By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — The Salisbury Fire Department will hire six new firefighters, paid for by a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
City Council voted Tuesday to accept the grant, which requires the city to pick up the tab during the third year. Salaries and benefits will total about $220,000, Fire Chief Bob Parnell said.
The new employees will bring the Fire Department up to national standards, which recommend four firefighters on a truck when responding to an emergency. Currently, two of the city’s five trucks respond with three firefighters on board.
The department has applied for the grant repeatedly in the past but was turned down, likely because the former requests were for three firefighters, Parnell said.
Although the department was trying to save the city money in the third year, the request for just three firefighters wouldn’t have brought the department up to standards, he said.
“You had to be aggressive in your staffing request to increase the likelihood to be approved,” Mayor Pro Tem Maggie Blackwell said.
Council members said they would hold out hope the economy improves by 2014, the year the city has to pay the new firefighters. If not, $220,000 is about one penny on the property tax rate.
Earlier this year, the Fire Department lost six positions as part of the city’s reduction in force, a result of budget cuts. No one was laid off. Five positions were vacant, and one person retired, Parnell said.
Three lost positions were firefighters who ride on trucks and respond to emergencies around the clock, and three were staff members who work a 40-hour week.
The staff positions will go unfilled, but the grant will replace three lost firefighter positions and add three more, Parnell said.
Salisbury has one of the six top fire departments in the state, City Manager David Treme said.
“We did cut folks in the budget across the board, and this is an opportunity to pick our service back up in the future,” Treme said. “It’s a good move.”
Parnell said there is a small chance Homeland Security may not fund the grant because the makeup of the Fire Department is different from the application.
He said he remains optimistic.
The city received a similar grant to pay for four police officers over three year, with Salisbury picking up the $181,000 tab in the fourth year.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.
In other business
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Salisbury City Council:
• Approved a $37,500 incentive for Universal Forest Products, which plans an expansion that would create 49 new jobs.
The company may buy the vacant Maxon Furniture Building at 520 Grace Church Road.
The Woodmill Road facility, where 144 people work, would remain open.
Scott Shelton of RowanWorks Economic Development said the company is considering several locations and the incentive could make the difference. The company would invest $2.6 million in Rowan County, including $1 million in new equipment.
Rowan County Board of Commissioners approved a $37,500 incentive Monday, and RowanWorks wants help from Duke Energy to complete a matching grant for the state’s One N.C. Fund.
Jeff Richard, general manager of operations, also appeared before Council.
A clawback provision would force the company to pay back the incentive if employment falls below a certain level. The project would generate $61,000 in new property tax revenue each year.
City Manager David Treme said money for the incentive would come from development funds already budgeted.

• Approved using the Fisher Street pocket park and closing the 200 block of South Lee Street from 3 to 8 p.m. July 13 for a children’s event at the Norvell Theater related to the opening of “Grease.”

• Lowered the speed limit on Institute Street to 25 mph and lifted parking restrictions on Old Plank Road between Thomas Street and Craige Street.

• Heard from Clyde, an artist who lives on East Bank Street, about a Fibrant truck damaging his plants. He asked the city to remove a new meter and box at his property.

• Adopted the final 2011-12 budget.
Council said most residents will pay less in taxes because property values fell an average of 8 percent.
Council lowered the property tax rate from revenue-neutral, which would have brought in the same amount of money as this year.
Some residents are confused and think they will pay more because the tax rate went up from 59 cents to 61.35 cents, Councilman Paul Woodson said.
In reality, most people will pay less, he said.

• Heard that staff is working on fire protection for Hill Street in Granite Quarry, where the city has a public safety telecommunications tower and satellites for Fibrant.
The city wants Granite Quarry Fire Department to become the first responder. Currently, Rockwell Rural Fire Department is the first responder, but it isn’t the closest department, Assistant City Manager John Sofley said.
The city is talking with Granite Quarry to determine the best course of action.

• Released an old, unused sewer easement to allow Faison Associates to buy city property on Arlington and East Innes streets for $129,111, which will go to the General Fund.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.