Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Grant an early present for firefighters, Rowan County, North Carolina

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:04:20 -0500

Serving historic Rowan County, North Carolina since 1905.
Grant an early present for firefighters

By Mark Wineka, Salisbury Post

The federal government filled the Salisbury Fire
Department's Christmas wish list early this year with a
$271,874 grant.

"That is fantastic," Mayor Susan Kluttz said at Salisbury City Council's
Tuesday meeting, where Fire Chief Sam Brady made the
announcement.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency grant requires a 10 percent city
match, meaning the actual federal award is $244,686. The council approved a
budget amendment reflecting the grant's receipt.

Brady said the money will go toward purchase of a "Gator," a six-wheel,
all-terrain
vehicle that will help the department during large events and rescue assignments

related to areas such as the greenways.

The grant also will buy a boat and trailer for the department. The boat probably
will be an
inflatable raft, outfitted with a 20-horsepower motor. The Fire Department needs
the boat
for any rescue assignments related to flooding or in connection with the city's
recreational lakes.

The grant also will pay for putting combustible gas monitors on each piece of
equipment and radiation monitors for the department's Haz-Mat operations. Other
purchases will bring reserve equipment up to date.

City Manager David Treme praised the Fire Department for finding the grant money

during a budget time when capital expenditures have been limited.

In another matter, the council approved a lease purchase resolution for
$1,990,000 to
update its 800 trunking telecommunications equipment and infrastructure.

The council set the purchase of new repeaters, controllers and other equipment
associated with the Motorola system as a priority for the current fiscal year.

Teresa Harris, budget and performance manager, said Tuesday's resolution serves
three purposes. It authorizes the staff to apply to the Local Government
Commission for
approval of the financing. It names Finance Director John Sofley as the city's
representative in securing financing approval, and it directs Sofley to solicit
financing
proposals from qualified banks.

The city has to wait until at least Jan. 1 to issue the new debt. By Internal
Revenue
Service regulations, the city can issue "bank-qualified" debt up to $10 million
each year.
Bank-qualified debt carries a lower interest rate than non-qualified debt.

Anything more than $10 million can't be bank-qualified. The city exceeded the
$10
million threshold in 2003 because of refinancing bonds it approved earlier.

In other business Tuesday:

n The council scheduled its retreat for Feb. 19-20 at Waterworks Visual Arts
Center, a
few blocks north of city hall.

n The Salisbury-Rowan Utilities Department reported that its water treatment
plant
operation received a clean inspection from the N.C. Department of Environment
and
Natural Resources.

The state's Public Water Supply Section sent inspectors in Nov. 19 to do an
updated
inspection because of major plant renovations being conducted this year.

"The entire staff associated with the city of Salisbury water treatment plant
should be
commended for their continued efforts to produce the highest quality of drinking
water
possible during such a difficult construction project," regional engineer Barry
Addertion
and water plant consultant Mark Hahn said in the state's letter to Salisbury.

The state estimates the water system now serves roughly 42,000 customers.

n The council accepted a donation of roughly 2 acres of property where the
city's
"Welcome to Historic Salisbury" sign is located on U.S. 29 South at Airport
Road.
Estates Development Corp., part of CCB, made the donation of land, wedged
between
U.S. 29 and the railroad tracks.

The property consists of two parcels, and the city has maintained the area since
the
sign was put up in the 1980s.

n Mayor Susan Kluttz asked Councilmen Bill Burgin and Mark Lewis to come up with
a
list of possible appointments to a Code Revision Oversight Committee, which will

provide public input as the city's consultant and staff go about rewriting city
development
ordinances.

Dan Mikkelson, land management and development director, asked the council to
make
the appointments by its Jan. 6 meeting. The oversight committee could have its
first
meeting by Jan. 15, Mikkelson suggested.

n The council appointed Bill Safrit as a new member of the Community Appearance
Commission, replacing Earline Turner, who resigned for health reasons.

n The council approved closing the 100 block of South Church Street and the 200
block
of West Fisher Street from 6 p.m. to midnight Dec. 31 for the Rowan 250 Fest's
First
Fest Night.

n The council recognized the W.G. "Bill" Hefner Medical Center in celebration of
its 50th
anniversary.

n Kluttz reported that Salisbury auto dealer Gerry Wood has donated 145 bicycles
to the
Salisbury Police Department for distribution to children at Christmas. Public
school and
Head Start programs will assist in identifying children for the bicycle
distribution Monday.

Wood also has donated teddy bears that will be available to patrol cars on
Christmas
Eve in case officers need to brighten the day of any children who may need a
gift.

n The council learned that Finance Director Sofley has had an article published
in
"Government Finance Review," the magazine of the Government Finance Officers
Association. The title of the article was "From Paper to Plastic: How to Design
and
Implement a Purchasing Card System."

n Councilman William "Pete" Kennedy recently attended a National League of
Cities
Congress in Nashville, Tenn. He said workshops on retail marketing and
recruiting new
jobs were especially informative.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263 or [email-masked].

http://salisburypost.townnews.com/articles/2003/12/17/news/17-council_fire_grant.txt

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