By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
Rowan County and four municipalities are looking to combine forces to provide for bus service between Salisbury and Kannapolis, with links to Concord and Charlotte.
A first step toward the “Salisbury-Rowan Express” will be an interlocal agreement among Rowan, Salisbury, China Grove, Landis and Kannapolis.
Salisbury City Council will consider the agreement at its 4 p.m. meeting Tuesday at City Hall, 217 S. Main St.
The agreement “will provide the financial and administrative structure for the fixed-route express bus service,” Salisbury Transit Division Manager Rodney L. Harrison said.
In a memo, Harrison notes the region, including Rowan, is designated as a non-attainment area for air quality by the federal government.
As such, it qualifies for federal funding through the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement Program, and a fixed-route express bus service linking Salisbury Transit to Concord-Kannapolis Area Transit is one of the projects being pushed by the Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Riders of the express service also will be able to make connections to the Charlotte transit system, Harrison said.
The county and municipalities are working through the MPO to establish the partnership and service.
An initial operating budget of $150,000 is projected for fiscal year 2009. A federal matching grant of $120,000 would be available through the N.C. Department of Transportation. Salisbury, China Grove, Landis and Kannapolis would share equally the remaining $30,000 cost.
Rowan County will serve as the project administrator. It also will dedicate two vans from the Rowan Transit System’s fleet for the express service.
In other agenda items, City Council will:
– Consider awarding a $118,691 contract to Econ International Corp. for construction of a city-county-Soldiers Memorial AME Zion Church parking lot in the 200 block of West Liberty Street.
– Consider a supplemental agreement with the N.C. Department of Transportation related to construction of a concrete platform and trackside canopy at Salisbury Station. Bids opened in March were over budget. The state is reimbursing the city for 90 percent of the costs. The state’s new share is $990,000; the city’s, $110,000.
– Consider a capital project ordinance for $7.6 million to pay for wastewater treatment plant improvements. The funds come from revenue bonds.
– Hold a public hearing and consider closing an alley in the 1100 block of South Fulton Street.
– Amend the budget to reflect an additional $49,884 in developer fees from Rowan-Salisbury Schools in relation to the extension of water and sewer services to Shive Elementary near Rockwell.
– Recognize Highway Patrol Capt. Eddie White, who received the Paul G. Wilson Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award.
– Recognize Salisbury Police Officer Joe Miller as Veteran Officer of the Year; Robert Gaither, Rookie Officer of the Year; and police dispatcher Crystal Trexler, Police Department Employee of the Year.
– Recognize the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation for its contribution of thermal imaging cameras to the Salisbury and Miller’s Ferry fire departments in honor of fallen firefighters Justin Monroe and Victor Isler.
– Recognize area youth wrestlers Tanner Motley, Cody Eggers, Will Robertson, Joseph Figueroa, Anson Phillips and Dontarious Mills, all of whom will compete in the USA National Wrestling Championship.
Salisbury City Council meetings are streamed live at www.salisburync.gov/council// webcast.html and also shown later on Time Warner Cable’s ACCESS 16.