By Hugh Fisher
For the Salisbury Post
KANNAPOLIS ó The City Council continued debating Monday how to use more than $600,000 in current and previous years’ Community Development Block Grant funds.
Council members discussed street and utility improvements, sidewalks near city schools and improvements at city parks as possible uses.
The city has $635,000 to spend, Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg said. That amount includes about $350,000 left over from previous years that must be spent in order to get future grants.
Block Grant funds are intended to improve low- and middle-income communities. There are limitations on how and when the money may be spent. Monday’s discussion centered on areas council members have previously identified.
Much of the discussion focused on street paving projects, especially involving a few city roads which remain unpaved. Legg told the council that the funds can only be used to improve those streets; the money cannot be used to resurface existing roads.
But the hottest topic was whether or not to invest in sidewalks near schools. One option Legg presented was paving approximately 2,000 feet along First Street near Kannapolis Intermediate School.
“That’s a heavily traveled pedestrian way,” Legg said.
Other schools also could benefit.
“Woodrow Wilson (Elementary School) is probably the one Kannapolis City Schools sees as most important,” Legg said. “The problem is the streets are in the middle of neighborhoods with narrow streets, making it very difficult to make sidewalks work.”
Both projects are expensive.”The cost of paving has gone through the roof,” Legg told the council. And other funds may become available for such projects as population growth and amount of street mileage affect the amount of money received from the state for road improvements.
Councilman Roger Haas stressed the importance of park projects included in the original list prepared by city staff.”I want to make sure we don’t lose sight of the recreation improvements. I think there may be a way we can move all three of these forward,” Haas said.
“We’re in a position to improve our street paving this year already,” Haas said, referring to funds already budgeted for that purpose. He also reminded council members of the recent study that suggested the city needs to offer more recreational amenities to attract and sustain future growth.
Councilman Richard Anderson agreed with the need, but stressed a larger perspective.
“We’ve spent a lot of money already on parks and rec, and I make no bones about it in my position. But it’s lowest priority on my priority list,” he said. “Without infrastructure, you can have all the parks you want and you won’t accomplish anything.”
And Mayor Pro Tem Randy Cauthen stressed the need for sidewalks in areas where school children walk.
“To me, that is an important issue that we need to address as quickly as possible,” he said.
The council will vote on a plan for spending the money at its Aug. 13 meeting.
“I know our money won’t go far enough to do many of them, but it would be hard for me to vote to spend money on playground equipment when I’ve seen children, and I mean small, young children, walking on the side of the road.”
Councilman Ken Geathers also expressed concern that the money would not be able to cover the projected costs of the sidewalk projects.
“That’s a problem we’re going to have to solve with the general fund,” Geathers said.
The public can see the list of projects on the Web at www.cityofkannapolis.com.
The council will vote on a plan for spending the money at its Aug. 13 meeting.
He also expressed concern over the costs of large sidewalk projects, which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, compared with $60,000 to resurface the tennis courts at Baker’s Creek Park.
“I don’t understand the rationale there. Unless these figures are wrong, we don’t have the money” for all of the projects, he said.
Meanwhile, the public has been invited to give feedback on a list of potential projects, which Legg said had been viewed over 300 times on the city’s Web site, www.cityofkannapolis.com.
“I think the word is out, if people want to participate in this at the meeting,” Legg said.
The council will vote on a plan for spending the money at its Aug. 13 meeting. No action was taken Monday.
Also before the council Monday:
– Officer Phil Bullard of the Kannapolis Police Department was recognized on his retirement from the department after 25 years. Interim police chief Woody Chavis presented Bullard with his badge and service pistol, as well as a plaque honoring his service and that of his police dog, Racket.
Racket, who has served the department since 1999, is also retiring and will live with Bullard and his family.
– Two other city employees were honored for their service to the community. Steve Barbee of Kannapolis Parks and Recreation was recognized by Cooperative Christian Ministry and the city for his assistance with the charity’s summer concert. Billy Reid, of the Kannapolis Water and Sewer Department, was honored for his years of service as he retires this month.
– The council unanimously approved a request to be named as a co-applicant in the rezoning of 20 acres on Macedonia Church Road. The McAlpine Group, which made the request, plans to develop the property. Six acres of the land to be considered for rezoning is currently owned by the city and the group has expressed an interest in purchasing the land.
– The council voted unanimously to accept the donation of six acres, and the rights to build a greenway on an additional 10 acres, owned by David Murdock and Atlantic American Properties.
The land, part of a former Cannon Mills landfill, will become part of the future greenway connecting the North Carolina Research Campus with Baker’s Creek Park.