SALISBURY — The city council will open its upcoming meeting on Tuesday by honoring Councilor Anthony Smith for his service to the city before he resigns from the council.

Smith announced on Wednesday that he would be resigning on Tuesday, Sept. 17, saying that he wanted to return to his native Birmingham, Alabama, for new career opportunities and to be closer to his family.

Smith has served on the city council since first being elected in 2021. He has also been an active member of the community working with community organizations including as the founder of the Mission House and working with the Humans Relation Council and the Salisbury Youth Council. Recently, he helped organize a silent read-in to promote the importance of literacy in society.

The upcoming Salisbury City Council meeting will be at 6 p.m at City Hall, located at 217 S. Main St. The other agenda items that will be discussed include:

• The council will receive a presentation about the city’s Community Development Block Grant funds, including the 2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report on the use of the funds. A public hearing to allow the public to voice their opinions will be held after the presentation.
• The council will consider amending the city ordinances governing the city’s Greenway Committee. The committee was recently changed to be under the purview of the transportation department instead of the parks and recreation department, so many of the proposed amendments pertain to that change.
• The council will consider turning the gateway park fountain at Gateway Park into a planter. The fountain is currently inoperable and requires approximately $75,000 in repairs, so the change would be in place while city staff evaluate their options regarding the fountain. The cost of the planter is estimated at $2,500, which the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation has agreed to donate.
• The council will consider awarding a street resurfacing contract of $1,069,459 to J.T. Russell & Sons for street paving.
• The council will consider allowing the city manager to enter into a stormwater grant agreement with Miracle Church of God and Gwinnett Holdings for a total of $13,687. Miracle Church of God would be granted the funding to clear out and reconstruct the stream on the rear of its property. Gwinnett Holdings would be granted the funding to address drainage issues on their property, preventing potential flooding issues and water damage to the area.
• The council will receive information on the meeting times of surrounding municipalities. Members of the council have voiced a potential desire to move one of their two monthly meetings to an earlier time during the day and asked about nearby municipalities and their practices as part of that.