By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
EAST SPENCER — The East Spencer Board of Aldermen authorized the demolition of five houses at Monday’s meeting.
The properties are located at 105 E. Broad St., 421 E. Broad St., 223 Robin Circle, 206 W. Henderson St. and 109 Mitchell St.
“Three of the five are fire damaged, the fourth is a shell and the fifth is unlivable,” Town Manager Macon Sammons said Tuesday.
The board held a public hearing before approving the ordinances that direct the planning and zoning administrator to declare the properties “unfit for human habitation” and prohibit people from living there.
According to the ordinances, each property owner “has been given reasonable opportunity to bring the dwelling up to the standards of the Minimum Housing Code.” A lien will be filed against each property for the cost of removal.
Aldermen also heard a presentation by James Luster from the Centralina Council of Governments about this year’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.
Luster said the town could apply for an infrastructure grant, which would be used provide new public water or sewer to existing residential neighborhoods to correct problems that pose a severe health or environmental risk.
But the most promising option for East Spencer, he said, is the new, customizable N.C. Catalyst program.
“You can do housing, you can do water, you can do sewer, and it doesn’t tie you in to one specific part of town,” Luster said. “As long as it’s within your corporate limits, and you have a need that meets CDBG criteria, you can define your program to meet those needs.”
The grant is competitive, he said, with a maximum award amount of $500,000 and a total of $6.9 million available statewide.
“If the application is due in April, when would the awards be given?” asked Alderman Tammy Corpening.
Luster said the grants would be awarded sometime in the fall.
The board then held an initial public hearing to make people aware of the town’s intent to apply for CDBG funds. No one chose to speak.
Later, aldermen authorized the mayor, town administrator and town attorney to negotiate a partnership agreement with the Centralina Council of Governments, who would help write the block grant application for a fee of up to $7,000.
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.
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In other action

Also at Monday’s meeting, aldermen:
• Approved a minimum housing ordinance. Sammons said the town had adopted the document previously, but it had not been included in the town’s code of ordinances.
• Elected Alderman Curtis Cowan as Mayor Pro Tempore. The title was previously held by Alderman Phronice Johnson.
• Approved a $29,200 budget amendment to reimburse the N.C. Department of Employment Commission for benefits of former employees.
• Tentatively scheduled a board retreat for Feb. 9, with a fallback date of Feb. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jerusalem Baptist Church.