World University Games, Duke Health, and a Council Meeting

World University Games Meeting with Dignitaries

Monday at lunch I met with FISU (Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire) officials of the World University Games. These games are held every two years in a different city and are a celebration of international university sports. It draws thousands of student-athletes in competition making it among the world’s largest and most prestigious multi-sport events. I made remarks and presented gifts to the FISU CEO, President, Vice President, and Head of Games. They also presented me with a gift. We are hopeful that they will be choosing Cary and the surrounding communities when they make the selection in November.

Council Meeting Prep

Monday I attempted to contact each council member for concerns or questions about Thursday’s regular agenda. The only question was about the proposed Land Development Ordinance Amendments for signs. Later in the day I met with management to go over the agenda. At that point we didn’t have any planned call-in speakers or any written comments for Public Speaks Out or Public Hearings. We anticipated the meeting would be relatively quick.

Town Manager One-On-One

In my last meeting Monday I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz in a meeting with the town manager. Topics discussed included the future of WakeMed Soccer Park, Duke Health at Green Level, an issue Holly Springs is having, an issue with the Greater Raleigh Visitors Bureau, and a personnel matter.

Duke Health Tour

Tuesday I joined council members Liu and Johnson for a tour of the Duke Health facility off Green Level West Road. They showed the current facility and talked about their plans for expansion along with their partners from Halle and Bel Canto. Their partners currently have rezonings going through the process. Those proposals are mostly apartments with some mixed use. In our discussion we believed that a council work session might be the best next step.

CAMPO

Wednesday the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board met. The agenda included no consent items, one public hearing, and five discussion items. Items approved unanimously included Amendment #9 to FY2020-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Transit Asset Management 2023 Performance Measures & Targets for State of Good Repair, and the CAMPO organizational study. The presentations for this meeting can be found here.

Council Meeting

Due to a family emergency, I had to leave town Tuesday night and returned Wednesday night. I decided not to attend the council meeting in person Thursday due to an exposure on Tuesday although testing on Thursday and the remainder of the week showed no infections. Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz did an excellent job running the meeting.

The agenda included four consent items, six public hearings, and one discussion item. After the public hearing on the annexation 22-A-16 on Carpenter Fire Station Road, the council approved the annexation unanimously. This will allow the 22-DP-3723 development plan to move forward.

The only discussion item was to install solar on a new Cary/Apex Water Treatment facility maintenance building. This 4500 square foot building will be totally run on solar. Additional solar with be used by a neighboring maintenance building. The return on investment for this project is about four to five years. Council unanimously approved this project.

Playing George Washington

Friday I joined members of the Daughters of the American Revolution in an outdoor performance of “Anna Strong” as part of Constitution Week. I was dressed as George Washington (complete with wig) and mimed the parts of the book as they were read. After the play I read a scaled down version of a proclamation celebrating Constitution Week.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

It never ceases to amaze me the number and variety of things to do in Cary on any given day. Last weekend, thousands attended high-level sports competitions at the Atlantic Tire Championships at the Cary Tennis Park and the Adidas XC Challenge and NC Courage match at WakeMed Soccer Park. Thousands also visited Koka Booth Amphitheatre, enjoying Asia Fest and the spectacular Dragon Boat Races on Symphony Lake. Thousands also came downtown for an impressive array of activities, including Public Safety Day, Carolina Circus Fest, Farmers Market, Pickleball Paddle Battle at Herb Young, a concert at the Page-Walker, and the Beyond Film Festival at The Cary. While yet others gathered at Good Hope Farm for its Fall Harvest Fest or took to the greenways and trails for FitCary Month.

So many different options. So many people engaged. It’s a subtle but significant sign that Cary has arrived as a mature, dynamic, and bustling community. We are attracting people from across the region and country not just for one event but countless. We are living the vision we laid out in Imagine Cary to be not only a community of excellence but also a destination.
I am aware of the tireless work that goes into making weekends like this happen, and we are all so appreciative of your continued support! Another great weekend lies ahead, and I can’t wait to hear all about the great things that happen. Have a great time.
Sean

Cancellation of October 6 Council Meeting

Two council members have a scheduling conflict with the upcoming October 6 regular business meeting. Staff reviewed all upcoming agenda items and determined that the few items that would have come before you on October 6 are not time sensitive and can wait until the next scheduled meeting on October 27. As a result. the October 6 Town Council meeting has been canceled and The Clerk’s Office will handle notifications of the cancelation.

Park Hosts Kay Yow Pink Out for 2022

The Downtown Cary Park was honored to be the site for the Park’s construction company, Balfour Beatty’s participation in the Kay Yow Pink Out. Balfour Beatty and their sub-contractors raised $36,000 to help the Kay Yow Foundation fight women’s cancer. The Downtown Cary Park is honored to be working with a company that gives back to the community.

Crabtree Creek Greenway Project Update

A new project will complete a section of the Crabtree Creek Greenway. This project will extend from the existing trail system in Bond Park, then head north to connect to High House Road and a proposed street-side trail. The length of this project is approximately 2,500 linear feet. The project is at 30% of design completion and staff is seeking input. Please visit the project website to review the alignment and enjoy a short “virtual open house” presentation. The comment period on the draft designs will remain open through October.

BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival 2022

The 5th annual BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival took place September 15-18, at The Cary. The festival featured 20+ short films from around the world, a live table read of the 2022 winning screenplay, industry workshops, and networking events for filmmakers. Sponsors of our festival included the Southern Documentary Fund, NC Humanities, DigitalP Media, The Mayton, and the Chatham Street Wine Market. This was the first year the festival was able to award cash prizes to all 6 award winners. The festival welcomed over 450 attendees, and 19 filmmakers and industry representatives to BEYOND 2022.

Celebrating the Harvest at Good Hope Farm

Approximately 500 guests gathered at Good Hope Farm for Harvest Fest last Saturday. It was the first celebration of three events that are designed to connect the community to local food and environmental education. The upcoming events are scheduled to take place on October 15 and November 19. Surrounded by the historic homestead buildings and native plant gardens, participants enjoyed farm tours, produce sales, live music, children’s activities, and a chance to partake in a popup pickle-making workshop. Environmental experts and green-themed vendors hosted booths to engage with the community about pollinators, soil health, waste reduction, water quality, and other conservation topics that contribute to food security and celebrate Cary’s agricultural legacy.

2022 Atlantic Tire Championships

Cary Tennis Park hosted the Atlantic Tire Championships, September 11-18. The tournament, an ATP Men’s Professional Tennis event, had a record-breaking year for attendance, with an increase of 25% over last September’s event.

Upgraded lights allowed matches to play into the evening on all three courts. Adding a food truck and ice cream truck added to the festive atmosphere. Cary staff and a group of over 60 volunteers ensured the tournament ran smoothly. Singles champion, Michael Mmoh, was nothing short of grateful for everything the tournament had to offer and stated, “the hospitality, the facility, the crowd, the atmosphere, nothing really matches it. This is the best Challenger in the United States”.

2023 Council-Staff Retreat Dates

The 2023 Council-Staff Retreat is set for February 23-25, in Wilmington. Retreat planning is now underway, and staff will share additional details as the itinerary and agenda get ironed out. We look forward to restarting this annual tradition, so please ensure your personal calendars are blocked.

2022-2023 Cary Teen Council Membership Summary

Cary Teen Council returns to full in-person volunteering in 2022-23 with 860 members ready to serve their community. New member registration ended this week adding 370 participants to the returning membership of 490. September’s monthly meeting set an all-time record with 353 in attendance at Herbert C. Young Community Center. A signature October event, Herbert’s Haunted House, is completely planned and produced by Cary teens. Look for red Cary Teen Council t-shirts volunteering around Cary and Wake County all year long. If you need volunteers to support your event visit https://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/special-populations/teens/teen-council  to contact the staff liaison.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meetings

The Neighborhood Meetings will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm on October 12. The following cases will be discussed:

For more information and to register visit the Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting page.

Upcoming Meetings

Cultural Arts
Committee
Wednesday
Sept. 28 6:00 p.m.

Senior Center Anniversary
Celebration
Friday
Sept. 30 10:00 a.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

  • Complaints about the proposed rezoning 21-REZ-16 on Old Apex Road for hundreds of apartments. (The public hearing for this drew criticism from the residents and the council)
  • A complaint about Chatham County schools being too far away for Cary Chatham residents. They want to attend Wake County Schools. (Unfortunately, we have no control of this, and Wake County does not have authority to take children from another county)
  • A complaint about having an Apex address and living in Cary. They want to have Cary in their address. (This is the decision of the Postmaster General. Thousands of Cary residents have addresses in Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Raleigh, etc)
  • A big thank you to Firehouse 5 who helped carry someone up 20 stairs who recently had a stroke.
  • A thank you for having the Food Waste Collection Pilot program.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, Diwali dance practice for mayors from Apex, Cary, and Morrisville, a presentation to real estate agents, the Cary Chamber Annual Banquet, the Senior Center Anniversary Celebration, and the Octoberfest celebration.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, October 2nd. 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.

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