2nd addition, a minor subdivision consisting of nine lots located on County Road 1251.
• Agreed to release the bond for Kingfisher Subdivision phases 1A and 1B, with all construction having been completed and passed final inspection.
• Agreed to purchase two truck beds, via the state bid list, from Warren Truck & Trailer, Inc. at a cost of $38,288.
• Awarded a bid for a single-axle dump truck to NexTran Truck Centers in the amount of $119,705.
• Awarded a bid for bituminous plant mix (furnished and installed) to Whitaker Contracting and WireGrass Construction Company, based on availability and vicinity to local project sites.
• Awarded a standing bid for guardrail for use by the road department to Alabama Guardrail.
• Awarded a standing bid for polypropylene pipe to Bear Concrete Products of Cullman.
• Awarded a standing bid for herbicides and adjuvants to Helena and SiteOne Landscape, based on availability and vicinity to local project sites.
• Awarded a bid for bituminous plant mix (product only) to Whitaker Contracting and WireGrass Construction Company, based on availability and vicinity to local project sites.
• Approved the minutes of the commission’s Feb. 23 regular meeting.

The next commission meeting will be held Tuesday, April 18 at 6 pm. in the commission meeting room of the Cullman County Courthouse. A 4 p.m. public work session will precede the meeting.