Author: haroldweinbrechttownofcaryorg

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.

This week was another slow summer week for mayoral activities.

New Pool at TAC

Monday started with an event celebrating the new 50-meter outdoor pool at TAC (Triangle Aquatic Center). I along with several others provided remarks. The following is an excerpt from my remarks:

“… During the last 15 years it has been amazing to watch the growth of TAC and how it changed to meet the needs of our area. And not only has it meet the needs, but it has also produced some of the best swimmers in the world including 3 Olympians and 2 Paralympians at the last Tokyo games in 2021. Those five talented athletes brought home a combined 7 medals, including 4 Gold, 2 Bronze, and 1 Silver to Cary. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Cary is proud to have a strategic partnership with TAC. The focus and programming to promote aquatic health, safety, and competition for Cary citizens and surrounding communities is invaluable. And we are so grateful that TAC sponsors the Make-A-Splash program, which allows financially disadvantaged families the opportunity to receive free swim lessons.

I am proud that TAC chooses to call Cary home. As one of the top aquatic centers in the United States it provides over $10 million in economic benefit from its swim meets. With this newest addition of the 50-meter pool and future expansions, I know TAC will continue doing and offering so much to our community. …”

The event was completed with members of the TAC Titans jumping in and beginning their practice.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later Monday I met with the town manager and the parks director for my weekly one-on-one. Topics included future opportunities with our sport venues, potential plans for the 217-park site, tennis center expansion, using trolleys in downtown, and the downtown park schedule. Based on current information we are hopeful that the downtown park fountain will be back on in December. If construction remains on schedule the downtown park should open next summer. Our meeting lasted about twenty minutes.

Police Chief Sult Sworn In

Tuesday I joined the majority of the council for the official swearing of our new police chief Terry Sult. I, along with others, provided remarks. The chief was sworn in by NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. Chief Sult had his badge pinned by his son who also has a career in policing.

Jack Smith Campaign Event

Thursday I attended a campaign event for Jack Smith. It has been my practice only to endorse incumbent council members though I am always willing to talk with and help all other candidates.

NC Metro Mayors Meeting

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

General Update

• Overall, not an overly active legislative session.  There were a lot of conversations around some major policy items, but nothing came to fruition (exception is transportation – see below).
• Two major items were sports betting and medical cannabis. Sports betting failed on the House floor 50-51 and the House Republican Caucus could not get the support need to move forward with medical cannabis.
• We expect these two policy items to continue in 2023.  As the legislature continues to lean in on efforts to decrease the income and corporate tax rates, these two items remain as important options to raise revenue for the State.

Budget – H103/SL2022-74

• The budget passed with large bi-partisan support in both chambers and was signed by Governor Cooper on Monday, July 11.
• The Governor had originally said he would veto if Medicaid expansion was not included.  However, the House and Senate have indicated they remain committed to reaching a deal on Medicaid expansion.  We anticipate the legislature could address expansion in their December session.
• There were a lot of things not included in the budget which is a good thing for cities – issues we could be in defensive postures on.  For example, no cuts to transit/SMAP or Powell bill funding (perennial concerns).
• Commercial Service Airports received an additional $25 million in recurring funding, bringing the total to $100 million per year. 
• Sales Tax Revenue Transfer – Section 42.3, Page 190 – MAJOR PRIORITY for Metro Mayors

• MMC submitted letter of support for the concept of using STATE SALES tax revenue for transportation –  S793
• S793 was included in the budget – the provision directs STATE sales tax revenues for transportation needs.  It redirects 2 percent of sales tax revenue to the Highway Fund for transportation purposes, increasing to 4 percent in 2023 and 6 percent in subsequent years (est. $628m in 2024).
• Water/Sewer Infrastructure Funds – Section 12.9, Page 127
  • Provides a total of $883 million for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

Transportation

• Sales tax revenue transfer (See budget provision above)

Public Safety

• Traffic Crash Investigators – H1011, Greenville/Wilmington Traffic Investigators & H1024, Durham Traffic Crash Investigators

• The bills would authorize the cities to use traffic investigators to investigate traffic accidents involving property damage.  The City of Fayetteville and City of Wilmington were granted authority to employ Civilian Traffic Investigators in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
• Both bills received good hearings in House Committees.  There is work to be done in the Senate.
• MMC needs to consider developing a strategy for the long session and consider what other cities may be interested in creating this authority.
• We need to have conversations from a public safety perspective and debunk the idea this is a way to defund the police.  It would be helpful to get police chiefs involved to educate legislators on this issue (successful strategy fir Greenville and Durham).

Economic Development

• H291 – Commercial Prop. Plan Review

• The bill passed the full House (79-33) and the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee but did not advance further.
• The bill would have created a 21-day timeline to approve plans filed for commercial developments and likely create unintended consequences such as lengthening the approval process instead of expediting.

Local Control/Local Revenues

• Annexation/Deannexation Issues – H1165, Salisbury Voluntary Annex. Temp. & S911, Leland Annexation  Moratoria

• These local bills are just two examples of the types of legislation dealing with annexation that are surfacing more and more at the General Assembly and could potentially come as a statewide set of circumstances.
• This is a complicated subject around fiscal issues and urban development that we need to work on educating both the legislature and our colleagues in the counties.
• Next session, we need to be more proactive in bringing solutions to leadership, so we are “at the table, instead of on the plate.”
• Beau has had conversations with NCLM staff about this issue – NCLM Strategic Communications team is working on the relationship between water and sewer and annexation and it will continue to be a topic for us to be engaged on.  Educating legislators on the complexities of this issue needs to be a priority.
• S372/SL2022 -11, Electrical Lic./Bldg. Code/Dev. Reform 2022

• This was driven by the Homebuilders Association, and we expect more to come in 2023.
• Section 9 requires local governments to designate a person responsible for the daily oversight of the local government’s duties and responsibilities under GS 160D-1104 (building code inspection department).  It also requires local governments to publish an annual financial report on how it used fees the previous year for its building code enforcement program.
• Section 10 would expressly prohibit a zoning or development regulation from setting a maximum parking space size larger than nine feet wide by twenty feet long, unless the parking space is a handicap, parallel, or diagonal parking space.
• H211/SL 2022-49, Social District/Common Area Clarifications (Bill Summary)

• Sections 1-4 recodify and revise the statutes related to common area entertainment permits and social districts to make them more uniform and clarify the areas that can be included under a common area entertainment permit or a social district.
• Section 5 (added in the Senate as a floor amendment in the last days of session) clarifies that a real property owner denied water or sewer service to property subject to an annexation agreement between local governments is allowed to seek other service or petition the court for relief.
• H768/SL 2022-44, ABC Omnibus
• Section 6 amends the “private bar” definition to eliminate the membership requirement.

The meeting lasted just over thirty minutes.

Town Manager’s Report

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

Sean’s Message

It was great to end the week with my monthly update on the Downtown Park with Manager Joy Ennis. Joy is doing a great job balancing all the activities and interests while building an excellent team to implement the vision for this historic project for our downtown. The Gathering Place is beginning to go vertical, and the elevated walkway has been erected. The project remains on schedule for a summer 2023 opening – so exciting!
I look forward to attending and seeing several of you at the Chamber’s Annual Planning Conference in Pinehurst next week. 
Enjoy your weekend.
Sean

Installation of Historic Signage

A new sign has been placed near the back southeast corner of the Hillcrest Cemetery. Last year, Cary applied for and received a placemaking grant in the amount of $1,500 from the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors (RRAR). The idea behind the grant project was to recognize Cary’s first African American Church site within the downtown area. The church, Cary First Christian, built their original structure in 1883. The structure no longer stands; however, remnants of the church remain and are located along the future Higgins Greenway trail. Current members of the Cary First Christian church and the Friends of Page-Walker collaborated with staff to research and compile the area’s rich history. Grant funds were then used to design and install educational signage that calls attention to this historic location, creating a place for residents and visitors to learn and reflect on Cary’s past. The signage is currently located in Hillcrest Cemetery and will be moved to its permanent location along the Greenway once construction is completed. A PDF version of the sign can be viewed here.

Chief of Police Oath of Office Ceremony

On Tuesday, Chief Terry Sult took the Oath of Office, becoming Cary’s 14th Chief of Police. Chief Sult was appointed in October 2021 to serve as Cary’s Interim Chief. Following a nationwide search, Town Manager Sean Stegall announced that Sult would serve as Cary’s newest Chief of Police. Special thanks to N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall for administering the Oath of Office to Chief Sult.

Bond Park Challenge Course Participation

The Bond Park Challenge Course has been very busy this summer, providing adventures and leadership development programs for several public and private groups.

A few notable visitors include:

• Town of Cary Fire Academy 26
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy
• Town of Cary Specialized Recreation & Inclusion
• Governor Morehead School of the Blind

We are excited to continue collaborating with organizations and share our passion for leadership.

Norwell Boulevard Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements

Improvements have been made to pedestrian and bicycle access on Norwell Boulevard between Weston Oaks Court and North Cary Park. Improvements include pavement resurfacing, new pavement markings, and flexible delineators to designate bicycle lanes on both sides of Norwell Boulevard. In addition, curb ramps were upgraded to current ADA standards.

The enhancements to Norwell Boulevard will improve bicycle and pedestrian access along this corridor, which will serve as part of the detour route for the Black Creek Greenway during sewer rehabilitation and upcoming renovation of the Black Creek Greenway.

CAWTF Water Production Update

Recent dry conditions and high temperatures led to the highest water production of the year at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility (CAWTF). The 30.7 million gallons of treated water produced on July 7 was just shy of last August’s all-time record. While the Triangle has been inching toward drought conditions, water levels at Jordan Lake have remained fairly steady and have been increased by recent rainfall. Due to careful planning and optimization, the 56-MGD rated CAWTF has the treatment capacity needed to meet the needs of our citizens now and many years into the future.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meetings

Neighborhood meetings will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on August 3. The following cases will be discussed:

• 22-REZ-12 Brookstone HOA
• 22-REZ-13 Kanoy Property
• 22-REZ-14 Carpenter Fire Station @ Highcroft PDD

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

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Public Art Advisory Board
Wednesday, July 20
6:15 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A request for information about Walker Street issues.
• A notification from a citizen that Cary was ranked #1 among the 20 Safest Cities in America by Wall Street.
• A complaint about racism at a laundry mat in Cary.
• A suggestion to install benches in the shade next to the sand boxes at Carpenter Park.
• A thanks to our police department for cross walk enforcement on South Academy Street.
• A request about the status on the Chapel Hill Road study.
• A request to connect sidewalks for Birkhaven in Lochmere.
• A complaint about the town manager not responding to an issue in time.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, an event with NC Insurance Commissioner Causey, a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association, dance practice for Diwali, and the Cary Chamber Planning Conference.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, July 24^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 very slow which is typical for this time of year.

Sharma Celebration

Monday began with a celebration of the Sharma family arriving in the area 50 years ago. The Sharma family founded the HSNC (Hindu Society of North Carolina) temple. They were one of the first families to arrive here from India. Now the Indian Americans make up a significant portion of Cary and Morrisville’s population. I was joined by several elected officials and community leaders in providing remarks. I spoke about how their presence in this area had a huge positive impact on our communities. We are so lucky to have such a diverse community where our differences are embraced and celebrated.

July 4^th Celebration

Later Monday I attended Cary’s July 4^th celebration at the Koka Booth Amphitheater. This year’s July 4^th celebration was very much like pre-pandemic. A capacity crowd, estimated to be around 10,000, attended to hear the Cary Town Band followed by the North Carolina Symphony. We are so blessed to be the Symphony’s home for the summer. Between the Cary Town Band and the Symphony performances, I provided a few remarks recognizing dignitaries and our veterans. The celebration ended with a twenty-minute display of fireworks which, as usual, was amazing.

No One-On-One

Tuesday’s meeting with the town manager was cancelled since he was on vacation, a well-deserved vacation.

School Board Candidate Meeting

Thursday I met with someone running for school board. I urge everyone to pay attention to these “down ballot” races. Our children’s education is extremely important and retaining good teachers is a huge issue that impacts all of us.

Legislative Summary

Friday’s North Carolina Metro Mayors meeting was cancelled but here is a summary of legislative actions from the KTS lobbyists:

Legislature Adjourns 2022 Short Session

The North Carolina General Assembly concluded most of the work for the 2022 legislative short session on Friday, July 1. The adjournment resolution (SJR917) reconvenes the legislature on July 26 for two days. The resolution also allows for the General Assembly to return once each month for the remainder of the year. Items that can be considered during those sessions are limited to things such as reconsideration of bills vetoed by the Governor, appointments bills, election bills, and conference reports.

Compared to previous sessions, the legislature passed a minimal amount of bills during the short session. Governor Cooper has signed twenty-three bills into law. Twenty-six bills are currently awaiting action from the Governor. A large number of local bills, mainly dealing with deannexation/annexation issues, were passed by the General Assembly. Local bills are not sent to the Governor for consideration.

Budget Update

The budget for the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year passed third and final reading last Friday, July 1 with a vote of 82-25 in the House and 36-8 in the Senate. Twenty House Democrats and eleven Senate Democrats voted in favor of the proposal. Currently, we are awaiting action from Governor Cooper on the budget. He has until July 11 to sign or veto, otherwise the bill would become law without his signature. If the Governor vetoes the bill, we anticipate the General Assembly will attempt to override the veto in one of the sessions allowed in the adjournment resolution. An override requires a three-fifths majority vote. This means Republicans need three Democrats to vote for the override in the House and two in the Senate. Below are the links to the full budget document and money report.

FY 2022-2023 Budget

Money Report

Supreme Court Cases

Amidst a numerous amount of Supreme Court decisions released over the last several weeks, two cases originating in North Carolina have made their way to the nation’s highest court.

Berger v North Carolina Conference of the NAACP – In 2018, a ballot referendum in North Carolina was used to implement Voter ID statewide. The issue has since worked its way up through the NC Supreme Court and ultimately was appealed to the US Supreme Court. Attorney General Stein was responsible for defending the Voter ID amendment, a provision he very publicly opposed. NC House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) began pushing back on the idea of state laws being defended by state officials that were not committed to defending the provisions.

On June 23, the Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina state legislative leaders have the right to intervene in litigation to defend the constitutionality of the state’s voter ID law. This 8-1 decision is pivotal for state legislatures that operate in a politically divided state, such as North Carolina, and enables them to defend their state’s laws in the way they see fit.

Moore v Harper – The Supreme Court announced its intent to hear this case when the Court returns after their summer break. Moore v Harper calls into question the North Carolina Supreme Court’s ability to review and reject maps drawn by the North Carolina General Assembly. Republican leaders in North Carolina point to the elections clause in the U.S. Constitution that states, “the times, places and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature therof; but Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations.” The outcome of this case could have a nationwide impact on elections. 

Boards and Commissions Application

The Application for Cary’s Boards and Commissions has closed. Council is now in the process of reviewing the applicants and will make recommendations to the board and commission liaisons for interviews. After interviews the council will vote on the each liaison’s recommendations for appointment.

Town Manager’s Report

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

Dan’s Message

Happy Friday! We began this week by celebrating our Nation’s Independence. The one holiday out of the year that harkens to the governance that we practice daily.  It’s a special holiday for us to celebrate, reflect, and to lean into our challenges with optimism. To conclude the week, this report includes highlights from the celebration and project updates.  
Enjoy your weekend.
Dan

Development Pulse Report

The June 2022 Development Pulse Report is now available. The following are Highlights:

• Fenton Development: Building permits were issued to complete the upfits of Sports & Social Restaurant, Superica, and Vestique.
• Candlelight, 126 West Chatham Street, Suite 200: The building permit has been approved for a new bar with seating on the second floor of the of the office building across the street from Ivey-Ellington. The first floor is currently occupied by Independent Advisors.
• Protolabs, 3615 Pleasant Grove Church Road, Suite 101: The building permit for the interior completion has been issued for Protolabs’ new location on Pleasant Grove Church Road.
• Duke Health at Green Level, 100 Duke Health Cary Place: Certificates of occupancy have been issued for new medical office building and parking deck.

Independence Day Debrief

Cary welcomed more than 10,000 people to its Independence Day Celebration at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, which included performances by the Cary Town Band and North Carolina Symphony inside the venue, plus games, food trucks, and more outside the venue, capped off by a spectacular fireworks display over Symphony Lake. Mayor Weinbrecht provided a warm welcome from the stage, while Council Members Jennifer Robinson, Jack Smith, Ya Liu, and Ed Yerha attended with family and friends. Wake County Commissioners Sig Hutchinson and Maria Cervania also attended. 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 the amphitheater. Thanks to their collective hard work, the event was a success.

Maynard Tank Class of ‘23

Cary’s annual salute to its high school seniors was painted on the Maynard Road water storage tank on Tuesday. With the usual painting contractor unable to meet the schedule this year, Utilities staff sprang into action climbing the 138-foot ladder with paint buckets in tow.

Walnut Street Park Upgrades

Walnut Street Park is in the final stages for installing new pickleball and basketball courts. As part of the effort, moveable furniture was added this week to the brick plaza by Walnut Street. This plaza is part of the public art completed by Barbara Grygutis in 2009 titled, Imaginary Garden.

East Chatham Street Traffic Shift

Contractors working as part of private development for the Rogers Building will be performing a temporary traffic shift on East Chatham Street between Academy Street and Walker Street. This is necessary to facilitate vertical building and site construction. Weather permitting, work will begin on July 18 and will be complete by the end of the next calendar day. Traffic will be reduced from the three-lane section to a two-lane section at the intersection with Walker Street. This traffic pattern is expected to be in place until fall 2023.

NCDOT Repaving in Cary

As part of NCDOT’s street maintenance plan, NCDOT is repaving a couple of streets within Cary.
Curb ramp upgrades and paving are complete on Penny Road from Ten Ten Road to Kildaire Farm Road, and temporary lane markings have been installed with permanent lane markings scheduled to be installed in the next month.
In addition, NCDOT started work on Ten-Ten Road from downtown Apex to US 401. Patching work is ongoing and expected to finish in a week, concrete curb ramp upgrades are scheduled to start in the next couple of weeks, and paving is expected to start in the next 2-3 months and be complete Winter 2022.

Early Voting Begins

July 7 kicked off early voting for the Runoff Election. The two Cary races to be determined by the Runoff Election are a Council At-Large seat and the Council District C seat. Herb Young Community Center is one of two early voting locations in Wake County.

Full dates and times for early voting can be found here.

For questions about any aspect of the voting process, please contact the State Board of Elections.

Wake County Board of Elections
Phone number: (919) 856-6240

Chatham County Board of Elections
Phone number: (919) 545-8500

Durham County Board of Elections
Phone number: (919) 560-0700

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board
Monday, July 11
5:15 p.m.

Hybrid Information Services Advisory Board
Monday, July 11
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday, July 11
6:30 p.m.

Hybrid Environmental Advisory Board
Tuesday, July 12
6:00 p.m.

Hybrid Historic Preservation Commission
Wed, July 13
6:30 p.m.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting
Wed, July 13
6:30 p.m.

Hybrid Greenway Committee
Thursday, July 14
6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A request to help with understanding a Holly Springs rezoning
• A request to meet with Triangle Off-Road Cyclists about the 217-acre park. (Staff is still gathering information about the land and evaluating issues with certain types of uses. There will be a time for public input in the future)
• An ongoing complaint from an individual that says he was falsely arrested
• A complaint about the cost to install a water meter for irrigation
• A complaint about “unsightly” caution tape on overhead wires (this has been resolved)
• A complaint about an ADA compliance issue

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a swearing in ceremony for Police Chief Sult, the TAC (Triangle Aquatic Center) Grand Opening Expansion ceremony, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, July 17^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.

Earnest Jones Property

Monday I joined several staff members in a tour of the 217.07 acres Earnest Jones property which was bought by the town in August of 2020 with funds from the 2019 Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond Referendum. Cary plans to eventually use the land for recreational activities and open space preservation. The site consists of woodlands, agricultural fields, and a portion of Indian and Turtle creeks. It also contains the Markham-Ferrell House which is estimated to have been built in the 1790s. It is located along Earnest Jones Road, between Yates Store Road and Mount Pisgah Church Road in Chatham County. The site also abuts a Town-owned site on New Hope Church Road which will allow future access to the American Tobacco Trail. 

We spent an hour walking part of the property, touring the Markham-Ferrell House, seeing a few outbuildings like tobacco barns, seeing old farm equipment, and enjoying the natural beauty. It is my hope that we can make this property accessible to all while at the same time preserving the land and open space. I can see a potential botanical garden and walking trails as part of the future for this site. Staff is currently working on ideas to bring forward for council consideration.

Audit

Tuesday I met virtually with an auditor as part of the annual audit of the town. Officially, the auditor is working on behalf of the council and its citizens. The questions mostly focused on my awareness of any questionable activity. Which I had none. In fact, I stated that I was very comfortable with the town’s finances. My interview lasted about ten minutes.

Ya Liu Kickoff

Wednesday evening I joined Congresswoman Ross, NC Senator Wiley Nickel, NC House Representative Gale Adcock, Cary Council member Robinson, Cary Council member Smith, Morrisville Mayor Cawley, and several other dignitaries at the kickoff event for Cary Council member Ya Liu in her race for the NC House of Representatives. I provided remarks endorsing Ya as did several of the dignitaries. The event had approximately 150 in attendance.

Paragon Theaters in the Fenton

Thursday I participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Paragon Theaters in the Fenton. The theater is the second in Cary and the 7^th owned by this group. I was joined by council members Smith and Robinson and several other dignitaries. Its claim to fame is that it has the largest movie screen in North Carolina. The screens have Axis 15 technology which means they are titled for optimum viewing. The reclining seats are zero gravity with heating, cooling, and a tray for food (which can be ordered at any time with your phone). The seats are divided with privacy walls so that you can only see the person next to you. The theater complex also includes a full-service restaurant and bar as well as a 16-lane bowling alley. The large screen theater is currently showing the Top Gun Sequel which I plan to see soon. Congratulations to Paragon Theaters on their opening.

NC Legislative Summary

The NC Mayors Association meeting for Friday was cancelled. But here is a summary of legislative activity from the Association’s lobbyists:

Legislative Schedule

The NC General Assembly intends to conclude the majority of their work for the 2022 legislative short session today (July 1). As of the writing of this newsletter, the House and Senate have filed separate adjournment resolutions (HJR1178 and SJR917). The Senate version adjourns the legislature on July 1, 2022 to reconvene July 26, 2022 while the House version adjourns the legislature on July 15, 2022 to reconvene August 12, 2022. Both resolutions call the legislature back once each month for the remainder of the year. Legislation that can be considered during those sessions are limited, however the House version includes a broader range of items that could be addressed. We will update you with the final resolution that is adopted in next week’s newsletter.

Budget Finalized

The budget proposal for the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year was released Tuesday evening. The budget revision plan spends $27.9 billion in FY 2022-23, a 7.2 percent increase. The proposal was released as a conference report meaning there was no opportunity for amendments.  The House and Senate Finance, Appropriations, and Pensions Committees met jointly on Wednesday to hear the details of the bill. On Thursday, the bill passed second reading in both chambers with bipartisan support. The vote was 85-27 in the House and 38-9 in the Senate. The third and final reading will be held today (July 1). 

Upon passage, the proposal will be sent to Governor Cooper for consideration. It is unclear at this point what action the Governor will take. He has ten days to sign, veto, or let the bill become law without his signature. If vetoed, we anticipate the legislature will return to attempt to override the veto.

Below are some of the highlights of the spending plan.

• Increases teacher pay raise by an average of 4.2 percent (6.7 percent over the biennium).
• Appropriates an additional $15 million recurring for the School Resource Officer Grant program and an additional $32 million for School Safety Grants to support students in crisis, school safety training, and safety equipment in schools.
• Redirects 2 percent of sales tax revenue to the Highway Fund for transportation purposes (increasing to 4 percent in 2023 and 6 percent in subsequent years).
• Allocates an additional $5 million for the GREAT Grants to expand broadband access in underserved areas.
• Continues enhanced COVID rates for nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
• Provides $883 million for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

Noteworthy Bills

• S101, Require Cooperation with ICE 2.0 – This bill would require that ICE is queried when an individual charged with certain offenses is in custody and that person’s legal residency or citizenship is undetermined. It would also require a judicial official to order that a prisoner subject to a detainer and administrative warrant be held in custody for 48 hours or until ICE resolves the request. – Awaiting Senate concurrence vote
• S455, Conform Hemp with Federal Law – The bill permanently exempts hemp products from North Carolina’s controlled substance law. The approved language keeps over 1,500 hemp producers in business in North Carolina. – Signed by Governor on Thursday (June 30)
• H768, 2022 ABC Omnibus Bill – One provision of this bill removes the requirement for bars that don’t serve food to be classified as private clubs and sell memberships to customers. The bill also allows for alcohol to be sold at professional sporting events held on community college campuses. – Awaiting action from Governor
• H911, Regulatory Reform Act of 2022 – This is the annual omnibus bill that amends laws related to state and local government, agriculture, energy, environment, natural resources, and other various regulations. Some of the provisions include extending the deadline for small municipalities to adopt comprehensive land-use plans, amending licensure requirements for cosmetic arts, and clarifying the scope of licensed water heater installation and repair. – Conference report adopted by the Senate, on House calendar for today (July 1)

Town Manager’s Report

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

Sean’s Message

On Wednesday, I held our quarterly All Hands meeting with staff. Items we discussed included the FY 2023 budget and the one-year anniversary of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Then, Assistant Human Resources Directors Laura Turk and Ashley Lategan joined me for a discussion on employee benefits. We ended the day on a bittersweet note as Chief Financial Officer Karen Mills reflected on her 31-year career with the Town of Cary. Karen brings so much care, knowledge, and empathy to this organization, and she will be dearly missed.

I will be traveling with my family for the upcoming holiday week. Have a fun and safe 4th!
Sean

Independence Day Celebration

Staff from multiple departments have been busy over the past few months planning and preparing for the upcoming Fourth of July Celebration at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. We have taken great care to plan for and provide a safe, enjoyable, and entertaining experience for our community. For event information click here. For SMS Alerts, text JULY to 51597.

Billy Strings at Koka Booth Amphitheater

Cary hosted performer Billy Strings for three nights at Koka Booth Amphitheatre on June 23, 24, and 25. It’s the first time in the venue’s 21-year history that a single artist has been hosted for multiple nights, selling more than 18,000 tickets. Fans flocked from around the nation, with many visiting the venue for the first time. Accolades were shared on social media by people in attendance.

Reedy Creek Road Project

The work on Reedy Creek Road is now substantially complete. As the project evolved, it addressed the concerns of multimodal transportation and traffic calming by introducing sidewalks, bike lanes, median islands, and roundabouts to what was once a two-lane roadway. Next steps will include the addition of medians and a larger roundabout this fall into the following spring as the appropriate plantings become available.

Security Day

On Monday, fifteen employees attended a Security Day hosted at Raleigh Convention Center. This training was presented by fellow event and venue security staff as part of the Crowd Manager Course through the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). Topics included building a security culture, risk types, crowd dynamics, crowd types, profiling behaviors, mental preparedness for active shooter/bomb threats, building a hazard library, and de-escalating a non-compliant person. This was a valuable day and the group can apply this knowledge in their roles managing large events and venues in Cary.

PD’s Crisis Negotiation Team Brings Home First Place

On Wednesday, the Police Department’s Crisis Negotiation Team was awarded first place at the Blue Ridge Mountains Crisis Negotiator’s Challenge. Hosted by the North Carolina Justice Academy, the negotiator challenge presents area hostage negotiation teams with a real-world crisis scenario allowing them to demonstrate proficiency in gathering and managing intelligence information, developing a strategy, negotiating with role players, and managing risk. This year’s competition included hostage negotiation teams from the Raleigh Police Department, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Lumberton Police Department, and Hendersonville Police Department. The event’s judges were so impressed with Cary’s team that they extended an invitation to compete at a national competition in Florida.

Senior Management Institute for Police Graduation

On June 23, Captain Kat Christian graduated from the 82nd Session of the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) through Boston University’s School of Law. SMIP is a demanding three-week program of the Police Executive Research Forum that provides senior police executives with intensive training in the latest management concepts and practices used in business and government through discussions of the most challenging issues facing law enforcement executives today.

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Human Relations, Inclusion, & Diversity Task Force
Tuesday, July 5
6:00 p.m.

Hybrid Senior Advisory Board

Wednesday, July 6
2:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A request to sign letters supporting refugees
• A request to do more to stop gun violence
• A request to help a family member get to the US (they were denied entry)

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, the Fourth of July celebration, an anniversary celebration of one of the first Indian Americans to arrive in this area, private interviews, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, July 10^th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Mayors Association

Monday I attended a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association. In attendance were the mayors from Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon. We talked about annual budgets which most towns had already approved. Based on the information provided, Cary will have the lowest tax rate by about five cents. We also talked about development and issues related to development. Our meeting lasted a little over two hours.

Chiefs of Police Association Meeting

Tuesday morning I joined council member Robinson in a meeting of North Carolina Police Chiefs Association held at the SAS Executive Briefing Center. I provided remarks along with the Association Executives and SAS representatives. Then we spent about an hour listening how SAS software can pull all the streams of information together to allow better decisions in policing. I was blessed to be among such great leaders from around the state. I look forward to Cary being able to leverage technology that is created within our municipal borders.

Agenda Prep

Later Tuesday I attempted to contact council members to hear of their concerns or questions about Thursday’s agenda. There were very few questions. Later in the day I met with Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz, management, and directors to go over the agenda. Our meeting concluded within fifteen minutes.

Town Manager One-On-One

My last meeting Tuesday was my weekly one-on-one with the town manager. Topics included the storm cleanup, and we agreed the town should be lenient on accepting debris curbside. Other topics included the non-discriminating ordinance with Wake County, and our technical strategy with data.

Fenton Hotel Developer

Thursday I joined the planning director in a meeting about a future hotel at the Fenton. Attending were representatives from the developer and their branding consultants. The big take away from this meeting is that the developer wants to build something that is unique for Cary and that residents will identify as Cary’s own. I am excited about what we might see.

New Police Chief Reception

Thursday afternoon I attended a reception for Terry Sult who was recently named as Cary’s new police chief. Chief Sult was the police chief in Hampton, Virginia from 2013 until 2020 before retiring and then coming out of retirement to serve as Cary’s interim police chief. Previously he served as chief in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and Gastonia, North Carolina, following a 27-year career with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. We are so very blessed to have someone with the talent, experience, and vision as Chief Sult.

Council meeting

Thursday evening the council held its last meeting of the month and for the fiscal year. The meeting included nine consent items, four public hearings, and two discussion items.

NDO Ordinance

The council unanimously approved a resolution permitting Wake County’s Nondiscrimination Ordinance to apply within Cary’s corporate limits. Included with the approval was an interlocal agreement (ILA) authorizing the Town Manager or Deputy Town Manager to “execute an agreement substantially like the ILA and to provide such notices and take such actions as ILA contemplates. Bottom line is while there were protections already in place this gives our citizens additional protection than those traditionally covered by federal and state law.

FY 2023 Budget

The council also unanimously approved the fiscal year 2023 budget. The budget totals $443.6 million which was a 10.9% increase from the prior year. This expenditure increase is largely offset with sales tax revenue expectations. It will keep our tax rate unchanged at $0.345 per every $100 of assessed valuation. There will be a $1.50 increase per month to the solid waste and recycling fee. The utility fee will also increase by 3%.

Our meeting concluded after about 45 minutes.

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:

General Update  

• Sports betting, Medicaid expansion, and budget negotiations consumed the majority of conversations in the General Assembly this week.  
• House and Senate leadership entered final negotiations on the budget Thursday morning, and we anticipate a proposal to be released early next week. 
• The House and Senate now have individual plans for Medicaid Expansion across North Carolina. This topic will be at the center of negotiations for the remainder of session.  
• Floor votes are expected to be held every day next week, keeping the General Assembly on track to adjourn before the July 4^th holiday. 

Transportation

S793– Sales Tax Revenue Transfer 

• The letter of support distributed on behalf of the Metro Mayors was well received in both chambers.  This was a great way to demonstrate our collaborative partnership with the business community on topics like this.  Thanks to all the mayors for their quick feedback, we have heard from a number of legislators thanking the mayors for adding their voices to this issue. 
• The effort to use STATE sales tax revenues for transportation is currently being discussed among leadership. The Speaker and Senate Pro Tem will ultimately make the final decision as to whether or not it makes the cut for the short session.  We will continue to keep a close eye on this provision as budget negotiations come to a close.  

Public Safety

Nothing new to report 

Economic Development 

H291 – Commercial Prop. Plan Review  

• H291 would have some unintended consequences and is likely to increase fees for developers.  
• This bill continues to be discussed but does not appear to be moving any further at this point.  
• We would advise you to discuss with your planning staff how this bill would impact your municipality. It is important for your delegation to understand how you handle the process and how this bill would impact cost and timelines 

Local Control/Local Revenues  

H1165 – Salisbury Voluntary Annex. Temp. Moratoria
S911 – Leland Annexation  

• These local bills are examples of the types of legislation dealing with annexation that are surfacing more and more at the General Assembly and could potentially come as a statewide set of circumstances.
• This is a complicated subject around fiscal issues and urban development that we need to work on educating both the legislature and our colleagues in the counties.Mayor Alexander suggests we partner with NCLM, perhaps including some sort of task force to strategically work on this issue during the interim.

The meeting concluded after about half an hour.

Town Manager’s Report

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

Sean’s Message

I hope you enjoy this week’s report and have a nice weekend!
Sean

Juneteenth Celebration

Congresswoman Ross, and Council Members Jack Smith and Ya Liu attended the Celebrate Freedom event at the old library site on June 19. Council member Liu read opening remarks and Council Member Smith read the Juneteenth Proclamation. The event served as a space for celebration, remembrance, and tradition for many in the Cary community.

Cary Housing Program Expands to Job Training Initiative

To help fill the gap between housing needs and job loss due to the pandemic, Cary has partnered with Passage Home to launch a job training initiative for under employed residents. This job training program will help residents earn certifications for positions in leading employment industries and includes job placement after graduation from the program. This initiative is funded by Cary’s Community Development Block Grant program and works with job seekers one-on-one to understand their situation and unique barriers to self-sufficiency. The program also helps job seekers overcome challenges with childcare, transportation, and education to help in the success with their future career.

New Pride Training Programs for Staff

As part of Cary’s celebration of PRIDE month, the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion launched a LGBTQ+ educational program series for staff. The three workshops were LGBTQ+ Allyship 101, Allyship 102 & Beyond, and Safe Zone training. These workshops were developed to equip staff with knowledge, awareness and skills to become more inclusive, informed and supportive allies to the LGBTQ+ community.

Old Chatham Golf Club Update

This week Cary welcomes Old Chatham Golf Club as a full-fledged Cary water customer. Over two years ago, Cary started with a desire to help a business neighbor achieve their goals. Temporary water connections were made to meet the seasonal needs of the golf course. Today, permanent underground piping and vaults have been installed and now seamlessly deliver Cary water. Having a relatively large volume user at the outer edge of the water system not only benefits revenue but helps to maintain high water quality.

Summer Camps 2022 Open for Business

Cary summer camps opened on June 13 at eight locations with over 500 campers in attendance. The variety of offerings is never-ending this summer, with full day to half-day camp options. Camp themes include visual arts, ceramics, performing arts, outdoor recreation, full day summer camp, STEM, sports, skateboard, tennis, and other specialty offerings. Camp activities will serve over 5,700 kids this summer across a dozen facilities.

Yoga Day

Cary celebrated International Day of Yoga on June 21. Close to 70 participants began their day with a refreshing sunrise yoga class at Bond Park lakefront or ended their day with a virtual class or sunset yoga in the Garden Plaza at Page-Walker.

Good Hope Farm Summer Produce Starts

Cary’s Good Hope Farm launched their annual summer produce service last week. Collectively, 19 farmers are providing eight weeks of produce to 25 families through this dynamic program. Participants enjoy fresh vegetables, supporting local farmers, and learning more about the historic farm site. Additionally, an average of 50 pounds of produce each week will be donated to Dorcas Ministries Food Pantry to help provide food security to families in need.

Tree and Forest Management

A healthy urban forest requires tree and forest management in addition to plantings that add to the canopy. Recently, staff cleared up space under a heritage oak tree in Jack Smith Park to support the well-being of this champion oak tree. It is now able to flourish, and its beauty and grandeur are more readily apparent for park visitors to enjoy.  

State Firefighter of the Year Award

After being honored with a public service citation by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post, Fire Assistant Chief of Training and Safety Kevin Annis, was awarded the state VFW Firefighter of the Year award in June. Cary’s Franklin-Reedy Post 7383 held a banquet in May to honor local nominees from 2019 and 2021, since COVID precluded having a ceremony and selection process in 2020. Fire Captain Brian Couch, 2019’s nominee, and Chief Annis, the 2021 honoree, attended, along with law enforcement and EMS professionals. Chief Annis was notified later that month of his selection as the recipient of the state award, for which there was a ceremony on June 12.

Animal Services Receives Four New Kennels

The Citizens Assisting Police (CAP) Team donated four mobile kennels to our Animal Services Team. Having four kennels that can be easily moved around and cleaned out on wheels is a beneficial asset for the Animal Services staff. We appreciate the ongoing support of the wonderful CAP Team.

DBE Policy Statement

Cary maintains a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program as a condition of receiving federal financial assistance from the US Department of Transportation for transit service.  As the DBE Liaison Officer (DBELO), TeLeishia Holloway is responsible for implementing all aspects of the DBE program, including dissemination of our policy statement to Town Council. If you have any questions regarding the policy, TeLeishia may be reached via email.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting

Neighborhood meetings will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on July 13. The following cases will be discussed:

• 22-REZ-06 Green Level Church Rd at Mills Farm Rd
• 22-REZ-11 4309 Pine Rail, 1304 Batchelor Rd
• 22-REZ-15 Swift Creek Elementary School Renovation/Replacement

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

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Athletic Committee
Monday, June 27
6:00 p.m.

Planning and Zoning Board
Monday, June 27
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint that Cary celebrates Juneteenth “to secure the vote of the black minority which represents less than 10 percent of the Cary population.”
• A concern that drones are not regulated enough
• A request to help remove invasive species from Cary greenways
• A request to install communication boards on Cary playgrounds for non-verbal/non-speaking children
• A complaint from someone who was “wrongly arrested in April of 2020.”

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a tour of the Ernest Property (200 acres bought by Cary for a park and open space), an audit fraud interview, a meeting with a vocal class, Cary Council member Ya Liu’s kickoff event for NC House, a ribbon cutting for the Fenton’s Paragon Theaters Grand Opening, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, July 3^rd. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.