By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó Town officials are encouraging students to walk and bike to school as part of a federal program to create safe and convenient ways for children to hit the pavement.
The town is eligible to receive funds from Safe Routes to School, which is a federally funded grant reimbursement program designed to improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.
If the town receives the grant it can create pedestrian and bicycle crossings that would link to the schools as well as sidewalk improvements.
The competitive reimbursement program is 100 percent funded through the N.C. Department of Transportation with no local match required.
Projects must be within two miles of an elementary or middle school to be eligible. The project must improve the conditions for walking and biking to school.
Applications are due by Jan. 30.
The board also:
– Received an update from Ted McGavran of McGavran Engineering about utility pole attachments.
McGavran said the field audit is complete. The audit has shown there are a number of code violations with the companies who rent and attach onto primary and secondary poles throughout the town. Those companies are Windstream Communications, Duke Energy, the town of Landis and Time Warner.
There are slightly more than 1,900 violations.
He said some of the issues are minor.
“Part of our contract is to get with Time Warner and Windstream to clean those up,” McGavran said.
McGavran later said there are various violations that must meet National Electrical Safety Code standards; for example, if an entity does not maintain ground clearance or if one facility built a pole too close to another facility.
The engineering company has been doing work for the town since the summer.
The board first talked about pole attachments in April when it decided to charge higher rental rates for utility pole attachments.
– Approved transferring one vacant sanitation department position to the fire department.
The budget was also amended for the transfer of $21,000 from the sanitation salary and benefits to the fire department salary and benefits budget.
– Reappointed Alderman James Furr as representative to the Centralina Council of Governments and Mayor Dennis Brown as alternate.
Centralina is a regional organization that serves as a forum for local governments to address current problems and future needs.
– Reappointed Alderman Tony Hilton as representative to the Technical Advisory Committee.
– Reappointed Public Works Director Steve Rowland to the Technical Coordinating Committee.
Members will attend monthly meetings and participate on regional planning committees.