Cullman Mayor Max Townson touts improvements

By Trent Moore The Cullman Times

CULLMAN — Cullman Mayor Max Townson made it clear Friday that continuing with the Duck River Dam project is a high priority in 2010.

Townson highlighted the plan as part of his speech during the annual State of the City address, which was delivered to a packed room at the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce event.

The approximately $60 million city water plan calls for a new dam on Duck River to create a 640-acre lake and a six-mile pipeline with a 32-million-gallon-per-day capacity. The reservoir would resemble the one at Lake Catoma, currently the county’s sole water source.

“It’s time to move forward and that’s what we’re going to do,” Townson said.

The project has already been approved by the Army Corps. of Engineers, Townson said, which makes it the best local option for a supplemental water source.

“You can’t build a dam without the Corp. of Engineers’ approval,” he said. “They have looked at all the options here ... like the Tennessee River, Smith Lake ... and determined that Duck River is the best option.”

Townson said he hopes local water authorities can work together to receive grants to help fund the project. Every major, regional water authority has signed on to the project except the Cullman County Commission.

“When we work together as a team and come together we have the opportunity to seek grants together,” he said.

Once it is eventually complete, Townson said the Duck River Dam will provide water for the region for the next 75 years.

“This asset will make sure your grandchildren have a water supply for the future at an affordable rate,” he said. “We have the vision to make this a reality for the next generation.”

Discussing the sluggish economy, Townson said city leaders have done an excellent job adjusting to a drop in revenue.

“We can come through this and the city government in place has done a miraculous job with this budget,” he said. “We made the right decisions to do some things that wouldn’t affect the services for city residents.”

During 2009, the city consolidated some city departments and cut raises for employees to trim costs.

Townson also noted the Greif Brothers property purchased by the city last year, which now houses the new Cullman Police Department. The property could eventually become home to other city departments, such as the city garage, in the future.

Older buildings on the property will likely have to be torn down, Townson said.

“Second Avenue over there is a corridor into our schools and right now it just looks like a mess,” he said. “We should have some of those older buildings demolished this year.”

A major change in the city in 2009 was the addition of the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center, which has helped bring more tourists to the area, Townson said. The center hosted the state swim meet that attracted more than 5,000 people to Cullman last year.

“We need to bring in tourism so more folks eat at our local restaurants and shop at local stores and spend money,” he said. “We must take care of our assets.”

Townson also noted the Cullman Police Department’s joint-effort with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office to create the Cullman Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET).

“Meth is one of the hardest addictions to break,” he said. “I’m proud our law enforcement is working together.”

Looking toward 2010, Townson said adding a new fire station on the north side of the city is still a priority, despite the sluggish economy.

“I think we would have better coverage if we expanded toward Highway 157,” he said.

Townson also noted that this year is a U.S. Census year, and the local population could potentially affect the city’s chances when applying for grants.

“If we miss someone it can affect where we stand federally and with the state,” he said. “I don’t like to say it, but that also includes illegal aliens, because those people do live in this community and benefit from it. If we have to use interpreters, we will — we just can’t leave anyone out.”

* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.

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