Cullman, Alabama Development News
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Cullman City Council Meeting | July 6, 2026
Published: Jul 6, 2026
Airport Project Nears Completion; Second Fridays Draws Record Crowds; Strawberry Festival Named Top Music Fest
The apron project at the airport is on schedule, with concrete pouring underway and completion expected by the end of August [cite: 78-80]. Second Fridays event on June 10th attracted an approximate record attendance of 11,900 people, with four active stages including a new karaoke stage [cite: 81-85]. The water park and other parks experienced record attendance, with the Lazy River fully functional [cite: 86-88]. Eastside Park project materials and equipment are ordered, with completion projected for mid-fall [cite: 89]. The Alabama Strawberry Festival was named the top music fest in Alabama by Alabama Magazine [cite: 90-95]. An ASA Archery Tournament is scheduled for the end of the month, noted for its significant economic impact through tourism, hotel occupancy, and restaurant patronage [cite: 96-99]. The city is also renovating the new Performing Arts Center at 303 Clark Street, Northeast, with a $750,000 ART grant from EDECA [cite: 284-291, 300-307].
City Onboards 82 Employees in June; New Museum Director Introduced; Bid Awarded for Manholes
The city onboarded 82 employees in June, including six full-time positions (one diesel technician, one administrative clerk in water, three police officers, one in accounts payable) and 76 part-time seasonal employees. 21 employees were off-boarded, bringing the total employee count to 972 [cite: 161-163]. A major project to update job descriptions for the city has been completed, with 153 descriptions updated and reviewed [cite: 163-165]. Molly Bloom was introduced as the new museum director, originally from Huntsville, with a master's degree from the University of Glasgow and experience in museum collections and public history [cite: 101-107]. Resolution 26-122 awarded the bid for pre-cast manholes for the Logan Street Community Development Grant to Foley Products Company, the lowest responsible bidder, for $53,605.05 [cite: 276-283]. Resolution 2026-120 awarded federal grant engineering and design services to St. John Associates, Saint Associates, and Three Notch Group, allowing for flexibility based on project specialty areas [cite: 256-266].
Monthly Public Safety Report Shows High Call Volume; Officers Complete Advanced Training
Coleman City Communications handled 3,183 police calls, 438 fire medical calls, and 802 911 true emergency calls in the last month [cite: 45]. Officer Michael Bryant and Joey Williams successfully completed the police motorcycle school in Hoover, Alabama [cite: 52-54]. The Citizens Academy begins July 11th and filled within a single day [cite: 55-57]. Community Helpers Day at Todd's Daycare is scheduled for July 10th, 2026 [cite: 58-59]. The Fire Department participated in Midrise Mayhem, a tactical training for mid-rise buildings, on June 24th-26th, with participation from several other fire departments and sponsorship from local businesses [cite: 65-73]. Pastor Joe McNulty was recognized for 52 years in the ministry, including 10 years with the city [cite: 60-62].
City Council Approves New Sanitation, Sewer, and Water Rates; Amends Tax Abatement for Project Panel
The council voted to adopt Ordinance 2026-39 to set sanitation rates for the fiscal year [cite: 204-224], Ordinance 2640 to set retail sewer rates for fiscal year 2027 [cite: 225-237], and Ordinance 2641 to set retail water rates for fiscal year 2027 [cite: 237-247]. Notably, the water rates now include a special agriculture rate for poultry farms [cite: 245-247]. A resolution (26-122) was approved to award the bid for pre-cast manholes for the Logan Street Community Development Grant to Foley Products Company for $53,605.05 [cite: 276-283]. Resolution 26-127 amends the tax abatement for project panel, increasing the capital investment by over 10% from $5,335,000 to $6,610,000, resulting in an estimated $304,000 for education during the 10-year abatement period [cite: 317-336]. The unemployment rate for May rose to 3.1% from 2.3%, attributed to recent high school and college graduations [cite: 166-173]. The average wage for Coleman County production workers is $22.40, based on a survey of 13 companies [cite: 173-174].
First Reading of Ordinance for $5.09 Million Loan to Replace Critical 30-Inch Water Transmission Pipeline
The council held the first reading of Ordinance 2644 to issue a state revolving fund loan of $5,090,000 at a fixed rate of 2.2% for 20 years to replace the 30-inch primary transmission pipeline [cite: 337-339]. This project, discussed earlier by Councilman Schaefer and David Haynes, aims to replace a critical water line constructed in the mid-60s [cite: 142-157, 338]. This is phase one of a larger project with a bid of $5 million [cite: 145-146]. The city is also replacing approximately 9,200 linear feet of 30-inch water line, intending to abandon the old line in place [cite: 151-155]. The resolution to adopt the loan closure and initial funding from the state revolving fund through ADM was also mentioned [cite: 147-149].
The Cullman News archive
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Cullman City Council Meeting | July 6, 2026
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Cullman City Council Meeting | June 15, 2026
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