Author: haroldweinbrechttownofcaryorg

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.

This week was a slow week. All activities and meetings, except one, were cancelled for various reasons.

Leadership Dinner

Thursday I attended Cary’s Leadership dinner and joined several elected officials from all levels of government. This was the event where we thanked elected officials for helping us on issues throughout the year and where we strengthened our bond for future partnerships. Attending were council members, school board members, wake county commissioners, state representatives, state senators, state officials, congressional leaders, business leaders, and others. I was fortunate enough to dine and have conversations with NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, NC Representative Gale Adcock, and Cary Council member Jennifer Robinson. Since relationships with decision makers are the foundation for getting things done, the dinner provided a great opportunity for all in attendance. A big thank you to the Cary Chamber for sponsoring this event.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Russ’s Message

It was great to see you all and other local leaders at last night’s Chamber Leadership Dinner, featuring remarks from Ernie Bovio, President at UNC Rex Hospitals. As always, the Chamber provided a fantastic opportunity for us all to connect and fun was had by all.
Have a great weekend!
Russ

OneCary Summer Movie Screening: “Thirteen Days”

This week, we provided Cary employees the opportunity to view “Thirteen Days,” which dramatizes the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 from the perspective of U.S. leadership. This film is a favorite of Sean’s, and it emphasizes many great leadership lessons that can be applied to Cary’s culture. These themes include outside-the-box thinking, how diversity and well-rounded debate can combat groupthink, and not letting momentum lead the way. We wrapped up with a recorded Q&A with Sean where he dived further into these themes and their relevance to our culture.

Lisa Glover NCAMA Achievement

In recognition of her reputation as an outstanding municipal attorney who is always willing to share her expertise with others, Lisa Glover was elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Association of Municipal Attorneys (NCAMA). NCAMA exists to act as a liaison between municipal attorneys and other North Carolina municipal associations, and to keep its members informed of developments within the North Carolina municipal legal community. 

602 West Chatham Street Mediation

State permitted remediation work began this week at the former Cary Mini Mart site located at 602 West Chatham Street. Work will include removing soil and the old canopy from the property and the property owner informed staff this work will take approximately one month to complete. 

Electric Refuse Truck

This week Public Works staff are field testing an electric refuse truck chassis, while awaiting the delivery of our fully electric Mack LR-Electric late next year. This Mack LR-Electric is very similar to what we will receive, and this testing will help better understand the handling and operational differences of a fully electric refuse truck.

High Attendance in August Virtual Rezoning Meetings

On Wednesday, August 3, planning staff facilitated three virtual neighborhood meetings for new rezoning cases. The Kanoy property case (22-REZ-13) attracted over 100 residents from Chatham County. The applicant requests detached residential dwellings at a density of 1.8 du/acre on a 100-acre parcel. To learn more about the rezoning case click here. 

Lunchtime Discovery Series

Representatives from North Carolina’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service and Toward Zero Waste joined Waste Strategy and Impact Consultant Srijana Guilford on the Lunchtime Discovery Series, a weekly livestream hosted by the NCDEQ Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Together, they showed how Cary’s approach to pilot food waste recycling drop-off can be a model for other communities. Watch a recording of the presentation by clicking here. 

Repair Café Revival

After a two-year hiatus, Cary welcomed back the Repair Café. Forty-four attendees brought in a total of 51 items for repair—from talking teddy bears to televisions—with a 65% success rate. Kudos to everyone who chose to keep these materials ticking and out of the landfill.  

Cary Fire and Project PHOENIX Fun

The Cary Fire Department came out to one of our Project PHOENIX Communities to do a “directed cool down” training. It was an event that allowed members of the fire and police departments to build on relationships with the community they serve. A big thanks to the Engine 9 crew for bringing the fun to the Merriwood Apartment Community.

Performances At the Page

The summer sessions of Performances at the Page at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center wrapped up on August 5 with a performance by Jamrock. Approximately 400 people attended the concert on a balmy evening that included food by Ama’gee’s Jamaican Cuisine and Kona Ice.

Good Hope Farm Wraps Up Summer Produce Service

Good Hope Farm’s fourth annual Community Supported Agriculture (GHF CSA) program wrapped up another summer of produce distribution last week. Twenty-five families purchased eight weeks of produce that generated $6,080 of revenue for Cary farmers. An additional 685 pounds of their produce was donated through our partnership with Dorcas Ministries to families experiencing food insecurity. This amount nearly doubled the amount of food given in 2021—and does not include the recent food donations provided by the fire stations. A model of successful urban agriculture and generosity, an intern from Stanford University took a leadership role throughout the GHF CSA and looks forward to implementing lessons learned at Stanford’s teaching farm this fall.

Sending Our Interns Off with a Bang

Mary and Elizabeth McKay said goodbye to us today, but not before spending an afternoon at the firing range. Special thanks to Lt. Stephen Matthews and Cpl. John Maia for teaching safety and fundamentals to the first timers, who were accompanied by Finance Director Kim Branch, Transit Administrator Kelly Blazey, and Chief Strategy Officer Susan Moran.

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Athletic Committee

Monday, August 15
at 6:00 p.m.

Hybrid Greenway Committee
Thursday, August 18
at 6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about delays in acquiring a visa (this is not in our authority and would need to be handled by our congressional representative)
• A complaint about grass over 1 foot tall on Dundalk Way.
• A complaint about stormwater runoff from the Glenaire Development project.
• A complaint about bulky trash not being picked up as scheduled.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with Duke Health, a Wake County Mayors Association meeting, Diwali Dance practice, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 21^st. 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.

Cary Chamber Education Golf Tournament

Monday I joined council member Jack Smith and former Cary Chamber President Howard Johnson in playing a charity golf event at MacGregor Downs. It was a good day to raise funds for helping schools and mingle with the great business leaders in Cary.

Crabtree Creek Greenway Update

Monday I received the following update from staff about pipes along the newly opened section of Crabtree Creek Greenway: “The black 24-inch pipe running along the Crabtree Creek Greenway is a temporary line that was installed to temporarily redirect sewer flows around the pipes and manholes being rehabilitated.  You may have seen the large pumps located in the sewer easement near Evans Road.  While the sewer lines were being upgraded, these pumps routed sewer flows through this temporary line to a downstream manhole near the Black Creek Greenway on the opposite side of the lake.  There are still some final repairs needed to the underground sewer crossing beneath Lake Crabtree, which is why this temporary line is still in place.  When this work is completed, over the next several weeks, the temporary pipe will be removed.  The remaining work along the Crabtree Creek Greenway can be completed without closing the greenway, so we opted to open the greenway with the temporary line still in place, so that residents could enjoy the Crabtree Creek Greenway.”

Camp High Hopes Tour

Tuesday I toured the YMCA We Build People Camp at West Cary Middle School called Camp High Hopes. This is a summer day camp subsidized by donations to the YMCA’s Annual We Build People Campaign. Most of the campers are low-income families who could not afford a camp. Daily activities for campers include sports and swim lessons, literacy instruction, and character development. Breakfast and lunch are provided for the campers. The 200 campers are Pre-K through middle school. There is also a leadership program for some of the 9^th and 10^th graders. It is estimated that 60% of them come back to work as paid staff. This is such a valuable resource for these families and our community. If you would like to get involved, you can donate to the We Build People Campaign.  

World University Games Visitors

Cary and the Triangle are among the final two locations to get the 2027 World University Games. Our competition is Chungcheong, South Korea. Tuesday I, along with several staff and chamber members, met with officials from International University Sports Federation (FISU) who are in Lausanne, Switzerland. They visited venues and had conversations with officials that would be hosting the event. I think they were impressed by our area. They will visit again in September before deciding in November.

Indy Weekly Interview

Thursday I met with a reporter from Independent Weekly to talk about the current and future Cary Tennis Park. We talked about the recent changes with lighting and seating. I also explained the clubhouse rebuild which will not only serve to hold professional tennis tournaments but will have spaces for daily community use. The new clubhouse is also being designed to hold the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. I also talked about our long-term vision of expanding to the south with multiple tennis surfaces such as grass and red clay.

I explained how tennis continues to grow not only in Cary but across the nation. Some say pickleball is growing more than tennis and that we should replace some of our tennis courts with pickleball courts. I think that would be an unwise decision. According to the latest industry survey, the growth of new tennis players in the last two years is not only greater than the growth of all other racket sports combined, but new players outnumber the total number of people playing pickleball nationwide.

That being said, our goal is to provide excellence in all recreational facilities that our residents demand. The Cary Tennis Park is an example of this and in 2019 was given the USTA’s Highest Facility Honor by being named the 2019 Featured Facility. Our vision is to keep the Cary Tennis Park as the best of the best.

Luncheons

Thursday I lunch with a local business leader. It is crucial to build relationships with decision makers and business leaders if we are to be a successful community. While I don’t usually write about these meetings, I thought it was important to point out that they are part of the day-to-day job and how important they are.

North Carolina Metro Mayors

The North Carolina Metro Mayors met on Friday. Here is a summary from the Executive Director:

Federal Update

ARP – Affordable Housing: US Treasury made a significant CHANGE to guidance for the use of American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLRF) – allowing our city ARP funds to be used for affordable housing loans (including those loans that qualify for Tax Credits):

NC Housing Coalition alert here –  NCHC ALERT

• If you use the ARP funding for Affordable Housing, please have your staff share that information with Beau and the League.  We are tracking this information in order to share it with media and our federal partners.
• Two members of our NC Congressional delegation, Rep. Alma Adams (D) and Rep. David Rouzer (R), led the charge to allow ARP funding to be used for affordable housing loans. Their efforts as primary sponsors of the “Lifeline Act” played a significant role in pushing the US Treasury department to change their regulations. PLEASE share our appreciation for this with both of these Members of Congress.

CHIPS Act – $52b bill with tasty morsels for NC? Research funding and manufacturing – NC is well positioned to benefit.

• The CHIPS Act passed last week – an incentive program that includes grants and tax incentives for microchip manufacturing in the US.  It also includes a major infusion of funding for research to the National Science Foundation and DOE, which stands to benefit our state since our public and private universities are highly successful in winning competitive federal research grants (NC universities brought in over $2.5 billion in research funds last year).
• Additionally, the NC General Assembly’s recently passed budget set-aside over $100m to help attract a new manufacturing facility, widely thought to serve as matching funds to help NC compete for a microchip facility and federal CHIPS funds for a new plant that would employ at least 1,800 people.
• Senator Tillis (R) was an important partner in bringing this bipartisan legislation across the finish line in the Senate, where it had earlier stalled.

Inflation Reduction Act – BBB light with Manchin & Biden support (includes taxes/deficit reduction and investments in energy/climate) moved closer to a vote as a reconciliation bill (only requires 50 votes in the Senate) – hurdles remain

• The Inflation Reduction Act has three main features:  reduce prescription drug costs by letting the federal government negotiate prices; raise federal revenue and reduce deficit growth through with tax reform; and provide funds for energy/climate change issues.  Pending a review by the Senate Parliamentarian (who determines whether it meets the Senate’s complex budget reconciliation rules to avoid the cloture/filibuster 60 vote requirement), a vote is expected tomorrow (Saturday) in the US Senate.

General Assembly

No action – no votes anticipated, but we do expect to see a deal regarding Medicaid expansion before the end of the year.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s report for this week included:

Russ’s Message

Good afternoon,

It’s great to be back in Cary after three weeks away at Harvard Kennedy School.  Boston and Cambridge were nice but there’s just no place like Cary. After discussing different perspectives, viewpoints, and case studies in class, I couldn’t be prouder of the work we are doing in Cary while working alongside our great staff and elected officials.
I hope you enjoy this week’s report.  Have a great weekend!
Russ

Development Pulse Report

The July 2022 Development Pulse Report is now available.

Highlights:

• Triangle Math and Science Academy, 312 Gregson Drive: The certificate of compliance was issued for the installation of one electric vehicle charging station and a building permit has been approved for the school to add a pole mounted solar array.
• Cary Towne Center Mall Partial Demolition, 1105 Walnut Street: The certificate of compliance was issued for the demolition of the former mall structure and construction of a new exterior wall on the remaining former Belk building.
• Town Council approved two rezoning applications in July, including:
  • Chapel Hill Road Rezoning (21-REZ-14), 9518 and 9520 Chapel Hill Road: Request to rezone two parcels from R-40 to TR-CU limiting the use to a maximum 32 townhouses and neighborhood recreation with a minimum of 3,700 square feet.
  • The Terraces at West Cary (21-REZ-08), 3753, 3761 and 0 NC Highway 55: Request to rezone the property for a maximum of 55 townhouses and neighborhood recreation.

Town Hall Generator Mural

Mural installer, RAD Graphics, has been working to complete the digitally produced mural that was created by artist Rhett Hissam. The artwork creates an illusion of a field of native flowers on the north side of the generator that faces the Herbert C. Young Community Center parking lot.

ITE Journal

Cary’s Reedy Creek Road Improvements Project was celebrated in the July 2022 edition of the ITE Journal. The ITE Journal is published monthly by the Institute of Transportation Engineers to share knowledge, practices, and skills to serve the needs of communities and help shape the future of transportation.

August ZBOA Meeting

The Cary Zoning Board unanimously approved the Park Overlook Project. This project proposes a new non-residential center, featuring office and warehouse uses on 14.51 acres of property at 11724 Green Level Church Road between Green Level Church Road and NC Highway 55. The proposed development will include two buildings totaling approximately 163,000 square feet.

Chamber’s Business of Women Luncheon

On July 28, a delegation of the police department’s female leaders attended the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s Business of Women Luncheon Series: Frontline Leadership Lessons at the Prestonwood Country Club. 

Powell Bill

On August 1, staff completed its submittal to NCDOT for the Powell Bill Program. The budgeted Powell Bill revenue for FY2023 is $3,365,779. We anticipate receiving the 1st payment in September 2022.

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Environmental
Advisory Board
Tuesday Aug. 9
6:00 p.m.

Historic Preservation
Commission

Wednesday Aug. 10
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about an exposed sewer pipe along Crabtree Creek Greenway (pipe is temporary)
• A complaint about a proposed rezoning on Carpenter Fire Station near Highcroft (council has not seen this proposal since this was a neighborhood meeting)
• A request to help with awareness and education for Ovarian Cancer month which is in October
• A request for contact information to Tim Sweeney of Epic Games (I don’t have that information)
• A thank you to staff for helping with a proposed rezoning
• A request for help with a plugged drain on Ralph Drive

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, Diwali dance practice, Council group pictures, and a Cary Chamber Leadership dinner.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 14^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.

Agenda Calls

Monday I attempted to contact council members to hear of any questions or concerns they might have about Thursday’s regular meeting agenda. Some council members expressed concerns about the proposed rezoning 21-REZ-16 on Old Apex Road. Comments were also made on the rezoning 21-REZ-08 of The Terraces at West Cary.

Agenda Meeting

Later Monday I met with Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz and staff to go over the agenda. We believed there would be many attendees for the 21-REZ-16 rezoning. We also discussed the naming of White Oak Park for outgoing council member Yerha.

Town Manager One-On-One

After the Agenda meeting, I met with the town manager briefly to go over a few items including the Connected Vehicle Technology Project. We also talked about a partnership between a developer and the town to create a new parking deck next to the Rogers which is currently under construction. Of course, this would have to be approved by the council before it becomes reality.

Raleigh-Cary Attractive to Millennials

The Triangle Business Journal reported Monday that “In the report from CommercialCafe, The Raleigh metro is the 8th most attractive MSA for millennials across the U.S. Even though inflation has all but wiped-out employers’ efforts to hike wages in order to attract and retain employees in various industries across the U.S., the Raleigh-Cary metro has fared well overall in wage increases, a new analysis show. In fact, the metro ranked No. 2 in fastest wage increases among major U.S. metros in a new report from financial research firm Smartest Dollar.”

Dance Practice

Tuesday I joined several staff members in our second dance practice for Diwali. While most of the staff members involved are very talented, I continue to struggle and be the weakest link.

Election Night

Tuesday night Carissa Johnson was elected to the Cary Town Council by defeating former council member Ken George. She will take the At-Large seat currently held by Ed Yerha. Carissa has experience serving on the town’s Information Services Advisory Board. According to her website she “a full-time marketer, with over a decade of experience in IT, technology, and Healthcare – with a special focus on Behavioral and Mental Health.” I look forward to getting to know her more and working with her. Congratulations Carissa!

Jack Smith also won re-election in his runoff with Renee Miller. Jack has served Cary since 1989. His experience and knowledge are invaluable. We are blessed to have him serve Cary for so long. Thanks Jack and Congratulations!

I think it is important to also acknowledge those who did not win on Tuesday. Ken and Renee ran strong, clean campaigns. I, for one, appreciate that. Their willingness to put the time and effort into a campaign so that they can serve others is admirable. Thank you, Ken and Renee!

Cary elections were held this year because of covid. The 2021 census was delayed resulting in the delay of required municipal redistricting. Cary redistricted last year based on population estimates calculated from utility bills. This was done so that we could hold elections as planned. However, the North Carolina General Assembly decided that Cary and other municipalities should have their elections in the spring of 2022 instead of the fall of 2021 with runoffs in the summer of 2022. As a result, we only had 5.9% turnout for this runoff election. We can only hope the General Assembly will not meddle in future local elections.

We should be back on that schedule next year with elections in the fall. Cary elections are normally held in October of odd years. If a candidate does not get 50% + 1 votes, then there is a runoff in November. Races next year include the Mayor, At-Large, District B, and District D.

Marine Corps Performance

Wednesday I was notified by Mayor Day from Knightdale that the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Platoon will be performing at Cary High School on Monday, August 1^st at 11:30. This is an exclusive performance for North Carolina students. If you would like to attend, make sure to arrive by 11:00.

Triangle Business Journal

Wednesday afternoon I was interviewed by a Triangle Business Journal reporter who was interested in Cary’s future and economic development. According to the reporter, Cary was the first of several municipalities they plan to write about.

Council Meeting

Thursday the council held its last regularly scheduled meeting of July. The meeting included two special recognitions, nine consent items, five public hearings, and two discussion items.

Kenneth Caudle Recognition

The first special recognition was the retirement of small business liaison Kenneth Caudle after 35 years of service to the town. Kenneth started with the town in 1987 as a Firefighter. He was then promoted to Fire Inspector and eventually Fire Marshall. Kenneth’s talent for building relationships was acknowledged in 2018 when he was promoted to the town’s first small business liaison. Cary’s economic development has benefited greatly from Kenneth’s work. While he will be sorely missed, we wish him the best in his retirement. Congratulations Kenneth!

Karen Mills Recognition

Our second special recognition was the retirement of the town’s Chief Financial Officer, Karen Mills. Karen has served the town since 1991. As part of her legacy, Karen built and cultivated a strong financial foundation from a growing community of 46,000 to the 180,000 citizens today. Year after year Cary received the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada Distinguished Budget Award, which is the only national awards program recognizing the highest quality of governmental budgeting. Her guidance also allowed to acquire the highest rating from all major bond rating agencies, AAA, which saves the town millions of dollars every year. Over the years she has implemented several innovative ideas such as Aquastar. I have had the pleasure to work with Karen since I became involved in town government in 1997. She has always been a smiling face with a warm heart. We will miss her at town hall but hope to see her around and about Cary. We are so happy for her retirement and wish her the very best. Congratulations Karen!

Old Apex Rezoning Public Hearing

Out of the five public hearings the Old Apex Rezoning proposal, 21-REZ-16, was the most controversial and had several speakers. This rezoning proposal calls for 250 apartments next to large lot single family residential. All speakers, excluding the applicant representatives, spoke in opposition. Each council member cited concerns about density and transition, among other concerns. The proposal is now scheduled for review by the Planning and Zoning Board.

Terraces at West Cary

Under discussion, a once controversial rezoning proposal, the Terraces at West Cary 21-REZ-08, was now supported by the adjacent residents with a petition. Council voted unanimously in favor of this rezoning.

Ed Yerha Park

The final action of the meeting was the renaming of White Oak Park to Ed Yerha Park which was, of course, unanimously approved. Ed will be leaving council in August. He served 10 years as an At-Large representative, and 14 years on town boards and commissions before that. The town bio perfectly describes Ed:

“Ed has been an advocate for Cary’s environmental initiatives and a strong supporter of the Town’s sports and cultural arts venues and programs. He’s a guiding voice in the preservation of Cary’s history and hometown values while making decisions that allow future generations to enjoy the marvelous quality of life that Cary has to offer.”

I am so grateful for all the years of service Ed has given our community and we are all so much better off because of him. Congratulations Ed! Well deserved.

The council meeting concluded after a little over 2 ½ hours.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week includes the following:

Dan’s Message

Happy Friday!

Our legislative team has put together an interesting and helpful list of items from the General Assembly’s recent session. This document focuses on those items that could potentially affect Cary. Other highlights from a memorable week follow. Please enjoy and have a great weekend!
Dan

New School Resource Officer Vehicle Design

On July 28, the police department unveiled its latest school resource officer (SRO) vehicle design. In a staff-initiated project, officers created specific SRO vehicle graphic designs for their respective schools’ mascot and colors. These designs strengthen our bond with students and faculty and show off our school spirit! Be on the lookout for our other school vehicle graphics soon.

MWBE & DEI Attend Chamber Diversity Conference

Did you know closing the racial equality gap would generate $8 Trillion in US GDP growth? Attendees of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) Conference presented by Triangle DEI Alliance and the Raleigh Chamber, gained this knowledge and much more as they were immersed in interactive workshops designed to provide strategies to support diversity work in ones organization. Procurement and Contracts Manager Denisha Harris and DEI Specialist Stephanie Reed represented Cary at this annual event.

Downtown Cary Park Fence Lift

As we begin our final year of construction for the Downtown Park, we’ve spruced up the original safety fencing and wrap, which had grown tired and no longer appropriately represented the WOW of this important economic development project. Enjoy!

Firefighters Respond to Food Needs

In honor of September 11 and appreciation for first responders, citizen volunteers have built gardens at Fire Stations #1-8. Recently, these station gardens have been revived and given a fresh purpose. In addition to the firefighters growing fruits and vegetables for their own meals, they are now sharing their bounty with the community through Dorcas. This week, Fire Station #5 provided 15 pounds of tomatoes and eggplant.

Park Renovation Updates

With the exception of a few punch list items still to come, renovations to Annie Jones, Walnut Street, and Dunham parks are complete. Upgrades include six renovated post-tension concrete tennis courts and a new restroom at Annie Jones Park, two new pickleball courts and one basketball court at Walnut Street Park, and court renovations at Dunham Park.

Election Night Photos

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board
Monday, Aug.1
5:15 p.m.

Hybrid Information Services Advisory Board
Monday, Aug. 1
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday, Aug.1
6:30 p.m.

Human Relations, Inclusion, & Diversity Task Force
Tuesday, Aug. 2
6:00 p.m.

Senior Advisory Board
Wed, Aug. 3
2:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about mental health issues.
• Several complaints about the proposed Old Apex Road rezoning.
• A thank you to staff for quickly addressing overhanging limbs over signs warning of crosswalks.
• A notification of the town’s #3 safest community in America (HomeSnacks in April)

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a charity golf event, a tour of the YMCA We Build People Camp, a meeting with visitors for the World University Games, a meeting with a solar technology representative, and Diwali dance practice.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 7^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.

This week was another slow summer week for mayoral activities.

Cary Firefighters awarded

Monday I joined council member Jack Smith in a ceremony to award fifteen Cary Firefighters who received SAVE Awards for their bravery for their actions to rescue several people at the Harlon Drive apartment in March. North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshall Mike Causey presented the awards to the firefighters who went beyond the call of duty. The Cary Fire Department also received the Commissioner’s Award on Monday for 100 years of service. 

After the ceremony I talked with several firefighters and firefighter recruits. Cary currently has 26 recruits, out of 500 applicants, in a multi-month training program. I am so grateful for and proud of the Cary Fire Department. They are the best of the best and epitomize excellence.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later Monday I met with the town manager. Our topics included The Center in South Hills, the Cary Chamber Planning Conference, future sports opportunities for our venues, and connecting downtown with the Fenton, South Hills, and Crossroads via greenway and linear park.

Dance Practice

Tuesday I joined several Cary staff members in our first dance practice for Diwali which will be held later this year. This year there will be teams from Cary, Morrisville, and Apex which include all three mayors. Rumor has it that there might even be a dance set with all three mayors.

Cary Chamber Planning Retreat

Wednesday and Thursday I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz, council member Liu, several staff members, and about 100 business leaders at the Chamber Planning Conference in Pinehurst. Topics included The Center, Workforce Development, Workforce Wellness, Legislative Updates, the North Carolina Film Industry, a dinner keynote from the Director of the US Open, and Economic Updates.

The Center

I presented a PowerPoint on the Center which is expected to be in the South Hills Mall area. In my presentation I showed concept pictures, drawings, and a video created by the consultants. The consultants hired to design The Center are Populous and Davis Kane. Populous has designed many iconic sports facilities throughout the world and Davis Kane is a local architectural firm.

There are three major aspects to the Center. It will include a community center for the public, multiple courts for tournaments, and a 4,000-seat arena. One of the most exciting aspects of the facility is that it will be designed as a fully modern multi-generational community center. There will be a game room/teen area, and lounge/senior space and a Coffee bar and café. There will also be a lot of meeting rooms, teaching and rental spaces, a catering kitchen, indoor and outdoor group exercise, a spin room (cardio bikes), yoga studio, locker rooms and family bathrooms.

The arena will be designed to be “hyper-flexible” which will allow Cary to host concerts, e-sports, court-related events and championships, gymnastics, ceremonies, and civic events. The facility will include 12 basketball courts which will convert to 20 volleyball courts. There will be multiple locker rooms, a catering kitchen, a full-service restaurant, and lots of storage space. The courts will have large expansive windows and exposed laminate wood for beams. Cary will partner with Great Raleigh Sports Alliance to program the venue. In the first year we expect to hold 40 tournaments with 18 of these being large tournaments of over 200 teams. By year five we expect to hold 67 tournaments. The Center will be designed to complement the Convention Center in Raleigh not to compete with it. My presentation completed in about twenty minutes.

Workforce Development

Following my presentation, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction talked about Workforce Development in North Carolina. Some of my takeaways from that presentation included the fact that only 31 percent of graduates from our state’s public schools have jobs or are accepted into college. So, 69 percent graduate not knowing what to do next. This is at a time when there is high demand for skilled workers in the region. The Superintendent touted apprenticeships to the business leaders attending and advocated removing most EOG testing stating that it takes valuable time away from teachers. She pointed out how critical grades one through three are to a child’s education. That is, in grades one through three children are learning to read. After that, they are reading to learn. So if they fall behind in those early grades then learning becomes exponentially harder. It was also pointed out that retention of our teachers is another issue especially in rural areas. IMHO, public schools in North Carolina have a LOT of hurdles to overcome to be a top notch.

Workforce Wellness

The next session on Workforce Wellness included a panel from Duke Raleigh Hospital, UNC Health, and WakeMed. Takeaways from the Q&A session included that most health professionals have experienced burnout from the pandemic. Some considered walking away from the profession and some had serious mental health issues including suicide. BTW, the national suicide hotline is 988. The panel also discussed things to watch for and encourage employers to ask employees about health which resonated with the employers in the audience.

Legislative Update

NC Representative and former Mayor Pro-Tem of Cary, Gale Adcock, provided a legislative update. It is always fascinating to me that such a politically charged, divisive group, can accomplish anything at all. We are so blessed to have such a great representative from Cary in Gale Adcock, and I totally support her campaign to become our NC Senator.

One of the big items she mentioned that didn’t make it this year was Medicaid expansion. While it passed the NC Senate, it didn’t make it to a vote in the NC House. We are one of only 11 states where a coverage gap still exists. If Medicaid is expanded in North Carolina, over half a million non-elderly residents would become eligible for coverage. We can only hope it will happen next year.

The North Carolina Film Industry

The Director of the North Carolina Film Industry spoke about filming in North Carolina and the Economic Benefits it provides. He stayed politically neutral in his comments but pointed out how politics play a big role in what filming interest we receive. Currently North Carolina is looked on positively and our filming business is growing. We are getting businesses from other states who have recently made controversial policies. It is my hope that we continue NOT to have controversial policies which will help not only our film industry but all business in the state.

Keynote

Wednesday night we were fortunate to have the Director of the US Open Championships at the USGA (United States Golf Association) speak to the group from Cary. He spoke about how the Golf House Pinehurst, which will include its equipment-testing facility, a visitor-friendly USGA Experience, and an educational landscape feature, will be completed by the end of 2023. In addition, he announced that the USGA and the World Golf Hall of Fame will be relocated to the Golf House Pinehurst campus from St. Augustine, Florida. It is scheduled to open in 2024. While these attractions will be in Pinehurst, they will benefit the state and the Triangle region.

His remarks also included the fact that the US Open will be in Pinehurst in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047.

Economic Update

On Thursday, Ted Abernathy, a consultant who works with states to develop economic and workforce strategies, provided an update on Cary’s, North Carolina’s, and the nation’s economy. He has provided updates at these conferences for several years.

The update included basic information such as unemployment rates, wages, GDP, political impacts, etc. but also provided insight on what to expect in the coming months and years. All the basic information showed Cary and North Carolina to be in great shape. However, his information on workforce showed that Cary, North Carolina, and the nation are headed for difficult times. He talked about the percentage of workers in the workforce from three age categories: 16-25, 25-60, 60+, and showed that they are about the same as they were ten years ago. The biggest difference is that the nation’s birthrate has declined for many years and there are fewer younger workers. In addition, service workers that were laid off during the pandemic found other work in jobs like Amazon, UPS, FedEx, etc. and have not come back to the service industry. Since the nation’s birthrate continues to drop, we will continue to struggle to find workers. As a result, we can expect more automation in restaurants, stores, etc.

The presentation was packed with information, and I found it extremely valuable. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak it would be a good talk to attend.

The planning conference ended with recognitions and talks by the incoming and outgoing chamber board. We are glad that the Chamber is such a strong partner with the town. They are a big reason Cary is so successful.

Richest City in America

On Saturday I was notified that Cary was ranked as the richest city in America. This was determined by taking into consideration the number of residents living in poverty, income rank, and percentage of the population unemployed. It was said that Cary had nice homes, good salaries, and comfortable living. It measured our median income at $107,463 and our unemployment rate at 3.3%.

Cary’s staff and council are always working to create the best of the best. While I am proud of what we have accomplished to date, I look forward to an even better tomorrow.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week includes the following:

Sean’s Message

I had a great time at the Chamber’s Annual Planning Conference this week. The event was well organized and included an excellent line-up of speakers, including our very own Mayor Weinbrecht who did an amazing job presenting on The Center. As you would guess, conference attendees were impressed by the video, created by Populous + Davis Kane, which shares the project’s design concept and vision. Other conference highlights included an economic update from Ted Abernathy and the opportunity to begin our incremental, soft rollout of Cary’s new logo and tagline by giving away a few new branded items.

I’ll see you next week at our only Council meeting this month.
Have a great weekend.
Sean

Sharing Cary’s Culture

Deputy Town Manager Russ Overton had the opportunity to meet Marty Linsky, co-author of Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading, during his 3-week-long Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. Marty Linsky noted Cary “is the mothership of adaptive leadership application.”
Speaking of Leadership on the Line, this week Chief Financial Officer Karen Mills presented to 200 North Carolina government finance professionals about our work to improve Cary’s accounts payable processes. She focused on the adaptive facets of rethinking our approach to a core business function by first explaining technical vs adaptive challenges as taught by Marty Linsky in Leadership on The Line. With that background, the presentation went on to frame problem solving with the key messages from the book Think Again by Adam Grant. Karen emphasized how important relationships and trust are to effective governance.

Fire Receives Award

On Monday, North Carolina Department of Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey presented SAVE Awards to 15 firefighters who went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue citizens at an apartment fire in March. He also bestowed a Commissioner’s Award on the fire department in honor of its 100-year anniversary. Commissioner Causey, who is also the State Fire Marshal, came to Fire Station 9 to make the presentations.

Town Hall Campus Ash Tree

Leaf & Limb performed a level 2 risk assessment on the Town Hall Ash tree damaged during the storm on June 17. Although the tree has a large wound at the base, the rating for risk over the next two years is low. Leaf & Limb recommends performing weight reduction and structural pruning. Our plan is to move forward with Leaf & Limb’s recommendations, monitor the tree and perform another assessment in two years. 

Crabtree Creek Greenway to Reopen

The Crabtree Creek Greenway will reopen to the public on Saturday, July 23. The trail has been closed between Evans Road and the pedestrian bridge crossing Crabtree Lake since January 24, to enable rehabilitation of a 48-inch sewer line that shares space with the greenway. Crews removed the protective construction mats from the greenway trail, repaired any damaged areas and cleaned up the work area in preparation for reopening the trail. Over the coming weeks, citizens may observe contractor’s staff conducting additional restoration and cleanup along the trail, but no further closures are expected along the Crabtree Trail.
Beginning Monday, July 25th, contractors will focus their efforts on rehabilitating 24-inch and 30-inch sewer lines along the Black Creek Greenway between West Dynasty Drive and North Cary Park, which requires closing this section of the Black Creek Greenway. A signed detour will direct greenway traffic around the work area. The greenway closure is expected to be in place for approximately 4 to 6 months. All remaining sections of the Black Creek Greenway and the Crabtree Creek Greenway will remain open during this next phase of sewer rehabilitation.

Stephenson Road Water Main Project Update

The Stephenson Road Water Main project achieved substantial completion this week with successful bacteriological testing. This 3,400-ft extension of water main increases the available service area and will ultimately help bring redundancy to this area of southern Cary. The final water main connection along Ten Ten Road near Mill Pond Village will likely be made with the future Ten Ten Road widening project. The project was completed on time and within the $700,000 project budget.

Election Update

Election Day is this Tuesday, July 26. For more information about Election Day for the Second Primary and Cary Municipal Runoff and to find your Election Day polling place, visit the Wake County Board of Elections website.

Election Day is following 14 days of Early Voting for registered voters in Wake County. Early Voting began Thursday, July 7 and will end on Saturday, July 23 at 3:00 p.m. Votes cast during the Second Primary and Cary Municipal Runoff will determine the winner of three races in Wake County – the Cary Council At-Large seat, Cary Council District C seat, and the Democratic Sheriff race.

Over 5,000 voters participated in early voting at Herbert C. Young Community Center to vote early for the Second Primary and Town of Cary council runoff. The Herbert C. Young Community Center is one of two early voting locations for this election.

Upcoming Meetings

Planning and Zoning Board
Monday, July 25
6:30 p.m.

Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday, July 27
6:00 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday, July 28
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint that Cary should “slow growth” due to climate change (Cary does not have the authority to determine when someone can develop their property. As a result, we cannot control the growth rate. We do determine the types of development by seeing if it matches the Cary Community Plan which was created by Cary citizens. BTW, our growth rate has been between 1.5% to 2.5% the last 15 years).
• A complaint about a dilapidated building at Tryon and Walnut.
• A complaint about getting a building permit.
• A request for a sidewalk connection for Birkhaven in Lochmere.
• Several requests to attend events.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, election events, Diwali dance practice, a retirement party, a regularly scheduled council meeting, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, July 31^st. 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.