Progress toward breaking ground on Berlin’s first municipal park took a significant step this week as the Berlin Town Council agreed to retain an architect to help guide the project — which is partially funded by outside grants — as it enters the construction phase.

At its regular September meeting, the council unanimously agreed to name Birmingham-based CCR Architecture & Interiors as project architect for Berlin’s new park, the initial phase of which is expected to be completed and ready for visitors by springtime of next year. Grant guidelines require that certain aspects of the project’s development fall under an architect’s professional scope, resulting in the town’s hiring of the firm this week.

The park project’s first phase will include a new pavilion for Berlin’s current farmers market, located near the eastern edge of the same municipal property where the market in its current form already operates. At the same site, the town also will erect a children’s playground and add restroom facilities, storage and a new parking area intended to serve both the market and visitors to the park.

In other business at its regular meeting, the council:

— Approved the town’s budget for the upcoming 2024-2025 fiscal year. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 of this year through Sept. 30 of 2025.

— Recognized town clerk Keirstyn Montgomery upon her completion of the Certified Government Accounting Technician certification program at the University of Alabama. Concurrently, the council approved raising the clerk’s salary to $60,000 per year while adjusting the clerk’s schedule to that of a full-time in-office position at the town hall. The move marks a change from the clerk’s current schedule, which requires that the clerk split time between in-office duties and outside operation of the Berlin Farmers Market. The council indicated it will seek to bolster Farmers Market operations by hiring a part-time assistant manager ahead of the facility’s opening next spring for the 2025 growing season.

‚ Approved the $1,500 purchase of a used backup battery from Cullman-based Personal Liberty Media Group, LLC, to support town hall and storm shelter emergency operations. Mayor Patrick Bates, an employee of the seller, abstained from the otherwise-unanimous vote.

— Approved the minutes of the council’s Aug. 19 regular meeting.

The council’s next regular meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21 at the Berlin Town Hall. A public 6:30 p.m. work session will precede the meeting at the same location.