Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Salisbury City Council did the following:
• Closed the 100 block of East Fisher Street from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 22 for the Salisbury Pride celebration.
• Awarded a $25,000 economic incentive grant for the Driveshaft Shop, which has been in Salisbury for more than 30 years and must relocate from the corner of South Main Street and A Avenue because the railroad is closing the Klumac Road crossing.
The grant will help the company pay to renovate the Southmark II building at 4530 Southmark Drive, which has been vacant for five years. Driveshaft plans a $213,500 renovation, owner Frank Rehak said.
Driveshaft Shop makes and repairs precision parts for a variety of racing vehicles, as well as other products, and has equipment found only in two other locations in the U.S.
The company would add five employees to the current staff of 20 with the relocation, said Robert Van Geons, executive director for RowanWorks Economic Development Commission.
Salisbury offers the Industrial Revitalization Grant Program to encourage the reuse of vacant industrial buildings.
• Heard that street light outages are down to 65 from 102. Mayor Paul Woodson said far fewer people are complaining to him about street light problems.
• Received highlights and goals presentations from the Hurley Park Advisory Board, Salisbury Tourism and Cultural Development Commission, Transportation Advisory Board and Tree Board.
• Heard that city revenues in nearly all funds are higher than expected and expenditures are lower. Halfway through the fiscal year, Fibrant has used 19% of the internal loan available to pay for operations, less than expected.
• Heard complaints from resident William Peoples. He said the city has not hired enough African-Americans, should not consider borrowing $2 million for the Rowan-Salisbury Schools central office project, has not done enough for the Park Avenue neighborhood and lacks transparency.
Although the city did a good job of providing information regarding a scandal in the Salisbury Fire Department, the city was not as forthcoming about a dismissal at the Salisbury Police Department, Peoples said.
Peoples also said he’s complained about the same broken street light in the African-American community for two years. Woodson asked City Manager Doug Paris to check it out.

Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.