CULLMAN — After creating a county oversight board for the Duck River Dam project in March, Cullman County took the next step Tuesday and made the first appointments to the board — which will give the county and area water systems a voice in issues related to the city’s dam project.

City and county officials had tried to create a Duck River water management authority (WMA) in the state legislature, though when those efforts stalled, the county commission stepped in to create an advisory board in the interim.

The commission is allowed three slots on the 10-person Duck River Advisory committee, and appointed Jimmy Knight, Jackie Satterfield, and Jay Mullins to the advisory board.

Commission Chairman James Graves said the creation of an advisory committee is something that's been talked about and looked at for roughly two years.

“Our desire was to get participants from the county, various water authorities, the county itself, and even the city, on a board so that we would have a voice and the say so of the water systems in Cullman County, particularly the Duck River Dam as it comes to us because there are various things that may be involved in the dam later on,” Graves said.

In addition to the three the board members approved Tuesday, the separate county water authorities will each have one representative, along with the City of Cullman.

“As soon as this done, we'll arrange for them to meet, and they can follow procedure and select a chairman and so forth,” Graves said. “They will be authorized to attend all meetings and proceed down the road.”

The City of Cullman has yet to formally announce its appointment to the new board.

Though the advisory board can offer feedback on the project, it technically has no authority. The main difference between the new oversight committee and a water management authority (WMA) is the question of authority. The agreed upon plan between city and county leaders is for a WMA —consisting of representatives from the city, county and area water systems — to eventually assume ownership of the new lake once the bonds to build it are paid off.



In other business, the commission:

* Approved resolution 2012-36, an agreement with the State of Alabama for Federal Transit Administration program for Section 5311 Program for CARTS for 2013, 2014, and 2015.

* Authorized the Chairman to sign the agreement to participate in the County Joint Bid Program's Regional Debris Removal and Monitoring Service.

* Authorized a $1,000 donation to the Brooklyn Community Center, a polling place near Holly Pond.

* Appointed Steve Lake to the Ag Board to fill the unexpired term of Roy Jackson.

* Appointed Stephen Park to fill the unexpired term of Gordon Dunagan to the County Industrial Development Authority.

* Appointed Tim Culpepper to the NARCOG Board to fill the unexpired term of Arnice Weeks.

* Appointed Sammie Danford to the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association for a two year term expiring September 30, 2014.

* Ratified the following personnel actions:

 New Hires:

Amber Aquite —Sheriff's Department (full time).

Roger Deaver — Road Department (full time).

Wendell T. McCormick —Water Department (full time).

Brooklyn Miller — Sheriff's Department (full time).



Promotions:

Euel Gray — Road Department.

Randy Baker — Road Department.

Whitney Tucker — Road Department.



Contracts:

Kimberly Stabile — Human Resource Manager.



Resignations:

accepted the resignation of Steve Bryson from OHV Park (full time temp).

accepted the resignation of Laura Yarbrough from the Sheriff's Department (full time).

accepted the resignation of Joey Clark from the Sheriff's Department (full time).

accepted the resignation of Catherine Manies from the Sheriff's Department (full time).

The next regular county commission meeting will be held Tuesday, August 14, at 10 a.m. in the first-floor commission meeting room of the Cullman County Courthouse.



* Trent Moore contributed to this article.

*Ashley Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 225, or by e-mail at agraves@cullmantimes.com