SALISBURY — Rowan County Commissioner Mike Caskey on Monday will request that the Board of Commissioners allow rental of the county-owned West End Plaza for events that are retail in nature and have vendors who can operate in compliance with Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 executive order.

The meeting will be held 6 p.m. Monday via the teleconference software Zoom.

As a specific of an event, Caskey mentioned the Salisbury Gun and Knife Show. The former site of the J.C. Penney store has been used to host the Salisbury Gun and Knife Show in the past as well as the annual antique show. The 2020 Salisbury Gun and Knife Show is scheduled for Sept. 19-20 at the West End Plaza Center, according to the show’s website.

“They had scheduled to rent it at the end of September and we hadn’t canceled it, but we’ve had a no-rental policy waiting to see what the state was going to do,” Caskey said.

The show’s organizers contacted the county, said the N.C. State Fairgrounds was being rented for gun shows and asked why the county wouldn’t be able to do the same for the West End Plaza as long as it followed health guidelines.

“We’re just trying to update our policy to match what the state is doing,” Caskey said.

Caskey was unsure if the space in West End Plaza would be used for any other retail events in the foreseeable future, but said it could if the event falls in line with health guidelines.

Monday’s agenda only includes budget amendments and a financial report on the business agenda.

Those who wish to tune in, can do so by using the link bit.ly/rowanboc0817 and the password 081720 or by calling 602-753-0140, 720-928-9299 or 213-338-8477. The webinar identification number is 916-6898-6477.

Topics on the consent agenda include:

• The approval of new construction on a 3,522-square-foot facility to serve as an office and concession stand facility for Rowan County at Dan Nicholas Park, including adjacent parking improvements, an exterior patio and other related items.
• Numerous foster and adult care contracts are also being considered. Among them are contracts for Clear Sky, Nazareth Children’s Home, Children’s Homes of Iredell County, American Children’s Home, Coltrane LIFE Center and Thompson Child and Family Focus.
• A request from the finance department to purchase an articulated truck for environmental management. Also known as a dump hauler, an articulated truck is used to transport heavy loads over long distances.
  • A request from the finance department for the approval of a contract between Rowan Transit System and the Department of Social Services for Medicaid transportation services for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
• A request from the county manager to waive the adopted rate schedule for the Northeastern Rowan Water Line and leave the rate the same for the fiscal year 2020-21. The current rate is $71.09, which provides each customer up to 5,000 gallons a month in potable water. Every gallon after the 5,000 gallons is $6.59 per 1,000 gallons. This would be a reversal of the decision the board made at an August 2017 meeting to increase the rate every year at the same percentage of increase adopted by the City of Salisbury.
• A request from County Attorney Jay Dees to declare county-owned property in Speedway Business Park, accept a $90,000 offer from locally based Bowtie Properties subject to the upset bid process and authorize County Clerk Carolyn Barger to run a notice for upset bids.