Wake County Mayors Association
Monday evening the Wake County Mayors Association met in Cary. In attendance were mayors from Cary, Garner, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon. The meeting started with a presentation from the Homebuilders Association on the economic impacts of residential housing construction in the triangle. Here are a few of my takeaways from that presentation:
- The gap between the number of housing starts versus the population is growing.
- Single family starts are expected to decline this year but will trend higher in coming years.
- Wake County population grew faster than national and state rates.
- The typical new home size is trending lower and is currently just over 2200 square feet.
- The Raleigh MSA (Metropolitan Service Area’s) home price grew by 53% since COVID. The nation grew by 43%.
- Across the nation insufficient resale inventory is supporting demand for new construction.
- 64% of Raleigh MSA can’t afford a median price house.
The remainder of the meeting was spent talking mostly about municipal budgets. Based on the comments, no municipality in Wake County is planning on revenue neutral. Of course, we are all just beginning our budget process.
Town Manager One-On-One
Tuesday I talked briefly with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Our conversation was about the budget. Staff will make their first presentation at a council work session on April 25th.
Sister Cities Student Reception
Tuesday night I joined council members Smith, Bansal, Craig, and the Sister Cities Commission to welcome culinary students from Le Touquet, France. I spent time talking with the eight students who were all visiting the United States for the first time. The relationship with Le Touquet has been going on for decades. My wife and I hosted students for years in the early 2000s and still stay in contact with some of them. What a great program for Cary.
Condensed Video Version of State of Cary
An updated condensed video of the State of Cary was posted on Tuesday. You can watch it here. It is a little under 11 minutes whereas the full version is over 30 minutes.
Economic Development Committee Meeting
The Economic Development Committee met Wednesday evening and discussed four items.
The committee provided feedback on the Kildaire Farm Road Corridor Concept Plan. The committee agreed on the option to add bike lanes and 10-foot sidewalks with medians. Members stated that the initial focus should be from Maynard to downtown. The concept also calls for connecting businesses along Kildaire so that trips between businesses can be done without getting on and off Kildaire. Once the corridor is close to completion the committee recommended a trolley or shuttle bus to connect to downtown. These ideas and more will be brought to the council in a work session sometime in the winter of next year.
A development update for Quarter 3 (January through March) was provided by the Director of Development. There are currently 32 rezoning cases in process and 3 were approved in Q3. Only 59 detached unit permits were issued in the quarter as these continue to decline. There are 43 development plans under review.
In the town manager’s remarks, he noted that sales revenues have dropped dramatically. Expenses have also risen significantly above revenues, which is not sustainable. The council will have to choose between cutting services or not being revenue neutral. The first budget work session with the council will be on April 25th.
The President of the Chamber of Commerce presented a summary of Economic Development. Here are some of the notable items:
- 33 active projects with a potential of 7169 jobs and $3.43 billion in investment.
- The park overlook development plan of 162,000 square feet has been approved.
- Vacancy rates for R&D are about 8.2% and for Manufacturing about 17%.
- Deutsche Bank is getting ready to hire about 200.
- Hybrid trends look to be permanent with an average of 2 days in the office.
- Baker Roofing purchased 3500 Regency Parkway and is moving 300 employees to Cary.
The meeting ended after a few remarks from its members. The next scheduled meeting is July 31.
Cary Matters Taping
Thursday afternoon I joined council member Jack Smith for a taping of a Cary Matters episode. This episode was about a food waste program.
In Cary 27% of our residential waste is food waste. If compostables are included that number jumps to 44%. Cary held a pilot program for drop off food waste at Dixon Avenue last year. Over 200,000 pounds of food waste was collected. 20,000 pounds of compost created from the waste was used at Good Hope Farm, an urban farm that supports the local food system through events, workshops, farm-grown produce, and resources for new farmers. Cary has a new food waste recycling drop-off at Mills Park.
Elected Officials Reception
I joined council members Smith, Bush, Kohn-Johnson, Bansal, and Craig at the Cary Chamber’s Elected Officials Reception. The title sponsor provided remarks and then I provided remarks on behalf of the town. In my remarks I thanked the local, state, and federal elected officials for all they have done and will do to keep Cary the best of the best, or as we say, the Top of the Arc.
Town Manager’s Report
Dan’s Message
Spring has sprung and once again great things are happening in Cary. I’m so proud to work with such an amazing council and staff as we move important initiatives forward.
On a personal note; I’ve spent most of this week moving. It’s a humbling activity that made me grateful for the support of friends and colleagues who together make something that is hard as easy as possible.
Have a great weekend, I’m looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Happy Friday!
Dan
Grand Opening of USA Baseball Training Center
On April 13, Cary and USA Baseball announced the grand opening of the Training Center and USA Baseball’s Executive Offices at the National Training Complex at Thomas Brooks Park. Mayor Weinbrecht, Councilmember Sarika Bansal, PRCR Director John Collins, USA Baseball’s President John Gall, and CEO Paul Seiler spoke at the ceremony. The grand opening coincides with a 20-year agreement that was signed by Cary and USA Baseball, solidifying Cary, North Carolina, as the permanent governing body for baseball in the United States. To cap the weekend’s event, Mayor Weinbrecht threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the National High School Invitational alongside USA Baseball President John Gall. A special thank you to the Cary Council for their support of this addition to the already amazing National Training Complex.
Cary’s French Connection
Eight culinary students are visiting from Cary’s Sister City, Le Touquet, France as part of a cultural and culinary exchange with Cary Sister Cities and Wake Tech, where they will spend five weeks working and learning at Heron’s, Peck & Plume, and Maximillian’s. Mayor Weinbrecht and Councilmembers Smith, Bansal, and Craig enjoyed a reception hosted by Cary Sister Cities on Tuesday evening at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center to welcome the students.
Councilmember Smith also introduced the students at last night’s Elected Officials reception at the Umstead Hotel and Spa where he was joined by Mayor Weinbrecht and Councilmembers Craig, Bush, and Kohn-Johnson. The students will also be recognized at next week’s Council meeting.
In-Road Warning Light System Installed
In-road warning lights were installed and successfully tested this week on Harrison Avenue at the Hillsboro Street crosswalk. These fourteen LED light “pucks” supplement the poles and equipment installed last week and will be paired with LED-enhanced warning signs to complete this first-in-Cary pedestrian warning device, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of next week.
This same system is planned to also be installed this summer on Walnut Street at the existing crosswalk near R.S. Dunham Park. An educational video showing this system is available on Cary’s website.
Staff Attends 2024 SDITE Conference
Sammy Wood presented at the 2024 Southern District Institute of Transportation Engineers (SDITE) conference in Wilmington, NC. Sammy shared how the Reedy Creek Road project connected with our citizens by promoting safety, health, and welfare, protecting the environment, and promoting quality of life. Luana Deans and Rob Myers attended the conference as well and enjoyed collaborating and learning about trends in the transportation industry from NC and several other states in the surrounding southeast region.
NCDOT QMS Asphalt Program
Cary staff members John Holland, Shane Atkins, Pat Goldman, and Bruce Clark earned their Quality Management Systems (QMS) Asphalt Roadway Technician Certification at the Spring 2024 NCDOT QMS Asphalt Training in Charlotte. This accreditation developed by NCDOT is designed to support technicians, engineers, and project managers who wish to enhance their skill set in roadway and street asphalt paving practices.
Sergeant Dusting Wright Graduates AOMP
Cary Police Sergeant Dustin Wright graduated from the 98th Session of the Administrative Officer’s Management Program (AOMP) on Thursday, April 11. Hosted by North Carolina State University’s School of Public and International Affairs, AOMP is a unique educational course of study for public safety professionals seeking career advancement. AOMP convenes a class of 25 students from agencies across the nation who embark on an intensive 12-week academic program during which they earn 15 undergraduate and graduate-level college credits and a certificate of completion. Please join us in congratulating Sergeant Wright on achieving this milestone in his leadership journey.
Police and Sheriff’s Attorney Conference
Deputy Town Attorney Nick Yates presented on the topic of law enforcement agency interactions with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Labor at the North Carolina Association of Police and Sheriffs’ Attorneys Conference in Wilmington, NC. Nick is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association.
Upcoming Meetings
Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday, April 24
5:00 p.m.
Town Council Meeting (Work Session)
Thursday, April 25
4:45 p.m.
Town Council Meeting (Regular)
Thursday, April 25
6:30 p.m.
Mayor’s Mailbox
- Complaints about the tax rate for the next current fiscal year (The council has not begun to review the budget. Our choice will be to cut or maintain services. The latter will mean we will not be revenue neutral).
- A complaint about pro-Hamas demonstrations in Cary.
Next Week
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, private meetings with council members, a ribbon cutting at Glenaire, a council-staff work session, and a council meeting.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, April 28th, 2024. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communication 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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