By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — City Council members on Tuesday will appropriate money from a nearly $550,000 grant to incentivize rehabilitation of commercial buildings in the Salisbury Historic District over the next three years.

City Finance Director Shannon Moore will also report the last month of sales tax revenue received for fiscal year 2019-20.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. and be held virtually. It will be streamed live at salisburync.gov/webcast.

The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant, received by the city on Aug. 28 from the National Park Service, is for $543,185. The grant will be used over a three-year period, with the first several months dedicated to advertising applications for development.

City staff anticipate the draft program guidelines will be completed by November, with an application period opening by the end of the year.

Once appropriated, it will add to the 2020-21 general fund balance.

Also at the meeting, council members will consider a request from Salisbury-Rowan Utilities that authorizes the city manager to execute a $250,000 agreement with Black & Veatch International Company for engineering services associated with the Yadkin River raw water supply system. SRU selected the firm for on-call engineering services in April 2019.

Black & Veatch International Company is currently providing engineering services for the ongoing implementation of a sedimentation and flooding remediation plan at the city’s raw water intakes and pump station.

In other items on the agenda:

• Council members will consider amending a previously authorized agreement with LaBella for construction related to a water treatment plant improvement project. The city council previously authorized an agreement with LaBella for no more than $320,000. But as construction is underway, Salisbury-Rowan Utilities said there is a need for additional construction material testing and special inspections. SRU requests adding to LaBella’s contract to address the additional needs through a sub-contractor at a cost no more than $20,000.

• Council members will consider approving a sole-source purchase from Spartan Fire and Emergency Apparatus for a cost of no more than $68,230 for purchase of portable rescue tools. The Salisbury Fire Department is transitioning to Holmatro hydraulic rescue tools to upgrade the quality and performance of the department’s rescue tools inventory.

• The council will appropriate $35,000 into the 2020-21 general fund balance from two grants related to parks and recreation projects. Of the $35,000, $10,000 will be used for various park flood repairs and $25,000 will assist with resurfacing tennis courts and recreational education days.

• The council will consider adopting an ordinance to amend Chapter 13, Article X of the City Code of Ordinances related to parking. The measure calls to prohibit parking on one side the 600 block of West Liberty Street.

• The mayor will issue a number of proclamations, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg Remembrance Day on Sept. 18; NAACP Freedom Fund Day on Oct. 24; Rowan County United Way Month; National Crime Prevention Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

• The mayor will also announce the 10th annual BlockWork neighborhood improvement project, which will be held from Oct. 24 from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. to Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the 200 block of South Clay Street. Volunteers are needed to help with exterior repairs, painting, carpentry and landscaping. T-shirts, gloves, masks and meals will be provided. BlockWork will follow COVID-19-related guidelines, and volunteers are asked to sign-up in shifts. The deadline to sign up to volunteer is Friday, Oct. 16. For more information or to volunteer, visit salisburync.gov/BlockWork.

Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246.