By Jessie Burchette

Salisbury Post

County commissioners will conduct a public hearing Tuesday night and vote on an incentive grant that could bring Toyota Motorsports to the county.

Officials of Toyota and the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission met with the Board of Commissioners last month to outline plans for the first phase of project on the W.A. Cline property on Peach Orchard Road.

Under the plan, Toyota will invest $22 million, creating 40 jobs with an average annual salary of $70,000.

The county would rebate $519,000 in taxes to Toyota over a five year period.

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At the Dec. 18 meeting, commissioners appeared to be very supportive of the grant and enthusiastic about getting Toyota facility.

In other matters, the board will:

* Review the revamped budget for a new EMS station in downtown Salisbury and the fee for KKA Architecture.

The original budget developed in 2003 earmarked $595,000 for the facility.

The new budget is nearly double, $1.1 million.

The board is scheduled to vote on the architect’s contract calling for a lump sum of $75,000.

* Vote on the list of topics to be discussed for the upcoming retreat in February.

Nearly 30 topics have been suggested by commissioners, but the list will have to be reduced substantially to stay within time available at the retreat.

* Conduct a public hearing on reducing the size of the County Planning Board from 11 to nine members.

Staff has recommended the reduction, saying it would make the board more efficient.

The terms of four current members have expired. Joe Teeter and Dennis Isaacson do not want to be reappointed.

Melanie Earle and Gregory Edds have applied for reappointment. Dr. Arthur Steinberg is also seeking appointment to the board.

* Conduct a condemnation hearing for a house located at 345 N. Fisherman’s Lane owned by Mark Dickerson. Code enforcement staff report that Dickerson has failed to comply with numerous administrative orders.

* Revisit a proposed text amendment related to broadcast towers. James Rollans of Mount Ulla submitted the proposed text in January 2005, but commissioners appear to have never voted on it. Rollans has now filed a new request for the same text amendment.

* Receive a report from County Manager Bill Cowan on various ongoing projects.

* Discuss a new policy regarding unlawful entry onto private property.

County Attorney Jay Dees has provided a recommended policy at the request of the board.

Under the proposed policy, any unit of government or agency acting on behalf of Rowan County, or receiving money from Rowan County, may not enter property owned by county citizens without first obtaining written permission from the property owner.

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Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance on Monday, the board moved its meeting to Tuesday.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Meeting Room, County Administrative Offices, 130 W. Innes St.