The City of Salisbury, Rowan County government and Rowan-Salisbury Schools will host the first of several community planning sessions today.

The planning sessions are aimed to address the following areas: public safety and its relationship with local residents, opportunities for children, community relations and workforce development. Today’s planning session starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m. It will be held at the Wallace Educational Forum — 500 North Main St. in Salisbury.

Residents are encouraged to attend at least one planning session.

Future planning sessions will be held at the following times and locations:

• April 6 at Livingstone College from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• April 8 at the Civic Center, 315 S. MLK Jr. Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon
• April 29, 2017 at the Hurley YMCA, 828 Jake Alexander Blvd., from 10 a.m. to noon

Childcare will be provided at community planning sessions on April 8 and April 29

While community stakeholders will serve as facilitators for this effort, Salisbury residents will complete the bulk of the work in shaping the city’s future by creating an achievable, measureable roadmap for success.

Once sessions are complete, each focus area will be assigned to leaders who will be responsible for further development, implementation, measurement and reports to the stakeholder group at large.