By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
The Salisbury Police Department and Rowan County Sheriff’s Office are working on a joint application for federal stimulus money.
Doug Paris, assistant to the city manager in Salisbury, said one-time capital funds for equipment such as radios, firearms and technology could be available to local law enforcement thanks to the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.
Salisbury is eligible for $161,498 through the Justice Assistance Grant/Byrne program; Rowan County, $52,642.
Paris said the Salisbury Police Department will be applying for additional stimulus money through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program.
The Police Department is hoping the program might be able to fund the salaries of two to five school resource officers for a three-year period.
Rowan-Salisbury Schools has indicated it may eliminate funding for two to four school resource officers in the next budget.
In schools within the Salisbury city limits, the city and school system divide the costs of resource officers equally. Paris said the school resource officers are important, front-line people in the city’s efforts against gangs and for youth initiatives.
Salisbury City Council also approved resolutions Tuesday to apply for state loan assistance for three water projects.
The state will be distributing federal stimulus money for both water and sewer infrastructure. The funds will be allocated in the form of no-interest or low-interest loans.
The city originally submitted 11 water projects for consideration as shovel-ready stimulus projects. Of those, the city has now identified three high-priority projects.
Salisbury-Rowan Utilities expects to apply for stimulus money connected to sewer projects later.
The three water projects involve a raw water surge valve replacement, waterlines for the Westwood subdivision and a water main replacement in the Meadowbrook neighborhood.
City officials say the Meadowbrook water system was constructed with asbestos cement pipe, and the neighborhood has experienced more than 35 pipe failures in the past five years.
The existing pipes would be replaced with ductile iron or PVC, if the loan money is used.
The Westwood subdivision off Harrison Road has some 300 households in a low- to moderate-income area. The homes are served by private and community wells. The installation of city waterlines would improve fire protection and make available city drinking water for those who wanted it.
Replacement of the surge valve at the raw water station would lead to higher pumping rates.
The three projects together represent an estimated $4 million in costs.
City Manager David Treme said he was disappointed that more stimulus money wasn’t made available for local infrastructure projects.
North Carolina is receiving $65 million for water projects and $70 million for sewer projects, although local jurisdictions had submitted projects totaling more than $2 billion in each category.
Treme said Salisbury previously had submitted some $30 million in infrastructure projects by itself.
To put in perspective the amount of stimulus money coming to the state for water-sewer infrastructure, Councilman Bill Burgin said, it would not cover the bonuses paid to AIG executives.