Council Meeting Prep
Monday I attempted to contact all council members to understand any concerns or questions about the upcoming agenda. No concerns or questions were expressed. Later I met with the staff and reviewed the agenda.
Manager One-On-One
Monday I met with the town manager, and several staff members for my weekly one-on-one meeting. A variety of topics were discussed mostly focusing on the budget.
Cary Tennis Classic Board
Monday night I participated in a meeting of the Cary Tennis Classic Board. We discussed the impacts of our new tournament dates from June 29th through July 6th. Other topics included tournament logistics, events during the tournament, the ACC tournament in April, and a special event for sponsors later this month.
Youth Leadership
Tuesday morning I spoke to several dozen high school students who were participating in the Cary Chamber’s Youth Leadership. We talked about Cary’s council and our authority, leadership, and my role in local government. I then answered several questions from the group. Questions ranged from why certain homes in Cary have other municipal addresses to my biggest concerns moving forward. I was impressed with their knowledge and interest in local government.
Farmside Kitchen Ribbon Cutting
Tuesday morning I joined council member Jack Smith for the ribbon cutting of Farmside Kitchen in Waverly Place. They state the following about themselves:
“…We set out to do something different, inspired by nature and our commitment to crafting hearty, wholesome, nutritious food. Our Farmbowls are packed with healthy grains, freshly grilled proteins and tons of vegetables – made with ingredients sourced from trusted local and regional farm partners.
…
We work with local and regional farmers and purveyors who value healthy and sustainable sourcing and regenerative practices as much as we do – those who share our mission of making a positive impact in the world. We’re proud to partner with folks like Hines Family Farms and La Farm Bakery.
…
We’re a woman-led organization with a culture designed to support our team members and our guests in leading a life of wellbeing. We care most about creating enjoyable experiences for our guests through warm, welcoming service and delicious, wholesome food. We can’t wait to host you!
…”
We are glad they are in Cary and wish them great success.
State of Cary at Glenaire
Tuesday afternoon I presented the State of Cary address to about a hundred people at Glenaire. I was joined by council members Craig and Bush. My presentation was well received. Questions included affordable housing and DEI.
Macon Georgia Delegation
Wednesday, I joined members of the Cary Tennis Classic Board in hosting a delegation from Macon, Georgia including their mayor, Lester Miller. The primary reason for their visit was to see the Cary Tennis Center. In addition to showing them that we visited USA Baseball and WakeMed Soccer Park. They were very impressed with all our venues but were most impressed with our tennis center’s park like setting which is unusual for large tennis centers. Additional plans for Thursday had them visiting DPAC and the Downtown Cary Park.
They were a delightful group, and their mayor was very entertaining. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together.
Council Work Session
Thursday evening the council held a work session with topics including Chatter, Vision Zero, and Downtown Mobility Updates.
Chatter is a social collaboration platform integrated within the Salesforce CRM system, enabling real-time communication and collaboration among team members, allowing them to share updates, files, and information in a centralized space. It is currently used by staff and council member Bush. This presentation was to provide information about Chatter in case other council members wanted to use it with staff.
Vision Zero is a “strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has proved successful across Europe — and now it’s gaining momentum in major American cities” according to the Vision Zero network. It would allow Cary to use innovative designs to prevent crashes with fatalities. Some of those strategies include:
- Chicanes
- Diverging Diamond Interchanges
- Continuous Flow Intersection
- Woonerfs
- Restricted Crossing U-Turns
- Synchronized Streets (Superstreets)
Project that these strategies can be used in include:
- Signal Projects
- Sidewalk Projects
- Pedestrian Improvements Projects
- Intersection Improvements Projects
- Traffic Calming Projects
- Bicycle Projects and Studies
- Speed Limit Reduction Projects
FYI, last year Cary had 771 crashes, 96 with injuries.
Items of note from the Downtown Mobility Update presentation include:
- There are 1708 on-street parking spaces
- There are 2066 off-street parking spaces
- There are 3241 off-street private parking spaces
- Phase 1 mobility study utilizing town staff before hiring consultants
- Sidewalk/pedestrian improvements at West End Breweries
- Yield to Ped Signs on Academy Street
- No Right Turn on Red at Academy and Dry
- Pre-Planning for Road Diets for Harrison, West Chatham, and High House
- LIDAR pilot at Academy and Dry
- 4-Way Stop signs at Dixon/Willow and Dry/West
- New Sidewalks at Ivey Ellington
- Bike corrals pilot made permanent at Academy and Chatham
- Low tech flag pilot for Glenaire
- Learning, discussion, and planning among PW, PD, Transportation, Utilities, Parks, etc.
Council Meeting
Thursday night the council held its first regularly scheduled meeting of the month. Other than the consent agenda there was only one item on the agenda. A public hearing on a Yates Store Road rezoning proposes 67 detached units and 25 townhouses. Most of the speakers expressed concerns that a private road, that they had to maintain, would be connected to the new development. After the regular agenda the council spent about an hour in closed session for multiple items.
NC Metro Mayors
Friday morning I participated in a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors. Here is a summary from the Executive Director:
“…
This week’s Coalition call focused on the work at the North Carolina General Assembly and previewed what is expected to occur in the coming weeks as the Senate begins its budget process in earnest. On Wednesday night, Governor Josh Stein joined legislators for his biennial State of the State address, where he presented many proposals that received bipartisan support from 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 50 “LEO Special Separation Allowance Options”
House Bill 244 “Depoliticize Government Property Act”
House Bill 369 “Parking Lot Reform and Modernization Act”
House committees discussed House Bill 50 and House Bill 244 this week, and both received favorable reports. House Bill 244 was amended during committee discussion to add three other allowable flags. House Bill 369, which was filed on Tuesday, would restrict local governments from setting minimum numbers of parking spaces, restrict specific types of pavement sealants, and clarify the limits of local ordinances related to stormwater requirements for redevelopment sites. This bill results from a broad stakeholder engagement but has received concern from multiple other groups.
Beginning a two-part series, the group discussed upcoming work on state transportation funding, including the release of the draft State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Additional information from that discussion is included in the “State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)” below. We accidentally skipped over a planned discussion of House Bill 364/Senate Bill 172, “STIP Grant Anticipation Notes,” which would allow local governments to borrow money to accelerate local transportation projects programmed for STIP funding. These bills resemble a similar proposal filed during the last session, which was ultimately unsuccessful. Next week, the series will focus on federal transportation funding.
The lobbying team will continue to monitor General Assembly activities and provide updates during future Coalition calls.
State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
By statute, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is tasked with developing the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) that shows how and when transportation projects are expected to be funded over the next decade. The STIP is typically updated every two years, but generally, projects scheduled in the first five years are considered “scheduled for delivery,” while those on the latter half of the schedule are funded for preliminary engineering only and are subject to re-evaluation when the next STIP is developed.
The public comment period for the draft 2026-2035 STIP is now open and runs through April 4. We encourage everyone to work with their teams to review the draft plan to ensure you understand where projects in your area appear. NCDOT officials expect to adopt the 2026-2035 STIP in the summer of 2025.
March Revenue Forecast
On Tuesday, the General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division and the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) released their monthly consensus forecast based on data received through February. This forecast anticipates total collections in FY 2024-2025 of $34.71 billion, representing a $544 million surplus from the May 2024 forecast. The February forecast also assumes that recent economic growth will be sustained throughout the upcoming biennium, with projected collections for FY 2025-2026 forecast at $34.89 billion. More information will be provided in the coming months, with the most significant data point coming in late April after initial tax filing concludes.
…”
The following is the weekly legislative summary from Checkmate and Associates:
“…
State of the State Address
On Wednesday night, Governor Josh Stein gave his first State of the State address. Representatives, Senators, Council of State members, Supreme Court Justices, and Stein’s cabinet convened in the House Chamber to hear his address to the state of North Carolina. The State of the State address sets the expectations and goals of the administration. Governor Stein’s speech focused on the following issues facing the state:
- Hurricane Helene recovery
- A clean energy economy
- Work force growth
- Affordable childcare
- Teacher pay increases and free school meals
- The housing crisis
- Medicaid expansion
- The opioid and fentanyl crisis
- Community college and law enforcement benefits
House Speaker Destin Hall responded to Governor Stein’s address with his policy goals for the legislature which include economic growth, hurricane recovery, investing in education, and ICE cooperation. Speaker Hall voiced his support for policies such as lowering taxes, reducing red tape for small business and housing, affordable natural gas, supporting law enforcement, and eliminating DEI.
Disaster Recovery
The House voted to not concur with the Senate’s version of House Bill 47 , “Disaster Recovery Act of 2025, Part I.” The Senate made several changes, including the addition of funding for schools that need to utilize summer school to combat potential learning loss in students. The bill was sent to a Conference Committee, where appointed House and Senate members will negotiate a compromise.
The Energy Security and Affordability Act
Senate Bill 261, the “Energy Security and Affordability Act”, passed through the Senate this week. S261makes changes to a bill passed by the General Assembly in 2021. Under current law, electric public utilities were required to meet a 70 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. Senate Bill 261 would eliminate the 70 percent reduction requirement from public utilities, while also allowing them to charge rate payers for new natural gas or nuclear plants while they were under construction. The bill has been sent to the House for consideration.
…”
Town Manager’s Report
Sean’s Message
Following last night’s discussion on Cary’s utilities during the work session, Director of Learning & Organizational Development Allison Hutchins shared an internal article by Communications and Policy Advisor Kathryn Trogdon. Titled Navigating the Waters: The History of Cary’s Interbasin Transfer Strategy, itoffers valuable insights you may find informative.
Have a great weekend.
Sean
Notes from March 13th Council Work Session
Downtown Strategic Parking Plan Update (2024)
Current Pedestrian Crossing Standards for New Construction (for all plans approved after 7/1/24):
Delivering the State of Cary at Glenaire
On Tuesday, Mayor Weinbrecht delivered the State of Cary Address at Glenaire, joined by At-Large Councilmember Lori Bush and District B Representative Michelle Craig, who also spoke during the event.
Welcoming Visitors from Macon, Georgia
On Wednesday, Mayor Weinbrecht and the Cary Tennis Classic Board hosted a delegation from Macon, Georgia, including Mayor Lester Miller. The group toured the Cary Tennis Center, USA Baseball, WakeMed Soccer Park, and Downtown Cary Park. While they were impressed by all the venues, they were especially struck by the tennis center’s unique park-like setting, a rare feature for large tennis facilities.
“They were a delightful group, and their mayor was very entertaining. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together.” – Mayor Weinbrecht
Youth Leadership Day
On Tuesday, Cary hosted the Cary Chamber Youth Leadership Day, where students were welcomed by the Mayor and attended presentations from staff across the organization. Organized by the Chamber of Commerce, the program offers students a chance to learn about their community and build leadership skills.
Briarcliff Elementary Field Trip
On Thursday, Councilmember Michelle Craig welcomed Briarcliff Elementary School’s 3rd-grade classes for a Town Hall presentation on Cary. After her talk, IT Systems Administrator Ted Urbaniak introduced the students to the LoRaWAN network. The field trip wrapped up with a visit to Downtown Cary Park.
Downtown Cary Park Celebrates International Women’s Day
Last Saturday, Downtown Cary Park hosted HER Voice, HER Power: an International Women’s Day Event. Participants enjoyed presentations and karaoke while celebrating, uplifting, and supporting one another. Councilmember Michelle Craig joined attendees in recognizing the importance of the day and the impact of women in our community.
Governors Welcome Reception
On Thursday evening, Assistant Town Manager Shelley Curran and Assistant Director of Administrative Services Brittany Edwards represented Cary at the Raleigh Chamber’s welcome reception for Governor Josh Stein. Attendees had the chance to hear from Governor Stein about his goals for the state, as well as network with public officials and members of the business community.
The Nest Nominated for USA TODAY’S 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards
The Nest at Downtown Cary Park has been nominated for USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for Best Public Playground. Anyone can vote once per day (no sign-in required!) now through noon on April 7.
Each vote helps showcase Cary’s world-class facility, Downtown Cary Park, as a must-visit destination for families and adventurers!
Evans Road System Upgrade
Duke Energy crews will begin installing new underground infrastructure in the Evans Road and NW Cary Parkway area to strengthen the electric grid, making it more resilient to severe weather and enabling faster power restoration after outages. According to a flyer sent to nearby residents, work is set to begin in March and continue through summer 2025, weather permitting. The project will affect the following roadways:
- Evans Road (Weston Parkway to W. Dynasty Drive)
- NW Cary Parkway (Winfair Drive to Evans Road)
- Winfair Drive (Pebble Ridge Farms Court to NW Cary Parkway)
Celebrating Cary’s 311 on 3.11
March 11 is nationally recognized as 311 Day, and Cary 311 marked the occasion by educating staff and citizens about its unique services. Citizen advocates hosted pop-up information sessions at Cary Tennis Park and Downtown Cary Park, while Assistant 311 Director Carolyn Roman presented to the Cary Youth Leadership cohort and at the Senior Center.
Social media promotions reached over 20,000 impressions in the past week. At Town Hall, staff celebrated with cake and shared notes of appreciation with citizen advocates. Outreach will continue throughout March, including an appearance at the Open House/PRCR System Plan information meeting at the Senior Center on March 25. Residents are also encouraged to invite Cary 311 to their neighborhoods in the future.
This fiscal year, Cary 311 has handled approximately 100,000 cases via phone, email, text, web, and social media, assisting both citizens and the news media. For more on this service, check out a recent Cary Matters episode hosted by Councilmember Carissa Kohn-Johnson.
American Legion Honors Public Servants
On Tuesday, American Legion Post 67 honored three of Cary’s public safety employees at a dinner and awards ceremony:
- 2024 Firefighter of the Year: Fire Engineer Jessica Rogers, for leading the creation of Camp Ignite, a program introducing high school girls to the fire service.
- 2024 Police Officer of the Year: Officer Erick Caba, for his bravery during a high-risk incident involving a gunshot victim.
- 2024 Telecommunicator of the Year: Senior Emergency Communications Officer Jennifer Bevars, for taking on critical training responsibilities.
We are incredibly proud of these dedicated professionals and grateful to Post 67 for recognizing their service.
ITS Carolinas Public Meeting
This week, Transportation staff attended the 2025 ITS Carolinas Annual Meeting held at the Wilmington Convention Center. The conference featured 12 technical sessions covering topics such as AI applications, municipal project updates, and grant funding experiences. Transportation Engineering Manager David Spencer was honored with ITS Carolinas’ 2025 Outstanding Commitment Award and staff contributed to panel discussions on out-of-pavement technology and the future of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the public sector.
NCWaterWARN Virtual Functional Exercise
This week, Cary’s Utilities staff participated in a statewide virtual exercise on emergency mutual aid support for NC water and wastewater utilities. Hosted by NCWaterWARN and the North Carolina Rural Water Association (NCRWA), the event brought together representatives from various NC utilities, the NC Division of Public Safety (NCDPS), NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR), and the EPA.
The agenda included presentations on emergency support roles from NCWaterWARN, NCDPS, and NCDWR, followed by a functional exercise simulating a winter weather event. This exercise tested utilities’ response capabilities and provided practice in coordinating mutual aid requests. It emphasized the importance of preparation, resilience, and communication, highlighting the critical role of organizations like NCWaterWARN in connecting utilities in need with those able to assist during emergencies.
Presentation to Templeton Residents
On Thursday morning, Fabian Rodriguez from Transit, Andrew Marsden from Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources, and Sarah Braman from Utilities met with residents of the Templeton of Cary Retirement community to share updates on Transit, Parks, Greenways, and Utilities. The discussion was lively, showcasing the Town’s commitment to excellence and active engagement with citizens.
Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting – April 2nd
The following Neighborhood Meetings will be held on Wednesday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m.
For more information and to register visit the Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting page.
Upcoming Meetings
Public Art Advisory Board
Wednesday, March 19
6:15 p.m.
Greenway Committee
Thursday, March 20
6:00 p.m.
Mayor’s Mailbox
- Complaints about the Waverly rezoning proposal.
- Questions about the progress of the Magnolia project at Harrison and Chatham.
- A thank you for my State of Cary address at Glenaire and for the work I do as mayor.
- A complaint about NC House Bill 5 which would “…make it easier for individuals who should not have firearms to carry hidden, loaded handguns…” (We have no authority in this matter)
- A complaint about the permanent railroad crossing closure at Indian Wells Road.
Next Week
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a Wake County Mayors Association meeting, a State of Cary address at Templeton, a CAMPO meeting, and an NC Metro Mayors meeting.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, March 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.
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