Salisbury City Council and city staff will host the first in a series of community town hall meetings titled, Chit, Chat & Chew, Thursday, May 24, beginning at 5:15 p.m., at City Park Recreation Center, 316 Lake Dr. The first event will be held for residents in the “Park and Medical” area of the city which encompasses neighborhoods around City Park, the hospital and the North Main Street area.
Chit, Chat & Chew town halls grew out of a request from Council members and residents who desired increased engagement beyond the city council meeting public comment period. All topics are welcome, though some answers to questions may need additional follow-up.
To allow residents to have more intimate, targeted discussions with City Council members, a map of nine areas was created, sectioning neighborhoods based upon natural barriers, roadways, population distribution and median income. In addition, some neighborhoods have different needs and concerns than others, such as code enforcement, leaf collection and road condition concerns. Town halls will be held in each of the nine areas every other month, although residents throughout the city are welcome at any Chit, Chat & Chew.
“Recognizing that each neighborhood in our city has its own set of challenges and triumphs,” said Anne Little, Salisbury human relations manager, “Chit, Chat & Chew is an opportunity to have some of those challenges addressed or to tout their community accomplishments, and perhaps provide support to others in the room. This event is not only an opportunity for Salisburians to interact with their elected officials, but also with their neighbors in an informal setting.”
In preparation for the discussions, city staff focused on specific neighborhoods during its weekly Community Engagement Friday walks, gathering community-specific concerns of residents. The town hall will begin after a light dinner is served to attendees.
For more information on Chit, Chat & Chew, please contact Little at anne.little@salisburync.govor call (704) 638-5218.
The City of Salisbury, America’s first 10-gigabit city, is located in the heart of the Piedmont region of North Carolina, midway between Charlotte and Greensboro. Salisbury is the county seat of Rowan County, and provides a full range of municipal services, including law enforcement, fire protection, zoning and code enforcement and water and sewer systems. For more information regarding the City of Salisbury and its services and departments, please visit us on the web at www.salisburync.gov. To receive updates regarding local initiatives, meetings, programs and events, please follow us on Twitter at @CitySalisburyNC and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CitySalisburyNC.
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