Chamber Golf, CAMPO, Green Hope Graduation, Storms, and Fellas Bond Memorial

Cary Chamber Golf

The week began with a Cary Chamber Member Golf Guest tournament on Monday. This was a time for local business leaders to have fun and start new relationships. I played with council member Jack Smith, Cary Chamber Chairman of the Board Rick Stephenson, and Cotton Incorporated CEO Berrye Worsham. Our businesses are the backbone of our town and have contributed greatly to our success. Thanks to all who believe and invest in our community.

CAMPO

Wednesday I participated in a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board. The agenda included three consent items and six discussion items.

The unanimously agreed to direct CAMPO staff to get further information from three submitting agencies via more detailed proposals on financial and administrative structures. The three agencies were Raleigh (current), Cary, and Triangle J COG.

The Executive Board received information on NCDOT Mileage Based User Fee Pilot Program, the Western Wake Traffic Signal System Integration Study, an update from the Mobility Coordination Committee, the Locally Administered Projects Program (LAPP) FFY2024 Program and Target Modal Investment Mix, and the FY2024-2033 Preliminary Draft State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

The Western Wake Traffic Signal Study presented three options for Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Fuquay Varina, and Holly Springs:

1. Have each municipality do their own system.
2. Have Cary manage the signal system for all five municipalities.
3. Keep Cary and Morrisville together (as it is today), and have Apex, Fuquay Varina, and Holly Springs do their own signal system.

This will be decided at a later date.

The STIP (State Transportation Improvement Program) report stated that there is 54% less funding for highway projects that were already approved. This will result in the delay of several NCDOT projects in and around Cary except for Aviation Parkway widening, McCrimmon Parkway widening and Green Level Church Road bridge replacement at Kit Creek. Project delays are proposed throughout the division and state. No Cary greenway, bike/ped or transit projects were delayed. If design was funded and underway, that phase of the project will continue however ROW (Right of Way) and CON (Construction) dates may have shifted. Below is a summary of the NCDOT’s projects in Cary:

1.     Aviation Parkway Between I-40 and NC 54 (U-5811)

1. Current:  ROW 2029, CON 2031
2. Proposed:  ROW 2028, CON 2030, Accelerated 1 year

2.     Crossroads Junction, the I-40/I-440/US 1/US 64 Interchange Project (I-5701 and I-5703)

1. Current: design-build ROW/CON 2026
2. Proposed: design-build ROW/CON 2027

3.     Green Level Church Road Bridge Replacement (B-5673)

1. No Schedule Change: ROW 2023, CON 2025

4.     Holly Springs Rd Intersection Improvements from Ten-Ten Rd to Cary Pkwy (U-6217)

1. Current: ROW 2029, CON Unfunded
2. Proposed: ROW and CON Unfunded

5.     Maynard Road Railroad Grade Separation (P-5718)

1. Current: ROW 2025, CON 2028;
2. Proposed: ROW and CON Unfunded

6.     McCrimmon Parkway from West of Davis Drive to Church Street (U5747)

1. No Schedule Change, ROW 2021, CON 2028

7.    Ten Ten Road Improvements from Apex Peakway to Kildaire Farm Road (U-5825)

1. Current: ROW 2027, CON Unfunded
2. Proposed: ROW and CON Unfunded

8.    Trinity Road Railroad Grade Separation (P-5734)

1. Current: ROW 2025, CON 2028;
2. Proposed: ROW and CON Unfunded

9.    US 64 Improvements from US 1 to Laura Duncan Road (U-5301)

1. Current: ROW 2026, CON 2029
2. Proposed: ROW and CON Unfunded

The CAMPO Executive Board and Cary will be working to try and swap some of these unfunded projects in the ten-year STIP.

Green Hope High School Graduation

Wednesday night I attended the Green Hope High School graduation. Other elected officials included Wake County School board members, and Morrisville mayor Cawley and several council members. There were 570 students that received their diplomas.

Thanks to Principal Dr. Camille Hedrick for all her years of service as moves to retirement.

North Carolina Metro Mayors

Friday I participated in a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors. Here is a summary of that meeting from the Executive Director:

General Update

• It was another fairly quiet week at the NC General Assembly.  The majority of legislation heard in committee and on the floor were local bills. 
• Majority Leadership anticipates finalizing a deal for budget at the beginning of next week and sharing the proposal with Governor Cooper before it is released.  No details have been disclosed, but we anticipate the proposal to include tax reductions, additional salary changes, and funding for state construction projects. 
• The General Assembly is still on track to adjourn by July 1.
• We expect legislative committee things to ramp up next week as the legislature may consider larger policy issues such as sports betting and medical marijuana.  The Senate has suggested they plan to complete most committee work by the end of next week.

Transportation

S793– STATE Sales Tax Revenue Transfer to Transportation

• Each member of the General Assembly received the support letter from the Metro Mayors supporting legislative efforts for additional funding for transportation (MMC letter attached).
• This effort to secure additional funding for transportation may end up being addressed in the budget that is being finalized early next week. So time is of the essence for advocacy efforts.  Any phone calls or outreach to your member of the General Assembly (or efforts to engage your business community to help) should target this weekend or Monday.  This is particularly important in regard to your state House members, as that Chamber seem less supportive of the effort.
• Senator Sawyer, Senate Transportation Co-Chair, has expressed her gratitude for our support and efforts on this issue.

Public Safety

H1011 – Greenville/Wilmington Traffic Investigators & H1024 – Durham Traffic Crash Investigators

• Both bills have received good hearings in the House.  The challenge will come in the Senate.
• The City of Durham was advised this week to develop a strategy for the long session for Metro Mayors cities that are interested in this type of legislation.
• We will continue to monitor the progress of these bills – it may well eb an issue that will be carried over to the LONG SESSION

Economic Development

H291 – Commercial Prop.

• This bill is being used to unfairly blame local governments for holding up permits associated with multi-family and commercial development.
• The bill would create a “shot clock” of 21 days to give final approval for plans filed for commercial developments.
• A number of jurisdictions use a series of parallel processes to approve plans.  This 21-day timeline would likely force cities (and counties) that review and approve plans to do the myriad of reviews in a sequential order to avoid risk of violating the 21-day final review requirement.  This could ultimately create the unintended consequence of, actually lengthening the approval process instead of expediting it. NCLM advocacy staff have been attempted – unsuccessfully – to slow the bill.  
• Please talk to your plan review staff about their perspective on this issue.  The next hearing on this bill will be in the Senate Judiciary Committee early next week.  Please have conversations with your Senators about this bill, especially those that are on the Judiciary Committee.  Consider alerting your own contract lobbyists to make contact with Senate Judiciary members if your staff agree this is a problem.

Local Control/Local Revenues

H1165 – Salisbury Voluntary Annex. Temp. Moratoria

• This bill places a temporary moratorium on the City of Salisbury’s ability to voluntarily annex any territories outside of the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
• H1165 was fast tracked and passed out of the House this week with a vote of 70-40.

S911 – Leland Annexation

• S911 modifies the requirements and procedures for the Town of Leland to conduct satellite annexations. The bill contains five requirements for the municipality to annex noncontiguous property.
• This bill passed out of the Senate State and Local Government Committee this week and has been referred to Senate Rules.

Friday Storms

Friday night severe storms came through Cary causing damage and power outages. The following information was provided by the Director of Public Works:

I am glad the storm didn’t last any longer than it did. There was lots of damage in many parts of Cary.

Fellas Bond Memorial

Saturday I attended a memorial service for Fellas Bond (Former Mayor Fred Bond’s wife). As Cary’s first lady, she fielded a lot of calls and complaints when Mayor Bond was in office. She always handled them with grace and kindness. On a personal note, I was blessed that she was my aunt and loved me like I was her own. She will be missed. RIP Fellas!

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about the lack of a pedestrian cross walk
• A concern about a legislative bill that will expedite building permits in municipalities

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association, opening remarks at the Chiefs of Police Association Meeting, a meeting with hotel developers from the Fenton, a reception for new Police Chief Sult, a regularly scheduled council meeting, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, June 26^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.