The City of Hartselle has been awarded a FY2020 Airport Improvement Project Grant to make airfield electrical improvements at Hartselle–Morgan County Regional Airport. 

The grant was announced at the April 14 city council meeting. In accordance with the recently adopted CARES Act, the FAA is providing 100 percent of the project’s funding. 

Mayor Randy Garrison was authorized to enter into a contract with Garver LLC for $125,670.65 to provide all engineering design services for the project, all to be reimbursed by the FAA.  

At the April 14 meeting the council also extended the city’s declaration of emergency and further defined the authority granted to the mayor. The emergency shall continue in effect until cancellation of the statewide state of emergency by the governor of Alabama. 

The council also: 

• approved an exception to the employee vacation benefits policy to allow Margaret Stinson, administrative assistant in the police department, to receive payment for approximately 450 hours of accumulated vacation time at her retirement May 1, 2020. The maximum limit per policy is 400 hours. The overrun was reported to be the result of inability to schedule vacation days during the first months of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. 
• approved an amendment of the employee Flexible Benefit Plan to include changes in the definition of expense related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. 
• declared as surplus property for the William Bradford Huie Library of Hartselle 400–600 books, to be sold in the used book room or recycled. 

• proclaimed the month of April 2020 as Fair Housing Month in Hartselle. 
• voted to enter into executive session to discuss the purchase price of property on Hickory Street. 

Garrison reported he will meet soon with the executive committee of the Alabama League of Municipalities to discuss whether or not the ALMA should ask the state legislature to take steps to delay the upcoming municipal election for one year because of the coronavirus. He said he will oppose such a delay.