By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — In less than an hour Tuesday, City Council wrapped up several major projects that have languished for years, including long-awaited sidewalks along Old Wilkesboro Road.
Council members also created the city’s first housing commission and approved a comprehensive bike plan, both several years in the making.
Councilman William “Pete” Kennedy jokingly credited new Interim City Manager Doug Paris, who’s been on the job for less than three weeks.
“You have closed out three projects we have been working on for years,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy has advocated for sidewalks along Old Wilkesboro Road since he was elected 18 years ago. Despite deep budget cuts this year, council members restored $71,000 for a 1,300-linear-foot stretch of concrete from Partee Street to Brenner Avenue at his request.
It’s only a portion of the entire project, which carries a $443,000 price tag to build sidewalks from Partee to Kelsey Scott Park. But the segment going in this fall will serve the portion of Old Wilkesboro Road with the most foot traffic, said Dan Mikkelson, city engineering director.
Moore’s Chapel AME Zion Church at 500 Partee St. will host a public workshop at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 for neighbors to learn more about the project and hear easement requests from city officials. Work will begin in late fall.
Livingstone College has lobbied for the sidewalks for years, as many students now walk in the roadway to get to classes.
“I’m delighted and happy to see this moving forward,” Kennedy said.
Mikkelson said he’s pursuing a grant to pay for the remainder of the project and should know in October if the city wins.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, City Council:
• Discussed replacing the Second Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant on N.C. 70 with a lift station and force main, which would save the city $50,000 each year in maintenance costs.
Salisbury-Rowan Utilities has received a Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant of $600,000 to help pay for the replacement project, which totals $1.7 million. Salisbury’s grant was one of eight approved from 50 submitted across the state.
To help come up with the $1.1 million balance, Salisbury will ask the plant’s two largest customers — Magna Composites and Rowan-Salisbury Schools — to contribute.
The plant is currently in compliance, but flow rates exceed recommended levels for five days each week, Monday through Friday when Magna and West Middle School operate, utilities engineer Jason Wilson said.
Construction could begin in six months.
City Council awarded a contract not to exceed $100,000 to McKim & Creed Inc. for professional engineering services related to the project, contingent upon receiving money from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund.
• Applauded as Paris declared the Lash Drive Connector — a shuttle connecting a low-income neighborhood with city bus service — family-friendly. He showed a photo of a mother with her child strapped into a carseat inside the shuttle.
Residents had complained the shuttle service turned them away because it’s against the law for children to ride unrestrained, but parents didn’t want to haul a carseat around during errands and shopping.
Mayor Pro Tem Maggie Blackwell rode the connector and made arrangements for child safety seats on the van.
• Set an information session for all City Council candidates and anyone else who would like to attend at 5:15 p.m. Aug. 29 in City Hall. The 90-minute meeting will provide an overview of each city department.
• Adopted a text amendment to the city’s Uniform Construction Standards Manual to establish a minimum 24-inch vertical separation between sanitary sewer lines and storm drain lines in accordance with N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Minimum Design Criteria.
• Accepted a $900 grant from the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
• Established a 30-day comment period for naming the future flag concourse in City Park “Patriots Flag Concourse and Memorial.” Anyone with an opinion on the name may call 704-633-5291 or write to the Parks and Recreation Department at P.O. Box
 4053, Salisbury N.C. 28145.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.

West End
Transformation Plan

City Council appointed a steering committee to oversee the 18-month development of a plan to transform the West End neighborhood, including razing and rebuilding Civic Park Apartments. The city and Salisbury Housing Authority won a $170,000 federal grant to plan redevelopment of the area and will compete for up to $30 million to implement the ideas.
The steering committee will begin meeting next month. More than 30 groups will participate in the plan.
Steering committee:
• Mayor Susan Kluttz and Councilman William “Pete” Kennedy
• Deedee Wright and Fannie Butler, West End Community Organization
• Ashely Brewer and Tricia Bernhardt, Civic Park Apartment residents
• Dr. Judy Grissom, Rowan-Salisbury Schools 
• Dr. Jimmy Jenkins, Livingstone College 
• Dr. Carol Spalding, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College 
• Jo Ann Diggs and Ida Finger, Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency
• Shirley Johnson, Salisbury Community Development Corporation
• Paul Russo, VA?Medical Center 
• Bob Roakes, Salisbury Housing Authority
• David Setzer, Robertson Family Foundation
• Mae Carroll and Terry Love, J.C. Price American Legion Post