By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — City council members today will discuss two traffic-related measures and hear a draft 2021-22 action plan for use of federal funds.

The regular meeting begins at 6 p.m., but the council also will meet at 5 p.m. for a closed session to consult with an attorney. Both meetings will be streamed live at salisburync.gov/webcast or via the city’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Anyone who wishes to speak during the public comment period must do so by contacting City Clerk Kelly Baker no later than 5 p.m. today via kbake@salisburync.gov or 704-638-5233.

City council members will hold a public hearing to consider closing an unimproved right-of-way known as Lloyd Street, located in the 300 block of Harrel Street. According to state law, the closing of a street must not be “contrary to the public interest,” and no one should be deprived of reasonable means of ingress and egress, or entrance and exit, to their properties.

Council will also consider a North Carolina Department of Transportation project to install a U-turn bulb on Jake Alexander Boulevard near Morlan Park Road. The project was proposed after the a crash pattern emerged among motorists traveling east on Jake Alexander Boulevard and attempting to make a U-turn at Morlan Park Road.

If the city accepts the concept plan, the NCDOT Traffic Safety Unit will submit the project for statewide safety funding.

Also at the meeting, the city will hear a draft of the fiscal year 2021-22 action plan for use of annual U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants. As a condition of receiving Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds, the city is tasked with developing an annual plan to spend the funds.

For the 2021-22 fiscal year, from July 1 to June 30, 2022, the city will receive $456,668. Of that, $310,158 are CDBG funds and the remaining $146,510 comes from the HOME program.

The funds will be used to assist low- and moderate-income residents of Salisbury over a five-year period. The purpose of the funds is to develop and strengthen urban communities by ensuring decent housing and a suitable living environment.

The city will continue to receive public input and citizen feedback on the plan until June, when city council members are expected to vote on a final plan to be submitted to HUD.

Other items on the agenda:

• Council will receive an update about selections for the Salisbury Paul Bruhn Revitalization Grant program and authorize City Manager Lane Bailey to execute contracts for the grant.

• Council members will recognize members of the local fire department for life-saving actions.

• Council members will continue making various board and commission appointments. At least a dozen open seats across the city’s boards and commissions remain.

• The council is set to adopt of several appropriations for the 2020-21 city budget, including $11,800 in donations received for the BlockWork program, $400,735 for connection fees and miscellaneous revenues to the water and sewer fund and $137,880 for the sale of online assets in the general fund.

• Council members will consider authorizing City Engineer Wendy Brindle to accept agreement extensions with NCDOT about road signs, markings, traffic signals and the traffic signal system. The city had agreements that were executed with NCDOT in March 2019, and NCDOT has requested renewal to continue maintenance and correspond with reimbursement rates to the city. The renewal agreements would be valid until June 30. With all four schedules, the reimbursement is estimated to total $233,000.

• Mayor Karen Alexander will proclaim the month of May to be Better Hearing and Speech Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. She will also declare May 2-8 National Small Business Week, May 6 National Day of Prayer and May 9-15 is National Skilled Nursing Care Week, National Prevention Week and National Police Week. Additionally, May 15 is both Peace Officers Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day.

A Peace Officers Memorial Service will be held May 14 at 11:30 a.m. on the front lawn of the Rowan County Courthouse at 210 North Main St. For additional information, contact Sgt. Daniel Lancaster at 704-638-2130.