Town Manager One-On-One
Monday I met briefly with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Our topics of discussion included council actions, the upcoming bond, a dying tree that will need to be removed in the downtown park, and the Wake Stone Quarry upcoming actions.
Mayors Association
Monday night I attended a Mayors Association meeting in Fuquay-Varina. In attendance were mayors from Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, and Wake Forest. We talked about Mayors Association cash flow issues for our annual holiday dinner and then did a round table discussion. A big thank you to Fuquay-Varina Mayor Massengill for hosting the mayors.
CAMPO
Wednesday I attended a meeting of the CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) Executive Board. The agenda included six consent items, two public hearings, and three discussion items. Items that resulted in votes included:
- The Human Services Transportation Plan was approved after a public hearing.
- Division needs updates for target modal mix in SPOT (Strategic Transportation Prioritization) was approved.
- And there was an approval to allow the Executive Director to sign an Updated US 1 Council of Planning Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of CAMPO.
All votes were unanimous.
Cary Chamber Annual Banquet
Wednesday night I attended the Cary Chamber’s Annual Banquet. I provided a few remarks on what the community has accomplished over the years through business community, the citizens, and the town partnerships. I was followed by the keynote speaker, NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson, who was an excellent speaker and very entertaining. Congratulations to Ralph Ashworth for receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine and to Liza Weidel who received the Citizen of the Year award.
Carolina Courage Potential Sale
Thursday I was notified that Former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry may buy 60% of the North Carolina Courage from Steve Malik for about $108 million.
Volunteer Appreciation Event
Thursday night I joined 5 other council members in a volunteer appreciation event for our boards and commissions. We honored the outgoing board members for their years of service. We also celebrated and recognized the new HRID (Human Relations Inclusion Diversity) board. It was a great event and a time for council and staff to talk with the volunteers for these boards.
NC Metro Mayors
The NC Metro Mayors met Friday for a presentation and a legislative summary:
The Legislature met last week to pass a “mini-budget” H10, which also included a provision that requires NC Sheriffs to cooperate with federal ICE officials. We expect this bill to be vetoed by Governor Cooper later today. The “mini-budget” bill also includes:
- An additional $215.5M for private school Opportunity Scholarships
- An additional $377M to the Division of Health Benefits for the Medicaid
- Various other public schools, community college, and special needs program funding.
- The “mini budget” did not include any funding for teacher raises, or for member earmarks.
The Legislature overrode vetoes, including:
- House Bill 155 allows the DMV to authorize certain modified vehicles for 4-lane roads.
- House Bill 556, prohibits counties and cities from adopting certain ordinances that would prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to tenants because the tenant uses federal aid for rent.
- House Bill 690 prohibits any state agency from accepting a central bank digital currency.
- Senate Bill 166 an “omnibus land use and building code “bill – became law 9/11/24.
- Senate Bill 445 makes it illegal for a person to advertise property or rent property they have no authority to rent or sell (veto override still needs House action on S445).
Cary #1 Best Place to Retire
Friday I was notified that Cary was the #1 place in the nation to retire using Dave Ramsey’s 8% withdrawal rate. Dave Ramsey is an American radio known for being a financial guru with a focus on helping people get out of debt. To find out more about this ranking go here.
ICMA Conference
Saturday I left for Pittsburgh to attend the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) conference which is not town related. However, I will be performing mayoral duties remotely through Tuesday.
Town Manager’s Report
Sean’s Message
“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” -Sherry Anderson
Ms. Anderson’s statement certainly rings true in Cary. It was nice seeing everyone last night during another busy week in Cary. As I have said many times, the Cary Council and Staff appreciates its volunteers more than any other place I have ever worked. We are so very grateful to them!
Enjoy reading this week’s Weekly Report and at a minimum please read the first story. Have a nice weekend.
Sean
Willow Oak Removal in Downtown Park
Despite meticulous care and maintenance in recent years, the willow oak tree in the Downtown Cary Park’s North Botanical Garden has reached the end of its lifespan. In June 2024, Park staff noticed the browning of the leaves in the willow oak tree’s canopy. Immediate action was taken by staff to inspect the status of the tree. A tree care specialty group confirmed that the vascular flow of the tree had stopped, officially marking the end of its mature life stage. It is estimated to be 100 years old. The safety of park guests and staff is our top priority and for that reason the tree must be removed. The removal is scheduled for September 24 and 25, and will have minor impacts to pedestrian traffic in the area. After removal, new life will bloom in the north botanical garden as more trees and plants will be installed.
TCC Coffee and Chat
Councilmembers Bansal, Craig, Kohn-Johnson, Robinson, and Smith along with staff from a number of departments had a “coffee chat” with members of the development community on Thursday. The annual event which was organized by the Triangle Community Coalition allowed Council to share ideas with developers on ways to address housing in Cary.
District D Homeowners Association
The District D Homeowners Association meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 1 at 5:00 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in Parkside Town Commons, Cary. It’s a great opportunity to connect with other HOA members and get updates on district developments. Staff will also be present to share insights and answer any questions after a brief presentation on Town projects and initiatives. If you are interested in attending, please let Ginny know.
The Cary Podcast on the 2024 Cary Community Bond Referendum
This week, John Collins, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Director, was interviewed about the 2024 Cary Community Bond Referendum for The Cary Podcast, in an opportunity that came through an interaction with a Cary citizen at the Lazy Daze bonds booth. Listen to the podcast here ! In addition, Cary staff has been busy engaging with citizens to provide information on the bonds, attending events such as the Farmer’s Market and Carolina Circus, plus several public meetings. After this weekend, where we’ll be attending a booth at Public Safety Day, staff will have invested almost 100 hours of time educating citizens on the bonds at 32 events and meetings.
Cary Hosts Service Tours
Colleagues from Holly Springs and Morrisville were interested in learning more about how programs like Cary’s community gardens and food waste drop-off sites are designated and operated. To model these municipal services, staff proudly conducted a series of tours that also showcased Cary’s leadership in sustainable practices and partnerships and our citizens’ efforts to reduce waste, compost, and grow locally.
NC State University Project
Professor Lokendra Pal at NC State University is leading research that could ultimately convert portions of solid waste into sustainable biofuel. This research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, utilizes advanced AI imaging technology to analyze Cary’s waste stream. Currently in the stakeholder engagement phase, this AI imaging project is designed to improve the sorting and processing of waste materials through extensive imaging analysis.
The study provides us with excellent insights. Because Cary citizens do a great job of recycling and due to the low presence of metals in Cary’s solid waste, further improvements in the imaging may involve utilizing Cary’s recycled materials. With over 1.7 million images collected and a 90% accuracy rate in analyzing the waste composition, the project is well on its way to effectively accomplishing the objectives of the study. Professor Pal is continuing the stakeholder engagement phase over the next several months.
Urban Forestry: Clearing the Way
Staff from Public Works’ facilities, operations, and urban forestry groups continued their combined effort to make Cary’s public rights-of-way safer for pedestrians and vehicular traffic by addressing tree/infrastructure obstructions around town. You may have noticed improved sight lines at some intersections throughout town. Some of their work included:
- traffic signal clearance on Walnut Street at Cary High School.
- traffic signal clearance on SW Cary Parkway at West Chatham Street.
- street clearance on Old Apex Road at Brentwood Drive.
- street clearance on Beechtree Drive at Beech Forest Court.
- sidewalk clearance on Green Level Church Road at Hortons Creek Road; and
- clearance of numerous regulatory signs obstructed by low-hanging tree limbs.
This effort is a step towards expanding our tree maintenance efforts and it allows us to provide new ways to train staff with hands-on learning as part of our Urban Forestry Program initiatives.
2024 Veterans Benefit Live
The Herbert C. Young Community Center hosted the Veterans Benefits Live Event—VA in My Town Cary NC, September 12-14. A special thanks goes to all the organizations that came together to assist veterans in accessing the benefits they have earned. The dedication and hard work of Cary staff, the American Legion Post 67, VA Administrators, Veteran Service Officers and all the volunteers who put in long hours and were ready to help wherever needed, contributed to the success of this event. Over the three days, the event served 1,180 veterans, an increase from 1,006 in 2023.
Marketing Team Relocation
Cary’s Marketing team has moved! Today, the team hosted a “housewarming” breakfast at the old reception desk on the first floor of the Town Hall. This move signifies an important milestone in the team’s evolution, and the group looks forward to new opportunities to collaborate and connect with those in Town Hall and beyond in the future.
Caustic Tank Project Complete
Construction is complete for the caustic tank replacement project at the Cary-Apex Water Treatment Facility. Caustic, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a chemical used for pH adjustment and is an important part of the water treatment process. The project involved the replacement of 4 fiberglass tanks that were at the end of their service life. The new tanks are carbon steel and are expected to last for at least 20 years. Another important part of the project was rerouting of chemical piping and electrical conduit. This important work will ensure that the facility can safely and effectively add caustic during water treatment, as part of our process to provide high quality drinking water to our citizens.
Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting – October 9th
The following Neighborhood Meeting will be held virtually on Zoom on Wednesday, October 9 at 6:30 PM.: 24-REZ-12 402 Charles Ct.
Upcoming Meetings
Planning and Zoning Board
Monday, September 23
6:30 p.m.
Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday, September 25
6:00 p.m.
Town Council Meeting (Work Session)
Thursday, September 26
4:45 p.m.
Town Council Meeting (Regular)
Thursday, September 26
6:30 p.m.
Mayor’s Mailbox
- A complaint about a neighbor’s shipping container.
- A request to connect Carpenter Village to Cary’s greenways.
- Several requests to support the rezoning proposal in the Wellington Park neighborhood.
- A complaint about contamination in water (investigation showed that Cary water was fine and the contamination was airborne within the residence).
- Several requests to attend several events.
Next Week
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, the ICMA conference, a council work session, a council meeting, and Asia Fest.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, September 29th, 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@carync.gov and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.
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