Residents can express their ideas on how to use federal funds for community development during Salisbury City Council’s meeting Tuesday.

Council will hold a public hearing  on the use of Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds and funding priorities for the city’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan. The purpose of the hearing is to receive comments from citizens regarding community development needs and to hear requests for public funding. The comments will help guide the city’s plans.

The HOME funds go toward building, buying and rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or home ownership. The Community Development Block Grants go toward alleviating blight in impoverished communities. Some of the things the CDBG funds can be used for include construction of affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure development.

Council will hear a presentation from city staff about the grants.

The city doesn’t yet know how much funding it will get  from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development for the next fiscal year. The proposed budget and plan will be presented to council in April. Last year, the city received $420,000.

Counil meets Tuesday at 4 p.m. at City Hall

In other business Tuesday, council will:

• Consider a request for temporary use of the public right-of-way for closure of the eastbound lane of traffic, street parking, and sidewalk for approximately 70 feet in the 100 block of West Liberty Street beginning Feb. 13 through March 13. The roof on the Rowan County Courthouse is being replaced and the construction company doing the work needs to put a crane and a dumpster in the street.

• Receive a petition from property owners in the Olde Salisbury neighborhood off Old Concord Road and consider adopting an ordinance to reduce the speed limit in the neighborhood to 25 mph. The affected streets would be Chantilly Lane, Dewberry Place, Darby Place and Terra Court

• Consider adopting an ordinance to restrict parking anytime except Sundays along a portion of the south side of the 100 block of Ridge Street.

The request comes from the city’s transit division and is meant to allow city buses to safely make the right-hand turn off South Fulton Street onto Ridge Avenue. The buses cannot make the turn safely without using the existing parking area, according to the request. The restricted area would start where Ridge Avenue meets South Fulton Street and extend 69 feet west of Fulton Street.

• Designate Emerald Avenue as a one-way street from 12 p.m. May 22 until 4 p.m. May 23, and from 12 p.m.  Oct. 9 until 4 p.m. Oct. 10  for a charity yard sale.

• Go into closed session to consult with an attorney.

Also, Council will meet Thursday and Friday for its annual goals-setting retreat.

Contact reporter David Purtell at 704-797-4264.