Author: haroldweinbrechttownofcaryorg

South Hills Mall Redevelopment

Monday afternoon I met with a representative for the South Hills Mall redevelopment. He presented some preliminary plans which, if built as suggested, will make this site very pedestrian friendly. The preliminary plans included The Center along with residential, retail, and office. According to our conversation, development will likely be done in phases and be spread over several years. I hope to see their submittal in the next few months.

Weekly One-On-One

Monday I met with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Before our meeting I attended the tail end of council member Johnson’s meeting with all the Department Directors and heard her speak of her passions and expectations. She is a great addition to the council, and I am excited about what she will accomplish.

In my meeting with the town manager, we talked about several topics including the Tennis Center, the South Hills Mall redevelopment, future bicycle trails, and an unhappy citizen that is in a dispute with his neighbor.

Wake County Mayors Association

Monday night I attended a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association. Attending were mayors from Apex, Cary, Fuquay Varina, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, and Zebulon. In our roundtable discussion we talked about several things including issues related to growth, social districting, future bond projects. Our meeting lasted a little over two hours.

CAMPO Executive Board

Wednesday afternoon I participated in a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board. The agenda included four consent items, one public hearing, and two discussion items. In the board’s only decision, the Wake Transit Community Engagement Policy was approved unanimously. One of the most interesting items on the meeting agenda was the presentation of all the I-40 projects from Raleigh eastward. Unfortunately, it appears there is a long way to go construction especially with bridges and intersections.

Cary Chamber Membership Appreciation

Wednesday night the Cary Chamber held their annual membership appreciation reception. I was a great time to visit and connect with various business leaders in Cary. I spent a couple of hours mingling, talking, and hearing about business issues.

Mooresville Retreat Welcome

Friday morning I provided welcome remarks to the Mooresville mayor, council members, and staff who were in Cary holding their annual retreat at the Mayton Inn. Some of the topics I covered in my remarks included facts about Cary, development, and political decisions over the last couple of decades. They chose Cary specifically to look at Boutique hotels. Other topics of interest in their retreat included arts centers, baseball stadiums, coworking stations, greenways, libraries, smart connected communities, transportation and mobility, and sustainability and stormwater management. It was great to get to meet Mayor Atkins and I hope their retreat was a success.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

On Wednesday, I held a quarterly All Hands with staff. This is always a very special time for me to connect with our employees, highlight their excellent work, and re-emphasize the vision for the organization. This session was unique because it was the first All Hands where we featured our new logo and tagline “Live Inspired.” This set the tone for the meeting, where we covered several important topics such as the Laurel Street Project and The Center . Director of Community Projects Doug McRainey joined us for the latter half of the discussion to share his passion and expertise when it comes to the development of the new community center. Doug is a wonderful example of Cary using our employee’s strengths to their fullest potential.
Enjoy your weekend.
Sean

Native Tree Planting for Affordable Homes in Cary

On Saturday, Cary partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County to bring the My Tree, Our Tree program to the affordable homes built on Trimble Avenue. Council Member Lori Bush and Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar joined in the planting of native trees along with homeowners, staff, and resident volunteers. This blend of housing and environmental programming is the first of many for Cary. Special thanks to Marie Cefalo and Morgan Mansa for coordinating this partnership and event.

2022 SAS Golf Championship

Last week, many of us enjoyed activities surrounding the SAS Golf Tournament and we have Ted Boyd, Director of Economic Development, to thank for it. We are glad that SAS week is Ted’s favorite week of the year because he ensures it is one of ours as well. Through the week of activities, $250,000 was raised for the YMCA of the Triangle’s We Build People program. 

Gale Adcock Visits Fire Station 9

On Wednesday, Fire Station 9 hosted Representative Gale Adcock and Assistant Town Manager Shelley Curran for an educational tour. The morning visit consisted of an overview of the station and trucks, lunch prepared by Firefighter Megan Prato – who is a trained chef, and even an opportunity to go on a call. It was a great morning to showcase the fantastic fire staff, assets and their commitment to the Cary community. 

Specialized Recreation Monster Mash Dance Returns

Last Saturday, Specialized Recreation’s very popular Monster Mash Dance returned to the Herbert C. Young Community Center. Our Specialized Recreation participants, family members and friends were beyond excited to get together again for a night of showing off awesome costumes, favorite dance moves, and just being together once again for a night of dancing fun. Eighty people were in attendance consisting of 45 Specialized Recreation participants and 35 staff, volunteers, and family members. A special thank you to the fourteen Teen Council members who did a phenomenal job helping staff with decorating and serving as dance partners/assistants with participants throughout the dance. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Clean Water Act and Neuse River Recognition

October 18 marked the 50-year anniversary of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. The CWA was the first comprehensive legislation for improving water quality in the United States. The CWA established federal protections and paved the way for rules, policies, and funding for clean water and environmental protection. As we recognize this momentous CWA anniversary and its achievements, we also celebrate this week’s recognition of the Neuse River as American Rivers – River of the Year 2022 . This accolade is bestowed upon a river each year when environmental stewardship at local, state, and federal levels made notable improvement in the overall health of the river system. Cary takes great pride in our clean water programs, including wastewater collection and treatment and stormwater management. As a community within the Neuse River basin, we are very proud to support clean water programs that protect and enhance our environment.

Fire Investigative Approaches Training

Fire Captain Dennis Jacot received the NC Fire Investigator of the Year award at the International Association of Arson Investigators Fire Investigative Approaches seminar held this week in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Fire sent five members of its fire investigation team to this annual training, hosted by the North Carolina and South Carolina Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators. The week-long conference featured a number of classes and breakout-session opportunities for team members to enhance their fire investigation knowledge and experience.

All Hazards Event Class

As part of our ongoing emergency management efforts, staff members participated in the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s (TEEX) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Operations and Planning for All-Hazards Events Course.  Over two days, staff were trained in the skills necessary to effectively plan for and manage a large-scale incident by applying and implementing an all-hazards, multi-disciplinary, management team approach, with specific emphasis on the planning, resource management, and information management processes.  The course concluded with a practical application, simulation-supported exercise designed to provide practical experience with the emergency management and decision-making skills necessary to effectively manage an EOC. This course develops and reinforces emergency management, planning, situational awareness, information management, resource management, and decision-making skills for participants.

Engaging Local Government Leaders Conference

Financial Strategy Analyst Alice Mahood was part of the national planning committee for the Engaging Local Government Leader’s 2022 conference in Phoenix, AZ. The three-day conference brought together 200 local government leaders from across the nation to learn about innovation, leading from all levels in government, and inspiring others. During the conference, Alice led a roundtable discussion on what small and large changes an organization can take to foster collaboration and breakdown silos.

On the Forefront of Food Waste Reduction

Cary is part of ongoing conversation and efforts to reduce food waste in our state. Staff joined nearly 100 representatives from the US Environmental Protection Agency, North Carolina (NC) Dept. Of Agriculture, local government, universities, the compost industry, and non-profits at the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Food Waste Stakeholder meeting. It was also the launch of the Use the Food NC campaign, with Elizabeth Biser, Secretary of the NC DEQ, emphasizing the state’s commitment to support the growing need for innovation and action that prevents food loss, increases food rescue, and composting. Cary’s composting initiatives are part of the local efforts highlighted in DEQ’s new online food waste/rescue map and continue to be in line with the key words of the meeting – partnerships and collaboration.  

Citizens Take a Bough

Now in its third year, Saturday’s My Tree, Our Tree event provided more than 600 native trees to registered participants. The community has continued to embrace this campaign that beautifies landscapes and supports Cary’s tree canopy. 

Upcoming Meetings

Athletic Committee
Monday
October 24
 6:00 p.m.

Planning and Zoning Board
Monday
October 24
6:30 p.m.

Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday
October 26
6:00 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday
October 27
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Complaint about a neighbor’s outdoor fire container
• Complaints about a proposed rezoning in Regency (council has yet to receive information about this proposal)
• A request to help with community needs

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a visit to Kingswood Elementary, an inauguration ceremony at the SV Temple, a Dorcas Ministry tour, a Cary-RTP Rapid Bus Extension Stakeholders Oversight meeting, and the only regularly scheduled council meeting of October.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, October 30^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Weekly One-On-One

Monday I met with the town manager and town attorney virtually. Topics included legislative authority for certain types of ordinances, a non-compliant use in the airport overlay, South Hills concept meetings, the Singh proposal off Old Apex Road, Fenton issues, and the Cary Tennis Park Clubhouse rebuild. Our meeting concluded after about half an hour.

SAS Championship Pairing Party

Tuesday I, along with council member Bush, and council member Smith, attended the SAS Championship pairing party to determine the professionals that we would be playing the Pro-Am with the next two days. It was a great time to talk with C level executives from all over the world that were participating in the Pro-Am. Hopefully, they will do business with SAS and maybe have a presence here in Cary.

SAS Championship Wednesday Pro-Am

Wednesday afternoon I participated in the Pro-Am with the town manager, former Cary Chamber President, and Council member Smith. Our professional was Robert Karlsson from Sweden. What a great guy! Karlsson and I had a great conversation about Swedish political parties and American political parties. During our round we received information about a shooting in Cary High School. This was very upsetting and made it difficult to be where we were. However, we were in constant communications with our police chief.

Cary High School Shooting

Wednesday a student at Cary High School fired a gun into a toilet. Apparently, no one heard it. Consequently, the school wasn’t put on a lockdown until 45 minutes later. A detailed account of what happened can be read from various news reports including this one. It is very concerning that a loaded gun was on school property. While security is the official responsibility of the WCPSS, Cary has and will continue to help in making our schools safer. We were very fortunate that no one was hurt.

SAS Championship Thursday Pro-Am

Thursday morning, I participated in the Pro-Am with the town manager, former Cary Chamber President, and Council member Smith. Our professional was Brett Quigley from the United States. Once again, we had a great guy and a fantastic time.

Cary Tourism Taping

Thursday afternoon, as I have done for the last 15 years, I taped a welcome message for the Golf Channel’s presentation of the SAS Championship. Here is the content of that taping:

“Hello from Cary, North Carolina, where we’re proud to host the 22^nd annual SAS Championship here at beautiful Prestonwood County Club. This great tournament is just one of many national and international, amateur, collegiate, and professional sporting events we host in Cary at our world-class venues. They’re helping make Cary and the surrounding Triangle, rank among the top sports and visitor destinations in the nation. Please accept my personal invitation to come visit and see why Cary is consistently named one of the best places to live, work, and play in America.”

The taping took about 5 minutes, and it was broadcasted at the beginning of the telecast on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Raleigh Shooting Kills Five and Injures Others

Thursday evening a 15-year-old shot and killed 5 people and injured two others. The shootings started on Osprey Cove Drive and continued along the Neuse River Greenway. The victims included his brother and a police officer on his way to work. The shooter was taken into custody from an outbuilding on a property on McConnell Oliver Drive, about six miles from his home. Details of the shooting were all over the media including this one from a local TV station. Our nation continues to suffer from a plague of gun violence.

As a town we have contacted the police chief, city manager, and the mayor to help in any way possible and to offer condolences. Of course, our hearts are broken, and we will continue to pray for the families of the victims and all who were impacted by this senseless tragedy.

Cary #1 for Attracting Corporate Headquarters

Last week The Boyd Company listed Cary as the number one location for attracting corporate headquarters. The WRAL story did a great job of summarizing Boyd’s criteria and reasoning.

From my position I see numerous opportunities for Cary in the near- and long-term future. We continue to aggressively seek these opportunities.

Cary #1 for Most Resilient Economy

This week we were notified that Cary ranks #1 as the “most resilient” economy according to SmartAsset. Raleigh was ranked at #12, Durham at #37, and Charlotte at #48. Some economists predict the country will go into a recession. This in addition to the high inflation is causing a serious problem for many U.S. citizens which makes this ranking all that more significant.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

It’s difficult not to have the good things from this week be overshadowed by the tragedy in Raleigh and our own brush with potential gun violence at Cary High School.  It is difficult – because it should be. It must be.
We work to mitigate “bad luck,” “luck of the draw,” or poor timing with hiring and retaining the best people, being well-resourced, and undergoing ongoing training, which is what we saw from our public safety team and school staff on Wednesday. In my estimation, our response – from dispatch to operation to communication – was spot on, and I know you join me in gratitude for their willingness to step into harm’s way when called upon.
As for Raleigh, many on staff have offered our condolences and assistance. Mayor Weinbrecht has reached out to Mayor Baldwin, and I have reached out to City Manager Marchell Adams-David. Also, our Fire Department did play a limited role in last night’s events as part of our mutual aid agreement.
On behalf of the staff, Council, please accept our appreciation for your steadfast support as we each do our unique part in keeping Cary Cary. Your fingerprints are on everything good that happens here.
Stay safe.
Sean

GoTriangle and Wake Forest Connect to Cary’s Radio System

This week, an agreement with GoTriangle and the Town of Wake Forest was signed to connect their dispatch sites to the Cary P25 Radio System “Core”. This connection will allow improved and enhanced functionality to current and future dispatching consoles for both Wake Forest and GoTriangle. Some examples of enhanced functionality include “patching” of radio channels for more effective communication, fire station alerting to portable radios, and emergency alerting. In addition, GoTriangle will now have the ability to transmit alerts via radio to all buses in the event of an emergency. They will also have the ability to create an “open mic” (listening device) via the bus radio microphone in the event the driver is unable to transmit. This is a great example of Cary’s ability to create partnerships that improve regional interoperability and communication. Staff is currently working on a contractual agreement for RDU Airport and the Town of Holly Springs to connect to our “Core” as well.

Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day

On Wednesday, October 12, Cary officers participated in the National Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day. Officers joined students, parents, and teachers at Northwoods Elementary School and Horton Creek Elementary School as part of the national event. The event celebrates physical activity and strengthens social connections between families, schools, and the community.

2022 SAS Golf Championship

This week kicked off the festivities involved with the SAS Golf Championship being held at the Prestonwood Country Club through this weekend. Between the Pro Am, Women’s Day Luncheon, HBCU Invitational and the hospitality tents this weekend, there is a lot to enjoy and a chance to demonstrate our pride for Cary. Enjoy two new commercials that will be airing on the Golf Channel throughout the weekend. 

Hum Sub Diwali 2022

Cary’s annual Diwali celebration with Hum Sub drew more than 15,000 people to Koka Booth Amphitheatre on October 8. In addition to dozens of local dance groups and the evening’s professional performances, “Celebrity Dances” featured elected officials and staff from Cary, Apex, and Morrisville. Cary was represented on stage by Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, Council Member Lori Bush, and staff Doug McRainey, Matt Pentz, Matt Wetherell, Sarah Braman, Sarah Preston, and Shivani Tripathi. In addition to Cary Representation, Congressman David Price, Congresswoman Deborah Ross, and the Mayors of Apex and Morrisville were in attendance, and there was a video message from Governor Roy Cooper.

Transit Multi-Modal Center Project

This week, joint initial contact letters were sent out to eleven property owners which begins the property acquisition phase of the Transit Multi-Modal Center project. Carolina Land Acquisitions was integral to the Cary’s Real Estate Team in obtaining the land needed to deliver this project. 

Utility of the Future Today Award

On Tuesday, Cary received the Utility of the Future Today award at the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference. Receiving the award on behalf of Cary was Utility Engineering Manager Robert Hirt and Senior Project Manager Betsy Drake. The Utility of the Future Today program recognizes water and wastewater utilities that advance resource efficiency, maintain proactive relationships with their stakeholders, and create resilient, sustainable and livable communities. Cary’s innovative and forward-thinking practices in the area of “Beneficial Biosolids Use” was the catalyst for this year’s award. Cary was joined by 33 other exceptional utilities from across the country in being recognized. This is Cary’s second time receiving this honor.

Chief Innovation Officers Reconnect in Amsterdam

This past Sunday, Cary’s Chief Information Officer Nicole Coughlin joined more than 90 innovation officers from around the world in Amsterdam to share solutions and learn from each other’s experiences driving new ways of working in city halls. A major theme of the day was the power of inclusion in innovation, and Cary stood alongside representatives from Barcelona, New York City, Tel Aviv, and more cities from 12 nations across the world as they shared their motivations for working in public service and showed off some of the cutting-edge work, they’re leading that can be adapted by other cities.

Winter Crops at the Compost Education Center

Thanks to the work of many volunteers, the Compost Education Center is ready for winter weather with winter crops. Saturday, students and families learned firsthand from staff and Cary Garden Club members how to transition summer gardens to cool weather crops such as cabbage, bok choy, kale, and collard greens. This winter, the gardens will be cared for by the Garden Club, who will then donate the healthy harvests to Dorcas Ministries Food Pantry, adding to the 313 lbs. of produce they harvested for donation from Carpenter Park Community Garden this summer. 

Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting

The Neighborhood Meetings will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. The following cases will be discussed on November 2:

• 22-REZ-21 Middleton Avenue Townhomes Rezoning
• 22-REZ-22 107 W. Park St Rezoning

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

Upcoming Meetings

Public Art Advisory Board
Wednesday
Oct. 19 at 6:15 p.m.

Greenway Committee
Thursday
Oct. 20 at 6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Complaint about contractor not cleaning up on Darbytown Place
• A request to change zoning conditions to allow homes on school properties
• Complaints about a rezoning proposal in Regency (council has yet to receive information since it is not yet scheduled for a public hearing)
• Requests to attend political events
• Concerns about security at high schools after the Cary High gun fire
• Thanks for hold My Tree Our Tree event

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with a developer representative, a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board, and the Cary Chamber Membership Appreciation event.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, October 23^rd. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

SAS Championship Media Day

Monday I participated in the SAS Championship Media day event where I provided remarks at the breakfast and played the Championship course. This will be the 22^nd year that Cary is home for this PGA Tour Championship. That is the 4^th longest tenure for a community to host a PGA Tour Champions Event. Prestonwood is the 2^nd longest host facility on Tour. The SAS Championship annually shines the spotlight on Cary through national coverage on Golf Channel and international distribution through PGA Tour Entertainment. SAS has sponsored this event for all 22 years. They are an incredible corporate citizen hosting hundreds of customers each year including C level executives from all over the country and around the world.

Town Manager One-On-One

During the Media Day I did talk with the town manager about several issues. Topics included EMS issues with the county. Cary is currently working with the county to try and resolve their issues. We also talked about the South Hills Mall redevelopment and storm cleanup.

Congresswoman Ross Meeting

Tuesday I met with Congresswoman Ross in Cary to talk about issues facing the underprivileged. In our conversation we discussed the national immigration issue and how that impacts many citizens and businesses in Cary. After my meeting she was scheduled to meet with WakeMed Cary about funding for mental health. We are grateful for all the work Congresswoman does for Cary and the surrounding areas.

Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships Advisory Board

Wednesday I joined a meeting of the Atlantic Tire Championships Board in a debrief meeting of the professional tennis tournament held in September. It was our most successful tournament yet with much larger crowds, ticket sales, and sponsors. In addition to going over data we talked about other potential tournaments at the Cary Tennis Park. The design and build of the new clubhouse will play a major role in determining how successful we are in attracting future tournaments.

N&O Interview

Thursday I did a brief interview with a News and Observer reporter about dancing in Diwali and what Diwali means to Cary. In my remarks I pointed out that our brothers and sisters of Indian descent are a loving and welcoming people. And that they make it easy to participate in their cultural celebrations such as the Festival of Lights, Diwali. Cary embraces this celebration. It is through valuing the gifts, talents, and culture of others that we reach our potential as a community. Happy Diwali!

Diwali Dance Final Rehearsal

We had our final rehearsal for our Diwali dance on Friday night. We have been practicing almost every week since July. So the next time I watch youth or others dancing I will have a much better understanding and appreciation for all they have put into their performance.

Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears Memorial

Saturday afternoon my wife and I attended a memorial service for long time mayor and my friend, Dick Sears, of Holly Springs. We were blessed to have known him personally and shared dinner with him and his wife, Molly, several times. As mayor he managed Holly Springs growth from a small town of about 2,000 to more than 40,000 today. His personality made you feel like you had known him all your life. I, along with many others were blessed to have known him and will miss him. Rest in Peace Dick!

Diwali Cary

Saturday Cary Diwali was held at Koka Booth Amphitheater. Diwali is an Indian cultural holiday celebrating light and the victory of good over evil. It is a festive occasion in many regions of India and is looked upon as the beginning of the New Year.

The day started with opening ceremonies including remarks and a reading of a proclamation around noon. This was performed by council member Bush since I was at a funeral. There were dance performances, art, education exhibits, and food available throughout the day. At 4:00 there was recognition of the Hum Sub Board of Directors and sponsors. I arrived around 4:30 and provided remarks shortly after arriving. The evening started with a dance competition from local universities including N.C. State and UNC. Afterwards were the celebrity dance performances which included teams from Cary, Morrisville, and Apex with each of the mayors participating. I thought the Cary performance went well and I give myself a B-. Hopefully, no one saw or recognized my mistakes. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed seeing the teams from Morrisville and Apex perform.

The main attraction were Bollywood singers Sandeep Batraa and Shivangi Bhayana who were backed up by amazing performances by local dancers. The evening concluded with a fireworks display. What a great time and a lot of fun. Over 15,000 people attended the event as of 8 PM. If you missed it this year you have to check it out next year.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

This week, we sadly lost Sammie Garris, long time Cary employee and friend, who retired in January 2021. Sammie, with his tremendous spirit and kind heart, touched the lives of countless people during his 44-year tenure. From colleagues to the residents along his route, everyone knew Sammie’s smiling face. 
Solid Waste Supervisor Jesse Troublefield shared with me that “Sammie was a pillar of our community. He was loved by many, and he was a man of the people. Sammie was an individual that was genuine, caring, thoughtful, and lead from his heart. Having the opportunity to know Sam, is an honor. He was truly committed to every aspect of his life and all lives that he touched. Sam will forever live in our hearts, and if we had the opportunity to ask Sam today, “Sam, do you still want it”! I guarantee Sam would reply, “Is butter beans green”! A man of true honor, integrity, dedication, and love for all.”
Sammie was a true representation of the OneCary culture by always putting people first and he will truly be missed.
Take care of yourself and others.
Sean

Public Safety Honored by Heart of Cary Association

To commemorate First Responders Day, which is Oct. 28, the Heart of Cary Association honored first responders Thursday at The Matthews House with a breakfast and generously donated thank you notes. Fire Chief Mike Cooper and Police Chief Terry Sult both spoke, giving an update on Downtown Cary. House Representative Gale Adcock, Mayor Pro Tem Don Frantz, and Council Members Lori Bush, and Carissa Kohn-Johnson were in attendance, with Council Member Bush issuing a proclamation.

Going Green on TV

Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar was a guest on WNCN CBS-17’s My Carolina this week. During the five-minute featured segment, Danna discussed the growing need to establish My Tree, Our Tree and the program’s recent partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Sticking with the plant theme, the segment concluded with upcoming gardening and planting events at Good Hope Farm’s Harvest Fest. You can watch the full clip here, and be sure to check out harvest fun at Good Hope Farm on October 15 and November 19.

Cary Friendship Café Grand Opening

This Monday, Assistant Town Manager, Danna Widmar; and Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison; Morgan Mansa, participated in the grand opening of Cary’s first Friendship Café, a space for seniors to eat with one another and host senior-focused community events. In partnership with the White Oak Foundation and Meals on Wheels of Wake County, this location is the seventh Friendship Café in Wake County. The café is located at the White Oak Foundation Community Resource Center which is funded in part by the Cary Community Development Block Grant program. Meals at the Friendship Café are provided by local food purveyors, with discounted and free meal options for those who need them. The Friendship Café is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 am-12 pm. 

Advisory Board Orientation

On October 6, staff members Russ Overton, Matt Pentz, and Julie Clifton hosted a new member orientation as part of the onboarding process for 18 new members to Cary’s Council-appointed advisory boards. The new members heard from staff on a variety of topics including the One Cary culture, Leadership on the Line, the Imagine Cary Community Plan, policies relating to board member work, public records, meeting information, and much more.

Firefighters Visit Adams Elementary

Captain Kevin Stewart visited kindergarten classes at Adams Elementary School this week and spoke about fire safety and toured the fire truck. Towards the end of the presentation, Firefighter Ricardo Rojas was advised of a group of Spanish speaking students. Since Firefighter Rojas knows the language, he began to speak to the children in Spanish which resulted in a memorable exchange for all students involved in the fire education session. The teacher was so thankful and happy that all the children felt included and were able to learn from the experience.

Jordan Lake Levels

The water levels in Jordan Lake have been steadily dropping since August because the dry conditions in late summer were moving our area into a drought. One silver lining to the unwelcome arrival of Hurricane Ian is that it brought enough rain to bring lake levels up 1.5 feet, which is only six inches below the normal pool elevation.

Upcoming Meetings

Senior Advisory Board
Wednesday
Oct. 12, 2:00 p.m.

Human Rel, Inclusion, & Diversity
Wednesday
Oct. 12, 6:00 p.m.

Historic Preservation Commission
Wednesday
Oct. 12 6:30 p.m.

Environmental Advisory Board
Thursday
Oct. 13, 6:00 p.m.

Wastewater Testing

I was recently asked about Cary’s involvement in wastewater testing. Here is a summary from the Cary staff:

We’ve been working in this area for a few years and have some really great progress to report.  We typically refer to this work as wastewater surveillance as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC). Cary’s and Morrisville’s utility services have been an innovation leader in advancing this work in NC and the region, and we very much appreciate Council support for this important work over the last few years starting with the testing of opioids in wastewater as early as 2018. Our Wastewater Collection System Manager, has coordinated our participation over the last few years with the testing efforts summarized below:

2018-2019 Bloomberg Challenge – Opioid Testing

Cary’s involvement in public health wastewater testing first began with the 2018 Bloomberg Mayor’s Challenge to help increase public understanding of opioid use in our community. We developed a pilot wastewater monitoring project and partnered with Biobot Analytics, an MIT startup company that provides wastewater testing and epidemiology services, to generate opioid consumption data by measuring concentrations of opioid metabolites in sewage. The data collected was shared with public health professionals and used in our community to educate and foster community conversations. The Mayor’s Challenge pilot program occurred through the spring and summer of 2018. This innovative way of collecting and sharing data provided a new tool for healthcare officials and educators focused on developing programs to help those at risk in our community.  The success of the pilot program and our partnership with public health agencies led to extended opioid wastewater testing through much of 2019.  Additional information about the Bloomberg Challenge is described in the press release as follows via weblink.  https://www.townofcary.org/Home/Components/News/News/13886/715

2019-2020 Biobot Covid Testing

As an early innovator of wastewater testing for opioids, Cary was asked to participate in monitoring and testing for SARS-CoV2 with the start of the COVID Pandemic.  Cary signed an agreement with Biobot Analytics in 2019 and began monitoring for COVID in our wastewater in early 2020.  Additional background information is described on the following web page. https://www.townofcary.org/projects-initiatives/alerts-closures/covid-19-information-for-citizens/tracking-covid-19/background-project-history

2021 NC State University Covid Testing

Beginning in May 2020, Cary also joined several utilities in our region and participated with NC State University by supporting research for testing methods that further evaluated and developed COVID wastewater testing experience.  This research through NCSU lasted for approximately 1-year.  Additional information can be found at the following web page.  https://collaboratory.unc.edu/covid-19-research/north-carolina-state-university/

2021-Present – Wake County Testing in conjunction with CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance Network

In October 2021, Cary began participating with Wake County and other public health agencies by collecting influent wastewater at our three water reclamation facilities twice a week to test for concentrations of COVID-19 RNA fragments. Wake County coordinates data management, sampling, and record keeping to develop metrics for public health. Wake County also evaluates wastewater surveillance data against other available health indicators and works with the CDC, NCDHHS, and local communities to improve information and data sharing about the pandemic.

Since November 2021, COVID-19 wastewater testing data for Cary is available on the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) – NC Wastewater Monitoring Network website along with other COVID-19 response health metrics.  Cary began its participation and data sharing with a Wake County Public Health funded project in coordination with NCDHHS and the CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System that tracks COVID-19 trends in sewer systems. Wastewater monitoring is a good representation of a larger population who use our wastewater services every day and contribute regularly to the community-based assessment.  The wastewater monitoring network is expanding and additional parameters such as monkey pox and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are being added to the testing panel in select locations.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Complaint about the town’s E-Bike pilot program
• Complaint about messaging for Ian storm debris pickup
• A request to ban all Pitbulls in Cary (we do not have that authority)

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with Engineering firm’s representative, SAS Championship activities, SAS Championship Pro-Am, and the SAS Championship Sunday final.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, October 16^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Mayors Dance Practice

Monday I joined Apex Mayor Gilbert, and Morrisville Mayor Cawley to practice a dance for Diwali. All of us will be participating with groups from our towns and then we will lead the grand finale.

Meet the Mayor Presentation at Coldwell Banker

Tuesday I met with several dozen realtors from Coldwell Banker and presented an updated version of the State of Cary address. Their questions focused almost entirely on our affordable housing efforts.

Cary Chamber Annual Banquet

Wednesday I attended the Cary Chamber Annual Banquet at Prestonwood. This was the Cary Chamber’s 60^th year holding this event. It is a tradition that has allowed business and government leaders to network, receive awards, and celebrate Cary businesses.

This year it was a great joy to see our Mayor Pro-Tem, Don Frantz, receive the Citizen of the Year Award. Well deserved!

I provided a few remarks before and was followed by Kelly King, the former CEO of BB&T. The event lasted about three hours.

Turner Creek Elementary

Thursday I talked virtually with the 3^rd grade classes at Turner Creek elementary. I spoke about our government structure, our authority, and duties we perform. I had a great time answering their questions. It was a fun time and I hope next time we can do it in person.

Remnants of Hurricane Ian Arrive in Cary

All my events for Friday’s were cancelled due to the remnants of Hurricane Ian. The Hurricane first made landfall earlier in the week near Ft Myers, Florida as a strong category 4 causing catastrophic damage and death. Sadly, it will take those communities months to recover and more than likely they will never be the same. Then Friday afternoon, after it went across Florida and into the Atlantic, it made its second landfall as a strong category 1 just south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Cary is very fortunate to have only experienced a minimal disruption, downed trees, and debris. Most importantly, no major injuries or loss of life were reported. Here is a summary of impacts for Cary:

• Roughly 4 inches of rain fell in Cary.
• As of this morning, roughly 54,000 customers in Wake County without power.
• Koka Booth Amphitheatre is without power impacting Oktoberfest and the South Plant (Wastewater) is running off a back-up generator.
• 600 calls to 911 and just over 100 calls to 311, which remained operational until 9 p.m.
• 43 calls related to trees and large limbs down.
• Several street closures remain due to fallen trees laced with powerlines in the areas of Willowbrook, Maynard at Sloan, Maynard at Medlin, and Ridgecrest at Charles.

Recognizing the debris left in our community, Public Works will be flexible with yard waste collection rules for the next two weeks. Bottom line, if you can get it to the curb, they will collect it.

Again, Cary was fortunate, but many were not. Please keep all those who suffered and are suffering in your thoughts and prayers.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

As we all know fall has the potential to throw us weather curveballs that impact our day-to-day responsibility occasionally, and today that curveball is in the form of Hurricane Ian. Instead of planning for more fun fall activities staff shifted their focus on keeping Cary facilities, staff and community members safe from the potential impacts of Ian. In preparation for the weather event, staff from across the organization have been closely monitoring the storm all week and we are ready. I hope you and your families stay safe this weekend.
Sean

Don Frantz Named Citizen of the Year

On September 28, at the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s 60th Annual Banquet, Mayor Pro Term Don Frantz was named the Citizen of the Year. Along with serving Cary through his role on Council since 2007, he has also served on the Planning and Zoning Board, served as President of the Heart of Cary Association, active with the Cary High School Imp Club, and Cary Chamber of Commerce. He is a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and successful Cary business owner who has been making Cary a better place for over 30 years.

Joy Innis Lifetime Achievement Award

Congratulations to Downtown Cary Park General Manager, Joy Ennis, who was awarded with Cary Magazine’s Women of Western Wake’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Each year, the Women of Western Wake select honorees to discuss how they leverage their careers and personal aspirations to tackle important issues for our community at its annual forum. A previous honoree is then selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the continued impact they have made on our community. With Joy’s history of work with the Cary’s legacy festivals and downtown events; opening and managing The Cary Theater; and now overseeing the management of the highly anticipated Downtown Cary Park, she was the ideal candidate to receive this honor.

Sallie Jones Receives Anthemion Award

Cary’s own Ms. Sallie Jones was awarded an Anthemion Award for Preservation Advocacy. Ms. Jones was honored with this award from Capital Area Preservation for her work on the Cary First Christian Church Cemetery, one of Cary’s local historic landmarks. Given the passion and commitment Ms. Jones has shown over several years, the 2022 Preservation Advocacy Award is a great way to celebrate and acknowledge her continued work. Congrats Ms. Jones.

Fairview Fire District ISO Assistance

A cross-departmental team of Cary Utilities, Fire and Public Works staff assisted the Fairview Fire District with the Insurance Services Office (ISO) process to maintain their ISO fire rating score of 3. Cary staff developed mapping, graphics and provided detailed system information and hydraulic modeling results to support the review process. The score assessed by ISO reflects how prepared a fire department and community is to respond to fires. The Cary Fire Department maintains an ISO fire rating score of 1 which is the highest achievable score.

2022 Source Water Protection Week

During Source Water Protection Week, we reflect on the importance of protecting drinking water sources. Cary’s water source is Jordan Lake, and we have a long history of working to protect it through careful water resources planning, regional partnerships, funding watershed protection projects, and completing capital projects that improve system resiliency. In addition to the public health benefits of having a high-quality reservoir for clean drinking water, source water protection enhances the community by providing opportunities for environmental stewardship, habitat preservation, and enhancing the aesthetic quality of the watershed.

Council Appoints Advisory Board Volunteers

At the Council meeting on September 22, Council appointed or reappointed 40 citizens across eight of Cary’s advisory boards. These citizens were selected from the 175 applications received. The list of appointments is available as an attachment on the meeting’s agenda. For more information about Cary’s advisory boards, visit townofcary.org/boards.

Fall Family Night at Bond Park

Fall Family Night at Bond Park was very well received by many families with requests for similar events to occur more than once a year! The park was lit up with luminaries allowing event participants to rotate through a variety of activities at their leisure. Favorites include tie die, stargazing, axe throwing, boating, and s’mores!

Upcoming Meetings

Parks, Rec, & Cultural Resources Advisory
Monday, Oct. 3
5:15 p.m.

Information Services ​​​​​​​Advisory
Monday, Oct. 3
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday, Oct. 3
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Complaint about long EMS response. The person noted that Cary Fire (EMS trained) was there quickly but no ambulance. Eventually, they put the person in a car and took them to the hospital. Ambulance service is now the responsibility of Wake County. We will be working with them to try and resolve this issue.
• A request for an interview by a NC State student.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, SAS Championships Media Day breakfast, a meeting with Congresswoman Ross, Diwali practices and performance, Atlantic Tire Championships Advisory Board meeting, and a homeowner association block party.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, October 9^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

World University Games Meeting with Dignitaries

Monday at lunch I met with FISU (Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire) officials of the World University Games. These games are held every two years in a different city and are a celebration of international university sports. It draws thousands of student-athletes in competition making it among the world’s largest and most prestigious multi-sport events. I made remarks and presented gifts to the FISU CEO, President, Vice President, and Head of Games. They also presented me with a gift. We are hopeful that they will be choosing Cary and the surrounding communities when they make the selection in November.

Council Meeting Prep

Monday I attempted to contact each council member for concerns or questions about Thursday’s regular agenda. The only question was about the proposed Land Development Ordinance Amendments for signs. Later in the day I met with management to go over the agenda. At that point we didn’t have any planned call-in speakers or any written comments for Public Speaks Out or Public Hearings. We anticipated the meeting would be relatively quick.

Town Manager One-On-One

In my last meeting Monday I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz in a meeting with the town manager. Topics discussed included the future of WakeMed Soccer Park, Duke Health at Green Level, an issue Holly Springs is having, an issue with the Greater Raleigh Visitors Bureau, and a personnel matter.

Duke Health Tour

Tuesday I joined council members Liu and Johnson for a tour of the Duke Health facility off Green Level West Road. They showed the current facility and talked about their plans for expansion along with their partners from Halle and Bel Canto. Their partners currently have rezonings going through the process. Those proposals are mostly apartments with some mixed use. In our discussion we believed that a council work session might be the best next step.

CAMPO

Wednesday the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board met. The agenda included no consent items, one public hearing, and five discussion items. Items approved unanimously included Amendment #9 to FY2020-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Transit Asset Management 2023 Performance Measures & Targets for State of Good Repair, and the CAMPO organizational study. The presentations for this meeting can be found here.

Council Meeting

Due to a family emergency, I had to leave town Tuesday night and returned Wednesday night. I decided not to attend the council meeting in person Thursday due to an exposure on Tuesday although testing on Thursday and the remainder of the week showed no infections. Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz did an excellent job running the meeting.

The agenda included four consent items, six public hearings, and one discussion item. After the public hearing on the annexation 22-A-16 on Carpenter Fire Station Road, the council approved the annexation unanimously. This will allow the 22-DP-3723 development plan to move forward.

The only discussion item was to install solar on a new Cary/Apex Water Treatment facility maintenance building. This 4500 square foot building will be totally run on solar. Additional solar with be used by a neighboring maintenance building. The return on investment for this project is about four to five years. Council unanimously approved this project.

Playing George Washington

Friday I joined members of the Daughters of the American Revolution in an outdoor performance of “Anna Strong” as part of Constitution Week. I was dressed as George Washington (complete with wig) and mimed the parts of the book as they were read. After the play I read a scaled down version of a proclamation celebrating Constitution Week.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

It never ceases to amaze me the number and variety of things to do in Cary on any given day. Last weekend, thousands attended high-level sports competitions at the Atlantic Tire Championships at the Cary Tennis Park and the Adidas XC Challenge and NC Courage match at WakeMed Soccer Park. Thousands also visited Koka Booth Amphitheatre, enjoying Asia Fest and the spectacular Dragon Boat Races on Symphony Lake. Thousands also came downtown for an impressive array of activities, including Public Safety Day, Carolina Circus Fest, Farmers Market, Pickleball Paddle Battle at Herb Young, a concert at the Page-Walker, and the Beyond Film Festival at The Cary. While yet others gathered at Good Hope Farm for its Fall Harvest Fest or took to the greenways and trails for FitCary Month.

So many different options. So many people engaged. It’s a subtle but significant sign that Cary has arrived as a mature, dynamic, and bustling community. We are attracting people from across the region and country not just for one event but countless. We are living the vision we laid out in Imagine Cary to be not only a community of excellence but also a destination.
I am aware of the tireless work that goes into making weekends like this happen, and we are all so appreciative of your continued support! Another great weekend lies ahead, and I can’t wait to hear all about the great things that happen. Have a great time.
Sean

Cancellation of October 6 Council Meeting

Two council members have a scheduling conflict with the upcoming October 6 regular business meeting. Staff reviewed all upcoming agenda items and determined that the few items that would have come before you on October 6 are not time sensitive and can wait until the next scheduled meeting on October 27. As a result. the October 6 Town Council meeting has been canceled and The Clerk’s Office will handle notifications of the cancelation.

Park Hosts Kay Yow Pink Out for 2022

The Downtown Cary Park was honored to be the site for the Park’s construction company, Balfour Beatty’s participation in the Kay Yow Pink Out. Balfour Beatty and their sub-contractors raised $36,000 to help the Kay Yow Foundation fight women’s cancer. The Downtown Cary Park is honored to be working with a company that gives back to the community.

Crabtree Creek Greenway Project Update

A new project will complete a section of the Crabtree Creek Greenway. This project will extend from the existing trail system in Bond Park, then head north to connect to High House Road and a proposed street-side trail. The length of this project is approximately 2,500 linear feet. The project is at 30% of design completion and staff is seeking input. Please visit the project website to review the alignment and enjoy a short “virtual open house” presentation. The comment period on the draft designs will remain open through October.

BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival 2022

The 5th annual BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival took place September 15-18, at The Cary. The festival featured 20+ short films from around the world, a live table read of the 2022 winning screenplay, industry workshops, and networking events for filmmakers. Sponsors of our festival included the Southern Documentary Fund, NC Humanities, DigitalP Media, The Mayton, and the Chatham Street Wine Market. This was the first year the festival was able to award cash prizes to all 6 award winners. The festival welcomed over 450 attendees, and 19 filmmakers and industry representatives to BEYOND 2022.

Celebrating the Harvest at Good Hope Farm

Approximately 500 guests gathered at Good Hope Farm for Harvest Fest last Saturday. It was the first celebration of three events that are designed to connect the community to local food and environmental education. The upcoming events are scheduled to take place on October 15 and November 19. Surrounded by the historic homestead buildings and native plant gardens, participants enjoyed farm tours, produce sales, live music, children’s activities, and a chance to partake in a popup pickle-making workshop. Environmental experts and green-themed vendors hosted booths to engage with the community about pollinators, soil health, waste reduction, water quality, and other conservation topics that contribute to food security and celebrate Cary’s agricultural legacy.

2022 Atlantic Tire Championships

Cary Tennis Park hosted the Atlantic Tire Championships, September 11-18. The tournament, an ATP Men’s Professional Tennis event, had a record-breaking year for attendance, with an increase of 25% over last September’s event.

Upgraded lights allowed matches to play into the evening on all three courts. Adding a food truck and ice cream truck added to the festive atmosphere. Cary staff and a group of over 60 volunteers ensured the tournament ran smoothly. Singles champion, Michael Mmoh, was nothing short of grateful for everything the tournament had to offer and stated, “the hospitality, the facility, the crowd, the atmosphere, nothing really matches it. This is the best Challenger in the United States”.

2023 Council-Staff Retreat Dates

The 2023 Council-Staff Retreat is set for February 23-25, in Wilmington. Retreat planning is now underway, and staff will share additional details as the itinerary and agenda get ironed out. We look forward to restarting this annual tradition, so please ensure your personal calendars are blocked.

2022-2023 Cary Teen Council Membership Summary

Cary Teen Council returns to full in-person volunteering in 2022-23 with 860 members ready to serve their community. New member registration ended this week adding 370 participants to the returning membership of 490. September’s monthly meeting set an all-time record with 353 in attendance at Herbert C. Young Community Center. A signature October event, Herbert’s Haunted House, is completely planned and produced by Cary teens. Look for red Cary Teen Council t-shirts volunteering around Cary and Wake County all year long. If you need volunteers to support your event visit https://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/special-populations/teens/teen-council  to contact the staff liaison.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meetings

The Neighborhood Meetings will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm on October 12. The following cases will be discussed:

• 22-REZ-17 – Louis Stephens Dr
• 22-REZ-19 – Holt PDD

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

Upcoming Meetings

Cultural Arts
Committee
Wednesday
Sept. 28 6:00 p.m.

Senior Center Anniversary
Celebration
Friday
Sept. 30 10:00 a.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Complaints about the proposed rezoning 21-REZ-16 on Old Apex Road for hundreds of apartments. (The public hearing for this drew criticism from the residents and the council)
• A complaint about Chatham County schools being too far away for Cary Chatham residents. They want to attend Wake County Schools. (Unfortunately, we have no control of this, and Wake County does not have authority to take children from another county)
• A complaint about having an Apex address and living in Cary. They want to have Cary in their address. (This is the decision of the Postmaster General. Thousands of Cary residents have addresses in Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Raleigh, etc)
• A big thank you to Firehouse 5 who helped carry someone up 20 stairs who recently had a stroke.
• A thank you for having the Food Waste Collection Pilot program.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, Diwali dance practice for mayors from Apex, Cary, and Morrisville, a presentation to real estate agents, the Cary Chamber Annual Banquet, the Senior Center Anniversary Celebration, and the Octoberfest celebration.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, October 2^nd. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Town Manager One-On-One

Monday I had a brief meeting with the town manager. We talked about the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships, South Hills Mall redevelopment, and about Epic Games on the old mall site. Later Monday I attended the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships.

Diwali Dance Practice

Tuesday I participated in the weekly Diwali Dance practice. We have been practicing weekly since the beginning of summer. We have finished 90% of the dance steps and now are focusing on doing them correctly and transitioning. I have to practice additional hours just to keep up with “real” dancers.

State of Cary Address at Searstone

Wednesday I gave an updated version of the State of Cary Address at Searstone. It was based on my first address in January but with new information on parks, roads, and development projects. I was there about an hour and only had one question from an audience of about 100.

Wednesday at the Tennis Championships

Later Wednesday I attended the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships and was able to meet and greet several people. At this point in the week we had already surpassed previous attendance records. It was great to see full stands on a weeknight during school.

Covid-19 Omicron Booster

Thursday morning I received my Covid-19 Updated booster for Omicron (my 3^rd booster). I believe Covid-19 will be with us for many more years. It is imperative that we all stay updated on our vaccinations and boosters.

Cary Chamber After Hours at Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships

Thursday I provided remarks at the Cary Chamber After Hours event which was held at the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships at the Cary Tennis Park. I talked about how the tournament had grown in years, how our community benefitted economically, and how it gets us recognition nationwide and throughout the world.

After my remarks I attended one of the singles matches that evening.

North Carolina Metro Mayors

Friday the North Carolina Metro Mayors heard from a Senior Climate Policy Advisor from NCDOT. The following is a summary of her remarks from the Executive Director:

• Overview of Federal Program – National EV Charging Infrastructure (NEVI)

• $5 billion was appropriated for EV charging as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
• It is a five-year program with an estimated $109 million coming to North Carolina over those five years.  NC is expected to receive approximately $16 million in year one.
• NEVI Station Criteria

• Phase 1 requires the build out of fast charging stations along the Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs).  The station must be within one mile of the AFC and each station must be located within 50 miles of each other.
• Phase 2 focuses on Community-based charging.  After 50 miles of spacing is met, stations can be placed along any public road on a site that is publicly accessible.
• There are currently 10 NEVI-compliant stations along AFCs in North Carolina. 
• Eligible Items for Funding

• Planning such as how many stations are needed and where they need to be.
• Site design and operation which includes capital expenses for EV chargers, operations and maintenance, and signage.
• Utility upgrades for on-site utilities.

• Tentative Schedule Public engagement sessions will begin once the plan is approved at the end of this month.
• Public engagement for Phase 2 Community Grant Program is anticipated to begin in the Spring of 2023.

Asia Fest

Saturday I attended the opening of Asia Fest at Booth Amphitheater. Remarks were provided by the NC Secretary of State and a NC Senator. I was asked to do a Q&A instead of providing remarks.

Afterwards the elected official sat in one of the Dragon Boats for pictures.

Atlantic Tire Tennis Doubles Championships

Saturday afternoon I attended the doubles championships at the Atlantic Tire Tennis Tournament. I was able to provide remarks after the match. Congratulations to the US team Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow for winning the doubles championship.

Atlantic Tire Tennis Singles Championships

Sunday I attended the singles championships at the Atlantic Tire Tennis Tournament. I provided remarks and handed out the finalist trophy. Congratulations to Michael Mmoh on winning the singles championship.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Russ’ Message

It was great to see so many staff and community members last night as Mayor Weinbrecht welcomed attendees to the Chamber Business After Hours at the Cary Tennis Park. We are fortunate with the weather forecast this coming weekend to welcome many to Cary for multiple community events including the Atlantic Tire Championship. For a full list of community events occurring this weekend, click here.
Have a great weekend!
Russ

MacGregor Downs HOA Meeting

MacGregor Downs Homeowners Association held their annual meeting and invited staff and Council to attend. Public safety staff provided an update to those in attendance. In addition to staff, Council Members Jack Smith and Carissa Kohn-Johnson were also in attendance.

Ed Yerha Park Sign Installed

In August, Council recognized the service of former Cary Council Member Ed Yerha by renaming White Oak Park in his honor. The newly named parks sign was installed this week.

Fire Hosts ICS 400 Class

About 45 employees representing departments from across the organization came together this week for an ICS 400 class. This National Incident Management System training program course is designed for personnel who would be involved in large, complex incidents or events and is a follow-up to the ICS 300 class taught in August. The class was taught by emergency management experts Leslie O’Connor and Darshan Patel. On the first day of class, Fire presented Public Safety Director Toni Dezomits with a fire helmet befitting her position.

Dominion Energy Gas Line Replacement Project

Staff is in the process of working with Dominion Energy on a gas line replacement project along E. Chatham St. A new 12″ steel gas line will be installed, replacing an existing 8″ gas line, along Reedy Creek Rd.
A pre-construction meeting has been set for the week of September 26. The expectation is for the project to start early October and last for up to 8 weeks. Additional updates and traffic alerts will be provided as these dates are confirmed and traffic control measures are well defined.

Growing Interest in the Composting Pilot

A Toward Zero Waste representative joined Waste Strategy and Impact Consultant Srijana Guilford at the NC DEQ’s Sustainability Team meeting to share about Cary’s pilot food waste drop-off. The team sought details on the design and successes of Cary’s model as well as how it may be applied to their sustainability efforts. 

Growing Cary’s Gardens

Last week, over 250 residents participated in 13 different agricultural programs. Volunteers gathered at fire station gardens for environmental service-learning activities, including harvesting, amending soils, and planting in honor of the 9-11 National Day of Service. Carpenter Park Community Garden’s Open House welcomed guests of all ages for tours, crafts, and more. Good Hope Farm hosted compost giveaway workshops and an Organic Gardening class to over 150 students that received free compost, guidebooks, and instruction for successful composting and gardening practices for their lawns at home.

Regional Water Supply Plan – “Out for Bid”

The Triangle Water Partnership (TWP), a regional coalition of water utilities working together to solve water issues, initiated the process for a new Regional Water Supply Plan, which will look at collective water supply needs through 2070. This is one of the hallmark deliverables of the TWP and will update the 2014 Plan which was instrumental in the recent round of Jordan Lake supply pool allocations. Cary remains well positioned with Jordan Lake as robust water supply thanks to continued proactive future water resource planning.

Black Creek Greenway Sewer Rehab

Following the reopening of the Crabtree Creek Greenway in late July, crews have been preparing to rehabilitate sewer lines along the Black Creek Greenway. Over the past several weeks, construction mats have been placed at key locations, temporary stream crossings have been constructed, and a system of temporary pumps and above-ground piping has been installed to manage sewer flows along the Black Creek Greenway between Dynasty Drive and North Cary Park.

Sewer rehabilitation is now underway along the Black Creek Greenway, with installation of the first cured-in-place pipe liner this week near West Dynasty Drive. This first phase of sewer improvements along the Black Creek Greenway is scheduled for completion later this Fall. While this portion of the Black Creek trail is closed, all other portions of the Black Creek Greenway and the Crabtree Creek Greenway are open to the public.

Current information regarding the status of the greenways, detour routes and project details are available at www.carygreenwaydetour.com.

E-Notary Class Offered for Cary Notaries

On Wednesday, several staff members took their first step to become electronic notaries. Legal Assistant Karen Gray organized this training led by Wake Tech Community College with the help of the NC Secretary of State’s Office. Cary is now better positioned to move toward truly paperless transactions, as electronic notaries are authorized to notarize purely digital documents.

Women in Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon

In honor of National Women in Law Enforcement Day, the police department’s very own Captain Kat Christian served as the keynote speaker at the Salisbury Police Department’s Women in Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon.  Kat shared uplifting words of encouragement with her audience of up and coming female police leaders, and discussed her journey navigating the profession to becoming a member of the department’s executive command staff. Despite nationwide efforts to increase representation, women constitute less than 13% of total officers and a much smaller proportion of leadership positions within law enforcement. The Cary Police Department is truly humbled and honored that Kat’s leadership journey is serving to inspire future female police leaders across the State.

American Legion Post 67 Officer and Firefighter of the Year Awards

Congratulations to Cary Police Officer Andrew Reuther and Cary Fire Engineer Tyler Riva, recipients of the American Legion Post 67 2022 Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year awards. Andrew was recognized for his life saving efforts on an individual suffering from multiple stab wounds. Tyler, a Marine Corps veteran, was honored for going above and beyond in his pursuit of education and training and for his service on the swift water rescue team during a 2021 deployment. In addition, Wake County EMS District Chief Marion Houle was selected by his peers for the chapter’s EMT of the Year award in honor of 30 years of dedicated service. Police and Fire are incredibly proud of these employees, honored by their recognition, and grateful for the service of the men and women of Post 67.

My Tree, Our Tree Registration Opens with Enthusiasm

Cary residents showed their continued interest and enthusiasm for planting native trees as they reserved more than 500 of the 550 trees within 24 hours of the My Tree, Our Tree registration opening. Between now and early October, the remaining trees can be claimed to take root in Cary’s community and contribute to the canopy.

NW Maynard Sidewalk Construction

The construction for a sidewalk gap at NW Maynard is substantially complete. This is a sidewalk infill project just west of N Harrison Ave. The work included demo, new sidewalk, curb and gutter, cross walk markings, sewer clean out adjustment, and landscape restoration. The contractor, White Oak, has two more things to complete which includes placing sod and crosswalk markings at the nearby access. 

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Public Art Advisory Board
Wednesday 
Sept. 21
6:15 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday
Sept. 22
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A suggestion for a type of electronic bus
• A complaint that elected officials displaced parents seated to watch their children at Asia Fest
• A question about the town auctioning off firearms. The response from the police chief:

“This is a required public notice prior to selling all types of unclaimed property.  Non firearms are sold via auction to the general public. 

Currently under NC law when we dispose of firearms we are required to sell them to licensed firearm dealers (not the general public).  However, the public notice still applies.  The current law does not allow for us to destroy them unfortunately.

The same holds true for those cities in NC who conduct buy back programs.  Studies have shown that such programs are not truly effective and this is compounded by the inability to destroy confiscated or bought back weapons. 

I hope this helps,

Terry Sult

Chief of Police

Cary Police Department” 

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with World University Games representatives, a Wake County Mayors Association meeting, a tour of the new Duke Health facility, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board, a meeting with Turner Creek 3^rd Grade classes, the last regularly scheduled council meeting of the month, playing George Washington as Part of the Cary Trolley tours, and Good Hope Farm’s Farm to Fork event.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, September 25^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Transcript Review for Invest: Raleigh Durham

Monday afternoon I met briefly with the author from Invest: Raleigh Durham about an interview with them last week. The transcript has now been passed on to staff for review.

Council Meeting Prep

Monday I attempted to contact each council member to hear of any questions or concerns about the upcoming agenda. There were a few questions about the Industrial site annexation and the town’s compliance with session law. Later Monday I met with the Mayor Pro-Tem and management to go over and discuss the agenda.

Turner Creek Elementary 3^rd Graders

Wednesday morning I met virtually with three 3^rd grade classes from Turner Creek Elementary who were studying state and local government. I made a brief PowerPoint presentation and then answered several questions. I had a great time and will do another talk to the 3^rd graders at Turner Creek later this month.

Economic Development Committee

Wednesday afternoon I joined council members Jack Smith and Jennifer Bryson Robinson in an Economic Development Committee meeting. The summary of economic activity from the Cary Chamber President included:

• Visits: Penny Mac, HCL, Xerox, Cotton Inc, Beuhler-Aeroglide, Veloxis Pharma, ABB, Lord Corp, MetLife, Avidex, OnLogic, and ServePro.
• Expansions: Advanced Manufacturing and a HealthCare Technology firm. The estimated capital investment for this project is about $80M. The number of new jobs is unknown currently.
• Recruitment potential: 700 jobs / $ 1.4 Billion Capital Investment potential
• Product Trend: most interest in the Industrial and Life Science space, with consultants and corporations looking for existing or shell buildings, with a few a looking at build to suit opportunities averaging from 40,000 sq ft – 750,000 sq ft. Raw land request on average ranges from 20 – 250 acres.
• Industrial Space: The chamber continues to work with Ted and Town staff with two separate development firms on (2) large industrial / flex space type of product sets, one in west Cary which is 15 acres, with a planned building size of around 162,000 sq ft, of which can be 2 buildings, or one large building. This parcel is on target to have final site plan approval over the next 30 – 45 days. The other large tract is in northwest Cary near the airport. This tract is 142 acres and is planned to have just over 700,000 sq ft of flex/ industrial space. This project is estimated to have their site plan approved from the Town within the next 6 months. The Press building has now completed their interior demo work and has the inside prepared as “shell” space. Lincoln Harris in Raleigh is the Broker and Developer on this. They are working with the Planning department on their exterior site plan work (building exterior upgrades, new landscaping, and a parking area expansion). This building is formerly known as the old Oxford University Press company on Evans Road. This building is a great space for Life Science, Biotech, advanced manufacturing, and logistics.
• Class A Office: This product set is still slow, but we have had some smaller opportunities looking from 15,000 – 45,000 sq ft over the last few months. Downtown, Fenton, and Regency Park are the best areas to accommodate those space needs right now. CentreGreen Office Park has (3) areas that can accommodate up to 400,000 total square feet.
• Land: We are continuing to research potential opportunities for land that can accommodate Industrial type of projects, and areas that would also make good future Class A Office Parks.
• Redevelopment Opportunities: Weston Parkway corridor for creating more density of Class A Office buildings. MacGregor Park – this area is prime for Industrial and Class A Office redevelopment opportunities. Big Lots shopping center on Kildaire Farm Rd. This could be a nice mixed-use opportunity for Office, retail, restaurants, and apartments. Crossroads area – This could be an opportunity to connect with the South Hills project in the future, with bridges going over US 1 /64. This can be a nice mixed-use opportunity for Office, retail, restaurant, and apartments.

It should be noted that Industrial in Cary does not mean smokestack type of development. Instead, it is more advanced manufacturing, hands on labs, and Research and Development. A 3D printer lab would be an example.

In the development updates, Cary’s Economic Development Director notified the committee that talks continue with the new South Hills owners. We hope to see plans submitted in the next six months or so.

The remainder of the meeting was a discussion on the upcoming changes to the EDC committee. Staff will present a plan in the future that will include what the committee will discuss and make recommendations on. Staff believes that there could be great value added especially in redevelopment projects. We should see staff’s recommendations for this change at our next meeting on December 7^th.

Fenton Taping

Thursday morning I joined the Chamber president and representatives from Hines and Columbia development to do a video for YouTube. It mocks the use of “The Fenton” when instead of just “Fenton”

Individual Council Portrait

Thursday afternoon I had my portrait made for the council. These are done after each election. I chose one from about a dozen pictures.

Fictional Book in Cary

Thursday, after my portrait, I met with an author of a fictional book called Bittersweet which was based on the life of a lady from Cary and was based in Cary. I listened to her story and was presented a signed copy. I look forward to reading the book soon.

Council Meeting

Thursday night the council held its first regularly scheduled meeting in September. The meeting started with the swearing in of Jack Smith to council for the 9^th time. He has been serving on council since 1989. He was sworn in by a notary who happened to be the son of a friend of his. The notary was in his teens, and we believe it might be the youngest to swear in a council member.

Afterwards, I recognized retiring Associate Planning Director, Debra Grannan with a proclamation for her 31 years at Cary. We will certainly miss her, but I look forward to watching her perform as part of the Cary Players.

The agenda included 8 consent items and two public hearings. Two of the consent items, the industrial site for rezoning and annexation, were removed to be voted on later in the month while the rest were approved. The first public hearings were Code and Land Development Ordinance Amendments. This item was referred to the Planning and Zoning Board for their review and recommendation. The second public hearing was an annexation on Carpenter Fire Station Road. This public hearing was continued until the September 22^nd meeting.

The council meeting concluded after about 30 minutes.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

Similar to last night’s Council meeting agenda, the number of items we have for you this week to report is brief.
I am including Utilities Director Jamie Revel’s response to former Cary Councilmember Nels Roseland’s concerns regarding the Black Creek Greenway sewer rehabilitation project. Jamie did an excellent job in his response and serves as an example of the knowledge and professionalism our staff employs when interacting with our citizens.
Enjoy your weekend.
Sean

Swearing-In Ceremony

At the September 8 Council meeting, Council Member Jack Smith took the oath of office with his family by his side. Council Member Smith is Cary’s longest-serving Council Member and took his first oath of office back in 1989. At Thursday’s meeting, he was sworn in for his 9th term by family friend, Brendan Lynch.

PRCR Master Plan Update

This week, staff kicked off meetings to start the process of updating the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Master Plan. Consultants from the firm Agency Landscape + Planning visited Cary this week and will help develop this document and fully integrate it into Imagine Cary. A detailed scope and schedule is being created and will be rolled out before the end of the year.

NC Affordable Housing Conference

The North Carolina Affordable Housing Conference is North Carolina’s largest annual conference focused on housing affordability. This year, Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison Morgan Mansa presented with the NC League of Municipalities to educate municipalities on how to leverage federal funds and develop local partnerships to better preserve and develop affordable housing. The presentation also used Cary as a case study for its use of American Rescue Plan Act funds on housing affordability.

Travel Safely App Demo

Citizens in Cary now have a tool to travel our roads more safely thanks to a multi-year effort with a private app developer. On Wednesday, staff demonstrated the app Travel Safely for members of the media. The demo included a drive through downtown Cary that triggered all of the features of the app, like audible school zone notifications, cyclist alerts, and countdown to green light, and ended with a behind-the-scenes look at our Traffic Management Center. The app is available for download in both Apple and Android stores. You can learn more about this effort and watch a video on the project here.

Fall Environmental Outreach Campaign Launches

The Cary community is invited to “Dig In and Grow Green This Fall” with over 20 different environmentally focused opportunities. There’s a full lineup of celebrations, workshops, volunteer workdays, and giveaways that promise to make it fun and easy to continue building a more resilient and sustainable Cary. The fall campaign includes activities such as free compost and tree giveaways, farm tours, and virtual solar classes for all to enjoy. Staff are encouraged to join in the fun and share the campaign with their friends and neighbors via www.townofcary.org/green.

Transportation GIS Efforts Recognized

Cary was recently featured in this article in ESRI’s ArcUser Magazine. ESRI, a global leader in location intelligence, publishes the ArcUser magazine to provide practical, technical information to help better understand GIS Technology. The article discusses how GIS Technology is used to assist in analysis and decision making within Cary’s street improvement process. 

Portable Camera System

Fire and Police are conducting a trial on a portable camera system. The system is located in the parking lot adjacent to the Fire Administration building and train tracks. It will remain parked in that location for the next 30 days while staff evaluates its capabilities. 

New Hope Disc Golf Course Tree Chimes

Large chimes have been installed at the Diavolo @ New Hope disc golf course to minimize exposed trees from being hit by discs.
The chimes are a more artistic and aesthetically pleasing alternative to the traditional way of protecting trees with welded wire, plastic wrap, or padding.
After a review period to determine if there are any maintenance concerns, additional chimes may be installed to protect more trees.

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Park, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board
Monday
Sept. 12
5:15 p.m. 

Hybrid Information Services Advisory Board
Monday
Sept. 12
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday
Sept. 12 
6:30 p.m.

Hybrid Environmental Advisory Board Meeting
Tuesday
Sept. 13
6:00 p.m.

Hybrid Human Relations, Inclusion, & Diversity
Tuesday
Sept. 13
6:00 p.m.

Hybrid Historic Preservation Commission Meeting
Wednesday
Sept. 14
6:30 p.m.

Hybrid Greenway Committee Meeting
Thursday
Sept. 15
6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about overpopulation (Cary has been growing at a rate of 2 to 2 ½ percent for 15 years. Cary has no authority to stop growth nor should it)
• A complaint about a sewer issue on black creek greenway temporary pipe
• A concern about the shooting at Motel 6
• A complaint about fees related to a home improvement project
• A complaint about trash and abandoned cars on Branniff Drive
• A complaint about the renaming of White Oak Park

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, the Atlantic Tire Championship and trophy presentations, a State of Cary address at Searstone, and the Dragon Boat Festival.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, September 18^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships Meeting

Monday morning I met briefly with a board member for the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships. We mostly discussed issues related to this year’s tournament.

Interview with Capital Analytics

Monday afternoon I was interviewed virtually by individuals representing Capital Analytics. Questions were on the topics of milestones and highlights during the past year, health of the business community, sustainability and resilience, infrastructure and mobility, and general quality of life. Our interview lasted about thirty minutes.

Cary Matters with Carissa Johnson

Later Monday afternoon I taped an episode of Cary Matters with our newest council member Carissa Johnson. The episode was a Q&A to get to know Carissa better. Here are some excerpts from the questions and answers about Carissa:

Background:

I was raised in the Finger Lakes region in western NY in a blended family and I had 5 siblings and 2 sets of loving and dedicated parents. I have been in North Carolina since 1996 and in Cary for 22 years. I am a 15-year downtown Cary resident, where I raised my smart and kind daughter Bella, who is now a college sophomore. I work in technical product marketing in the IT channel, and I work remotely for a Colorado-based data backup and disaster recovery company called Axcient. 

Volunteering:

I joined the Information Services Advisory Board in 2017. It was there that I learned about Cary 101, which was at the time called Cary School of Government. I completed that in 2019, along with my daughter who was at the time a high school junior. In late 2018, I was appointed the Cary150 Task Force as vice chair to work on our 2021 sesquicentennial celebrations. And in 2020 I completed the Cary Community Emergency Response Team, or Cary CERT, basic training and some additional online FEMA courses, also with my daughter Bella.

Being a council member:

I look forward to learning more and working with stakeholders on addressing housing affordability challenges. I also plan to advocate for environmental protections and the adoption of renewable energy such as solar. Plus, I know our Council and Staff has been working hard towards inclusive municipal policy. And I am excited to work to further those efforts.

Guardian Ad Litem Passion

As a Guardian ad Litem, I am an advocate appointed by a judge to work on behalf of a child or children who has been removed from their home because of abuse or neglect. In my courtroom, there is a third table, where I sit along with the assigned Guardian ad Litem attorney, to represent the wishes and best interests of the child.

It is my job to do my own separate investigation with the sole purpose of representing the best interests of the child. We report our findings and recommendations directly to the judge, which is a big responsibility but there is excellent training and support. This is my passion project because I believe that every single child has the right to dignity in childhood, and that requires a safe and nurturing environment to grow in. When adults are not able to be that safe harbor for their kids, we must step in and do whatever we can to try to make things better. It is the most challenging and important thing I do or have ever done, and if anyone watching is interested in knowing more, I am very happy to share my experience.  The need is so great.

It was great to learn more about Carissa and I am excited about the possibilities she brings to the council. The taping included three full takes and a few extra takes on certain parts. We were finished in about half an hour.

Town Manager One-On-One

My last meeting Monday was with the town manager. It was a brief meeting which mostly centered on the Cary Tennis Park and the Atlantic Tire Championship.

Independent Weekly Photo Shoot

On Wednesday I did a photo shoot for the Independent Weekly. They are doing a story on the Cary Tennis Park and wanted photos of me at the tennis center. The photos were taken in various parts of the center, and we were done in about fifteen minutes.

Debra Grannan Retirement Reception

Wednesday afternoon I attended a retirement reception for 31-year town employee Debra Grannan. She held nine different positions during her time with the town. Her last position was as Associate Planning Director where she interacted a great deal with the council. She is a fantastic lady, and I was blessed to get to know her and work with her. My understanding is that she will now focus her interests on some of her passions like the Cary Players. BTW she, and the Cary Players, will be performing the play “Clue” at the Cary Arts Center in late September and early October. For tickets visit CaryPlayers.org.

Safest City in the Nation

Thursday I was notified that Cary was ranked #1 safest city in America. The ranking was from GoodHire, a company that checks backgrounds using FBI crime data. The analysis weighted crimes against persons and property at 40% and crimes against society at 20%. The safest cities received lowest scores with the dangerous cities receiving higher scores up to 100. Cary received a score of 1.2 compared to #2 McKinney, Texas who received a score of 4.2.

Cary is proud to have the #1 safest city ranking. But it is important to understand that safest city does not mean crime free. We must all do our part to keep our community safe. Recently there have been car break-ins with most of those being crimes of opportunity. That is, the cars were unlocked with valuables inside. Some even had the keys in them. So lock your car, store your valuables, and if you have house alarms please use them.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Shelley’s Message

I’m happy to share a few highlights from a busy and productive week. 

• This week, the new owners of South Hills invited staff to join them in a design visioning workshop. It was great that they chose Principal Planner Allen Davis to lead this event.
• Wednesday, Associate Planning Director Debra Grannan retired from the Town after more than 30 years. Staff and community members gathered to celebrate Debra and her long and impactful career. We look forward to officially recognizing her at the September 8 Council meeting.
• Walker Street has reopened as The Walker Apartments (AKA One Walker) completes the construction of the new 153-unit apartment building. The final stage for Walker Street will include resurfacing the street from Fairview Road to Waldo Street as part of the Downtown Park project in early summer 2023. The Walker will start welcoming their first tenants this week with 15 residents scheduled to move in during the month of September. The management team has coordinated staggered move-in times as to not affect overall traffic on Walker Street or Walnut Street. The retail spaces on the first level are still under construction and will open at a later date. The streetscapes along the frontages will also be completed as part of the final construction.

Best wishes for a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!.
Shelley

Upcoming Closures

• Page Walker Arts & History is closed September 1 – September 5 for scheduled maintenance.
• Town Hall and most staffed facilities will be closed Monday September 5 in observance of Labor Day.

Cary Senior Center will be closed September 8 – September 16 to repave the parking lot. 

Lazy Daze 2022

The 46th annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival operated at full scale for the first time since 2019 to welcome thousands of patrons and vendors back to Downtown Cary for its annual end of the summer tradition. Council Member Jennifer Robinson provided remarks for the festival’s opening ceremonies and was joined by Council Members Don Frantz, Ya Liu, and Carissa Kohn-Johnson. Festival Founder Jerry Miller participated in the opening ceremonies and presented six artists with the best in show awards. Over 250 volunteer shifts were filled, and the Cary Teen Council sold a record number of bottles of water to raise $4,480. A cross-departmental team served in Unified Command off-site at Fire Station 9, led by Chief Andy Hiscock and Lt. Stephen Matthews, providing support to the operations team on the ground at Town Hall.

Bond Park Deck

The Bond Park Boathouse Deck replacement was completed this week. The previous wooden deck had been in place for over 12 years. A new composite deck has now replaced the aging boards revitalizing the area. Impact to services was minimal during the construction, with public boat rentals and launches continuing throughout the project. The boathouse will be open Labor Day weekend Saturday – Monday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

NCDOT’s Draft State Transportation Improvement Plan

North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) released an update to the draft State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) for review and comment. This plan identifies the construction funding and schedules for projects over a 10-year period from 2024-2033. The North Carolina State budget includes an updated sales tax revenue forecast that allows a percentage of the money to be used for transportation projects. For the full draft STIP, timeline for approval, and more information on how it was developed, go to NCDOT’s STIP webpage.

2021-2022 Annual Wastewater Report

Cary’s 2021/2022 Annual Wastewater Report is now available and provides quick facts, descriptions of our treatment facilities, system metrics, and tips to keep the system working smoothly and the environment free from sewer spills. In addition, new to the report this year is a graphic about sewer laterals, which details how homes are connected to the wastewater system. We are happy to once again show that our water reclamation facilities had another year of exceptional performance, and our wastewater system is among the top performing utilities in the state.

CDL Training

On February 7, 2022, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched new Federal Standards for obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Ensuring we meet the new standards; our Public Works team developed new training requirements and created a curriculum for new staff members requiring a CDL to perform their daily tasks. Cary is the first in the area to register four new employees on the FMCSA online database whom all obtained their CDL. This internal training is the first of its kind for a local government in North Carolina and ensures Cary will remain sustainable and resilient to carry on numerous operations that require CDL licensing.

Adopt-A-Spot Appreciation

Since 2011, groups from businesses, schools, scout troops, churches, and families have dedicated their time as volunteers through the Adopt-A-Spot Program. Many groups “retired” their spots during the COVID-19 shutdown, but since relaunching the environmental stewardship program last summer, 24 new locations throughout Cary parks, streets, trails, and neighborhoods have been adopted. With this surge in interest, Cary now has 57 adopted spots that are benefiting from the generous service of Adopt-A-Spot volunteers.

Cary Installs Touchless Toilet Paper Dispensers

Cary is the world’s first municipality to provide BIOtouchless toilet paper dispensers at the Cary Depot. These dispensers are fully enclosed, protecting paper products from airborne pathogens. Based on savings traditionally seen with automatic paper towel dispensers, it is expected to reduce toilet paper consumption by 50% which further supports our focus on sustainability.

Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Film Series

Two Shaw Brothers films were screened at The Cary – The Five Deadly Venoms and the 36th Chamber of Shaolin. The series was curated by filmmaker Christopher Everett. Over 110 people showed up to view these two classic Kung Fu films. Everett also gave away door prizes to two lucky attendees. The Cary will rescreen these films on September 3.

Upcoming Meetings

Senior Advisory Board
Wednesday
Sept. 7 
2:00 p.m.

Economic Development Committee
Wednesday
Sept. 7
5:15 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday
Sept. 8
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A request to extend certain greenways
• Acknowledgement that Cary was safest city in the nation

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a virtual meeting with 3^rd graders from Turner Creek, an Economic Development Committee meeting, council portrait pictures, and the first regularly scheduled council meeting of September.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, September 11^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Carissa Johnson meeting

Carissa Johnson was elected to take the At-Large seat on council at the end of July. She has been meeting with staff to get up to speed on council issues. Before her swearing in on Thursday we met virtually for about an hour to talk about a variety of things to help her prepare. I look forward to working with her and all the ideas Carissa will bring to the table on how we can better serve our citizens.

Regular Meeting Prep

Monday I attempted to contact each council member to hear of concerns or questions about the upcoming agenda. Later in the day I met with staff to go over the agenda, The agenda was mostly organizational, so our meeting was brief.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later Monday I met with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Topics included one of our sports venues, our brand implementation, the Duke Health project, the Epic Games project, and the Fenton project.

Chicago Trip

Tuesday I joined a few staff members and our chamber president on a trip to Chicago for project “bluebird”. If we are successful in our attempts this will be another great economic win for Cary. I hope to be able to talk about this further in the future.

The presentation, complete with a professional video, was as good as it gets. I am so proud of our staff and the chamber. If we don’t win project “bluebird” it is not because we didn’t put forth our best effort.

After the presentation we had about five hours before our flight. I took that opportunity to visit Chicago’s Millennium Park. It is an amazing park with so much to offer. One of my favorite experiences was having my picture made in front of the “bean”.

The Cary delegation returned from Chicago after midnight. While it was a tough day, I believe it was well worth the visit. As Cary becomes more of a potential home for national and international businesses, I expect we will be doing more of these.

Council Meeting

Thursday was the last council meeting of August and the last council meeting for Ed Yerha.

Mr. Yerha moved here in 1995 and got involved almost immediately. He as served Cary for over 25 years, the last 10 as a council member. His resume includes:

• Planning and Zoning Board, 1998-2004, Chairman 2000-2004
• Sister Cities Commission, 2004-2010, Vice-Chairman 2009-2010
• Zoning Board of Adjustment, 2010-2012
• Town Center Area Plan Advisory Committee, 2000-2001
• Historic Preservation Master Plan Advisory Committee
• Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel, Board of Directors, 2000-present, President 2010-2012
• Cary Town Council, 2012-2022

Not only has Ed Yerha been a great servant for Cary citizens, but he has also been a great friend to many, including me. Bless you Ed! Thank you for over a quarter of a century of service!

The meeting began with a Cary historic moment from Ed Yerha, parting words from the council to Mr. Yerha, and the adoption of the agenda. Then the organizational meeting started with the swearing in of Jennifer Robinson and Carissa Johnson. Jack Smith, who was home with the flu, will be sworn in on September 8^th.

Don Frantz was reelected to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem until 2023. Cary elections are normally held in odd years. This year was an exception since the census data was late and the legislature mandated that we hold our elections in May and our runoff at the end of July. So rather than have a new Mayor Pro-Tem for one year, it makes sense for Mr. Frantz to continue as Mayor Pro-Tem.

After the election of Mayor Pro-Tem, I made my appointments of council to various positions within and outside our jurisdiction. There were at least a couple of dozen.

This was followed by our Town Crier from Markham, Canada, John Webster. His appearance is always fun part of the meeting and an incredible addition to Lazy Daze which began on Saturday. Thanks to John and Mary Webster for their continued support and their friendship.

After the town crier I recognized and read a proclamation honoring Cary All-Stars who won a state title against other all-star teams in the state and nearby states. I had a great time meeting with them before the meeting and was proud to present them with a proclamation.

The business part of the meeting included four consent items, two public hearings, and one discussion item. Under discussion the council approved $2.2 million in sidewalk improvements which included segments on West Chatham Street, Lake Pine Drive, and Ryan Road.

After a closed session, our meeting concluded with a total time of a little over two hours.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

Last night’s Council meeting was truly special as we honored outgoing Council Member Ed Yerha, and we recognized the re-election/election of Council Members Jennifer Bryson Robinson and Carissa Kohn-Johnson. As great as it was, it simply wasn’t the same without Council Member Jack Smith, and we’re hoping he will feel much better soon as we look forward to swearing him in on September 8.
As we all learned together from Ed last night, the 10 year plus tenure of our Council is amazing and unprecedented! As a career city manager, I can say without a doubt that this tenure reflects not only the commitment and good intentions of each council member, but also the recognition by our citizens’ of the council’s exemplary accomplishments.
When we closed Town Hall early today, I was reminded of our organization’s extraordinary ability to collaborate on the biggest things, with Lazy Daze being chief among those examples. I know you join me in being grateful to our staff, contractors, vendors, and artists who are making another weekend in Cary amazing.
As a reminder, Lazy Daze is two full days this year, and I’m assured there will be plenty of ice on hand to keep you cool.
Stay safe and have fun!
Sean

Cary All-Star Baseball Team Receives Proclamation

At Thursday’s Council meeting, the mayor presented a proclamation on behalf of Council to Cary’s 11-12 All-Star baseball team. The 11-12 All-Star team was composed of 16 players selected from 213 league participants at the end of the regular season, and they played in the Statewide Athletics Committee Tournament in Nash County. The Cary team played five games in the tournament, scoring over forty runs, and won the championship game.

New Capacity Building Program for Housing Nonprofits

Cary is proud to announce the launch of our first capacity building program for housing and community development nonprofits in Cary. In partnership with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, this program will cover topics including board governance, strategic communications, fundraising, partnerships and collaboration, and financial management. Additionally, individuals who complete the program can apply their 15 credit hours earned towards the Duke University Certificate in Nonprofit Management.

Through this program, Cary hopes to strengthen nonprofits’ foundational management practices, allowing them to focus their resources on the services and support they bring to Cary residents. Empowering our nonprofits by equipping them with capacity building opportunities is a key initiative of the Cary Housing Plan. Applications will be open through October 31; we invite Cary nonprofits working in housing and community development to apply. Please contact Morgan Mansa at morgan.mansa@townofcary.org for more information.

New Treasurer Appointed

There is a unique wrinkle in the law that requires a municipality’s Treasurer to take an oath and be sworn – not unlike the Council and a few other staff members. We congratulate Finance Director Kimberly Branch on stepping up to ensure that one of the most important things in Cary, our finances, remain robust.

Town Hall Parking Change

To ensure that Council, visitors, and staff who come to Town Hall for an occasional meeting have convenient places to park, we’ve designated spaces at the South Entrance as 2-hour parking, weekdays from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. You’ll notice a sign displaying this information at the entrance to the lot as well as the painted message on each space. This still leaves plenty of convenient parking available to staff whose day-long work assignment is at Town Hall.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

During their annual trip to Cary for Lazy Daze, Town Crier duo, Mary and John Webster attended a luncheon held by Cary and Cary Sister Cities at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in celebration of their arrival. The Town Crier also delivered his signature cry to open Thursday’s Council Meeting.

Interactive Sidewalk Map

With over 40 sidewalk projects in the works totaling 8.3 miles and an investment of $21.6 million, Cary is actively working on enhancing pedestrian mobility and safety. Interested in learning more about the sidewalk projects near your neighborhood, school, or workplace? Transportation’s Civil Design team developed an interactive map on Cary’s website where citizens can zoom into their area of interest to find information on project limits, status, and connections to existing sidewalks.

Hometown Spirit Award Nomination

The nomination period for the annual Hometown Spirit Award is now open through September 22. Nominees must be age 21 or older and should demonstrate qualities like helping neighbors, showing hospitality, promoting a sense of community, or displaying patriotism. A panel will select the winner after the nomination period ends. The top three nominees will be recognized at a reception and the winner will be announced during the November 17 Council meeting. Visit townofcary.org/spirit for more information.

WakeMed Corporate & Community Health Program

Last week Bond Park Challenge Course staff offered a leadership development program for Wake Med Corporate & Community Health. The group was excited to try out the new course and very appreciative that Cary and Wake Med can continue to collaborate in such impactful ways. For more information about Bond Park Challenge Course click here.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A thank you to staff at the South Cary Water Reclamation Facility
• A complaint about the lack of access across the railroad at Reedy Creek
• A complaint about the Cary Tennis Park court reservation system
• A request for Rose Park to have pickleball
• A complaint about police not allowing children to play in the fountain at town hall on Lazy Daze (Health requirements and liability issues prohibit this)

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, an Atlantic Tire Tennis Championship meeting, an interview with Invest: Raleigh Durham, a taping of Cary Matters, a photo for an Independent Weekly story, and a NC Metro Mayors meeting.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, September 4^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Duke Health Meeting

Monday I met virtually with Dr. Monte Brown, MD, of Duke Health. He has served as the Vice President of Administration and Secretary for Duke University Health System and Associate Dean of Veterans Affairs for the Duke University School of Medicine since 2006. Our conversation was mostly about the future expansion and creation of a hospital with 100 beds at Green Level West and I540. I agreed to meet with him and adjacent property owners on site to see the property and hear of their combined visions.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later Monday I met with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Topics included the Singh proposal on Old Apex Road, the Duke Hospital expansion on Green Level West Road, the Fenton, South Hills negotiations, sports venue interests, the next council/staff retreat (likely in February or March), the new council member, and the Mayor Pro-Tem position.

Wake County Mayors Association Meeting

Monday night the mayors of Wake County held their monthly meeting in Cary. Attending were mayors from Cary, Fuquay Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Rolesville, and Zebulon. We discussed a variety of topics including growth and development proposals in each of our municipalities.

CAMPO Executive Board

Wednesday I participated in a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Executive Board. The agenda included 5 consent items, 1 public hearing, and 5 discussion items. In one of the discussion items Cary was unanimously selected as the lead planning agency for the board. In the discussion I made the point that Cary as host agency would allow the most flexibility with positions and salaries for the CAMPO Staff. This is significant since talented, skilled staff is difficult to find. Currently the CAMPO staff is one of the most talented in the state and recent studies have shown their salaries are among the lowest in the state.

The Executive Board also heard updates on the Greater Triangle Commuter Rail and the Transportation Improvement Program. We can expect all projects to lag due to lack of funding.

The CAMPO meeting concluded after a little over two hours.

North Carolina Metro Mayors

Friday I participated in a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors. Here is a summary of that meeting from the Executive Director:

Federal Update

Over the past two weeks, President Biden has signed the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and the Inflation Reduction Act into law.

CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 contains a $40B+ investment in American semiconductor manufacturing. This opens the door for North Carolina to land a major manufacturing facility. The White House’s full announcement can be found here.

Inflation Reduction Actsends more federal dollars to states to be used for the electrification of transportation in cities. This is a great opportunity for cities to be involved in developing electric infrastructure. The bill allows for the federal government to negotiate prescription drug costs and pays down hundreds of billions in deficit. The White House’s full announcement can be found here.

General Assembly Update – Nothing New to Report

The North Carolina General Assembly has been very quiet as legislators are out of town.

OTHER NEWS

• Governor Cooper’s State of Emergency was lifted this week
• NEew Mayor Sworn-in for New Bern – Jeffrey Odham – welcome to Mayor Odham!
• Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughn (immediate past Chair of Metro Mayors) was appointed to the North Carolina Local Government Employees’ Retirement System Board of Trustees by Governor Cooper.

FOCUS – SPECIAL GUEST

Christopher Chung,CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC)

About EDPNC

• In 2014, EDPNC was created by the NC General Assembly and contracted by the NC Department of Commerce to be responsible for five main areas of economic development in the State.
  • Business recruitment
  • Existing industry support
  • Small business support
  • International trade
  • Travel & tourism

Current Landscape in NC

• Despite the pandemic, the State has been successful for business recruitment and business expansion.
• There have been more than 400 expansions and recruitments in NC (280 in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties) with more than 60K new job announcements.

Top Factors (generally speaking) that Matter to Companies

• Labor costs
• Availability of skilled labor
• Energy availability and costs
• Inbound/outbound shipping costs
• Highway accessibility

Behind the Scenes of a Business Recruitment Deal

• Process
  • The state is usually the first contact in a recruitment
  • The state would assist with permits, incentives, and certain workforce development needs.
  • For an expansion project of an existing employer, it typically starts with a local economic development group. (The State is then a part of the process for things like permits).
• Key Factors
• The aggregated top five are listed above – the factors will vary based on the specific needs of the company
• Players

• Usually communicate with a third-party project planner (anonymous legal/negotiation representation) often don’t know the specific company interested (codename often used).
• Work closely with the Governor’s office, Department of Commerce, Legislature, and county and municipal economic development partners.

Recent Trends in Activity

• Since June of 2020, there has been a tremendous amount of activity and the size of projects NC is competing for are much larger post pandemic than previously.  Previously, there may have been 2 or 3 projects of $1B or more compared to now, with more than 18 projects that plan to spend $1B.  (Some as high as $5B to $10B) considering NC.
• Pre-pandemic, the split was roughly 70 percent industrial projects (manufacturing, data centers, etc.) versus 30 percent office projects.  Now the State is seeing 90-95 percent industrial projects.
• The manufacturing space, specifically in electric vehicles and adjacent industries such as battery assembly and battery components is particularly big right now.  The State also expects to see more projects in the semiconductor space, especially after the signing of the CHIPS Act.
• Companies are interested in diversity and sustainability, in particular environment, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
  • North Carolina’s strong “exiting military” population and HBCU presence are factors for the state’s advantage in diversity.
  • Many companies are asking that power sources be generated as cleanly or renewably as possible.  This puts utility partners in a position to answer how to deliver power in a more renewable fashion.
  • Social – reproductive rights may start to play a role in recruitment and decision-making.

Headwinds

• Labor availability – currently facing a tough labor market
• Product availability – Many are seeking large industrial zoned sites with road/water/sewer/gas/telecom.  There are not enough in mega-sites in NC (500 acres or more)
• Supply chain – well documented national/international problem
• Future of Office Work – Post-pandemic, some companies are no longer needing physical presence in the workplace as traditionally needed. 

The meeting concluded a little over 30 minutes. 

Indian Independence Day

Sunday I joined elected officials from around the county and state in celebrating Indian Independence Day at the Morrisville HSNC Temple. This year marked the 76^th year of independence for India. The event started with a small parade of flags and chants in Hindi of “Long live the Motherland”. This was followed by a flag unveiling ceremony for the US, North Carolina, and Indian flags. I joined the mayor from Morrisville and a councilwoman from Apex in the unveiling of the North Carolina flag. The ceremonies continued in the fellowship hall followed by lunch. I have been to this ceremony every year since I have been mayor. It is a great time to celebrate the diversity of our region and the culture of India.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

I want to dedicate my message this week to Ed and his 25+ years of service to the Cary community, not only as a council member but also as a citizen volunteer on various boards and commissions.
One of many things that Ed and I have in common is believing that great communities stay great by discovering, learning from, and building upon their histories.
I have personally benefited from Ed’s wisdom, humor, and avocational knowledge on countless topics. He and Carolyn have been tireless supporters of mine and staff, and I’m forever grateful to Ed for being one of the Council members who decided to bring me to Cary.
One story in this week’s report that I want to call your attention to is the CAMPO announcement. When the council hired me, a primary area of work you first charged me with was and remains improving relationships and growing our influence in the region.  From transit and traffic signal partnerships to working to expand 311 and now CAMPO, Cary’s value to our neighbors is continuing to grow, and we continue to look for more opportunities to enhance our individual and collective public value
There will be lots of public value on display next week as we gather for our only regular meeting in August and the special reception that precedes it, along with, of course, Lazy Daze.
Rest up this weekend.
Sean

Downtown Park

ClickHERE to watch the latest video on the Downtown Park progress!

CAMPO Achievement

Cary has been selected to act as the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (CAMPO) lead planning agency or LPA effective January 1, 2023. The Executive Board unanimously approved the move this week. The decision-making body of the CAMPO is comprised of elected officials from 20+ local jurisdictions, as well as stakeholders from other transportation agencies and Mayor Weinbrecht is Cary’s representative on the Executive Board. CAMPO is also relocating its offices to Fenton in Cary. For more information on CAMPO and the role it plays in our region’s transportation network go to www.campo-nc.us.

Federal Funding for GoCary Transit Facility

Federal Transit Administration announced that Cary will receive over $11.7 million to support the construction of a new GoCary Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility. The new facility will accommodate GoCary administration, operations and maintenance functions, and allow us to plan for a future of alternative fueling and energy sources. Our application for the Buses and Bus Facilities grant program was one of 50 selected from 282 eligible submissions. This award supports a transit infrastructure that will provide better access to jobs, school, and healthcare, while creating jobs and improving air quality.

2022 Herman Drake Award

Anthony “Larry” Alexander received the 2022 Herman Drake award at the American Public Works Association (APWA) NC Solid Waste Division chapter conference. The annual award recognizes non-supervisory solid waste employees who exhibit outstanding service and dedication. Cary is fortunate to have Larry serve the community and be a committed team member for more than 31 years. Congratulations, Larry!

ICS 300 Course

Staff from across many departments came together this week for a three-day ICS 300 course. This National Incident Management System training program course is designed for personnel who may be involved in planning large, complex incidents or events, either local or regional. The course was taught by emergency management experts Leslie O’Connor and Darshan Patel. O’Connor, global crisis manager for LabCorp, is a former Cary firefighter. 

UNC School of Government Course

For the second year, the UNC School of Government collaborated with the North Carolina Network Consortium Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises Coordinators’ Network, to host Minority Participation Programs and Public Contracting, a course designed to teach business inclusion best practices to public and private sector professionals. During this 2-day course Purchasing and Contracts Manager, Denisha Harris, President of the Network, represented Cary by teaching a section entitled Education, Outreach, and Capacity Building.

Fall Sports League Begins

Cary citizens of all ages are back in action as Fall sports leagues have commenced. Over 700 adult softball and nearly 300 adult volleyball players launched their fall seasons earlier this month. Senior softball leagues are also underway with 230 participants in our 50 & Over and 60 & Over divisions. Over 800 children ages 9 to 18 are set to begin their baseball and softball seasons in early September. 

Upcoming Meetings

Planning and Zoning Board
Monday
August 22
 6:30 p.m.

Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday
August 24
6:00 p.m.

Recognition Reception
Thursday
August 25
5:15 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday
August 25
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about tall grass on Dundalk Way.
• A complaint about a reservation issue at the Cary Tennis Park
• A complaint about the RDU Rental Car Facility and RDU Park Economy Expansion Project
• A complaint about a permitting issue in Macgregor Downs

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, council member meetings, a trip to Chicago, council pictures, a reception for incoming and outgoing council members, and the last regularly scheduled council meeting of August.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 28^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.