By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

A final vote on a prayer lawsuit, a public hearing on its fiscal year 2016 budget and West End Plaza renovations are all scheduled to be considered during Rowan County Commissioners’ Monday meeting.

The meeting will start at 3 p.m. in Rowan County’s administration building at 130 West Innes Street in Salisbury. Commissioners have not yet added to the agenda a final vote to proceed with an appeal or accept a federal court’s ruling that prayer practices from 2007 to 2013 were unconstitutional. Commissioners Chairman Greg Edds said a vote would be added to the agenda. As a part of its consent agenda, commissioners are scheduled to approve the beginning of a process that would gather qualifications for architecture firms to oversee construction work at West End Plaza. The budget public hearing will occur at the conclusion of Monday’s meeting.

Only two of Rowan County’s five commissioners have publicly voiced an opinion on the lawsuit, which began in 2013. The latest action in the lawsuit occurred on May 4 when James Beaty, a judge for North Carolina’s Middle District, declared prayer practices unconstitutional.

Commissioners Mike Caskey and Craig Pierce have voiced support for an appeal. Other commissioners have declined to provide their personal view.

On Wednesday, commissioners met for a three-hour meeting that consisted almost entirely of a closed session. Edds said commissioners did not come to a consensus during the closed session. Monday’s meeting will include a brief statement by each commissioner before a final vote.

If Rowan County commissioners vote to accept the ruling and not appeal, they would be subject to paying attorney’s fees and costs. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing plaintiffs Nan Lund, Liesa Montag-Siegel and Robert Voelker, previously declined to disclose how much attorney’s fees and costs might be.

Proceeding with an appeal wouldn’t immediately cost Rowan County any additional money, as The Gibbs Firm is not charging the county for representation. Attorney’s fees and costs, however, would likely increase with an appeal.

Others items for consideration on Monday’s agenda include:

• Approving several measures to begin the process of retaining architects for three construction projects.

One of the projects is The West End Plaza, formerly the Salisbury Mall.

Earlier this year, commissioners canceled all contracts related to the West End Plaza. Commissioners said contractors were not adequately communicating with each other under the prior contracts.

Agenda attachments for Monday’s meeting state: “Recently the county completed a space needs study and master plan. In order to move forward with design services, the county will need to issue and announce a (request for qualifications) for professional design services.”

Two additional items of Monday’s agenda seek an architect to oversee construction of offices at the Rowan County Airport that will be used by charter company Strategic Moves and another architect to oversee construction of a new hangar at the airport.

• A public hearing on Rowan County’s fiscal year 2016 budget.

County Manager Aaron Church’s proposed budget sets a tax rate of 66.25 cents per $100, an increase of 1.25 cents per $100 compared to the current rate.

The budget projects expenditures to be $138.26 million and revenues to be the same.

The total budget is an increase of $4.1 million, when compared to the current year.

• Approval of a contract to Trinity Food Services to provide meals at the Rowan County Jail.

Trinity Food Services is currently under a temporary contract to provide food to inmates at the Rowan County Jail.

In a staff report, purchasing agent David Sifford said Trinity submitted the lowest bid that met staffing requirements. The proposed prices per meal for Trinity are $1.18, $1.20 and $1.23 for fiscal years 2016,2017, and 2018, respectively.

• A quasi-judicial hearing for a conditional use permit that would allow a horse riding stable facility on the 600 block of Mayberry Lane.

• A public hearing for a rezoning of approximately 2.02 acres at 4780 E. NC 152 Hwy from Rural Agricultural to Neighborhood Business.

• A public hearing for the rezoning of 2.26 acres located at 2604 Heilig Road from Rural Residential to Commercial, Business, Industrial.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246