Heavy rains damaged the bridge at County Road 1447 in April 2020.

Flooding over the past year has rendered a number of bridges along rural county roads either damaged or completely unusable. But with paving season around the corner, the funds in place, and materials contracts awarded, the Cullman County Road Department is getting set to change that.

At its regular meeting this week, the Cullman County Commission awarded bids for materials to repair and replace four bridges on rural roads. Both bids — one for reinforcing steel; the other for structural steel — went to Apel Machine & Supply Co. of Cullman, with county road department crews handling project labor.

County engineer said three of the four bridges have remained completely impassable since being damaged during severe weather events last year, while a fourth has continued to operate on a limited-access basis. This week’s approval for materials, he added, will supply the repair and replacement work for all four.

The county previously had sought a combined $1.2 million in grant funds, with a 25 percent local match, through the state’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to fund repair and replacement work for six bridges affected by flooding. Bridges targeted by the grant project, which the commission began pursuing in February, included portions of County Roads 986, 1273, 1352, 1427, 1447, and 1508.

Visit the road department’s website as paving season gets underway at http://www.co.cullman.al.us/road-department.html to view currently scheduled projects throughout Cullman County.

In other business at its regular meeting, the commission:

• Adopted the Division F Phase I regional Hazard Mitigation Plan for 2022, in association with regional councils of governments and other north Alabama Emergency Management Agencies. Division F is one of seven regions statewide under the Alabama EMA’s division system, and includes Cullman County.
• Approved a non-education tax abatement for Brothers Concrete Supply, LLC, a new business locating in unincorporated Cullman County near Dodge City. The measure will abate $148,000 in ad valorem taxes over a 10-year period on the company’s $9,532,875 investment, which is expected to create 22 jobs with average annual pay of $60,000.
• Approved a collaboration between city and county administrators to approach investors for financing of capital improvements at the Cullman Regional Airport, including construction of a 100’ x 100’ hangar, the purchase of two adjacent properties, and other measures.
• Authorize Clemons and the county attorney to sign the federal FY 2022 certifications and assurances for Federal Transit Administration assistance programs, which contribute to the operational cost of the Cullman Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS).
• Approved chairman Clemons’ appointment of James Golden to the county 310 Board overseeing services for the developmentally disabled, filling a seat made vacant by the death of former board member Peggy Day.
• Authorized Clemons to renew for one year a lease agreement, at a cost of $100 per month, with the Town of Dodge City for office space to be used by the county probate and revenue offices.
• Authorized an agreement to accept an ELC (Emerging Infectious Diseases) detection and mitigation grant in the amount of $532,049 for the Cullman County Detention Center through the Alabama Department of Public Health. If approved, the grant would fund 100 percent of the cost of new COVID-19 safety and distancing measures at the jail.
• Approved an engineering services contract, pending a review from the Alabama Department of Transportation, for a planned maintenance project to extend the operational life of pavement at the Cullman Regional Airport.
• Approved a lease agreement with Enterprise LLC for five 2022 Ford F-150 XL 4×4 SuperCrew cab trucks for the water department, in the amount of $35,664 each.
• Approved a one-year contract with Ameritek for managed print services for the county revenue office at a cost of $423.50 per quarter.
• Extended until DEc. 31 of this year an expiring tax abatement period for HH Technologies, owing to the company’s delay in completing project work due to supply and labor issues that have prolonged its completion timeline.
• Voted to amend the county employee handbook to permanently allow new employees access to all earned sick and vacation time, as it accrues, during their initial probationary period.
• Extended until June 3 of this year the annual leave carryover for county employees who have more than 480 hours of accrued leave time.
• Amended a previously-approved item to reflect the purchase of a 2022 John Deere 325G compact track loader for Stony Lonesome OHV park at a cost of $65,868.13. The amendment comes after previous attempts to acquire a U.S.-made tractor under the Buy American Act had failed to identify a machine that met the requirement.
• Approved a preliminary plat proposal for Priscilla subdivision, a minor subdivision containing three lots located off County Road 1725 and County Road 1721.
• Awarded a bid to Pyro Shows of Alabama, Inc. for the annual 4th of July fireworks display at Smith Lake Park in the amount of $32,000.
• Awarded a bid for five midsize police pursuit SUVs for the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office to Stivers Ford in the amount of $42,505.99 each. County administrator John Bullard said the vehicles have not been available for purchase via the state bid list because of persisting supply chain issues, necessitating that the county bid out the purchases independently.
• Proclaimed the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Cullman County.

The next commission meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 19 in the commission meeting room at the Cullman County Courthouse. A public 4 p.m. work session at the same location will precede the meeting.