After months of pauses and delays, efforts to overhaul the HVAC and ventilation system at the Cullman County Courthouse look to be back on track, with the Cullman County Commission approving a design and engineering provider this week to oversee the upcoming project.

At its regular meeting Tuesday, the commission entered into an agreement with Montgomery-based JMR+H Architecture, PC for architectural and engineering services related to the installation of a new UV light air-scrubbing ventilation system at the courthouse, with funds for the project drawn from the county’s portion of COVID-19 relief provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Under the agreement, JMR+H would oversee the overall project, bid out specific jobs to third-party contractors as needed, and perform architectural and engineering services. County administrator John Bullard noted that the commission would retain discretion over the purchase of individual items and service work under the agreement, and reserves the right to decline any project expenditure it deems too costly or unworkable.

In other business at its regular meeting, the commission:

• Adopted a resolution recognizing the official U.S. Congressional District map and legal description approved by the Alabama Legislature, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Feb. 7 decision to put on hold a lower court’s ruling that the map violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
• Approved the county’s participation with other local governments statewide in class action litigation against pharmaceutical company Endo International, with the county set to receive approximately $118,000 of the class action settlement. The county would be required to use the money to address opioid abuse in Cullman County.
• Authorized county attorney Emily Johnston to file complaints against alleged violators of campsite occupancy policies at Smith Lake Park.
• Approved the purchase of a gate system from Gorrie-Reagan in the amount of $23,201, to be installed at the entrance of Smith Lake Park.
• Approved the appointment of Gaither Mills as deputy coroner for Cullman County, at the request of current coroner Jeremy Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick noted that the appointment will assist him in meeting the occasional exigent needs of the coroner’s round-the-clock schedule, and that the deputy coroner’s pay — $20 per day and $25 per callout — would by law be taken from his own salary.
• Approved a preliminary plat proposal for Pointe Sixteen subdivision, a major subdivision containing 74 lots located off County Road 204. During the public comments portion of the meeting, Ted Eaton, a resident who lives in the area, voiced concerns over the development’s effect on road integrity and safety conditions on County Road 204. County engineer Bryan Cheatwood agreed that heavy construction traffic could pose a nuisance for current residents and a safety issue for motorists, and said that the county plans to improve the roadway by clearing roadside visual obstructions and performing culvert work ahead of the summer construction season.
• Agreed to participate in the joint bidding program for members of Investing Alabama Counties (IAC).
• Recognized Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce president Peggy Smith for earning the David R. Echols Distinguished Service Award, given by the Economic Development Association of Alabama, for her service as the longtime former director of the Cullman Economic Development Agency.
• Proclaimed the month of February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness month in Cullman County.
• Recognized director Doug Davenport and county parks department staff for the success of the 19th annual Sportsman Lake Christmas light display, which welcomed 12,604 vehicles over the past holiday season.
• Held a public hearing to consider the proposed vacating of an undeveloped portion of County Road 630. No county residents voiced concerns at the hearing, and the commission subsequently approved the vacation and authorized Cheatwood to Cheatwood to sign a blanket right of way deed for the property.
• Approved a medical payments policy for inmates at the Cullman County Detention Center that pegs the county’s portion of the cost of each treatment procedure to the CPT (current procedural terminology) code listed on each bill.
• Amended two agenda items approved at the commission’s January meeting to correct clerical errors reflecting descriptions of items approved for purchase. Neither amendment altered the final purchase cost of the approved items.
• Approved a single $15,000 allocation to the Cullman County Hazmat Team, with the team to match the county’s contribution, for an equipment purchase.
• Approved the purchase of a 2,000 gallon Etnyre Centennial Black-topper asphalt distributor, to be purchased from the Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA) joint bid program at a cost of $223,679.
• Approved the purchase of a 20-foot, 12-inch augur Etnyre chipspreader through the ACCA joint bid program at a cost of $370,361.90.
• Approved a contract between the commission and Birmingham-based Post Panda Promotions to process entertainer agreements for 2022 festivals at county parks.
• Approved the purchase of election reporting management computer equipment for $3,694, with funds provided through the Help America Vote Act.
• Approved the reappointment of Ginger Hicks to the Regional Housing Authority Board for a five-year term ending in February of 2027.
• Approved associate commissioner Garry Marchman’s appointment of Brian Monk to the Veterans Memorial Park advisory board.
• Approved a preliminary plat proposal for Arrowhead Creek subdivision, a minor subdivision containing six lots located on County Road 515.
• Approved a preliminary plat proposal for Crooked Crane subdivision, a minor subdivision containing 16 lots located on County Road 936.
• Rejected and authorized the rebidding of service to stage this a fireworks display this summer at Smith Lake Park.
• Awarded a bid to Pepsi to service and supply county parks at Smith Lake, Sportsman Lake, Clarkson Covered Bridge, Stony Lonesome OHV Park, and the Cullman County Agricultural Center.
• Approved the minutes of the commission’s Jan. 25 regular meeting.
• The next regular commission meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on March 15 in the commission meeting room at the Cullman County Courthouse. A 4:30 p.m. public work session will precede the meeting.