With only a few weeks left until the wet/dry vote on Nov. 2, the Cullman city council has decided not to draft an alcohol ordinance beforehand.

The council approved election officials, and made the public notification for the referendum at a Monday night meeting — and briefly discussed their plans for an ordinance.

When asked about the issue, council members said they do not believe there is enough time to draft an adequate ordinance before the vote. The petition to hold the referendum was only turned in a few weeks ago, and signatures were not verified until Sept. 29.

“This is complex and it will take time,” council member Johnny Cook said. “We wouldn’t have time to pass an ordinance before.”

Other communities — namely Hanceville and Good Hope — opted to write and pass ordinances before votes earlier this year, though officials there had more time available before the referendums were held. Legal sales were narrowly defeated in both towns, by 30 votes in Hanceville, and 61 votes in Good Hope.

The previous Cullman administration, led by former Mayor Don Green, passed a resolution in 2005 stating an ordinance to “strongly regulat[e]” alcohol would be crafted if sales were ever approved. Though most of those officials are no longer in office, except for council president Garlan Gudger, Jr., the current council agreed that regulations should be stringent if sales are legalized.

“It would be strict, because I think we’re all in agreement that we don’t want any strip clubs or honky-tonks in the city,” Gudger said. “Our goal would be to protect the community, and our job is to represent every side of this issue.”

Council member Jenny Folsom agreed that protecting the city’s current atmosphere and quality of life would be a top priority.

“We all want Cullman to maintain the image it currently has,” she said.

If sales were to be approved, city attorney Roy Williams said it would likely take at least three months until any alcohol would be sold in Cullman.

That lead time, Gudger, said, should be more than adequate for the council to draft an ordinance if the referendum passes.

“We think it would probably take us about six weeks to work it all out,” Gudger said. “We will want to be thorough, go through everything and do it correctly. But, we won’t have alcohol sales without a strict ordinance in place.”

The November vote will be the first time since 2004, when alcohol sales were voted down by 54 percent and 573 votes, that the issue will be on the ballot in Cullman. Before that, referendums were held in 2002, 1992, 1990, 1986 and 1984. The closest vote in recent history came in 1984, when alcohol sales were voted down by only 159 votes.



In other business, the council also:

• Approved CHS Tennis Booster Club request to host the second annual CHS Turkey Day 5-k on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 8 a.m. The race will be held in conjunction with Christmas in Cullman and the Christmas Parade.
• Approved a request by John Apel to close Clark Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue on Friday, October 22, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 23, from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. for a wedding. (Apel and Trinchitella wedding).
• Approved a request from Cindy Byerley, PTL President for St. Paul’s Lutheran School, to close Sixth Street between Third and Fourth Avenue and Fourth Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Street on October 30 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. for the annual Fall Festival.
• Approved a request from Jeff Adams, WWTP Supt., for a Dell Computer System for $1,194 and a printer from OfficeMax in the amount of $100 for a total of $1,293. These are budgeted items.
• Approved a request from Economic Development Office for two computer systems from state bid list in the amount of $2,600. These were approved in the new budget.
• Authorized a contract with the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce for a sum of $2,500 annual agreement.
• Approved the new Windjammer cable franchise contract.
• Awarded a bid for tree services on David Drive.
• Rejected bids for painting floor of Airport Hanger.
• Approved resolution 2011-08 Amended Cash Acme Tax Abatement.
• Approved resolution 2011-09 Amended Cash Acme Distribution Tax Abatement.
• Approved resolution 2011-10 Amended Hollingsworth Investments II Tax Abatement (for Cash Acme).
• Approved board member of the Zoning Board of Adjustments (Appeals Board) - Don Hewitt.
• Approved resolution 2011-11 Authorization for $160,000 to be paid to the Corp of Engineers for the Duck River Project.
• Approved resolution 2011-12 Authorization for $2,000 to David Schultz for Air Show at the Cullman Regional Airport.
• Approved resolution 2011-13 Authorizing Alabama Abatement to prepare an asbestos abatement survey for $800.00.
• Approved ordinance 2011-01 Cable Television Franchise Agreement with Windjammer Communications, LLC.

* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.