The Hartselle City Council unanimously voted Aug. 25 to approve an agreement with Leonard Design in Cullman for architectural services to remodel the former Wells Fargo building on Chestnut Street that will serve as the city’s next municipal building.

“It came in just a little higher than we expected due to having to replace three or four beams and add a support beam,” Mayor Randy Garrison explained to the council. “It’s still within reason of what we were expecting.”

The total cost of the agreement for services provided by Leonard Designs – including architectural services, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering – is $112,020, according to documents provided by the city.

The project is estimated to begin in January 2021 and be completed in May. The 21,000 square-foot building will allow city hall to spread out and grow in the future, Garrison said.

The council also passed a resolution authorizing Garrison to “negotiate final language and execute a contract” with Mapco Express for the sale of a 5.86-acre tract of land for $1,450,000.

“We’ve put a lot of hours into that,” Garrison said. “We were moving along pretty well with that, and when COVID hit, it kind of slowed everything down … Hopefully we will be able to move forward – I think that will be a good shot in the arm.”

The council also approved a resolution adopting the City of Hartselle’s Transportation Plan for FY 2021. According to the resolution, approximately $66,000 will be allocated from the Rebuild Alabama Act fund, and the money will be used for two resurfacing projects: Patillo Street Southwest from Highway 31 to Nance Ford Road and Corsbie Street Northwest from Main Street to Longhorn Pass.

In other business, the council:

· approved a request by Family Dollar for a beer and wine off premises license.

· approved an additional one-time special appropriation to the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce of $5,000 because of the cancellation of Depot Days.

· accepted a low bid of $28,900 from Eddie Preuitt Ford for a half-ton pickup truck for the Department of Development.

· approved a cooperative agreement with Alabama’s Mountains, Rivers and Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council for a $50,000 grant that will be allocated to the Downtown Greenspace Walkway project.