By Tiffany Green

STAFF WRITER

Cullman County’s small towns have big plans for the use of the government stimulus package, scheduled to roll out soon. President Barack Obama’s controversial $787 billion stimulus plan is intended to revive the economy.

Vinemont

Vinemont mayor Melba Patton, who has been with the town for more than 26 years, either while serving on the council or as mayor, said they have big plans that could be helped with stimulus money. The town made several requests for funding, but it is not yet clear which — if any — of those requests will be approved.

Patton said she spoke to Rep. Robert Aderholt about the plan to better inform herself of the details. Patton and town clerk Angie Chambers had been hard at work all week on mailing in all the necessary paperwork to Washington and Montgomery.

“We want to work on our roads,” she said. “We also have some other plans.”

Patton said they want to use the money for the upcoming municipal park, the summer recreation program and current drainage problems.

“We have some drainage things that need to be dealt with,” she said.

Patton has been planning for a new municipal park for the town for the last 12 years, and she is excited to see it finally coming to fruition.

The town wants to make an industrial access road with a turning lane.

“We are hoping to build a center turn land, on the west side of the four lane, near the Vinemont Post Office,” she said.

Patton said the town submitted four different requests to Aderholt.

“All were things we had discussed with Rep. Aderholt,” she said. “We can e-mail directly to Washington when we get done.”

Fairview

Randall Shedd, mayor of Fairview, said he has a lot of plans to improve the town, but said right now no one knows what is going to come of the plan or how much the town will be able to receive.

“One of the problems with it is nobody knows the final outcome,” Shedd said.

Shedd said the town has projects on the drawing board ready to go if they get the money. He said to his understanding, the projects ready to go to bid quickly will be the first to get the money.

He said the town has detailed plans for a new library facility set to go on the current town park land.

“We have detailed plans ready to go to bid,” Shedd said. “We could have shovels in the ground ready to go.”

Shedd said the town also has plans for a new senior center, wants to light the walking trail at the town park, wants to extend the town sidewalks, and has plans to extend the ball fields.

“All of the projects depend on the funding,” he said.

Baileyton

Johnny Dyar, mayor of Baileyton, said they have three projects that are requested in the stimulus bill.

“We are working with the state and road department to get ideas to help our town,” Dyar said.

Dyar said water over the roads has been a problem over the last several years in the community and they are hoping to get it fixed.

“We have roads that are 50 years old where water has gone over them,” he said. “We want to see what the best way to reroute the water is.”

He said there is also a bridge on Summit Road needing repaired. Since the towns do not know the amount they will receive, Dyar said they are having trouble deciding how it will be used.

“We do not know how much,” he said. “No one has been able to tell us.”

Holly Pond

Mayor of Holly Pond Herman Nail said his town needs to work on the infrastructure.

“That will be great to update our infrastructure,” Nail said.

He also wants to upgrade the roads and the sewer system.

“We need to get all the roads and infrastructure up to date,” he said. “We have some roads that are 15 to 20 years old and they need to be repaved. We want to modernize everything.”

West Point

Kenneth Kilgo, mayor of West Point said his plans include a new municipal complex on land owned by the town on Highway 157.

“We looked at a new municipal complex that will include a new town hall with a satellite Cullman County Courthouse office,” Kilgo said.

He also hopes to use the money to expand the current sewer project.

“We need $350,000 to expand the sewer project,” he said. “We have also looked at some sidewalks and road improvements.”

Kilgo said they looked at every area possible in the town to make the request as diverse as possible.

“We looked at every area to have diversity,” he said.” Since we don’t know what will be approved.”

Dodge City

In Dodge City, town council chairperson Tawana Canada said the council has yet to formally put a request together, though they do have at least one project in mind once more information is available.

“We have been looking at adding some sidewalks to the town,” she said.

Buchanan Jackson of Cullman County Economic Development said his department will help out in any way they can.

“We are involved and left it up to the town’s to decide our role,” he said. “We will continue to be involved in any way that the town’s see fit.”

The Cullman County Board of Education also plans to apply for capital stimulus funds, though Superintendent Hank Allen said the school board is waiting until all of the details of the package are known before further plans.

Garden City mayor Harden Davis and Colony mayor Morris Fitts could not be reached for comment.

‰ Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 221.