BERLIN — After several years of delays, the town of Berlin opened the doors to its long-awaited community storm shelter Monday, June 17.

Providing the Berlin community with a stronghold to weather severe storms has been a goal among local officials since the town first began seeking funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency more than three years ago. Those plans eventually stalled until the town was awarded an $75,000 grant from the North Central Alabama Regional Council last summer.

The town approved an additional $25,000 to cover the project’s remaining expenses in March, as well as accepted a donation of leftover supplies to outline the shelter’s ADA compliant parking spaces from the town of South Vinemont.

The shelter, which sits on the opposite end of the parking lot from Berlin Town Hall along County Road 1615, is designed to accommodate 70 people and has been outfitted with built-in restrooms, wireless internet access points and an on-site generator.

Mayor Patrick Bates said the ribbon cutting ceremony, held just before the town’s regular monthly meeting Monday, marks the completion of Berlin’s second major infrastructure project — the first being the nearby Berlin Farmer’s Market.

However, not to be caught resting on its laurels, the town of Berlin is now looking to revamp — and relocate — the market less than five years from when it opened in 2020.

Bates discussed site plans he received from St. Johns and Associates which displayed the necessary ground work to expand and relocate the market to a more central location closer to U.S. Hwy. 278. The plans also include a new walking trail to provide the community with an extra recreational resource at their disposal.

Bates said some slight changes would need to be made before those plans were finalized, but expects to begin the bidding process within the coming months.

Until then, residents can still enjoy the farmers market every Saturday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and next month visitors will be given an extra serving of fun, in addition to their weekly produce shopping, when the Berlin Community Day Tractor Show returns July 13.

The event will be a celebration of the state’s third annual Sweet Grown Alabama Day — Sweet Grown Alabama is the state’s nonprofit agricultural branding program — and will feature local vendors, bounce houses, arts and crafts for kids and of course, tractors.

With nearly 20 vendors already having already finalized their registration to attend the event, and more in the process of registering, the town has been looking to hire four part-time employees to help prepare and work during the event.

Two of those employees, Kalynn Sallee and Glenn Laney, were approved by the town council Monday. Bates said they had received no other applications, but after speaking with several other Cullman County municipalities had learned that they frequently recruit teenage workers to fill similar positions. He said he had already acquired the necessary licensing to employ two minor workers and the council gave no objections to expanding the pool of candidates.

In other business the town:

— Finalized the approval to amend sections of its municipal code to set a $10,000 revenue minimum before a business is required to obtain a license to operate within the town and increase the minimum for rental properties from $15,000 to $20,000.

— Approved to apply for a Resource Conservation and Development grant.

— Tabled discussions on County Roads 1612 and 1614.