By Liz Moomey
liz.moomey@salisburypost.com 

SALISBURY — Salisbury-Rowan Utilities is slated to have multimillion dollar upgrades made at its water treatment center and the Grant Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility in Spencer.

The city council on Tuesday will consider awarding the two projects for construction at its 6 p.m. meeting in City Hall — 217 S Main St.

The Water Treatment Plant improvement projects will replace filters and add an on-site solids handling system. SRU recommends awarding a contract to Dellinger, Inc. for $7.21 million.

The Grant Creek Wastewater Treatment improvements include replacing a pump station that is in a floodplain and outdated. SRU recommends awarding the Adams-Robinson Enterprises, Inc. for $26.87 million.

The three projects, along with $10 million to refinance existing debt, would be paid for through a $46.5 million revenue bond that is going before the state’s Local Government Commission for approval on Tuesday afternoon.

The projects are part of the Salisbury-Rowan Utilities’ capital improvement plan, which list big improvements needed in the next 10 years. 

The city council passed a resolution in January for the projects and advanced the revenue bond package to the Local Government Commission, which oversees debt of local governments across North Carolina.

Other agenda items include: 

• The council will hold a public hearing and consider a resolution for an N.C. Rural Infrastructure Grant for $110,000 for Powerhouse Recycling, on 220 Ryan Patrick Drive.

The company anticipates a capital investment of $4.25 million and the creation of 56 new full-time jobs. The grant will be for the relocation of a sewer line. The city would be obligated to $10,000 and the improvements would be completed by the end of the year.

The company currently employs more than 150 people.

• The council will consider a rezoning for the future Westbrook Trace Apartments, an 84-unit multi-family apartment complex on Lash Drive. The rezoning request was from corridor mixed-used to corridor mixed-use with a conditional overlay for the proposed campus style.

• The Grubb-Sigmon-Weisiger House designation as a local historic landmark will return to council after it was deferred at the Feb. 18 meeting.

• The council will consider closing a portion of the 100 block of South Lee Street.

• The council will also hold a public hearing to receive comments on the community development needs and hear request for public service funding to determine how the $450,000 Community Development Block Grant and HOME program dollars from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development will be allocated.