Council Meeting Prep
Monday I contacted council members to hear of questions or concerns about the agenda for the meeting on Thursday. Later in the day I met with staff and Mayor Pro-Tem Bryson-Robinson to go over the agenda. We believed it would be a short meeting since there were no concerns or controversial issues.
Council Member Bush Meeting
Tuesday, I talked with council member Bush about representing Cary at the US Mayors Roundtable and the City Data Alliance by Bloomberg philanthropy.
The US Mayors Roundtable is all sponsored by private companies and allows mayors or their representatives to come together to share strategies to addressing issues. Ms. Bush will report back findings that could be beneficial to Cary.
Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance works with mayors and cities across the Americas to provide executive education and coaching on how to leverage data to strengthen local government operations, innovate public services, and produce better outcomes for residents including improving access to health care, reimagining waste management systems, expanding affordable housing, or combatting homelessness. The suite of support provided to cities in the City Data Alliance helps mayors and their senior teams deepen their use of data to inform decisions, transform systems, understand impact, and communicate results.
A big thank you to council member Bush for taking on these responsibilities.
Hum Sub Meeting
Tuesday evening I joined council member Bush and representatives of Hum Sub in talking about the town’s participation in the Diwali dance later in the year. Cary should have close to a dozen elected officials and staff that are willing to participate. Our practices will begin in the second week of July.
Glenaire Ribbon Cutting
Thursday morning I joined council members Bush and Craig at the Ribbon Cutting for the Glenaire Expansion. I provided a few remarks before reading a proclamation:
Celebrating the Expansion of Glenaire in Cary
WHEREAS, since its founding in 1993, Glenaire has set a standard of excellence in person-centered care, profoundly enriching the lives of its residents and the wider Cary community.
WHEREAS, today we honor the significant expansion of Glenaire, which adds 192 apartment homes, enabling a greater number of seniors to experience an exceptional quality of life in a community tailored to their needs. This expansion brings with it a state-of-the-art wellness center, a variety of dining options, and increased opportunities for artistic expression and lifelong learning, enhancing the daily experiences of its residents; and
WHEREAS, senior housing is vital to our community’s fabric, allowing older adults to live with independence and dignity, while remaining an active part of our vibrant society. As our demographic landscape of Cary shifts towards an older population, we recognize the importance of creating a community that supports its residents in aging with grace and security.
WHEREAS, Glenaire continues to evolve under the dedicated leadership of its management and with the support of Brightspire, contributing significantly to help Cary meet the needs of our aging population;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Harold Weinbrecht, Jr., Mayor of Cary, North Carolina, on behalf of the Cary Council, do hereby proclaim today as a day of celebration in honor of the expansion of Glenaire. We extend our best wishes for their continued success as an integral part of our community, furthering our mission to provide a safe, inclusive, and enriching environment for our citizens of all ages.
PROCLAIMED this 25th day of April 2024.
Also providing remarks were the Executive Director, the President of Brightspire (parent company), and the Cary Chamber President. Congratulations to Glenaire and we look forward to many more years of collaboration.
Huntington’s Disease Proclamation
Thursday afternoon I met with the Executive Director of HD Reach to present a proclamation. Huntington’s disease is an inherited disorder that causes nerve cells in parts of the brain to gradually break down and die. The disease attacks areas of the brain that help to control intentional movement, as well as other areas. People living with Huntington’s Disease develop uncontrollable dance-like movements and abnormal body postures, as well as problems with behavior, emotion, thinking, and personality. HD Reach is working to improve the care and quality of life for those affected by Huntington’s disease. Founded as a nonprofit in 2009, they provide connections to medical providers, referrals to local services, care management, family support, education, and anonymous genetic testing. I was honored to present a proclamation to help with awareness of this terrible disease.
Council Work Session
Thursday evening the council held a work session to talk about the Center at South Hills, a potential bond referendum this fall, and how Cary will hold future elections.
The staff did a great presentation giving the history of the Center which originally included an arena. The original design presented to the council at the 2023 retreat cost in the $500 million to $600 million range. It was clear that was cost prohibitive even with $75 million from the county. Two options were presented at this work session. Both options included a community center and senior center. The options differed on basketball courts. The option with just four basketball courts would be approximately $230 million. The option with eight basketball courts would be approximately $280 million. The eight basketball courts would create a venue for competition, which was the original intent of the Center. The four basketball courts would be just for local play. It is estimated that the eight-court option would create 32-40 tournaments, 20,000 to 25,000 room nights, and $25 to $30 million in economic impact. The eight-court version would also allow the $75 million promised from the county which would more than make up the difference in the cost of the two options. The council discussed this at length and will decide at an upcoming quarterly meeting.
A potential bond was also discussed. The current list of projects on the potential bond would be in the $500 to $600 million. The council discussed dividing the projects into two separate bonds since all the bond work couldn’t be done at the same time anyway. The council will decide whether to have a bond and what will be on that bond at an upcoming quarterly meeting.
It should be noted that the property reevaluation and the future tax rate was also part of the bond discussion. The council’s decision will be whether to cut or maintain services. Cutting services would be needed to reach revenue neutral. To cut services would likely include cuts in police, fire, and public works since that makes up 85% of our cost according to the town manager. Personally, I would have an extremely difficult time cutting services to those areas. They are all vital to our community’s success.
The final work session topic was on future elections. Cary currently holds elections in odd years in October. If a candidate does not have 50% plus one vote, then there is a runoff. We are the only municipality that now does this. Which means we can’t share election costs with other municipalities. And those costs this past election were around $900,000. Other municipalities hold their elections in November with the top vote getter (plurality) being elected. Cary did that years ago, which meant that the voting majority could vote for someone other than the person elected. Because of the confusion of holding October rather than November elections, and the cost associated with holding elections in October, the council unanimously approved to go to plurality elections. The process to change will move forward in time to allow plurality in the 2025 elections.
Council Meeting
The council held its last regularly scheduled meeting of April on Thursday night. The agenda included the recognition of French culinary students from Le Touquet, four consent items, three public hearings, and a closed session.
The consent items included minutes, meeting schedule adjustments, Trinity Road Townhouses Annexation (rezoning already approved), and year in budget adjustments (put unspent money back in the General Fund).
The first public hearing was to close a portion of a road platted decades ago that never got built. A portion of this road is located under existing buildings being demolished for the new parking structure. No one spoke at the public hearing, and it was approved unanimously.
The second public hearing was to consider approval of the FY 2024-2025 Annual Action Plan and the proposed list of funding recommendations, authorizing staff to submit the Annual Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and pursue initiative implementation. A few speakers spoke in favor of the plan, thanking the council for their support. The plan was approved unanimously.
The final public hearing was on the South Hills rezoning and development. This rezoning includes properties totaling approximately 44.35 acres along Buck Jones Road near Walnut Street. The rezoning request would allow a vertically integrated, mixed-use development with primarily structured parking. The rezoning would create a block structure and street grid for the site and three height zones, with the highest buildings being allowed closest to U.S. 1. The plan requires ground floor activation along specific pedestrian-focused areas of the site. The request also includes a District Development Standards document to govern the site development and design of the project. This project will now go to the Planning and Zoning board for their review and recommendation. It will return to the council for a vote in a few months.
Cary #1 Best Place to Live in NC
Friday morning I was notified that Cary was ranked as the #1 best place to live in North Carolina by NICHE. This ranking was based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Here was what they said about Cary:
“Cary is a suburb of Raleigh with a population of 174,880. Cary is in Wake County and is one of the best places to live in North Carolina. Living in Cary offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Cary there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families live in Cary and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Cary are highly rated.”
While I appreciate the ranking very much, Cary is NOT just a suburb of Raleigh, and our population is now over 187,000. That perception of being a suburb was invalidated years ago with more people coming to work in Cary than leaving to work elsewhere. In addition, we are consistently recognized nationally for many things independent of Raleigh and recognized more than Raleigh.
Town Manager’s Report
Sean’s Message
The staff and I found yesterday’s work session and Council meeting to be extremely valuable, and we appreciate the thoughtful dialogue and action on several key items. The day set the perfect foundation for next week’s Quarterly Meeting. Until then, enjoy the updates that follow as well as your time at Spring Daze.
Sean
Children’s Day Festival
The Children’s Day Festival took place in Downtown Cary Park on April 20. Hosted by the American Turkish Association of NC in collaboration with Cary Sister Cities and the Town of Cary, the event was a vibrant celebration. Councilmember Sarika Bansal led the reading of the proclamation, accompanied onstage by Councilmembers Carissa Kohn-Johnson and Michelle Craig, alongside NC Senator Gale Adcock and ATA-NC presenter, Buket Aydemir. This joyous community gathering spotlighted the talents of local youth from various cultural backgrounds, embodying a truly international celebration created by and for kids!
Council Member Craig Welcomes German Students
Last Friday, Councilmember Michelle Craig welcomed a student exchange group from Oberursel, Germany, to Cary Town Hall. This visit is part of a broader exchange program with Cary Academy, during which the students explore the three levels of government, including trips to Raleigh and Washington, DC.
Walnut Street Road Diet Update
Staff across the organization continue to work on this high priority project, which will provide safety enhancements along Walnut Street between Maynard Road and Kildaire Farm Road. With surveying ongoing, next week, contractors will begin video inspections of the underground utilities, including sewer and storm systems. This work is expected to take 2 – 3 weeks as we continue to develop options for the road diet project expected to begin construction later this summer. Additional information can be found on our project website.
Walnut Street Parking Deck Maintenance
Cary will be conducting maintenance on the Walnut Street Parking Deck from April 29 to May 11. The deck will remain open, but the work will have an impact on parking and traffic flow on all levels. Traffic control staff will be on hand to assist drivers throughout the duration of the project. Drivers are asked to use extra caution in the deck during this time and plan for possible delays during busier hours. Visitors to Downtown Cary can find more parking options on our Downtown Parking Map. Cary thanks its partners at The Walker and Wake County Public Library for working collaboratively to develop this schedule.
Harrison Avenue In-Road Warning Lights Complete
Pedestrian safety enhancements were completed this week and are now fully operational at the existing crosswalk of Harrison Avenue at Hillsboro Street (Cary Depot). The combination of in-road warning lights, LED-enhanced signs and accessible (audible) pedestrian push buttons are expected to improve mobility for pedestrians crossing to and from the depot. Transportation, Public Works and Construction and Field Services staff were all on-hand to observe various stages of the installation in anticipation of this system continuing to be in Cary’s toolbox of pedestrian and traffic safety devices. A similar installation is planned for Walnut Street this summer.
Earth Day in Cary
Earth Day was celebrated this week with a variety of environmental programs and events. Cary’s March Into Earth Day campaign was recognized by the National Recreation and Park Association for its excellence in environmental outreach and equity. Thanks to our dedicated community members, the Spruce program hosted 195 volunteers who collected more than 3,000 pounds of litter town-wide, with additional environmental events at Good Hope Farm and Hemlock Bluffs. A birding class explored urban forests in Bond Park, while the Cary Teen Council, The Cary Theatre, and Environment staff hosted an Earth Day film screening and panel discussion on youth sustainability. Throughout April, social media promoted discounted compost bins and rain barrels, and two Cary It Green pop-up booths offered resources downtown. About 30 participants joined our free online lunch-and-learn about residential solar. The week concludes with Earth Day Lane at Spring Daze.
Wastewater Collection System Smoke Testing to Begin Next Week
Beginning Monday, April 29th, Public Works staff will begin introducing non-toxic detection smoke into select sewer lines. Crews will test approximately 600 manholes and more than 20 miles of sewer lines over the next two weeks. In support of Cary’s commitment to efficient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure, we annually perform smoke testing in the sanitary sewer system to identify locations where storm water and other surface waters are entering Cary’s collection system and to also reveal sources of sewer odors. This testing helps eliminate the unnecessary cost of treating ground water by minimizing the inflow and infiltration of clean water sent on to treatment plants. All properties affected are sent a notification letter with all pertinent information and a point of contact for any questions. Testing will take place around the Oakwood Heights neighborhood near downtown, and the Vandiver.
Staff Attends State Energy Conference at NC State
This week, staff attended this year’s State Energy Conference of North Carolina at NC State University and met with Steven Kalland, Director of the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. Attendees were updated on tools and techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and learned about funding opportunities across the state.
West Point Leadership Program Graduates
On April 23, Sergeant Joel Pyland and Corporal Justin Millard graduated from the 36th cohort of the West Point Leadership Program (WPLP). Developed by Methodist University’s Center for Excellence in Justice Administration, WPLP is a 16-week leadership course aimed at inspiring leaders to adopt an informed, systematic, and dynamic approach to leadership in police organizations. Adapted from the third-year course PL300 Military Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, WPLP is designed to cultivate leadership skills. We are incredibly proud of Sergeant Pyland and Corporal Millard for their dedication and hard work throughout this program.
VFW Honors Fire and Police Personnel
Police Detective Matt Cullen and Fire Captain Allen Monds were celebrated by the Cary Franklin-Sloan VFW Post 7383 on Saturday at its annual First Responders Banquet awards ceremony. Detective Cullen, a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, was recognized for his service as a task force officer on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. He has built successful partnerships with local, state, and federal entities toward the successful disruption and prosecution of drug trafficking organizations. Captain Monds, who is set to retire April 29 with over 28 years of service, was selected as his recruit academy’s top recruit in 1996, developed future firefighters throughout his career as a shift training officer and recruit academy instructor, commanded the department’s Honor Guard for much of his career, and more recently served on the ground floor of both the Town of Cary’s interdepartmental drone team and the Cary-Apex-Morrisville fire departments’ Pipe and Drums team. Police and Fire are incredibly proud of Detective Cullen and Captain Monds, honored by their recognition, and grateful for the continued service of the men and women of the Cary Franklin-Sloan VFW Post 7383.
Youth Leadership Cary
Last Tuesday, the Youth Leadership Cary program, sponsored by the Cary Chamber of Commerce, partnered with the Herb Young Community Center to give back to the Cary community. Local high school teens volunteered to assist those in need, working together to assemble bedroom furniture, home decor, and other items for children living in foster care.
2024 ACC Tennis Championships
The Atlantic Coast Conference Tennis Championships took place at the Cary Tennis Park from April 17 to 21. The Florida State Seminoles, seeded 6th, claimed victory in the Men’s division, upsetting NC State, Wake Forest, and the nation’s top-ranked team, Virginia. On the Women’s side, the 1st-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels defeated Virginia in the Finals. With over 3,000 spectators, this year’s event marked the highest attendance in ACC Tennis Championships history at the Cary Tennis Park.
Upcoming Meetings
Senior Advisory Board
Wednesday, May 1
12:00 p.m.
Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting
Wednesday, May 1
6:30 p.m.
Council Quarterly Meeting
Thursday, May 2
1:00 p.m.
Mayor’s Mailbox
- A complaint about sidewalks in Taylor Pond.
- Invitations to several events.
- A request to not have a median on Walnut Street.
- Thank you for our commitment to affordable housing.
- A request for a job in town government.
Next Week
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a welcome taping for TST (The Soccer Tournament), and a council quarterly meeting.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, May 5th, 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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