HRID, District A, and NC Metro Mayors

Manager One-On-One

Monday I met with the town manager, a couple of key staff members, and representatives for a development. Our discussion included development impacts and how the town might be involved.

HRID Meeting

Tuesday night I participated in a meeting of the Human Relations, Inclusion, and Diversity Advisory Board. The agenda included Community Engagement at the Latino Festival, a presentation of demographic data, and providing translation of public safety information.

District A Meeting

Wednesday night I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Bryson-Robinson, council member Bush, council member Kohn-Johnson, the town manager, police chief, and several other staff members in a town hall meeting for District A. There was a couple dozen people in attendance. We presented data on the budget, public safety, and talked about future expectations. Some of the specific topics included the role of the council, the Cary Community Plan, the state of Cary infrastructure (Greenways, parks, town facilities, community centers), and a financial overview.  Then we answered questions from those in attendance. This is the first of what I hope will be meetings in every district.

NC Metro Mayors

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

This week’s Coalition call discussed ongoing activities at the North Carolina General Assembly. Though legislators’ work has continued to move slower than usual, work is underway to develop the Senate’s appropriations plan and pass multiple pieces of legislation in both chambers. 

The Coalition’s lobbying team and the NCLM Government Affairs team discussed multiple bills that align with the Coalition’s priority areas. Those bills included the following:


House Bill 47 “Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part I“

House Bill 92 “NC Digital Assets Investments Act”

House Bill 310 “Eminent Domain”

House committees discussed House Bill 47 and House Bill 92 this week, and both received favorable reports. House Bill 310 was filed on Wednesday and has yet to be heard in committee. The group discussed that House Bill 310 resembles bills filed in previous sessions calling for a constitutional amendment addressing eminent domain actions. 

Legislators are awaiting financial data from the fourth quarter of 2024 before setting final budget targets, though current consensus forecasts project a small surplus ($400-700 million) for the upcoming fiscal year. 

The group also discussed Governor Josh Stein’s upcoming State of the State address (Wednesday, March 12) and the legislature’s direction following the passing of both chambers’ local bill deadlines. Finally, the group discussed the potential for both chambers to choose to release large omnibus bills on topics including transportation, regulatory reform, and others as opposed to smaller, topic-specific bills we have seen in prior sessions.

The lobbying team will continue to monitor General Assembly activities and provide further updates during future Coalition calls. 

NCLM Legislative Goals

After a lengthy member-driven process, member cities and towns have chosen the Legislative Goals for the 2025-26 legislative biennium. NCLM thanks all municipal representatives who were involved in this process, whether you served on the NCLM Legislative Policy committee (including Coalition Treasurer Mayor Bill Dusch, who served as committee co-chair), took part in the numerous in-person or virtually listening sessions soliciting ideas, or assisted your city or town in the final electronic voting to select the list of 10 goals to be pursued. Here are the goals, for your consideration, in both a single-page listing and a two-page document providing context for each goal.

This process ultimately involved 197 individuals representing 154 municipalities, and that broad participation is so important as we now begin the work of seeking approval of the goals before the North Carolina General Assembly. We hope that you take the opportunity to discuss these proposals with your legislators at an appropriate time. Your involvement in NCLM’s advocacy efforts is so vital to our success.

Town Manager’s Report

Russ’ Message

It was great to see many of you engaging with citizens on important topics like updates to the Cary Community Plan and the State of Cary address at Wednesday night’s District A Information Meeting. I always appreciate these opportunities for us to connect with the community.
Don’t forget to spring forward this Sunday, enjoy your weekend!
Russ

Eagle Scout Court of Honor

On March 2, Councilmember Craig attended a Joint Eagle Scout Court of Honor at White Plains United Methodist Church for Troops 210 and 232G.

Green Hope Fine Arts Showcase

On February 28, Councilmember Craig attended Green Hope High School’s Fine Arts Showcase, which included their award winning Anon(ymous) production. These theater students are traveling to Baltimore, Maryland later in March to represent North Carolina at the Southeast Theatre Conference. 

Nancy Jones Maintenance Work Begins

This week, contractors began maintenance work on the Nancy Jones House, a Cary Historic Landmark also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, located at 9321 Chapel Hill Road. The project will take approximately two months and focuses on preserving the building’s outer structure. Planned improvements include replacing damaged weather barriers, upgrading windowsills, replacing rotted wood, and painting the refreshed areas. For more details, please visit the project webpage.

AARP Age Friendly Designation

In 2022, Cary became a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. This prestigious designation highlights our dedication to fostering a community where individuals of all ages and abilities can thrive in a supportive environment.

Over the past several months, the Senior Advisory Board has collaborated closely with Michelle Barrett, Program Manager for Seniors and Aging, to develop the Age-Friendly Action Plan and Goals. This comprehensive plan, which will be submitted to AARP next week, outlines Cary’s strategic commitments to enhancing Housing, Transportation, and Social Connections for our residents.

Lazy Daze Wins the SFEA Green Initiative Award

The Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival was honored with the Green Initiative Award at the 2025 Southeast Festivals and Events Association (SFEA) Kaleidoscope Awards. This award recognizes the festival’s commitment to sustainability through comprehensive efforts such as our composting program, waste reduction strategies, and enhanced vendor collaboration which creates a cleaner, greener community event.

Staff Tours NCSU Compost Facility

On Monday, Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar joined Public Works and Environment staff on a tour of the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Compost Facility. The visit provided insight into best practices for receiving food scraps and other organic material in a permitted facility, as well as processing and using finished compost on campus. Seeing a closed-loop system for organics management expanded the staff’s understanding of circular options for waste and resource management.

CSX Temporary Railroad Closures

Cary has been notified by CSX Transportation that they will be in the area to perform track maintenance March 10 – 24. This work will require street closures expected to last 2-5 days. Tentative closure start dates are as follows: 

  • Laura Duncan Road on March 17  
  • High House Road & North Dixon Avenue on March 18 (concurrent closure) 
  • Old Apex Road & N Harrison Avenue on March 19 (concurrent closure) 

Estimated closure dates and durations are subject to change due to weather. During closures, no vehicle or pedestrian traffic will be allowed to cross the tracks. Motorists should follow posted detours and plan for potential traffic disruptions during this time. Click here for more information. 

Old Apex Water Main Reinforcement Update

Starting March 10, surveying and utility locates for the Old Apex Water Main Project will begin, with construction expected to start the following week. Drivers should expect lane shifts, closures, and flaggers directing traffic in an alternating one-way flow along Old Apex Road. Click here for more information about the project.

LED Signage Update

Beginning next week, crews will start the installation of new LED enhanced crosswalk signage at eight locations around Cary as part of our regular Street Improvements project. These lighted signs are similar to the installations on Walnut Street and N. Harrison Avenue. Locations of upgrades include Two Creeks Road, Seabrook Avenue, Greenwood Circle, and Howland Avenue.

Finalize Airport Boulevard Diverging Diamond Interchange

This weekend, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), contractors, and staff will be finalizing the Airport Boulevard Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) in preparation for its opening to traffic on March 10. Staff will be on-site to perform traffic signal inspections and to gather and program data for coordination plans that will need to be in place for efficient traffic flow through the five signals that have been modified for this project.

Diavolo Disc Golf Course Top 20 in the World

Cary’s Diavolo at New Hope Disc Golf Course has been ranked number 17 in the Udisc 2025 World Rankings. This course recently hosted the 2024 United States Masters Disc Golf Championship in September and draws in pro and casual players from around the globe.

Upcoming Meetings

Environmental Advisory Board
Tuesday, March 11
6:00 p.m.

Historic Preservation Commission
Wednesday, March 12
6:30 p.m.

Town Council Meeting (Work Session)
Thursday, March 13
4:45 p.m.

Town Council Meeting (Regular)
Thursday, March 13
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

  • Complaints about proposed rezoning at Waverly Place.
  • A request for the town to spend more money on adults with autism.
  • A request to not cut funding for WCPSS (the WCPSS school system is funded by the county and not municipalities)
  • A request to reduce the town’s budget by 10%.
  • A request to broker a deal with Jim Goodnight and Tim Sweeney to have a major league baseball team come to Cary and be on the old Cary Town Mall site (outside the scope of my office).
  • A complaint about trash outside a dumpster at an apartment complex (apartment complexes have private companies collect their trash).

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with an Amtrak representative, a Cary Tennis Classic Board meeting, a Youth Leadership presentation, a Farmside Kitchen grand opening, a State of Cary address at Glenaire, a meeting with a delegation from Macon Georgia, a council work session, a council meeting, and a meeting of the NC Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, March 16th, 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.