By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó The town board approved a series of resolutions that would allow it to apply for stimulus money to complete some water and sewer projects.
The Board of Aldermen voted Monday to file an application with the state that would include a rehabilitation/replacement project for sewer lines and manholes; upgrades to water-main systems and isolation valves to better circulate water; upgrades to the Kannapolis booster pump station that would increase the quantity of water that can be pumped from Kannapolis to Landis; and enable it to abandon old 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch water mains and reconnect to new existing mains.
According to the resolutions, the town will arrange the financing for all the remaining costs of the projects.
In other business, the board:
– Approved repeal of the satellite annexation of Lake Wright properties.
The property owners are asking to withdraw from the proposed voluntary annexation related to land-purchase contracts from Valley Development, also known as Mill Bridge Partners. There are five property owners.
Town Administrator Reed Linn said the plan has always been that if the development did not take place, then the owners would cancel the annexation.
“There is no plan in the near future to develop the property. If something were to develop later the property owners would work with them,” Linn said.
– Approved changes to the by-laws of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission.
EDC Executive Director Robert Van Geons spoke to the board about changes the commission has been working on.
The bylaws can be amended only with the consent of all participating municipalities.
The commission wants to change the term expiration date for EDC board members from June 30 to the end of December. The change would provide six months of experience to new members prior to election/re-election of officers.
The problem with the existing procedure, Van Geons said, is that the board installs new members and then turns around and asks them to make decisions on issues with which they may not be familar.
The amendment also would revise the schedule of member terms. The new terms were not staggered, and as a result, 60 percent of the board members have terms that expire in 2011.
The commission also wants to clarify some existing by-laws.
– Approved a public hearing to address an update to the flood damage prevention ordinance, which has not undergone any changes since 1978.
– Approved ranks for the following Landis officers: Kenneth Honeycutt to sergeant, Roger Hosey to detective, Buddy Porter and Jeff Tilley to master patrol officer.
The promotions were made prior to the new chief’s appointment. Two were not approved by the board, but were promotions made by the former chief.
The board’s action was simply to get on record that these promotions had been made.