SALISBURY — Emotions ran high during Tuesday’s Salisbury City Council meeting, where officials were discussing West End grant dispersement. On Wednesday, the project coordinator resigned her position.

Project Coordinator Chanel Nestor was brought on more than a year ago to spearhead the Byrne Criminal Justice Initiative grant. In a phone call on Wednesday, her optimism about the West End’s future was not deterred, despite stepping down.

“I am optimistic about the ability of stakeholders to deliver change in the West End and I believe that self determination and the ability of them to found their own organization will be key in to make a change that is necessary to develop a sustainable neighborhood,” Nestor said.

Nestor cited hostilities surrounding the project as the catalyst for her resignation.

“With this project, I have had to deal with a lot of hostility,” Nestor said. “Last night was a catalyst for me. I feel very confident in the words that I spoke to city council. I did not feel protected. I felt vulnerable once I walked out of that city council meeting. I felt harassed. I felt endangered. I felt like the police department was not supportive beyond the chief of police and Major Corey Brooks. I felt very alone.”

During the meeting, the council approved an agreement with Rowan County United Way to disperse $200,000 in grant funding to 18 local nonprofits as part of the West End Youth and Family Summer Program Capacity grant.

Police Chief Patrick “P.J.” Smith and Idea Analytics CEO Dr. Jessica Herbert, the city’s research partner for the grant, both spoke to council in detail about Salisbury’s involvement in the program and the next steps to be taken.

The Salisbury Police Department was awarded the $800,000 BCJI grant from the United States Department of Justice in 2021 to go towards combating crime in the West End neighborhood and developing improvements for it. 

After holding community meetings, reviewing data and hearing from consultants, the determined goals that the grant will fund include youth and family programs, small business growth and development, a community beautification project, a community visioning project, community capacity technical assistance and public safety responses, and a West End community council for sustainability. 

The $800,000 budget breakdown consists of $80,458 to pay for personnel such as a project coordinator, $10,000 for travel expenses, $69,057 for equipment and $640,485 for procurement of contracts and subawards that will be for organizations to assist in implementing the action items as well as to buy “items to support the goals of the award.”

Out of the original budget, $146,713 has already been spent. 

During the presentation, Transportation Director Wendy Brindle shared that the city is proceeding with two pilot street lighting projects in the West End neighborhood. The first project will have white LED lights installed on the 1300 and 1400 blocks of West Bank Street near Hall Gym. The second one will have warm LED lights at Lloyd Street in what Brindle described as a “more residential area.” Brindle estimated those lights will be operational in the next couple weeks.

At the end of the presentation, Council Member David Post asked for an explanation on where $100,000 designated for a West End community board will go. Smith said the nonprofit board would act as intermediary with the SPD and nonprofits to apply for grants going forward. 

“This is seed money to get that board and that commission up and running and make this grant sustainable for the future when it’s done,” Smith said.

After Smith made his comments, Nestor stood up, went to the microphone, and talked with the council directly and how they were being “very critical” regarding the program’s endeavors. 

“I’ve heard you all speak about millions of dollars, millions of dollars tonight with very little questions,” Nestor said, referring to a $3.14 million incentive grant that was given to RP Salisbury Partners, LLC earlier in the meeting. “And here we are, with an initiative to support a neighborhood that has faced so much disparity, so much disparity I had to leave out of this room because I was crying my eyes out about the limitations that I have with the work that I can do.”

Responding to Nestor’s comments, Post said he was only asking for more information about the community board and added, “If I offended anyone, I apologize.”

Nestor, Salisbury-Rowan NAACP President Gemale Black, and other residents then walked out of the meeting. 

Smith came to Nestor’s defense, stating to the council, “I understand her frustrations and she’s poured her heart and soul into this. So, I’m glad she got up and shared what she did like she did.”

Communications Director Linda McElroy said the city is still moving forward with the BCJI grant program. They have not made a decision on who will take over the coordination,  but once it is known, they will be making an announcement.

In addition to the $200,000 being allocated by the United Way to the nonprofits for the youth and family summer program grants, $2,200 is going to be used for supplies, and $20,000 will be an administrative fee for the United Way, bringing the agreement total to $222,200.