Cary Tennis Classic Board, Economic Development Committee, and NC Metro Mayors

Manager One-On-One

Monday I briefly met with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Our topic was about the 2019 bond projects and the upcoming reprioritization of capital projects at the retreat.

Cary Tennis Classic Board

Monday night I met the Cary Tennis Classic board. We talked about the dates for our professional tournament which have been set for June 29th through July 6th. It will be a combined men’s and women’s event. We also talked about events leading up to the tournament and events during the week of the tournament. Other topics included sponsorship and how to show appreciation and get them involved.

Economic Development

Wednesday night I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Bryson-Robinson and council member Jack Smith for the Economic Development Committee meeting. The agenda included presentations and discussions on marketing Cary, development updates, and the Cary Chamber’s quarterly report.

Here are some notes from the marketing presentation:

  • 2025 Goals of marketing team
    • Increase regional, national, international investments
    • Higher-profile sports and entertainment events
    • Increase regional visitation
  • Performance Indicators Used
    • Web traffic to venues
    • Social engagement outside NC
    • Downtown visitation
    • Economic Development website traffic
  • Marketing team’s work with chamber
    • Data-backed marketing efforts, CaryED.com
    • Storytelling
    • Updating Economic Development materials
    • Supporting ED with pitches and paid advertising
  • TST (The Soccer Tournament)
    • $15 million in economic impact last year
    • Goal: to increase attendance to support return in future years
    • Focus on travel markets: Atlanta, NYC, Charlotte, Wilmington, D.C.
  • Koka Booth Amphitheater celebrates its 25th anniversary this year
  • Naming Cary C A R E Y on November 1st was a huge exposure across the country
  • Cary was one of the Christmas webcams from around the world
  • The CEO magazine will feature our Public Works Director Matt Flynn
  • Some of the unique things Cary is known for today
    • Fortnite – Epic Games
    • Golf – SAS Championships
    • Umstead – Top hotel in NC
    • Cheez-Its – Most made in Cary

Here are some takeaways from the development update:

  • Development patterns remain consistent with Imagine Cary
  • Projects are clustered in large developments, very small projects, and Downtown
  • Multi-family interest continues to be strong
  • In 2015 Cary had 18% undeveloped land, in 2024 Cary had 14%, there is 12.5% in the pipeline
  • In Q2 (October – December) there were 20 cases seeking rezoning and 1 approved (South Hills). No approvals in Q1
  • In Q2 4 rezoning cases were submitted (Trinity Road PDD, Weston PDD, Wake Western Regional, 420 South Harrison)
  • Rezoning conversion rate is around 14% which is consistent with the last 5 years
  • Site plans approved by staff included 49 townhomes and 126 multi-family units
  • Site plans for Q2 were the lowest in years
  • There were 55 residential permits issued in Q2 which is the lowest in years
  • There have been 200 single unit permits issued so far this year, which is the lowest in at least the last 35 years.
  • A large development called Alston Yards, at Highway 55 and O’Kelly Chapel, was approved
  • Imagine Cary Community Plan 2024 Update was approved

Here are some takeaways from the Cary Chamber’s Quarterly report:

  • Unemployment as of December 31st: Cary 2.5%, Wake County 2.9%, NC 3.7%, and US 4%
  • Flex-Light Industrial product development: 65,000 sq ft should begin construction this spring on Northgate Court
  • The Dow, up 12.88% last year, shows favorable market conditions
  • Federal Reserve rate cuts are expected to be down to 3.75% to 4% by the end of the year.

North Carolina Metro Mayors

Friday I participated in a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors. Here is a summary of Legislative Action from Checkmate Government Relations:

Helene Relief Continued

Members of the House continue to advance House Bill 47, the “Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part I.” The House Select Committee on Helene Recovery met to amend sections of the bill. These changes focus on appropriating money towards homes, farmlands, private bridges, and road repairs. The Appropriations Committee approved these changes, and the bill has been sent to House Rules, where it could receive a hearing as early as next week. 

The House Finance Committee met to discuss House Bill 48.  This bill expands Executive Order 322 issued by former Governor Roy Cooper. The Order is set to expire on March 1, 2025, and primarily dealt with Unemployment Benefits during the Hurricane Helene Disaster. H48 increases the cap of maximum benefits under current unemployment law to $450 and adds an employer a tax credit for unemployment tax on wages paid in 2025.

Digital Currency Bill

House Bill 92, the “NC Digital Investments Act,” was filed by new Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) along with Representative Ross (R-Alamance) and freshman member Representative Schietzelt (R-Wake). This bill allows the North Carolina State Treasury Department to invest in certain digital assets but sets strict standards and guidelines for these digital investments.  

Senate Passes Health Insurance Bill

Senate Bill 24 passed a floor vote in the Senate this week with a 30-15 vote. The bill requires any new mandate in the State’s health insurance plan to be offset by repealing an existing mandate. Senate Bill 24 requires disclosure that any additional mandates do not cause an increase in costs in the State’s health insurance plan. The bill next moves through the NC House of Representatives.  

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

It’s been a productive week, especially as we prepare for the retreat. We’ll send out the agenda early next week, and the staff and I look forward to seeing you there.
Since we’ll all be together next Friday, there will be no weekly report on February 21.
Finally – and most importantly – Happy Birthday, Jennifer!

Enjoy your weekend.
Sean

Jordan Lake One Water & US Water Alliance Meeting

On Thursday, Councilmember Lori Bush and staff attended the One Water – One Vision meeting, co-hosted by the Jordan Lake One Water Coalition (JLOW) and US Water Alliance. Held at RTI International, the event brought together water stakeholders from across North Carolina to exchange ideas and develop practical solutions for water challenges in the Jordan Lake watershed. Attendees represented a range of sectors, including stormwater, drinking water, wastewater, agriculture, and land conservation.

As JLOW Chair, Councilmember Bush shared insights into the organization’s history and key achievements. Later, Betsy Drake from the Utilities Department presented Cary’s efforts to optimize water treatment, specifically its work on PFAS treatment and mitigation at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility.

NCDOT’S Draft State Transportation Improvement Plan

NCDOT has released a draft update to the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) for review and comment. The STIP is updated every two years, identifying funding and schedules for NCDOT projects over a 10-year period from 2026-2035. In this year’s draft, there are changes to timelines for eight NCDOT projects in Cary . NCDOT is taking public comments on the recent updates through April 4 and a finalized version will be approved by the NC Board of Transportation in Summer 2025.

My Tree, Our Tree Has Branched Out

My Tree, Our Tree is branching out this spring with two opportunities to receive a free tree. The first event took place last Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park, where hundreds of Cary residents picked up saplings and learned about tree care.
Thanks to a partnership with community nonprofit Project Pando, our 2025 trees have been sourced from local seeds, are sized for easier maintenance, and grown to maximize future life expectancy. New in 2025, our pickup events now feature hands-on tree planting demonstrations, a Q&A with certified arborists, and nature-themed activities for children.
Through this innovative environmental initiative, more than 200 trees will find homes on private properties across town. The second giveaway will be held during Cary’s Arbor Day celebration on March 22.

The Cary Cup

Cary, with the support of The Soccer Tournament (TST), is proud to announce The Cary Cup, the nation’s first 7v7 youth soccer tournament featuring TST’s revolutionary Target Score Time™.
Taking place at premier sports venues in the Cary area from June 6-8, this groundbreaking event will offer a festival-like atmosphere and include TST tickets for youth players, discounted tickets for players’ families, and a free shuttle to TST. Teams will compete for a spot in The Cary Cup finals, which will be held at WakeMed Soccer Park on the same fields as TST’s biggest stars and celebrities.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting – March 5

The following Neighborhood Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 6:30 PM.

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

Upcoming Meetings

Town Council Meeting (Work Session)
Tuesday, February 18
 5:30 p.m.

Public Art Advisory Board
Wednesday, February 19
6:15 p.m.

Town Council Meeting (Annual/Retreat Meeting)
Friday, February 21
8:30 a.m.

Town Council Meeting (Annual/Retreat Meeting)
Saturday, February 22
8:30 a.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

  • A recommendation that Cary should have a DOGE because of the “recent election Mandate”, “cancel the electric garbage and fire trucks”, a “reduction in building and inspections”, “cancel the DEI dept.”, and “what happened to Mayberry”.
  • A complaint about a permit taking too long.
  • A request to know what I am “actively doing to protect the citizens of Cary from Trump’s abhorrent discriminatory, and illegal actions.”
  • A request to hold a hackathon.
  • A complaint that a part time contract employee that works “underrepresented minority communities” cannot be a full-time employee.
  • A request to offer developers incentives “to build even time home rentals”.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association, a meeting with congresswoman Foushee, a council work session, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board, and the annual council/staff retreat.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 23rd, 2025. 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.