Cullman City Council approves special events, sidewalk maintenance deal, fire staffing changes, water-pipeline engineering contract and property purchases

The Cullman City Council on Aug. 29 approved a slate of routine permits and resolutions, including special-event permits, a maintenance agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) for a new sidewalk, staffing and schedule changes for Cullman Fire and Rescue, an engineering contract to replace a primary water transmission pipeline, and purchases of property adjacent to two city facilities.

Council members voted by voice for a series of special-event approvals that included: a rally at the courthouse requested by Richard Browning on Sept. 1 (1 p.m.'3 p.m.); St. Bernard's annual Bernard Blues and Barbecue event in September (date not specified); a suicide prevention vigil at Depot Park on Sept. 10 from 6 p.m.'7 p.m.; a Second Friday cruising car show on First Avenue NE on Sept. 12, Oct. 10 and Nov. 14 from 6 p.m.'9 p.m.; the annual Warehouse District street sale on First Avenue in September (date not specified); Unite Worship Night behind First Baptist Church on Sept. 21 from 5 p.m.' 8 p.m.; and a Wellstone event on Oct. 4, 2025.

The council adopted Resolution 2025-578 (as stated in the meeting) to enter into an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to maintain the sidewalk along the east side of Alabama Highway 69 between Swafford Road and Perry Street. Meeting discussion described the arrangement as one in which the developer constructing a new restaurant (referred to in the meeting as a new Hamburger Heaven) will build the sidewalk and the city will maintain it after construction. The council approved the resolution by voice vote.

The council adopted a resolution described in the meeting as 2025-79 to restructure the Cullman Fire and Rescue work cycle in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, changing from a 28-day work cycle to a 24-day cycle. Fire Chief Peoples explained the change "makes the department more efficient, but it does not affect salary."

The council approved Resolution 2025-80 to amend position-shift control for fiscal year 2025 by adding one new position in Cullman Fire and Rescue. Chief Peoples said the added position allows the department to reduce administrative staffing and place more firefighters on apparatus across all three shifts so each shift will have the same number of personnel.

For water infrastructure, the council approved Resolution 2025-581 to enter into a contract with St. John and Associates for engineering services to replace a primary water transmission pipeline at the water treatment plant (the meeting referenced two 30-inch pipes). The council approved the contract by voice vote.

The council also approved a resolution to authorize the purchase of property adjacent to the Cullman Community Arts Theater (described in the meeting as located behind City Hall) and a separate resolution to authorize purchase of property adjacent to Industrial Park 5, an area noted in the meeting as near Utaka and Royal Technologies. Both property purchases were approved by voice vote.

All of the listed permits and resolutions were approved during the Aug. 29 meeting by unanimous voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The council did not provide roll-call vote tallies for the items; motions to adopt and seconds were recorded but individual mover or seconder names were not read into the public record during the voice votes.

The actions taken will proceed to the next administrative steps: agreements and contracts will be executed by staff and the clerk will record required documents, while the fire department will implement the staffing and schedule changes per the council's direction.