Congressman Robert Aderholt has announced a list of projects within the 4th Congressional District that will receive more than $13.5 million in funding from the recently approved 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
While Aderholt voted against the $1.7 trillion spending bill, he stood behind the inclusions that will now be fed back into his district.
“While there were parts of this omnibus package that I endorsed and fought for, ultimately Democrats pursued a process that made the package impossible for me to support,” Aderholt said in a press release from December 23.
Of the 14 projects announced, four will directly benefit the residents of Cullman County.
Cullman Rural Broadband Project
The Cullman Electric Cooperative (CEC) will receive $1,704,200 to complete the engineering, construction and installation of roughly 35 miles of fiber broadband. This expansion will extend the CEC’s broadband service to approximately 252 homes and 28 businesses.
“Cullman Electric Cooperative is grateful for Congressman Aderholt’s support of Sprout Fiber Internet,” said Director of Communications and External Affairs with the CEC Brian Lacy. High-speed broadband is a necessity for the people of Alabama’s 4th congressional district as it allows access to remote job opportunities, continuing education and telehealth while also making future economic development possible in rural areas. This appropriation will allow Cullman Electric Cooperative to continue in its efforts to expand access to Sprout Fiber Internet to all of its members.”
Expansion of Surgical and Critical Care Beds
Local dignitaries pitch shovels of dirt during a ground-breaking ceremony in Jan. 2017, for a 30-bed, fifth-level expansion at Cullman Regional.
Cullman Regional will receive $1,585,000 for an expansion project that will increase the number of Critical Care Unit beds, and add 17 medical-surgical beds to meet increasing capacity demands.
“The funding Congressman Aderholt has secured for Cullman Regional’s 30-bed expansion project will help provide more local healthcare. We’re proud to be included in the Congressman’s projects for the 4th District and are grateful for his support to help the hospital expand access to quality medical care,” said CRMC Marketing and Communications Director Jennifer Malone.
Lighting I-65 Interchange 305 at County Road 222
The funding will be used for installation of adequate nighttime street lighting to improve driver nighttime visibility.
“It’s better for a community to have an interchange lit for many reasons. It’s better coming and going, it’s safer and you can see better. This has been a joint effort over the years between the City of Good Hope, the City of Cullman and Cullman County and I think that it is going to be a positive thing for thousands of people on the West side of Cullman,” said Good Hope Mayor Jerry Bartlett.
Garden City Water System Improvements
The Town of Garden City will receive $520,000 to upgrade water services for those in Garden City and Blount County.
“We are replacing all the old cast iron lines on the South End of town. But also in the process, we’re going across River Bridge there at the Mulberry Fork into Blount County,” said Mayor Timothy Eskew. “We’ve been very fortunate, Garden City has been blessed this year with a lot of things.”
Eskew said that the town has plans to annex those areas receiving water from the Garden City system into the municipality, extending the town limits into Blount County.
Other projects
• $375,000 to the Blount County Commission to construct a metal building suitable to serve the Volunteer Fire Department and provide a location for community activities.
• $250,000 to the Cordova Economic and Industrial Development Authority to construct a building to subdivide for small businesses and startups.
• $3,000,000 to the University of North Alabama to construct a community STEM facility.
• $500,000 to the University of North Alabama to develop new micro-credential programs and support existing micro-credential programs.
• $375,000 to the Town of Geraldine, Alabama to renovate the former Liberty Bank Building to the point that it is serviceable as a rental unit to house the Geraldine Medical Center.
• $150,000 to the City of Guin to renovate a currently vacant medical building to return it to operable condition.
• $135,000 to the City of Rainsville to construct and extend an existing turn lane and access drive to the site of a new proposed Public Works Department Facility. • $1,000,000 to Snead Community College to provide the necessary training and educational equipment needed to implement a career/technical and workforce training program.
• $2,122,000 to Sulligent City Hall to extend the sanitary sewer to Humbers Subdivision as a means of providing to areas within the city with failing on-site sewage disposal systems.
• $1,200,000 to the Institute for Digital Enterprise Advancement to develop a new Systems Engineering Technology degree work/learn program for rural communities in North Alabama.
