My Absence

Last week I was out of town on a family holiday with my entire family including my wife, both my daughters and my grandson. It was the first time we were all together for the family vacation in years. I apologize for missing the council meeting, but Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz did an excellent job.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day I joined the entire council, except council member Bush who was out of town on a family emergency, in remembering our veterans. The ceremony was emceed by council member Smith, the council’s only veteran. Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz read a proclamation. Gunnery Sergeant Jeff Sherman provided remarks. Master Gunnery Sergeant Russell Barber, a Silver Star recipient, was the main speaker. Quotes from his comments include:

“This isn’t simply a day off. This is a day to remember those others who paid for every breath you ever get to take.”

“Every hot dog, every burger, every spin around the lake, or drink with friends and family is a debit purchase by others. This is not about who served, that day comes in the fall. This one is in honor of those who paid in life and blood whose moms never saw them again, who’s dads wept in private, who’s wives raised kids alone, and who’s kids only remember them from pictures.”

It was truly an honor to be present among those who risked all for our freedom and those family members whose relatives gave their lives for us.

Town Manager One-On-One Meeting

Tuesday I met virtually with the town manager. Topics included the progress on finding a police chief, moving the retreat from August to accommodate new council members, our nondiscrimination ordinance, ideas on naming parks, the downtown parking study, future downtown parking decks, providing electricity to the Veterans Freedom Park, and the ITA Tennis Championships.

State Dinner

Wednesday I joined council member Robinson, council member Liu, Deputy Town Manager Overton, and Assistant Town Manager Curran in attending the 4^th Annual Town and State Dinner held by the North Carolina League of Municipalities. It was an opportunity to meet legislators, municipal leaders, and municipal managers. I had the opportunity to meet several mayors from around the state like Mayor McLeod from Clayton who has been mayor since 2003, and Mayor Perry from Pittsboro who is dealing with rapid growth issues. It is my hope that the connections made will benefit all of us.

Fenton Ribbon Cutting

Thursday I had the joy of participating in the ribbon cutting for the Fenton. The $850 million project is the largest development in Cary’s history and the first vertically integrated development. It will be a true live-work-play destination. The event was emceed by Paul Zarian from Hines and included speakers Jeff Hines from Hines and Abbitt Goodwin representing Columbia development. I was the last of three speakers. The following is an excerpt from my remarks:

“…This project has been 7 years in the making since we were first approached by Columbia development. In 2017 we traveled out of state with the developer to visit other mixed-use projects throughout the country and experience the vision they had for our town.

We witnessed firsthand the energy of this type of mixed-use center, the resulting impacts it had on the surrounding communities, and showed us what was possible for Cary. And to see this vision materialize in our own backyard after years is exciting and rewarding. And it would never have happened without the years of hard work on by the developers, their partners, and the Town.

In addition to being an incredible destination, the Fenton is now the first thing visitors see when they enter Cary in the Eastern Cary Gateway. And it will play a very important role in the overall impression Cary makes on its visitors as they approach our downtown.

The Fenton is already serving as a catalyst for new development and investment in our community.

It is my hope that it will not only be one of the premier mixed-use destinations in the region, but it will also help to recruit and retain major companies in Cary like Apple or Epic Games.

To say that I am excited to have the Fenton in Cary is an understatement. It is a dynamic, pedestrian-friendly, first-class destination for shopping, dining, working, and living; and cements Cary’s position as one of the greatest places to live, work, and play in America.

Thank you to Hines, Columbia Development, USAA and all stakeholders for sharing and implementing their vision and our vision. Thank you for choosing Cary and believing in Cary. Most of all, thank you for your partnership in creating the next great place for our community and beyond.”

After speaking I was asked to stay on stage and was surprised with a birthday cake (it was my 66^th birthday) and serenaded by hundreds of people. That was a first for me! This was followed by the ribbon cutting which included Jeff Hines, Abbitt Goodwin, Mark Lawson from the Cary Chamber, and me.

NC 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 

State BUDGET:  The Senior Appropriations chairs in the House and Senate appear to have reached general agreements on the topline spending and potential tax cuts for citizens.  The area chairs will be taking up their parts of the budget in the coming weeks as the General Assembly remains on course for the 2022 session to end in late June. 

Expanding Access to Healthcare (H149) passed the NC Senate this week.  It would expand Medicaid eligibility in NC, it would provide for greater coverage for telemedicine, modify the Certificate-of-Need program and other various changes.  The next stop various House committees of jurisdiction IF the House Republican Caucus decides to advance the bill. 

Compassionate Care Act (S711) passed the Senate this week.  This legislation would set up a rigorous medical cannabis program for select patients in North Carolina.  The fate of the legislation, like Medicaid expansion, now rests in the NC House, where its fate is still unclear. 

Transportation 

S793– Study Econ. Dlvr. Fee/Xfer Rev for Transport – a bill introduced by senior Republican (Sawyer and McGinnis) and Democratic (Woodard) Senate Transportation leaders to transfer a phased-in percentage of the state general fund sales tax revenue (2% year one, 4% year two and then 6% annually thereafter) to the Highway Trust Fund.  The legislation would tap the state sales tax revenues (not local sales tax) to shore up the long-term finances needed to support the state transportation infrastructure.  The bipartisan bill would use a share of state sales tax revenues (6% is a percentage loosely based on the total sales taxes generated by transportation related sales and use tax collections, such as tires, car repairs, auto parts, etc.) to help modernize transportation finance.  Additional funding will help with project delays in the current State Transportation Improvement Plan and prepare for the expected decline in gas taxes due to growing use of electric vehicles in the coming years.  While the idea of using state transportation related sales and use taxes for m transportation infrastructure has broad support in the Senate, and to a lesser degree in the House, the path forward is unclear at this time and energetic advocacy is needed to help push the concept forward now before the short session and the budget revisions are completed over the next two weeks or so. 

The NC Metropolitan Mayors Coalition has been a long-standing advocate for additional transportation infrastructure investments – and next week we will circulate a “sign-on letter for mayors” to encourage this badly funding that supports our economy. 

Public Safety 

Discussion today on the MMC call included several various jurisdictions expressing interested in Civilian Traffic Enforcement.  A few jurisdictions have this authority now and others are working on local bills to seek that authority.  Further research and discussions are needed, and the Mayors Coalition will help facilitate collaboration and communications amongst interested members. 

Local Control/Local Revenues 

S372 – Electrical Contracting Licensure Mods. Here is the legislative analysis: https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillSummary/2021/S372-SMBR-132(CSBR-29)-v-6. We are working alongside the NCLM and the NC Department of Insurance to identify concerns for House representatives. 

H1095 – PFAS Pollution and Polluter Liability.  John McDonald, NCLM Senior Govt. Affairs Assoc. provided an overview of the legislation (https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillSummary/2021/H1095-SMRI-88(e1)-v-4) which prevents the various municipal and regional utility rate payers from being liable for the remediation of waterways that are contaminated with PFAS/PFOAs. 

The meeting concluded after about half an hour.

Podcast for Real Estate Investors

Friday I participated in a podcast for real estate investors. We talked for about an hour on things that happened last year, what will be happening this year, and my thoughts on what would happen in the future. It was a great talk and I hope the information was beneficial for those thinking about investing in real estate in Cary.

N&O Interview

Friday afternoon I was interviewed briefly by a reporter for the N&O. She wanted my thoughts on the opening of the Fenton. I talked about how this was a long process and some of the events and decisions that took place to get this project to come to fruition.

Boot Camp Fitness at the Fenton

Saturday morning I participated in a boot camp fitness class held at the Fenton sponsored by Athleta. The 45-minute class was a lot of fun and there were a couple of dozen in attendance.

National Trails Day

Later Saturday morning I joined a bike ride from Bond Park to Davis Drive Park and back as part of the National Trails Day. The group included Wake Commissioner Hutchinson, his wife, and others. I used one of the bike rentals at Bond Park for the ride. The rental bike had gears to make the ride easier, but I kept it in 1^st gear for the workout. While the ride was only 3 ½ miles, I am sure I burned a few calories since the bike was soooo heavy.

To continue celebrating National Trails Day, I followed the bike ride with a 7 1/2-mile run on the Speight Branch greenway. Its main feature is circling the Tryon Lake and is one of my favorite places to run.

Cary Fire Department 100^th Celebration Parade

Saturday afternoon I joined council members Smith, Robinson, and Yerha in the Cary Fire Department’s 100^th Anniversary Celebration Parade. We rode in a vintage 1953 firetruck. Council member Yerha sat in the front and sounded the siren with a foot pedal button while the rest of us sat on the bench seat on the second row. After the ride we watched the rest of the parade which included more than 50 fire trucks from various parts of North Carolina. Benson even provided a horse drawn fire apparatus. If you like fire trucks this was a dream parade. Thanks for all the municipalities for participating in our celebration parade.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

Many ribbon cutting events come and go from our memory bank and some last a lifetime. This project is a tangible accomplishment of our culture and was acknowledged yesterday in the grand opening remarks. After years of collaboration between Council, staff, and the Fenton team the ribbon was cut at a mixed-use development that will differentiate Cary for years to come because of the meaningful standards each of you assisted in bringing to life. At times the process was challenging but, in the end, it was rewarding to see all of the conversations, inspections, negotiations, etc. was worth the energy and time. I am so happy for everyone involved and enjoyed connecting with many of the key players present at the grand opening event. This was definitely a ribbon cutting for the memory bank. 
Enjoy your weekend.
Sean

Development Pulse Report

The May 2022 Development Pulse Report is now available. Highlights include:

• The Press, 2001 Evans Road: A building permit and a development plan have been submitted to demolish the interior of the former Oxford University Press Building and add parking to existing parking areas for a future warehouse and office use.
• Cary Towne Center Building Pad Demolition, 1105 Walnut Street: The development plan was approved to continue demolition of the former Cary Towne Center building to remove the building pad and establish an area of soil and erosion control.
• In May 2022, three rezoning cases were approved:
  • 21-REZ-21, Fenton Rezoning: The rezoning request clarifies additional flexibility for signage at the Fenton Development.
  • 21-REZ-15, 109 Appaloosa Trail Rezoning: The rezoning case establishes R40-CU zoning for the construction of one detached dwelling and connection to Cary’s water and sewer services.
  • 21-REZ-19, Estes Residential Rezoning: The case rezones six acres of property at 7824 Emery Gayle Lane from R40 to R12-CU to develop a maximum of 15 detached dwelling units.

Cary 101 Graduation

A group of 20 citizens graduated from Cary 101 after participating in a series of engaging presentations, activities, and facility tours over the last several weeks. Cary staff enjoyed sharing their work and passion with the group, and the students appreciated this opportunity to learn about Cary’s values, operations, and services. Mayor Pro Tem Don Frantz and Councilmember Jack Smith attended the graduation ceremony to thank these citizens for their interest in local government and to celebrate their accomplishment. The next Cary 101 program will be planned for Spring 2023.

Relaunching Neighborhood Improvement Program

Cary’s Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program awards up to $5,000 to neighborhood groups aiming to strengthen their community through beautification projects or other physical improvements. Throughout the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was paused for the safety of staff and residents. Staff used this time to evaluate and update the program guidelines, application, and agreement. After piloting two projects with these new program materials, staff are ready to begin accepting new applications. Interested neighborhoods may learn more about eligible projects and submit an application online.

Memorial Day

On Monday, May 30 over 600 Cary citizens gathered at Veterans Freedom Park to honor those that have fallen while defending our country. Council Member Jack Smith emceed the event and was joined by Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and Council Members Ed Yerha, Ya Liu, Jennifer Robinson, and Don Frantz. The program started off with patriotic music from The Cary Town Band and remarks from Jack Smith. Gunnery Sergeant Jeff Sherman and Master Gunnery Sergeant Russel Barber spoke on what Memorial Day means to them after a moment of silence was held for the fallen. The program concluded with a little more music and citizens reflecting inside the monument. It was one of the largest crowds we have had for our Memorial Day program.

Summer Garden Programs Are Growing

Cary’s summer garden education programs are growing strong with family-friendly open house events all summer long. Ongoing free education events are being hosted at Good Hope Farm, Carpenter Park Community Garden, and the Compost Education Center to help connect our community to local food. Participants can sample garden-fresh veggies and learn tips and tricks for growing a garden at home all while touring our beautiful urban agriculture facilities.

Solar Facility Acquisition

Cary is one step closer to owning the 1.8-MW solar facility at South Cary Water Reclamation Facility. Following Council’s review of the acquisition at the quarterly meeting on May 12, both parties including Cary and Cypress Creek Renewables signed an asset purchase agreement. The next step is completing all the business transactions required for closing, which is expected to be completed by fall 2022. Following the closing, Cary will be the new proud owners of the facility, which upholds our commitment to advancing renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions.  

National Tennis Month

In partnership with Western Wake Tennis Association, Cary hosted 10 community events during National Tennis Month in May. National Tennis Month is a designated time to drive awareness and bring new players into local tennis programs. In celebration, Cary hosted many events including the largest USTA adult spring league, abilities tennis clinics, wheelchair tennis clinics, youth tennis tournament, senior appreciation day, an open house for Dunham tennis courts, and began USTA adult summer leagues.

Runoff Elections

At their May 27 meeting, the Wake County Board of Elections approved Herb Young Community Center as an early voting location for the second primary and Cary municipal runoff election. Early voting will begin on July 7 and end on July 23, with the second primary and Cary municipal runoff election occurring on July 26. The three races to be determined are:

• Town of Cary Town Council At-Large
• Town of Cary Town Council District C
• Democratic Party Sheriff’s Race

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

Historic Preservation Commission

Wednesday, June 8
6:30 p.m.

Human Relations, Inclusion, & Diversity Task Force

Tuesday, June 7
6:00 p.m.

Economic Development Committee

Wednesday, June 8
5:15 p.m.

Council Meeting

Thursday, June 8
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• Comments about affordable housing in the budget
• A complaint about vaccinations required by the EPACT company used by the Parks Department
• A complaint about EMS response times

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, an Economic Development Committee meeting, a council budget work session, a council meeting, a meeting of the NC Metro Mayors, a graduation address for 5^th graders at Weatherstone Elementary, and remarks at the Urban Forest Master Plan Workshop.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, June 12^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.

OneWake

Monday afternoon I met virtually with members of OneWake who advocate for affordable housing. Most of the members on this call were clergy leading congregations in Cary. They talked about the needs and the desperate situations of many individuals. I, along with housing staff members, talked about the Cary Housing Plan and funding for that plan. We all agreed that communication was key and to continue to work together to come up with solutions.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later Monday I met virtually with the town manager for our weekly meeting. Some of the topics we talked about included the budget and the Cary Tennis Park.

Wake County Mayors Association

Monday evening I participated in a meeting of the Wake County Mayors at the Duke Energy Customer Service Center on Rush Street in Raleigh. We visited the control room where outages are handled for all Duke Energy customers in North and South Carolina. We learned about the “self-healing” technology that automatically detects power outages and quickly reroute power to restore service faster or avoid the outage altogether. So if you have ever experienced a five to ten second outage, that was the self-healing technology rerouting around a problem to restore power to you. We also heard from several executives about their new commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Cary Elections

For the first time Cary Elections were held during a partisan primary. The top vote getter in each of the three races was a party endorsed candidate. Here are the results:

District A:

• Jennifer Robinson (I): 75.61% (endorsed by the Republican Party)
• Chase McGrath: 24.02%

Jennifer Robinson wins

District C:

• Renee Miller: 28.54% (endorsed by the Republican Party)
• Jack Smith(I): 28.04%
• Amanda Murphy: 23.41% (endorsed by the Democratic Party)
• Mary Insprucker: 12.49%
• George McDowell: 7.39%

Runoff between Renee Miller and Jack Smith

At-Large:

• Carissa Johnson: 39.88% (endorsed by the Democratic Party)
• Ken George: 38.77% (endorsed by the Republican Party)
• Ed Yerha(I): 21.02%

Runoff between Carissa Johnson and Ken George

Runoff elections will be held on July 26^th.

CAMPO

Wednesday I participated in a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board. The committee unanimously approved an update for the CAMPO Strategic Plan for 2022. A public hearing was held for the Wake Transit Fiscal Year 2023 work plan. Information was provided about the Triangle Regional Travel Survey and the Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure Update.

Bust Installation of Jerry Miller

Thursday I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz, and council members Robinson, Smith, Yerha, Liu, and Bush in a ceremony to install a bust for long time Cary artist Jerry Miller. Speakers for the event included long time friend Anthony Blackman, NC Representative Gale Adcock, Sanford Mayor Chet Mann (Jerry’s great nephew), and I. In my remarks I talked from remarks that I had written down earlier in the day:

“Although Jerry was born in Sanford, he has spent much of his life in Cary. And he loves Cary. He is one of those that we describe as “bleeds green”. In my conversations with Jerry, we have a great time talking about things in Cary’s past and in Cary’s future.

He is an award-winning artist. And if there is an iconic structure in Cary, Jerry has drawn it. In fact, Jerry Miller art is considered a valued treasure and is often given as gifts. I am willing to bet that most people here this afternoon have Jerry’s art in their houses. I know I do.

Jerry shared his passion for art in 1977 by creating the first Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival in downtown. That festival which started with 100 artists is now one of the largest in the southeast and has grown to a 2-day festival that brings over 300 of the highest quality artists from across the nation. It is amazing to think that this festival started with one person’s passion. And that passion put Cary on the map for art. So, in my mind that makes Jerry the godfather of Cary art.

With all that Jerry has accomplished, he is still known by many of us as one of the friendliest faces in Cary. And today we are honored that we will capture that smiling face in perpetuity.  …”

Jerry Miller followed our remarks with his own mostly thanking all in attendance. It was a fantastic event, and his bust is now on display in front of the Cary Arts Center.

North Carolina Metro Mayors

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

General Update

• The Legislature is officially in session as of Wednesday, May 18^th. No votes or committee meetings of significance this week.
• They will return next week for committee meetings and some private caucus discussions.
• Short session may actually be completed by July 1^st, with the chance they could return in the Fall for a special session to take up “unfinished business.”
• The budget this year will likely be in the form of a conference report that cannot be amended – an up or down vote, no changes allowed.  Based on the perception that the biennial budget that passed last year had plenty of spending and tax cuts – there is the possibility that the General Assembly and Governor Cooper would NOT reach an agreement on a budget and the second-year short session adjustments to the budget may not be enacted this year.
• While we have not seen any specific budget language at this point (it is still being developed behind closed doors), the majority leaders have publicly suggested they want another round of tax cuts or a rebate and to raise teacher/state employee pay.
• In somewhat of a role reversal, the Senate appears ready to consider expanding Medicaid coverage, while the House, which earlier seemed poised to take up expansion, now seems less interested. It has been suggested the House may be hesitant to take the issue until after the elections, pointing to a possible special session after the November elections.

Transportation

• We anticipate legislation/budget item that would add funding to transportation projects by directing state transportation related sales and taxes collected by the state to NCDOT rather that the General Fund.  This could mean $500m/year increase to transportation, perhaps to the Highway Trust Fund which would help alleviate the backlog of projects in the state’s STIP (attached handout from NC Chamber of Commerce).  Metro Mayors are active partners in efforts to improve funding for transportation.
• It is important to note that this extends the “user-pay approach” (transportation related taxes spent on transportation) and does not require any new or additional taxes. It is generally recognized the the long-term financing of transportation is going to be challenged as electric vehicles become more prevalent and the gas tax revenue that goes to transportation declines. This proposal would provide badly needed funding for delayed transportation projects and serve as a bridge for financing transportation when gas taxes begin to decline.
• Senator Vickie Sawyer and Senator Tom McInnis have been very supportive of this initiative, providing leadership from the Senate Transportation Committee.
• Please review the attached documents and consider talking to your local Chamber of Commerce. This effort is going to take municipal leaders working in collaboration with the business community if we are going to be able to provide this BADLY NEEDED FUNDING to our state’s transportation program. Reach out to your local chamber and consider a joint appeal to your local delegation to support this legislation. This would be a very positive way to leverage both the support from municipalities and the business community.

Public Safety – Marijuana legislation

• Senator Rabon is planning on moving his Medical Marijuana legislation in the Senate. Because of time constraints in this short session, our lobbying team believes it is highly unlikely it will pass in the House. We are anticipating the legislation will be taken up again in the next General Assembly, in 2023.
• There have been conversations about allowing a local government county level opt-out of such a program. Early indications suggest this would likely be a 30–60-day period after the legislation is passed where a local government could choose to opt-out.
• The current version of the bill only allows 80 dispensaries across the State of North Carolina.

Economic Development – no significant legislative activity

Local Control/Local Revenues

Possible AirBnB/STR legislation –

• While we have not seen any proposals yet, we will remain vigilant on any efforts to restrict local government authority.

Commercial Prop. Plan Review (H291) –

• This bill is a building and multi-family permit acceleration bill. Local governments will have 21 days to complete the plan submission/plan approval process.
• H291 also requires that 2% of local fees paid must be paid to the state for the Department of Insurance, to help cover the costs at the state level.
• Bill was re-referred to committee in March, but the question remains if the legislature is interested in the current format of the bill.
• It will be important for us as a group to remain engaged with your local delegation and help educate legislators regarding this issue.

The meeting concluded after about thirty minutes.

Proposed Budget Details

This week staff provided slides presented at last week’s quarterly meeting which included detail about the proposed budget:

• Milestones:
  • A budget public hearing during Council’s next regular meeting on May 26
  • A second budget public hearing during Council’s regular meeting on June 9
  • Budget adoption during Council’s regular meeting on June 23.
• The recommended budget assumes that the tax rate will remain unchanged at 34.5 cents per every $100 of assessed value. One penny on the tax rate generates $3.4M
• The solid waste fee is recommended to increase $1.50 to $22 per month:
  • Increasing the fee by $1.50 generates approximately $944,000 annually
  • Our current rate of $20.50 / month recovers just under 90% of the program’s cost.
  • The $1.50 increase will bring cost recovery to 94%
  • Cary’s solid waste fee has historically recovered roughly 85% to 95% of the program’s cost. Staff does not recall reaching 100% cost recovery.
• Utility Rates are recommended to increase 3%:
  • This roughly translates to a $2.30 / month increase for the average family of 4.
  • Rates were increased in our current fiscal year (FY 2022) by approximately 2.5%. And they were decreased by 4% the prior year.
  • Even with increases in FYs 2022 and 2023, Cary’s rates remain below what was projected prior to the FY 2021 decrease.
• Property tax revenue continues to perform well:
  • As of Q3, we collected $114.3M, or 98% of our $116.2M property tax budget for FY 2022.
  • FY 2023 property tax revenue is budgeted at 2% growth in conjunction with tax base growth.
• Sales Tax Revenue:
  • FY 2022 sales tax revenue is estimated at $50.M which is 15% more than budget.
  • The FY 2023 budget recommendation of $53M assumes 5% growth over FY 2022 estimated numbers.
• Total Budget:
  • The total budget, operating and capital combined, is $443.6 million. That figure is up 10.9% from the current year’s budget.
  • $324.0 million of the total budget supports the operating budget which is up 12.1% from the current year’s budget.
  • The remaining $119.6 million supports capital improvements projects identified for the year. This is a 7.7% increase from the current year.
  • The primary drivers behind this year’s operating budget increases are inflation, supply chain, employee compensation and the Downtown Park.
  • On the capital side, rising inflation and supply chain costs are significant contributors. The capital budget also reflects an intentional increase in housing funding, as well.
• What the Budget Does:
  • Maintains Services and Infrastructure
  • Moves Forward with Priority Areas Like Stormwater, Housing, and the Environment
  • Brings the Downtown Park On-line
  • Supports Police Department Staffing and Vehicle Needs
  • Continuous Commitment to Employees
• Core Services:
  • $7.3 million is directed to the street improvements project
  • $8.75 million is included for sidewalk improvements:

• $7M of this funding is supported by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars with the remaining $1.75M funded with Town cash.
• Council directed $5 million of ARPA funding to sidewalks in our current fiscal year (2022), so adding this $7M in FY 2023 brings total ARPA supported sidewalks to $12M.
• $13.5 million supports water and sewer line maintenance and repair.
• $2.4 million is included for maintaining existing fire stations. Station 4 is the focus for FY 2023 rehabilitation funding.
• Facility maintenance examples range from:
  • Park and playground renovations to
  • HVAC and roof repair and replacements, Town Hall renovations, and more at various facilities.
  • Major maintenance and repair at Cary’s three sports special venues – Cary Tennis Park, WakeMed Soccer Park and the USA Baseball National Training Facility are also included.
  • The Town receives $3M per year in Hospitality Tax funds from Wake County to offset a portion of these special venue maintenance needs.
• The FY 2023 recommended budget continues to carry out the projects approved by voters in the Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond referendum with $24.5 million in projects:
  • $19.1 million Transportation
  • $ 5.4 million Parks
• Stormwater:
  • In addition to regular operating expenses, $3.3 million is directed toward stormwater initiatives between the operating and capital budgets.
  • $2.3 million of this amount supports our routine stormwater infrastructure, condition assessment projects and continuation of our Swift Creek Model, while an additional $1 million included in the operating budget supports study and related work that the team will move forward with in FY 2023.
• Housing:
  • A total of $9M supports implementation of Cary’s recently adopted Housing Plan.
  • $5M of this total is supported with American Rescue Plan Act funds that Council approved for use in January 2022 ($1M to flow through the FY 2023 Community Development Block Grant program and $4M to be used for a land purchase or other similar use when identified.)
  • The remaining $4M appropriated through the FY 2023 budget is funded with $650,000 in federal CDBG funds and Town of Cary dollars.
  • For context – Cary’s $4M in housing funding is equal to a bit over one penny, while the $9M total equates to a little less than 3 pennies on the tax rate.
• New Environmental Initiatives:
  • Environmental Action Plan
  • Pollinator Gardens design and installation
  • Solarized campaign – Solarized campaigns help homes and businesses in the same area go solar together through local organized community outreach. This campaign is being led by TJCOG, and Cary is participating as a partner.
  • Tree care
  • Tree plantings
  • Nursery to grow and deliver specific trees for Cary’s “My Tree Our Tree” program
  • An electric vehicle study
  • Continued consideration and purchase of electric vehicles when appropriate
• GoCary:
  • The FY 2023 recommended budget also includes $18.4M for construction of the GoCary Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility.
  • Total project cost is estimated at $39.2 million. $20.8 million has been appropriated to date. The FY 2023 funding provides remaining funds needed for construction.
  • This project is 100% funded with Wake County Transit Plan funds.
• Downtown Park:
  • The FY 2023 recommended budget provides funding so that we are ready when the park is ready.
  • $2.5 million is included for programming, programming related supplies and equipment and 9 positions to serve the park.
  • The facility’s remaining position needs in both PRCR and Public Works will be a part of FY 2024 budget development.
• Police Staffing and Vehicles:
  • 6 new police officer positions are included in the FY 2023 recommended budget. These positions will be downtown-focused working to build relationships with citizens, businesses and downtown patrons while continuing to keep our community safe. Total cost for these positions including salaries, benefits, equipment and vehicles is estimated at $1M.
  • An additional $2.6M is included in the budget to complete the transition of the Police Department’s vehicle assignment model from shared vehicle to 1:1. Purchasing 36 more police vehicles will allow the department to assign one officer to one vehicle and eliminate the need for vehicle sharing.
• Employee Commitment:
  • Our employees are another important focus of the FY 2023 budget recommendation. Continuing to employ the best is key to keeping Cary Cary.
  • To that end, the recommended budget establishes a new employee compensation program which Chief Human Resource Officer Renee Poole will share more about.
  • The budget also funds Cary’s Pay-for-Performance program at an average 5% merit award.

Town Manager’s Report

The Town Manager’s Report for this week includes the following:

Sean’s Message

At the time of this writing, I’m preparing to join today’s celebration of our employees at ”Appreciate the Best,” which we’re holding at USA Baseball National Training Complex. Our staff organizing team has planned a ballpark lunch as well as several contests and opportunities to enjoy one another’s company. As you have said, Council, Cary has the best staff in the nation, and we want to continue expressing our gratitude for their hard work and excellence.
Also, with regard to our staff, you will find an invitation in your calendars to meet our four Police Chief finalists early next week. I look forward to joining you in those conversations.
Lastly, next Thursday is our only regular council meeting in May.
Have a great weekend.
Sean

Virtual Information Session

A virtual information session will be held on May 25 at 6:30 p.m. for the upcoming infrastructure improvement project along NW Maynard Road. The project includes closing a 1,700-ft gap in the sidewalk system along the east side of NW Maynard Road between High House Road and Old Apex Road. Additionally, 3,300-ft of new 24-inch water main will also be installed along the same segment to increase capacity in the water system. The meeting will be used to share plans, traffic impacts, and receive feedback. Please register in advance for this meeting.

Road Detour Update

In mid-April, traffic on Walnut Street was reduced to one-way between Kildaire Farm Road and Walker Street and detoured to Byrum Street. The detour was necessary to allow for installation of storm drainage and water and sewer connections associated with the Lee & Associates building that is currently under construction at the intersection of Walnut Street and Kildaire Farm Road. As of yesterday, the detours have been removed, and a new traffic pattern has been put into place.
Also, S. Academy Street from Chatham Street to Dry Avenue will be closed tomorrow from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the 9th Annual Wheels on Academy. Dry Avenue and Chatham Street will remain open during the event.

ESG Panel Discussion

Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar participated in a panel discussion regarding ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) work with the NAIOP, Commercial Real Estate Development Association. The panel discussion was an introduction to the topic and Q&A, with representation from Cary for the municipal perspective and from Fujifilm for the perspective from a publicly traded company. Sarah Gaskill is Head of Sustainability and ESG at Fujifilm and joined Danna on the panel discussion. There were excellent questions from the group about environmental work, diversity and inclusion, as well as the approach to governance in general.

Fest in the West

Cary was host to the 6th Fest in the West at Thomas Brooks Park on May 7. The event was relocated to the softball complex this year due to construction at the National Training Complex. This free community festival drew great crowds despite the weather that creeped in toward the end of the afternoon. With two stages, each with a full line-up, food trucks, beer garden, entertainment, kids activities, and crafts for sale, there was a little something for everyone.

Calling the Monarchs

Monarch butterflies like nectar from many native plants, but they love milkweeds. Milkweed leaves are the only food monarch caterpillars eat, so the butterflies are on the lookout for milkweed patches to lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae caterpillars can start nibbling right away. Having planted 400 milkweed plugs at Jack Smith Park, Cary looks forward to being a host site for this beautiful butterfly. In addition to milkweed, more than 100 sunflower plugs were also planted to adorn the area under the whirligigs.

Compost Conversations

Cary regularly connects with regional municipal neighbors to explore and share solid waste operations and waste management initiatives. Recently, staff spoke about the pilot food waste drop-off with members of the TJCOG Regional Solid Waste Consortium and later toured the City of Durham’s yard waste site and their compost facility to learn how they run these operations through contracted services with Atlas Organics. Interestingly, Durham adds a few hundred pounds of food scraps to their weekly mix to make compost. Food scraps are collected from less than 100 volunteer households participating in their pilot curbside program.

Annual Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale

In support of Cary’s commitment to stormwater mitigation and waste diversion, we hosted our 10th annual Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale. Community members purchased a collective 311 rain barrels and 233 compost bins in order to grow greener lawns and gardens. Distribution events are taking place throughout the month of May at the historic Good Hope Farm where participants are also receiving education regarding backyard composting and rainwater harvesting.

West Point Leadership Graduation Program

On May 10, Corporals Jann Leach, Tim Hageter, Armando Bake, and Matt Cavalear graduated from the West Point Leadership Program (WPLP). Developed by Methodist University’s Center for Excellence in Justice Administration, the West Point Leadership Program is a challenging 16-week leadership course designed to inspire leaders to develop an informed, systematic, and dynamic approach to leading in police organizations. WPLP is an adaptation of the third-year Military Leadership course completed by all West Point cadets.

First Cary PD Motorcycle Instructor

This month, Motor Officer Dustin Preston became the first Cary Police Officer to earn the Police Motorcycle Instructor Certification through the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) in Daytona Beach, Florida. The extensive two-week course curriculum included advanced riding skill building, creating and improving department training programs, and presenting a block of instruction. His training and expertise will enable Cary to host its own police motorcycle training courses, enhance current internal motor officer training programs, and assist other agencies with their motorcycle training courses.

NCWRF Aeration Improvements Update

Construction is complete on the North Cary Water Reclamation Facility Aeration Improvements Project. Facility staff and the contractor, Crowder Construction, worked together to maintain daily operations and deliver this project on time and under budget. Capital upgrades installed over the past two years modernized the aeration systems, replaced obsolete equipment, and will supply future energy savings while supporting advanced treatment. This capital investment into Cary’s oldest water reclamation facility will allow treatment to remain at the highest standards for years to come. 

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting

A neighborhood meeting will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on June 1. The following case will be discussed:

• 22-REZ-10 Cary Plastic Surgery

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

Upcoming Meetings

Planning and Zoning Board
Monday, May 23
6:30 p.m.

Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday, May 25
6:00 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday, May 26
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• A proclamation request which was evaluated against our guidelines.
• A request to use town media (the use of our media is limited by state and federal laws)
• A complaint about paving roadways along Ridgecrest and Willow.
• A complaint about replacing landscaping on Ridgecrest.
• A complaint about bicyclists impacting traffic.

Next Week

Next I will be on a family vacation out of town. Any mayoral duties will be handled by Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, June 5^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.

Town Manager One-On-One

Monday I met virtually with the town manager for our weekly meeting. We talked about the upcoming quarterly meeting and topics that would be covered which included the budget, The Fenton, a development update, an Environmental update, and the Electric Bike Pilot.

Tennis Exhibition

Wednesday I participated in the Western Wake Tennis Association Senior Appreciation Day exhibition. I joined Cary’s Tennis Services Coordinator, Sean Ferreira, in an exhibition with two seniors in attendance. Before the exhibition I thanked those in attendance for supporting the Cary Tennis Park and growing the game of tennis. The exhibition consisted of four games of six points. I was a great time and I loved being at the Cary Tennis Park.

Council-Staff Quarterly Meeting

Thursday the council and staff held their first quarterly meeting of the year. Motions approved at the quarterly meeting included:

• A motion to use $475,000 from the Utility Fund to purchase the 1.8-megawatt South Cary Solar field: Passed Unanimously
• A motion to use $154,019 of DERA grant funds and $189,446 general funds to purchase an electric sanitation truck: Passed 6 – 1
• A resolution allowing a pilot program for E-Bikes on greenways: Passed 7 – 0
• A motion to approve the Fenton’s request to change Pod 2A to have a smaller grocery store, extend main street, have flexible signage, and make revisions to the PDP: Passed 5 – 2
• A motion to allow the Fenton a waiver to come back with a proposal to add a green roof and more height to Pod 2A: Passed 7 – 0

The following are notes related to the motions and to other discussion topics:

• Energy:
  • Cary received SolSmart gold this year.
  • Cary catalogs of datasets with energy information are available through the open data portal.
  • The South Cary Solar Farm will offset 20% of the facility’s energy needs
  • Purchasing the South Cary Solar Farm has a 5-to-10-year Return on Investment.
  • Emission Reductions from the South Cary Solar Farm is equivalent to 184 homes or 1870 acres of forest.
• Transportation and the Environment:
  • We began a pilot program to evaluate electric lawn mowers. The one we purchased is twice the price of a typical mower.
  • With the approved motion (mentioned above) the town will purchase an electric garbage truck from Mack. This pilot truck is three times the cost of a typical truck. Garbage trucks are one of the biggest carbon producers in the town’s fleet. We will have the only electric garbage truck in the state and maybe the only one on the east coast. The truck will have a five-year bumper to bumper warranty and a ten-year batter warranty.
• Tree Canopy:
  •  Trees planted at Middle Creek Park as part of the My Tree Our Tree program.
  • My Tree Our Tree program gave away 600 trees this spring and will give away 600 in the fall as it did last year.
  • The Williams property of ten acres, located about ¼ mile from the American Tobacco Trail, was purchased since it was 60% in the floodplain. It will remain protected from development.
  • The Rain It In program now has nine videos in its series. The purpose is to provide techniques to slow, capture, or absorb rainfall.
• 8000 dry tons of biosolids were produced from the Western Wake Regional Water Reclamation Facility and sold in 2021.
• New food waste programs are successful. 13,397 pounds were collected in one week.
• Environmental education and advocacy programs:
  • Solar workshops
  • Compost workshops
  • For the Birds Campaign
  • Hives
  • Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Herb Fest
• Capital Projects:
  • Carpenter Fire Station Road Bridge is complete
  • Construction costs for town have seen 18% increase and longer times to get materials
  • There are 500 active projects of about $1 billion which require 70 project managers and involve 10 departments
  • Future tennis park upgrades will include solar which will offset energy costs by 50%
  • Downtown Park is expected to open late summer of next year
  • Black Creek Greenway project is divided into ten increments to allow for sewer rehabilitation.
  • Crabtree Creek Greenway opens this summer.
  • The Black Creek Greenway bridge is under design.
  • The High House and Old Apex water line and sidewalk project will take about a year.
  • The Kildaire Farm water line project will include street enhancements and corridor improvements.
• Cary has hired an urban designer who will help with illustrative support and problem solving.
• USA Baseball expansion and two new neighborhood parks have broken ground.
• Council approved a resolution allowing E-Bikes on greenways as a pilot. This pilot will be from June 1^st until the end of the year. The police department will use two E-Bikes. Currently, motorized vehicles of any kind are prohibited from greenways. Speed limit signs of 15 mph will be posted on greenways.
• The proposed budget:
  • Tax rate of $.345 which is unchanged (one penny on the tax rate equals about $3.4 million)
  • Solid waste fee to increase $1.50 (this will bring operating cost recovery of wastewater to 94%)
  • Utility rate will increase 3% to cover inflation of materials
  • For FY2022 (ending June 30^th) we have collected 98% of property tax
  • Overall FY 2023 proposed budget is $443.6 million which is a 10.9% increase ($324 million for operations and $119 million for capital projects)
  • Inflation, supply chain issues, employee compensation, and the downtown park have a significant impact on this year’s budget
  • $7.3 million included for street improvements
  • $8.75 million for sidewalks ($7.5 million from ARPA funds)
  • $13.5 million for water and sewer line rehabilitation
  • $2.4 million for the rehabilitation of fire station #4
  • $19.1 million for transportation projects and $5.4 million for parks projects as park of 2019 bond referendum
  • $9 million for housing ($5 million from ARPA and $4 million from town)
  • $18.4 for bus maintenance facility (total cost is $39.2 funded by Wake Transit Tax)
  • There will be costs brining the downtown park online
  • Adding 6 new police officers for downtown and 6 new police vehicles for $2.4 million
  • Council approved giving employees an average merit increase of 5%
  • Council approved giving employees a one-time payment of $3,000 to $5,000 for inflation
  • Council approved enhancements to current benefits at a cost of $4 million for a leave package and to enhance current benefits
  • The mayor will be sending a letter to employees on behalf of the council
  • The budget can be found online at Cary’s FY 2023 Recommended Budget
• The motion to the Fenton rezoning change was approved after brief discussion
• Development:
  • 2 rezoning cases this quarter
  • Of 37 requests for rezonings only 8 submitted which is a 13% conversion rate
  • 30 development plans were approved last year
  • 202 residential plans were approved which was close to the five-year average of 226

The quarterly meeting ended after four hours. All topics but Accessory Dwelling Units were covered. That will be covered at our next quarterly meeting.

Campaign Video

Friday morning I did a very short video at Booth amphitheater encouraging people to vote and endorsing Council member Yerha. You can see it at https://www.edyerha.com/endorsements.

Triangle Math and Science Academy Visit

Later Friday morning I visited the Triangle Math and Science Academy off Gregson Drive in Cary. The school, which has Kindergarten through High School, is ranked as one of the top ten Charter Schools in the state. Led by student ambassadors and administrators, I toured the school for about an hour. Along the way I spoke to first graders, visited a biology class, and visited a pre-calculus class. I also spent time talking to the administrators about their future expansion plans. At the end of my visit, I was presented a beautiful crystal globe by the superintendent. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. The teachers, students, faculty, and administration were all so very kind. To read a summary of my visit see https://www.tmsapcs.org/news/cary_mayor_visits_t_m_s_a.

Cary Fire Department 100-year celebration breakfast

Saturday morning I joined council members Smith and Robinson in a ceremonial breakfast marking the 100 year anniversary of the Cary Fire Department. The event, held at Fire Station 9 on Walnut Street, had about 100 attendees mostly made up of retired firefighters. The event kicked off with a traditional push of a 1940s fire truck out of the fire bay by retirees. It was the 75^th year of that tradition commemorating when horses were used for fire apparatus. Chief Cooper, council member Smith, and I provided remarks. Then a group photo was taken in front of the fire station. Other events celebrating the 100^th anniversary include Movie on the Lawn on June 3^rd at the old library site, the Fire Truck parade on June 4^th in downtown followed by a street dance on Academy, the official anniversary on June 6^th with an open house at all fire stations, and the 100th Anniversary Showcase on June 25^th at Bond Park. We are truly blessed to have the best fire department in the state if not the southeast. As an indication of the interest to belong to such a great family of firefighters, there are currently 500 applications for 16 positions.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• A complaint about traffic at Old Apex and Laura Duncan related to an Apex apartment development
• A high school student complaining about the lack of transit options
• A complaint about dirty tennis balls around Preston at Lakeridge

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with NC Tennis Association representatives, a meeting with OneWake members, a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board, a bust installation of an amazing Cary citizen, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Friday, May 20^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.

State of Cary to FFF

Monday morning I presented the State of Cary address to a few dozen members of the FFF of Cary Presbyterian. Since they had no time limits, I spoke for about 45 minutes going into detail on several areas including affordable housing and development projects. I was there about two hours.

Meeting with Town Manager

Monday afternoon I met for my weekly one-on-one with the town manager. Topics included the upcoming quarterly meeting, the Fenton, the Epic Games redevelopment of the mall site, and the redevelopment of the South Hills mall site. Our conversation lasted about fifteen minutes.

Honor a Teacher

Tuesday I joined council members Smith and Yerha in the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s annual Honor a Teacher event. 34 teachers from schools within Cary were honored with a plaque and $1000 for their excellence in teaching. Thanks to all the sponsors who supported this event and realize that our teachers are so vital to our community. In addition to briefly welcoming the guests, I had the honor of presenting two awards sponsored by the Town of Cary.

Jack Smith Campaign Event

Wednesday I attended a campaign event for Jack Smith. I, along with Scott Lassiter who is the Wake County Soil and Conservation District Supervisor, spoke and encouraged attendees to support Jack. Jack, who has been serving since 1989, is the longest serving council member in Cary’s history.

I usually don’t endorse any candidates for office except sitting council members. The only other endorsement I have given is to Gale Adcock for North Carolina Senate. Gale and I have been friends for years.

Having said that, I am always open to meeting and talking with any candidate. I will gladly share any knowledge I have to help them prepare for serving.

Staff Interview on Branding

Thursday afternoon I was interviewed by a staff member about our branding process. She was capturing the interview for a case study. We talked about the process and how I thought could be improved. In addition, we talked about what was expected before the process began and how I felt about the results now the process was over.

Wake Med Cary Tour

Friday morning I toured Wake Med Cary with Senior Vice President, Tom Hughes, and Chief Medical Officer, Doug Trocinski. We toured the new fifth floor and the unfinished fourth floor. In addition, we visited partners in an adjacent building that were doing State of the Art scanning. I asked dozens and dozens of questions. We are very fortunate to have this state-of-the-art facility in Cary. It serves not only Cary but the region and specializes in several areas. It should be pointed out that Wake Med Cary partners with Duke and Rex on various patient needs.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

I look forward to seeing each of you next Thursday at the Quarterly Meeting when we plan to discuss the Fenton Mixed-Use Development, an e-bike pilot, the FY 2023 recommended budget, and various other council priority items.
There will not be a Council Weekly Report next week following the Quarterly Meeting. My next message will be on Friday, May 20.
Have a nice weekend.
Sean

Development Pulse Report

The April 2022 Development Pulse Report is now available.

Highlights:

• Fenton had the following four building permits approved in April:
  • Building 12 Courtyard Fire Pit
  • Greenway Boardwalk
  • Free People
  • Truist Bank
• Apple, 301 MetLife Way: Building permits were approved for the interior renovations to the 1st and 7th floor of the existing MetLife 3 Building.

May ZBOA Meeting

On Monday, the Byrum Street Flats Sketch Plan was presented to the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBOA). This project is located on the properties of the former Heartwood Montessori School at the southeast corner of Kildaire Farm Road and Byrum Street. The project requested a development plan modification to reduce the residential streetscape to ten feet wide and planted with a Type C buffer. The Board unanimously approved the case based on the amount of community gathering area and open space being provided, as well as the development project advancing the goals of the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) and the Imagine Cary Community Plan. The Board also approved the resolution for a variance to the platted setback for a residential property at 210 Meadow Drive.

Pride Month Activities

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month commemorates the events of June 1969 in New York, known as the Stonewall Uprising, that sparked a liberation movement in the United States. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. A cross-departmental team with representatives from the Town Manager’s Office, PRCR, DEI, and Transportation have collaborated to develop activities to commemorate Pride Month, including lighting the façade of the Cary Arts Center, films and discussions at The Cary Theater, a temporary public art display, a family-oriented bicycle Pride Ride along Cary’s greenways, and a launch of an initiative to gather and document LGBTQ history within Cary. Staff will proceed with this outline of proposed activities in June unless we hear otherwise from you by Wednesday, May 11.

Ridgecrest Road and Willow Street Paving Update

The 2021 Water Main Replacement project has reached substantial completion with the onset of restoration activities. This week paving crews began work to resurface the roadways along Ridgecrest Road and Willow Street. The entire width of the roadways is being resurfaced, which will leave the infrastructure in these areas renewed both underground and above ground for many years to come. The remaining paving activities in the neighborhood will be completed early next week.

Cary’s Mention in ABC11 report about the effects of Session Law 2021-138

As you may have seen in a recent Daily Briefing, Cary received a brief mention in an ABC 11 report about Durham’s current inability to criminally enforce its noise ordinance due to a recent state law that went into effect this past December. Cary’s noise ordinance was not impacted by this legislation due to it already containing specific language authorizing criminal enforcement. Staff is inventorying the Code of Ordinances for any impacts from the new law and plan to bring any ordinances that need clarification or updates before Council later this year. It’s important to note that Cary can civilly enforce all of its ordinances at this time (with fines, permit revocations, and other actions). The Town Attorney’s office is available to answer any questions you may have.  

HRID Task Force Orientation

Members of the Human Resources, Inclusion, & Diversity (HRID) Task Force gathered virtually with staff for their new member orientation on May 5. Members heard from Deputy Town Manager and Chief Operating Officer Russ Overton, Assistant Town Attorney Matt Pentz, and Deputy Clerk Julie Clifton as they shared about Cary’s culture, public records, transparency, and what to expect at HRID meetings.

National Prescription Drug Takeback Event

On April 30, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cary Police Department took part in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Event. This biannual event took place at Town Hall Campus and Wegmans located on Davis Drive. A combined total of 355 pounds of unused prescription drugs were collected. 

Herbfest

On May 1, the Page-Walker Arts & History Center welcomed approximately 500 visitors to Cary’s annual Herbfest. Vendors offered a variety of herbs, native plants, garden ornaments, home care products, edible treats, and plant-themed gifts. Attendees enjoyed touring the Anne B. Kratzer Educational Garden and learning about gardening, beekeeping, composting, zero-waste, and other environmental topics. As always, the butterfly release was a highlight and spectacle to behold.

Opioid Settlement Agreement Update

Last year Cary joined onto a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the State of North Carolina and local governments on proceeds relating to the settlement of opioid litigation with all 100 counties and 17 cities above 75,000 population. This is an 18-year agreement/payout in which Cary stands to receive around $928,000. If we’ve learned anything over the last several years of the pandemic it has been the importance of working with our regional partners in Wake and Chatham counties in managing the public health emergency.
Per the agreement, the settlement funds will have to be spent in specific ways and in many programs that Cary does not traditionally run. Given the unique role of counties in providing public health services, including those related to fighting drug addiction, we have determined that Cary’s share of annual distributions under the MOA should be directed to the counties in which Cary is located. Wake and Chatham counties have already joined in the MOA and we look forward to once again partnering with the counties to utilize these settlement funds and have asked that they put these funds to use in combatting opioid problems with the other programs and/or new ones as part of ongoing health and human services programs.

The Community Voice Tree Summit is Coming

Registration for the June 11 Community Voice Tree Summit is now open. As part of the creation of the Urban Forest Master Plan, summit participants can share their feedback on a variety of tree topics to help shape the vision of Cary’s tree canopy for the next 10 years. To encourage citizens to participate, the Cary Teen Council members are providing childcare. For more information visit www.townofcary.org/trees.

AARP Tax Aide Service End of Season Update

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides in-person and virtual tax assistance to anyone, free of charge, with a focus on taxpayers who are over 50 and have low to moderate income. In Cary, we partner with AARP to provide this service to our community. This year, 814 returns were processed at the Herb Young Community Center February through mid-April. Tax-Aide volunteers are located nationwide and are trained and IRS-certified every year to make sure they know about and understand the latest changes and additions to the tax code. 

Panama vs. El Salvador Soccer

On May 1, Cary hosted an international friendly between two national teams: Panama and El Salvador at WakeMed Soccer Park. An excited crowd of almost 6,000, mostly El Salvadorian, came to cheer on their country. Weather interrupted the match and the game ended with a score final of 3-2 El Salvador.

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Environmental Advisory Board
Tuesday, May 10
6:00 p.m.

Historic Preservation Commission
Wednesday, May 11
6:30 p.m.

Council Meeting (Quarterly)
Thursday, May 12
1:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• A complaint about AT&T box creating a hazard on High House
• A complaint about a proposed rezoning on Optimist Farm Road
• A complaint about erosion at the Park Village Pond
• A request to pick up trash that an elderly woman couldn’t get out in time (staff took care of this quickly… as they always do)

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a Western Wake Tennis Association Senior Appreciation Day event, a council-staff quarterly meeting, a NC Metro Mayors meeting, and a 100^th Anniversary Celebration breakfast for the Cary Fire Department.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, May 15^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 slower since I was on vacation celebrating my 35th wedding anniversary.

Park Groundbreaking

Sunday I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz, council member Yerha, council member Bush, council member Robinson, council member Smith, and Wake County Commissioner Chair Sig Hutchinson for the groundbreaking of two parks: Carpenter Fire Station Park and McCrimmon Park. There were lots of activities and treats for the couple of hundred in attendance. I look forward to the ribbon cuttings next year.

Media Misrepresentation

This is election season and during this time many things are said are simply not true. But some are outrageous and now some media outlets are making false claims. The Independent Weekly said that they were “excited about two candidates who would bring fresh ideas to a council that has been traditionally dominated by wealthy conservatives.” I was floored when I read that. First of all, no one on the council that I am aware of is wealthy unless they are hiding that wealth. Three of us are retired, one owns an automotive shop, two work for IT businesses, and one teaches law. Secondly, we are well balanced politically. The council is made up of four independents, two democrats, and two republicans. Of the four independents, two lean left and two lean right. It is extremely disappointing that a local publication would state something so blatantly untrue.

Monarch Mayor Pledge

A citizen asked if we would take the Monarch Mayor Pledge. The Mayor and Council approved our involvement in the pledge in 2019. Our pledge participation automatically renews each year when staff turns in their annual report to National Wildlife Federation. The link to Cary’s Mayor Monarch Portal that reflects our submitted 2022 update is located at https://www.nwf.org/mayorsmonarchportal/Community?communityId=494&programYearId=3

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included:

Danna’s Message

I look forward to joining you all on Sunday to break ground and celebrate the two neighborhood parks on Carpenter Fire Station Road and McCrimmon Parkway! Also, citizens are encouraged to stop by Fred G. Bond Metro Park tomorrow for the Spring Daze Arts and Crafts Festival. While at Spring Daze, visit Earth Day Lane for a compost bin and rain barrel giveaway, recycling tips, garden ideas, greenway maps, an electric vehicle demo and much more at the booths staffed by environmental staff.
While at Bond Park, citizens can take advantage of early voting and pop into the Cary Senior Center to cast their votes! Early voting will continue through May 14 and is available at the Cary Senior Center and Herb Young Community Center. Voters can find more details on early voting, including dates and times, by following the link for their County of residence below:

• Wake County
• Chatham County
• Durham County

Enjoy your weekend!
Danna

Secretary Biser Visits Cary

Children’s Day Festival

Cary welcomed Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Biser and her staff from the Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Support for a tour of the Pilot Food Waste Recycling Drop-off. Staff was thrilled to share the successful development of the pilot that was partially funded by DEQ’s Community Waste Reduction and Recycling grant. Secretary Biser recognized the service as a model for other communities and is excited to learn how Cary may build upon this initiative.
Secretary Biser also attended last night’s Council meeting and was presented the Earth Day Proclamation by Council Member Jack Smith. Ms. Biser thanked Cary for being a leader in food waste reduction and talked about the importance of celebrating Earth Day.

This year’s Children’s Day Festival welcomed nearly 5,000 guests for a day of music, dance, crafts, games, and food. The annual event celebrates the importance of children, sharing with them the cultures and traditions of their neighbors. Council Member Jack Smith read the proclamation that proclaimed the children of Cary “emerge[d] like colorful butterflies from a cocoon” from the years of pandemic. Children’s Day Festival is led by the American-Turkish Association of North Carolina and sponsored by Sister Cities of Cary.

Advisory Boards Annual Spring Mingle

On Thursday, Advisory Board volunteers had their Annual Spring Mingle and invited Cary101 students to join them in learning about the work of each of Cary’s Advisory Boards and Commissions.

Any Cary citizens interested in serving on a Council-appointed Advisory Board are encouraged to apply now. The active recruitment period begins on May 1 and will run through June 30. All applications received by 11:59 p.m. on June 30 will be considered for appointment in September for terms beginning October 1. For more information and to apply, please visit bit.ly/caryboards.

Bond Park – Suspected Algae Bloom

As has happened in the past, Bond Lake has experienced a suspected algae bloom, along with excessive duckweed growth. The high heat and low rain fall produced high algae growth turning the lake green. The suspected bloom has been reported to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality who will be on-site to conduct further investigation as to the type of algae. Precautionary signs have been posted in the park in the rare case the investigation shows the algae to be toxic to animals. The results of the investigation are due early next week.

Parks Update

Major milestones were reached this week on the court renovation project which is partially funded by the 2019 Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond. Dunham Park reopened to the public with six new lighted tennis courts, parking lot renovation, and a new greenway connection.
At Annie Jones Park the post-tension concrete tennis courts were poured, and final cleanup of the site is underway with plans to reopen by early summer. The Walnut Street Park additions of a lighted basketball court and two pickleball courts are in progress, and prep work is occurring for installation of the pavement with a planned opening this summer.

Bike Month and National Trails Day

May is National Bike Month and June 4 is National Trails Day; a great opportunity to celebrate Cary’s commitment to cycling. As a nationally recognized Bicycle-Friendly Community since 2003, Cary strives to encourage riding as a healthy mode of transportation, educate the community on how to safely ride, promote cycling as a healthy form of exercise and recreation, and bring awareness of the over 200 miles of on-road and greenway facilities in Cary. So, grab your bike, get outside, enjoy the spring weather, and see Cary on two wheels!

On our Bike Month and National Trails Day webpage you’ll find information on all of the ways to get involved and moving all month long. 

Volunteers Plant Veggies for Cary’s First Responders

More than 60 volunteers gathered at fire stations across town to plant gardens in support of Cary’s first responders. For over eight years the community has rallied together to install and maintain both food crops and native pollinator plants at these sites. Fire station garden projects connect citizens with our first responders, create opportunities for environmental service learning, and help provide freshly grown produce to station meals.

Good Hope Farm is a Stop on the Piedmont Farm Tour

The Good Hope Farm was one of 20 regional farms selected by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s 25th Piedmont Farm Tour. As guests toured historic buildings and purchased produce and plants from local farmers, they experienced how Cary is committed to celebrating its agricultural past and making regenerative agriculture a vital part of its sustainable future. 

Exchange Clubs of Wake County Law Enforcement Recognition Banquet

On Monday, the Exchange Clubs of Wake County hosted their annual Law Enforcement Recognition Banquet at Cary Presbyterian Church. Cary’s own Officer David Langdon was one of those honored for outstanding service and performance in law enforcement. David works tirelessly to promote traffic safety throughout our community. He is a leader in driving while impaired (DWI) arrests and is a dedicated Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and DWI Detection Instructor as well as a Drug Recognition Expert. He has assisted many officers in DWI investigations where controlled substances were the apparent cause of impairment. Congratulations to David on this well-deserved recognition.

Exceptional Wastewater Treatment Performance

Cary’s Water Reclamation Facilities processed more than 7.1 billion gallons of wastewater in 2021 and removed 3.2 million pounds of nitrogen. Our facilities continue to perform exceptionally well with greater than 96 percent removal rates, keeping nutrients out of our local streams and rivers. The reclamation process creates a dried Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids called Enviro-Gems by recycling the nutrients from the wastewater for beneficial reuse as a natural fertilizer and soil amendment.

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board
Monday, May 2
5:15 p.m.

Hybrid Information Services Advisory Board
Monday, May 2
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday, May 2
6:30 p.m.

Hybrid Senior Advisory Board
Wednesday, May 4
2:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• A request to be notified when the mayor’s blog is posted
• A request to have curbside food waste pickup
• A complaint about a rezoning proposal at Old Apex and Chatham
• Invitations to several events

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a presentation to the FFF of Cary Presbyterian’s Fellowship Ministry, a tour of the 200 acres that will be a future park, the Honor a Teacher Event, an event for Council Member Jack Smith, a tour of Wake Med Cary, and an interview with the Real Estate Podcast.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, May 8th. 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 was a slower week than is typical this time of year.

Wake County Mayors Association

Monday I met with the Wake County Mayors at our monthly meeting. In attendance were mayors from Cary, Fuquay Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, and Zebulon. Topics included ARPA funding and upcoming budgets. From the conversations it appears Cary will continue to have the lowest tax rate in Wake County.

Cary Council Candidates Forum

Tuesday morning I attended a Cary Council Candidates forum held by the Cary Chamber. There are 10 candidates running for three seats and they were all in attendance. Due to the number of candidates and the limited time, the candidates only gave an opening statement, a closing statement, and answered two questions. I would recommend visiting their websites for additional information. Here is a list of candidates with the websites I could find:

• District A: Jennifer Robinson (incumbent), Chase McGrath
• District C: Jack Smith (incumbent), Mary Insprucker, George McDowell, Renee Miller, Amanda Murphy
• At Large: Ed Yerha (incumbent), Ken George, Carissa Johnson

Election day is May 17^th and the runoff election day is July 26^th.

Wynston Ridge HOA Meeting

Tuesday night I provided a town update to homeowners of Wynston Ridge in a virtual meeting. I also answered about half a dozen questions.

Federal Grants Presented by Congresswoman Ross

Wednesday I joined most of the Cary Council, some Wake County Commissioners, and a couple of NC legislators for a presentation of $1.9 million in federal grants from Congresswoman Deborah Ross. The first grant of $900,000 is for the Swift Creek Stormwater Management and Modeling program. The second grant of $1,000,000 is for the future Cary Regional Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility.

We are so grateful for Congresswoman Ross for her hard working in obtaining funding for these essential projects.

CAMPO

The Executive Board of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization met Wednesday afternoon and approved two items: The final report for the Triangle Bike Way Study, an amendment to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the removal of selected Bonus Allocation projects from the Intersection Improvements list. To find out detailed information about these items go here.

Elected Officials Appreciation Reception

Wednesday evening the Cary Chamber held a reception to thank elected officials for all the work they do to help Cary. In attendance was Congresswoman Ross, NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, several legislators, Wake County Commissioners, Wake County School Board members, and the entire Cary town council. I joined three other speakers in providing remarks thanking the officials. I also posed for several pictures including one with my good friend NC Representative Gale Adcock.

Reception for Mark Lawson the new President of Cary Chamber

Thursday I joined dozens of people in a reception to congratulate the new President of the Cary Chamber, Mark Lawson. I along with others provided remarks. In my remarks I stated that the previous President, Howard Johnson, spent decades creating a strong relationship with the elected officials, town staff, and businesses. And that relationship was a key component of why Cary is so successful today. I also stated that I believe Cary’s best days are ahead of us and that Mark Lawson’s skills and talents are perfect for what lies ahead. He is the right person at the right time. I look forward to the new and exciting things he will do for Cary.

Information Requested by Candidates

Cary Council candidates have requested information to help with their campaigns. Here is some of that information:

• Budgeted for Road resurfacing last five years: $41.2 million
• Budgeted for all Street Related Projects last five years: $125.8 million
• Miles added last five years: 32.77 miles
• Miles resurfaced last five years: 126.50 miles
• Pavement Condition rating average the last five years: Average = Good, 81.5 to date
• Cary maintains an award-winning water and wastewater utility that is well leveraged with capacity to support future growth and economic development
• The Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility has utilized advanced treatment technologies such as ozone to provide high quality water treatment for 10 years.
• Cary’s wastewater collection and treatment systems protect the environment by providing advanced biological nutrient removal systems that remove and recycle nutrients and return clean water to our local creeks and streams.
• The North Cary Water Reclamation Facility (NCWRF) completed a major renovation of its aeration process. The new aeration system improves efficiency, enhances nutrient removal, and supports future capacity expansion of the facility.
• Recruit for experienced and non-experienced (or non-certified) public safety positions to widen applicant pool for further inclusivity of women and historically underrepresented communities.

• Post vacancy advertisements across multiple diverse sources in addition to Cary’s recruitment page
• Job boards including but not limited to: Pinkjobs, EmployDiversity, National Minority Update, American Association for Access, Equity & Diversity
• Four-year colleges and universities; including Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs); Two-Year Community & Technical Colleges
• Professional associations targeted to industry professionals within specific demographic & historically underrepresented communities (e.g., Society of Women Engineers, Association of Latino Professionals for America, National Association of Black Accountants).
• Variety of social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
• Cary Fact Sheet: Diversity in Recruitment

• Cary’s Human Resources Department Talent & Culture Consultants use vacancy postings to highlight OneCary culture and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values. Additionally, brochures and department specific recruitment pages often include images that represent diversity across the organization.
• Human Resources in collaboration with the hiring department and hiring manager(s) continually review vacancy postings for the elimination of biased language, ensure accuracy in minimum and preferred requirements and transparency through inclusion of the salary range.
• Cary’s Human Resources Department Talent & Culture Consultants use a standard application, with job specific supplemental questions, that is screened for consideration of all applicants’ minimum and preferred qualifications for a vacancy. Applicants have the option to submit additional documents with the standard application, however, the application is the primary source of evaluation for referral of candidates to departments for further consideration.
• An Applicant provides voluntary information on race/ethnicity and gender identifiers. The hiring department is not provided nor has access to this voluntary information to eliminate biases.
• Cary’s Human Resources Department Talent & Culture Consultants educate hiring managers on awareness and acknowledgment of biases when screening referred applications.
• Cary’s Human Resources Department Talent & Culture Consultants ensure a standardized interview process and apply it equitably across the organization; Use a combination of behavioral or adaptive based and skills-based interview questions to ascertain competency of technical skills along with organizational cultural and DEI values; Work with hiring departments and hiring manager to gather and include a diverse, cross-organizational panel of interviewers with different backgrounds, lived experiences, perspectives, and technical skills

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included:

Russ’s Message

I have heard of Chamber of Commerce Day before, usually in October, but this week felt like an entire week of Chamber fun. I enjoyed seeing you all at the many events the Chamber held this week, and congratulations to Mark Lawson on officially becoming the President of the Cary Chamber. 
There is nice weather forecasted this weekend, so I hope you take time to celebrate Earth Day by supporting a local farmer, taking a hike at Hemlock Bluffs, or simply learning more about how to contribute to our sustainable community. 
Take care, 
Russ

Federal Grants Awarded to Cary

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Deborah Ross presented two federal grant awards to Cary: the first totals $900,000 for the Swift Creek Stormwater Management and Modeling Program, and a second grant of $1,000,000 is designated for the future Cary Regional Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility. These dollars are a part of the Community Project Funding requests, which are included in the joint federal omnibus package. Special thanks to Congresswoman Ross and Price for their continued support of Cary’s community!

Ivey-Ellington Relocation

In early 2023, the Ivey-Ellington House will be relocated from its current location on Chatham Street, consistent with the Council approved resolution on December 12, 2019. Given several factors, including the desired setting, historic context, and existing infrastructure, the southern portion of the former library site on Academy Street has been identified as the new location. The relocation will not interfere with existing infrastructure, including Charlie Gaddy Lane, parking, and utilities. Consistent with the adjacent structure, the Ivey-Ellington will be set back from the street and existing mature trees will remain. The remainder of the former library site will continue to be programmed with art and other activities until the Downtown Park is completed.
Although Cary will forego individual National Register designation, the new site is located in the Downtown National Register District. Public investment will continue to preserve and rehabilitate the house using the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. The Ivey-Ellington House is a valuable part of Cary’s history and can be further honored through designation as a Local Historic Landmark.

Gold Community SolSmart Design

Just in time for Earth Day, Cary is proud to announce that we have earned a Gold Level Community Designation from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SolSmart program. After having earned our Silver Level Designation in 2021, we have continued to create systematic improvements to make it more efficient for residents to go solar. Along with improved processes, staff hosted an online class to connect our community to “Cary specific” information to learn if residential solar is right for them. In the past five years, Cary has issued over 800 permits for residential solar energy systems. Cary continues to see growth in the number of residential solar permits issued each year with over 300 permits issued in 2021. Through deepening our commitment to renewable energy, paired with innovation and collaboration, Cary’s participation in the SolSmart program affirms a more resilient tomorrow. 

2022 Cary 101 Program Begins

The spring 2022 Cary 101 cohort kicked off its first session Wednesday evening. This week, the class learned about Cary’s culture, the origins of Cary, municipal government structures, and finance/budget. Next week they will attend Thursday’s Council meeting to witness government in action, and remaining sessions will showcase how different departments work to coordinate Cary’s projects, programs, and services. Twenty citizens are enrolled in the program which runs through June 1.

F.O.G. to Fuel – Fats, Oils, and Grease Recycling Program

Since 2009 Cary has offered to citizens a sustainable disposal option for used cooking oil. The free and convenient curbside collection helps citizens be part of a community effort to both prevent pipe blockages and overflows and convert used cooking oil into environmentally friendly biofuel. Citizens should only collect cooled FOG in a plastic screw-top container and call 311  to schedule a curbside pick-up. Cary works with Key Energies who recycles the oil into bio-fuel.  Most of Cary’s diesel fuel service vehicles operate on a biofuel/diesel blend that helps complete the circle. Through this program citizens scheduled more than 900 curbside pick-ups in 2021 that resulted in recycling 1,500 gallons of cooking oil, keeping it out of our sewer lines and landfill.

Weatherstone Elementary Community Helper Day

On Thursday, staff had the opportunity to participate in Community Helper Day activities at Weatherstone Elementary School.  Staff engaged with faculty and students on what Cary offers including solid waste collection, general operations, police, emergency medical services, and animal control.

Earth Day Presentations

Earth Day generates heightened interest in all things environmental and requests for personalized presentations. The NC Composting Council invited Cary to speak about the new food waste drop-off site and ongoing composting initiatives at its monthly Sustainable Spirits gathering held at Crosstown Pub. The evening event was also its Second Annual Spring Plant Swap that brought out local gardeners. Another staff presentation was coordinated with Carolina Preserve to hold a focused recycling and compost program for over 50 residents. Together, the group focused on actions and opportunities to reduce waste, learn more about the variety of services available to them, and ways to get involved in green efforts across the town.

Fire Receives ESO Power of Data Award

Fire received the Power of Data award at this week’s ESO Wave conference in Austin, TX. Fire transitioned to ESO record management system in February 2021 and immediately became instrumental in assisting the company with troubleshooting and other departments in implementation. Wake County medical director and current chief EMS officer for ESO Brent Myers presented the award, describing Cary Fire, one of more than 16,000 ESO customers, as one of the “crown jewels” of Wake County.

Multi-Agency Drone Workshop

On Wednesday, members of a Cary staff Drone Committee and NCDOT held a multi-agency drone workshop at Wake Med Soccer Park with onsite demonstrations. Charlotte Fire Department Battalion Chief Shawn Royal presented on how the City of Charlotte integrated drones into their workflows, initial struggles with internal buy in, and how their Police and Fire Departments utilize a shared approach. A representative from AirVision UAV, presented on the FAA Part 107 license requirements and the importance of the regulatory framework for agencies to be compliant with NC State and Federal drone regulations. NCDOT presented on what they are doing at the State level with medical package delivery, food delivery, and how they use drones to support internal operations. One of the shared themes between all presenters was the importance of following State and Federal regulations, and how a drone incident can have ripple effect in the industry. The highlight of the day was the Cary Fire Department drone team made up of, Jose Mendez, Brian Smyrski, and Captain Allen Monds demonstrating their drone, a DJI Matrice 300 platform and video streaming capabilities utilizing Dronesense. They were quickly able to share the live video feed from the drone using a QR code that could be shared to anyone with an internet connected device.

2022 Project PHOENIX Managers Workshop

On April 20, Project PHOENIX hosted a semi-annual Property Managers Workshop at the Cary Police Department. Sixteen Property Managers/Assistants joined us for five hours of education, training, and networking. Staff received a lot of positive feedback from the workshop participants. 

IBT Annual Report Submitted to State

The 2021 Interbasin Transfer (IBT) Annual Report was submitted to the North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The report demonstrates Cary’s compliance with all the requirements of our certificate. The annual report is required to be submitted to DEQ before May 1 each year, with quarterly updates posted to Cary’s IBT page. Additional history on our IBT certificate can be found on DEQ’s IBT page.

Early Voting

Early voting in Cary will begin April 28 and continue through May 14, with Election Day following days later on May 17. Two locations in Cary were selected by the Wake County Board of Elections to serve as Early Voting sites — Cary Senior Center and Herb Young Community Center. As a reminder Wake County residents are eligible to vote at any Wake County location during the early voting period only.

Voters can find more details on early voting, including dates and times, by following the link for their County of residence: Wake County, Chatham County, and Durham County

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Athletic Committee

Monday, Apr. 25
6:00 p.m.

Planning and Zoning Board

Monday, Apr. 25
6:30 p.m.

Cultural Arts Committee

Wednesday, Apr. 27
6:00 p.m.

Council Meeting

Thursday, Apr. 28
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• A request to do more to get commuter rail
• A complaint about a utility bill
• A complaint to have more bike lanes on roads for their 8-year-old to ride on
• A request for a proclamation recognizing World Falun Dafa Day
• A complaint about allowed permitted blasting near Providence at Yates Pond
• A complaint that our 90 miles of greenways and hundreds of miles of sidewalks are not enough
• A complaint that e-pedal assisted bikes are not included in Bikeshare pilot

Next Week

Next week I will be on vacation. My only event is the groundbreaking of neighborhood parks on May 1^st after I return.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, May 1^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 was one of the slowest weeks I have had in a while.

Town Manager One-On-One

Monday afternoon I talked with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. We talked about the Cary Tennis Park, other future parks, and ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funding. Our meeting lasted about 15 minutes.

Mental Health

Later Monday I joined the town manager in a virtual meeting with representatives from Wake Med Cary. They talked about the lacking facilities and resources for mental health and how the mental health crisis has gotten much worse since the pandemic. They are in the process of asking each municipality to help with funding some of these needs. Our discussion lasted about an hour.

Cary is Safe and Most Affordable According to SmartAsset

Tuesday I was notified that Cary had again been named as one of the safest places in the U.S. In a new study from SmartAsset, Cary ranked No. 7 among the 200 largest cities in the country. To find the safest cities, SmartAsset compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across various metrics, including violent crime rate, property crime rate and vehicular mortality rate.

Cary ranked No. 1 for affordability among the 200 cities included in the analysis. Median annual housing costs ($17,304) in the town are just 16.28 percent of the median household income ($106,304), the study found.

Fenton Discussion

Thursday I joined the town manager, deputy town manager, planning director, and a representative from the Fenton to discuss their most recent rezoning proposal and possibly future changes. The purpose of the meeting was to make sure all of us had the same information and understanding. Our meeting lasted about half an hour.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included:

Sean’s Message

Chief Development Officer Scot Berry shared that Apple’s presence in Cary at the MetLife campus is moving forward. Building permits have been issued to begin renovation of the MetLife Building 3 at 301 MetLife Way. These initial building permits are for renovations to floors two through six. Building permits for floors one and seven are currently under review. Once the renovations are complete, Apple will be the new tenant for the entire building. We are excited to have them in Cary.
As a reminder, most staffed facilities, including Town Hall, will be closed Friday, in observance of the Town holiday.
Have a nice weekend.
Sean

NTC Expansion Ceremony

The USA Baseball National Training Complex (NTC) Expansion Ceremony was hosted this past weekend just prior to the Championship Game for the National High School Invitational (NHSI).
Mayor Weinbrecht kicked off the ceremony by sharing what the new space entails and what it means to Cary citizens. USA Baseball Board Member, George Grande, also one of the original TV broadcasters for ESPN spoke on behalf of USA Baseball and gave the following impactful remarks, “We (USAB) never had a home…but then we found Cary and Cary found us”. Council member Ya Liu provided some additional highlights, including the use of solar panels and EV charging stations, paving a greener, sustainable future for Cary.
The ceremony was attended by Town Council, Town Manager Sean R. Stegall, PRCR Director Doug McRainey, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Executive Director Scott Dupree, and two Wake County Commissioners. Wake County contributed $2.5 million towards the project in hotel occupancy tax.

Wake Tech Letter of Support

Cary provided a letter to its federal delegation in support of Wake Technical Community College’s (Wake Tech) application to the Community Project program entitled Grid to Plug to Wheels: Technician training for safe and efficient electric vehicle power utilization and maintenance.  As electric vehicles become more prominent, it is important to have readily available job training programs to build a skilled workforce prepared to install and maintain the EV grid, as well as service electric vehicles on the road. Wake Tech has a long history of providing excellent and affordable job training to Wake County citizens and we are pleased to support their application for funding.

USTA Celebrates Tennis in Cary

On Saturday, USTA (United States Tennis Association) hosted a tennis appreciation event at Prestonwood Country Club to show appreciation for Cary and area private and public tennis facilities and icons that have made tennis what it is in Cary. Mayor Weinbrecht attended and spoke highly of the Cary Tennis Park as well as the private clubs in Cary. You have heard the phrase “a rising tide raises all ships” and this is truly the case with tennis based on all the growth over the past 10 years.
On Sunday, USTA also conducted a Professional Development Day at Cary Tennis Park for seasoned pros to earn on-court continuing education credits and for aspiring new pros/instructors to learn more about growing tennis.

Water Main Construction Update

Water main construction is set to commence in southern Cary along Stephenson Road and Smith Road on April 18. The new water main will start at Lily Orchard Way and Stephenson Road, and continue along Smith Road, stopping just short of Ten Ten Road. Traffic may be reduced to one lane in alternating directions while this work is ongoing weekdays, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Construction is anticipated to be complete by fall 2022.

April Downtown Chowdown

On Sunday, Cary hosted its first Downtown Chowdown in over two years with attendance topping 8,000 people, eclipsing previous years’ attendance of 6,000. The increased crowds translated to success for participating vendors as well, with many reporting record sales. Local breweries Fortnight and Bond Brothers reportedly sold more beer than at any previous Chowdown event, and food truck Mama Nem’s more than doubled its record for sales at any event. Crowds remained steady for the duration of the event, as citizens enjoyed the deejay, new lawn games, public art, and sunny spring weather.

Hippity Hoppity Easter Egg Hung

The Easter Bunny delivered eggs to Middle Creek High School football stadium and Alston Ridge Middle School football field on Saturday. Close to 700 kids and their families attended this fun event where they enjoyed pre-hunt entertainment by stilt walkers, jugglers, magicians, hoop artists, a mime and of course the Easter Bunny.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meetings

Neighborhood meetings will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on May 4. The following cases will be discussed:

• 22-REZ-08 Aerial Center Spectrum
• 22-REZ-09 Optimist Farm Road

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

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• Invitations to events.
• A request for a proclamation
• A concern about an Apex apartment proposal and how it will impact Cary
• Thanks for changes in downtown

Fellas Bond

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Fellas Bond, the wife of former mayor Fred Bond. As with all great mayors there is a great first lady and Fellas was certainly that. In addition, she was my aunt and like a second mother to me when I was young. Please extend your thoughts and prayers to her remaining children Mark, Tim, and Lisa. Rest in Peace Fellas.

(I apologize in advance to those that might be offended with “first lady”. I am sure the “first gentleman” will be just as influential when Cary has its first female mayor.)

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a Wake County Mayors Association meeting, a Cary Council candidate forum, a HOA meeting, a grant announcement ceremony with Congresswoman Ross, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organizations Executive board, an Elected Officials Reception, and the Cary Chamber’s President reception.

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

This was one of the busiest weeks I have had in a while.

Council Meeting Prep

Monday I contacted council members to hear questions or concerns about the upcoming meeting agenda. Since the agenda was very short there were few comments. Later in the day I met with Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz and staff to go over the agenda items. Our meeting lasted just a few minutes.

Town Manager One-On-One

Monday evening I talked with the deputy town manager and the chief strategy officer. Our topics included Wake Med Cary, the RTA trip, and federal stimulus money spending.

Tour of the Fenton

Tuesday I joined council member Yerha and his wife in a tour of the Fenton. There is a LOT of activity ongoing. The streetscape and facade of all buildings in phase one are scheduled to be finished by the end of April. Several businesses will open at that time with a gradual opening of other businesses throughout the month of May. Early June will be the official grand opening so stay tuned.

State of Cary Address at Glenaire

Tuesday afternoon I gave the State of Cary address to the residents of Glenaire. There was a full auditorium. My message was preceded with a history moment by council member Yerha. This was the third time I have given the address since January. There were a few updates, but most of the slide deck remained the same. Since I speak from the slides each presentation is different.

Atlantic Tire Championship Board Meeting

Tuesday night I met with the board of the Atlantic Tire Championships. The interest in Cary Tennis Park for amateur and professional tournaments continues to increase. So improvements at the tennis park are timely. We expect this year’s tournament to be biggest yet.

State of Cary Address at MacGregor Rotary

Wednesday I presented the State of Cary address to the MacGregor Rotary Club. There were about three dozen people in attendance. I spoke from the same slide deck as the day before. One person who was at both presentations said this one was better. After the presentation I did not have time for questions, so I stuck around to talk with individuals about various issues.

Ed Yerha’s Campaign Kickoff

Later Wednesday I gave the introduction at Ed Yerha’s reelection campaign. Ed is not only a friend but has given so much to this town on and off the council. I wish him the best. While I support Ed, I am glad to talk and help any candidate for office.

Council Meeting

Thursday the council held a regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting included appointments to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force, five consent items, and two public hearings.

The appointments to the task force were Susie Sliver (chair), Shuchi Gupta, Dev Hirji, Jessica MacDonald, Asheesh Projapati, Ness Shortly, Paula Smith, and Donna Davis. The group will serve two years or until the final report of findings from the Reimaging Policing Project is presented to Council whichever is later.

A public hearing for the Affordable Housing rezoning off Maynard Road had over two dozen speakers with about twenty of them in person. Proponents of the rezoning mostly are advocates for any type of affordable housing. Opponents of the rezoning were mostly residents of the adjacent neighborhood whose reasons were home values, traffic, and the loss of trees. Council will vote on this rezoning in a few months. The meeting concluded after about two hours and fifteen minutes.

Speaking to Highcroft Elementary’s 3^rd Grade

Friday I spoke to the entire 3^rd grade class at Highcroft Elementary School.

Upon arriving I was greeted with a welcome poster at the entrance. I spoke about my duties and how I was elected.

After several great questions, I posed with the classes in front of the Husky bulletin board. I was presented with a few of their favorite snacks before leaving. Thank you, 3rd graders! It was a great visit and I hope they invite me back in the future.

Howard Manning’s Memorial Service

Saturday morning I joined several hundred people in attended the memorial service for Howard Manning who was the Executive Director for Dorcas Ministries for the last 17 years. I was given the honor of being one of the speakers at his service. Howard spent most of his life making sure the least of us had food, clothing, and a place to live. We were blessed to have had him in our community. I believe our community is stronger and a much better place because of his mission. God bless you Howard! Rest in peace!

Celebration of Life

Saturday afternoon I attended a celebration of life for a 20-year-old college student. What a tragic loss. It was heart wrenching her parents living out my worst nightmare. Please hug you kids and tell them how much you love them. My thoughts and prayers go out to that family and all those who have suffered such a loss.

USA Baseball Expansion

Late Saturday afternoon I attended the expansion ceremony for USA Baseball. The facility opened in 2007 as the National Training Center. Since then more than 300 major events have been held with over 100,000 people visiting annually. The facility has gained recognition nationally and internationally as one of the best baseball facilities in the world.

The expansion will provide an indoor artificial turf space for baseball, softball, and other activities in addition to providing much needed office space for employees.

I was the emcee for the ceremony which included remarks from George Grande of the USA Baseball Board of Directors. He was also the first broadcaster for ESPN.

After his remarks USA Baseball presented a signed jersey from the silver medalist Olympians of last year. We will find a great place to display this amazing gift. Each council member was also presented a baseball bat with their name. How cool is that!

Council member Ya Liu’s also provided remarks included information about the 300 solar panels that will provide about half of the total power consumed by the facility. The facility will also include electric charging infrastructure. After her remarks she flipped a switch that launched a brief fireworks display.

I concluded the ceremony inviting all to watch the National High School Invitational Championship game that followed.

Before the beginning of the game, I was honored with throwing out the first pitch. I bounced it over the plate. Oh well, I guess I will need to practice before the next time I throw out a pitch. The championship game was between two teams from Florida with Stoneman Douglas taking down St. Johns Country Day 5-3.

USTA Appreciation Reception

Saturday night I gave welcoming remarks at a USTA (United States Tennis Association) appreciation reception. This reception was attended by tennis professionals and those vested in the tennis industry from the region.

Cary Tennis Park

Sunday I visited the Cary Tennis Park and participated in one of the USTA clinics to instruct the teaching professionals. It was interesting trying new things that may be incorporated into tennis lessons soon. I also toured the park to see the current renovations which allow seating on outer courts for events such as the ACC and professional tournaments.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included

Sean’s Message

I look forward to joining you all tomorrow to celebrate the expansion of the USA Baseball National Training Complex at Thomas Brooks Park. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear remarks from the Mayor and Council Member Ya Liu. William Davis will be waiting at the gate to ensure a seamless transition to the VIP area.

See you around 5 p.m.!

Sean

Development Pulse Report

The March 2022 Development Pulse Report is now available.

Highlights:

• Dave & Busters, 1111 Walnut Street: The certificate of compliance has been issued for the relocation of Dave & Busters from the Cary Towne Center Mall Building to the former Jump Street space along Walnut Street.
• A’ Verde Cocina and Tequila Bar, 2300 Walnut Street: The certification of compliance has been issued for a new restaurant to occupy the former Wild Wings Café within the Centrum Shopping Center.
• BBs Crispy Chicken, 1147 Parkside Main Street: The building permit for a new first time restaurant tenant has been approved within Parkside Town Commons.

April ZBOA Meeting

On Monday, the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBOA) unanimously approved two cases. The first case was a request for a variance to the platted setback for a residential property at 210 Meadow Drive. The second case was for a development plan amendment to remove a private trail from a previously approved development plan over 100 units for Shelbourne Cary, 7000 Regency Parkway.

Mayor Weinbrecht Visits Glenaire and Cary Rotary

This week, the Mayor presented the State of Cary to Glenaire residents and MacGregor Rotary Club members. Council Member Ed Yerha joined the Mayor at Glenaire to give a presentation about Cary’s history.

Project Phoenix Anniversary Event

On Wednesday, the Police Department’s Project PHOENIX unit celebrated 10 + 1 years of being a program in Cary. Delayed one year due to the pandemic, this anniversary celebration invited over 100 individuals to the Bond Park Senior Center to enjoy a presentation on how Project PHOENIX came about. Council Member Jack Smith expressed his appreciation for the program’s impact and read a proclamation to recognize its success. Town Council, staff, and several community partners were recognized for their contributions to Project PHOENIX events and initiatives over the years.

Breakfast with the Bunny

Breakfast with the Bunny returned on April 2 with families present to enjoy a continental breakfast with the Easter Bunny hosted by the Cary Teen Council. Afterwards, kids searched for the Easter Bunny’s hidden eggs at their own private egg hunt. Participants left with candy treats and an egg-cellent morning was had by all.

Bands, Bites, and Boats

The warm weather and spring breeze brought a crowd to the first Bands, Bites and Boats of 2022. Around 600 guests savored bites from a food truck and set-up lawn chairs to enjoy the music of 2DIGH4. Visitors rented boats in order to listen to the music from across the lake keeping the boathouse busy throughout the evening. The next event is scheduled for May 6.

2022 Annual Controlled Burn

In accordance with the long-term Natural Resource Management Plan of Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, the 2022 controlled burn was conducted on April 5. This controlled burn is completed through a partnership with preserve staff, NC Forest Service, NC State Parks, and Cary’s Fire Department. A total of 1 acre was burned along the Chestnut Oak Loop Trail. These burns are completed to reduce potential for fire and to protect adjacent neighborhoods as well as improve wildlife habitat.

Cary is Buzzing with more Pollinators

This week, staff installed two honeybee hives to help pollinate the new pollinator gardens and newly expanded orchard at the South Cary Water Reclamation Facility. These hives provide opportunities for staff and the community to learn more about how bees provide food and other benefits to Cary citizens. These hives join the 20 existing hives at Good Hope Farm, increasing Cary’s urban agriculture opportunities. In all, Cary’s beehives now provide approximately 1,320,000 wonderful, winged creatures, flying to pollinate gardens and flowers up to four miles away in surrounding neighborhoods.  

Spring Litter Sweep 2022

Volunteers mobilized to keep our community clean and green through Spruce’s biannual Litter Sweep. Together 85 volunteers collected 3,650 pounds of litter from Cary’s streets, parks, and outdoor spaces. Held in conjunction with the Keep America Beautiful Big Sweep initiative, Spruce Litter Sweeps help to maintain healthy waterways in our region.

Tree Planting at Middle Creek

The final tree planting project of the season happened at Middle Creek Park. In our continuing effort to plant in open spaces and at facilities, staff added nine beautiful native trees to Middle Creek Park. A willow oak, red maple, fringe trees, and red buds will add beauty, economic, and environmental benefits of trees to the grounds for all to enjoy. 

Central Pressure Zone Boundary Shift Complete

On Wednesday, the pressure zone modification was successfully completed in and around the Piper’s Crossing, Piper’s Grove, and Pritchett Farms Neighborhoods. With the completion of this operation, approximately 200 homes along the Holly Springs Road corridor have shifted from the Southern Pressure Zone to the Central Pressure Zone. There were no issues reported. The operation not only provides an increase of 10-20 psi in water pressure, but also affords greater operational flexibility and reliability in Cary’s water system.

Supplemental Information

The links provided below will direct you to helpful documents recently created by staff that may be of interest to Council.

• ​​​​​Parks and Open Space Fact Sheet
• Finance and Public Safety Fact Sheet

Upcoming Meetings

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

Hybrid Public Art Advisory Board
Wed, April 13
6:15 p.m.

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

Greenway Committee
Thursday, April 14
6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• A request to review environmental policies in the Cary Community Plan (ongoing)
• Requests to deny and approve the town’s Affordable Housing Rezoning proposal
• Invitation to several events
• A request to fix and maintain sidewalks from Glenaire to downtown
• A concern about tennis programming at Dunham Park
• A concern about a Batchelor Road rezoning (this was a neighborhood meeting and council does not have information at this time)
• A concern about transportation in Western Cary

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting on mental health, and a North Carolina Metro Mayors meeting.

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

Cary Matters

Monday afternoon I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz in the lawn of the Page Walker Hotel for a taping of Cary Matters. The topic was on the 10^th anniversary of the SPRUCE litter reduction and beautification program. During the past ten years volunteers have collected over 150,000 pounds of litter in this program. Our taping was completed with three takes.

Town Manager One-On-One

Monday evening I talked with the town manager in our weekly one-on-one. Topics included the DEI task force (which will be announced at our April 7^th meeting), candidates for police chief, the Sports and Rec Center, three major park projects, and the Fenton. Our meeting lasted about fifteen minutes.

RTA Trip

Tuesday through Thursday I joined two staff members and council member Robinson in a trip to Ft. Lauderdale as part of a RTA group of 84. The group included the mayors from Raleigh, Durham, and Cary along with council members from those and other municipalities. Also attending were Wake County commissioners and other elected officials from the triangle region. Making up the bulk of the group were those with vested interest in transit and rail.

Tuesday evening, I attended the opening reception where we heard from the Raleigh mayor, the NCDOT Secretary, GoTriangle, NC Railroad, the Vice Mayor of Broward County, and a representative from Visit Lauderdale. Throughout our trip in various locations, we saw and heard numerous presentations from various leaders of transit with vested interests in the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale area. I am not including those presentations or Q&A in my summary of the trip.

After attending breakfast with speakers on Wednesday from Broward County and South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the group rode the Tri-Rail from the Fort Lauderdale station to the Miami Airport station. The Tri-Rail is a commuter rail with double decker cars that has been in use for some time. It was originally planned to get workers into Miami. But now there is just as much ridership the other way. The Miami-Dade location was the point for intermodal connections. At this point we boarded the Miami Metrorail which took us to downtown Miami.  

Under the Metrorail in downtown Miami is a linear park called the Underline. This ten-mile linear park is not only a greenway for walking and running but has active spaces with “rooms” for games, yoga, mini soccer, basketball, and more. It also allowed for easy, quick food deliveries in a dedicated lane. I witnessed some delivery bikes in this lane moving much faster than cars. This was an amazing space and something I envision us doing in Cary. For example, between the Fenton and the downtown park.

The group also road the downtown Metromover to get to the light rail station for the Brightline high-speed rail. The Metromover was very interesting. It ran on tracks dozens of feet in the air through the high-rise buildings in downtown. It was one car with no seats and had stops every few hundred yards. I don’t see this in our area in my lifetime, but you never know what will be needed in the future.

The Brightline is a high-speed rail that will eventually go from Miami to Orlando. Since their start in 2018 they have built and opened the section from Miami to West Palm Beach. They expect to finish the Orlando line by the end of 2022 and start carrying passengers between Orlando and South Florida in early 2023. It is a luxury rail service with stations that include restaurants, bars, and shops. Their stations even pump in desirable smells. In addition, their trains are like airlines with steward carts serving drinks and snacks. The Brightline is the nation’s only privately owned, higher-speed intercity passenger-rail service that runs on track owned by Florida East Coast Railway.

One of my biggest takeaways from this trip is the reaffirmation that you cannot pave your way out of today’s or tomorrow’s congestion. The solution must include multi-modal transportation. A big part of that multi-modal transportation is regional rail and that takes years of planning to implement and build. I expect the triangle region to double in population within the next thirty years. If we don’t start moving forward with multi-modal transportation plans now, we will be retro fitting in the future. And that is MUCH more expensive. A big thank you to RTA and all the sponsors who made this trip possible.

Frisco Visitors

Friday started by addressing a group visiting Cary from Frisco, Texas which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Their population is similar to Cary’s and were the fastest growing city in the United States in 2017. They are probably most known as the home of the Dallas Cowboys’ training center called the star. The focus of their visit was to get ideas for their parks, get more involved in amateur sports, and see various performing arts venues in the triangle. Their group consisted of their mayor, council members, members of the chamber, and business leaders from the community. I was very honored that they were visiting Cary especially since we visited them on our intercity visit to Fort Worth and Irving in 2019. We have so much to learn from each other and I look forward to our continued relationship.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding

Later Friday morning I briefly attended a regional infrastructure summit on preparing for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. The speakers covered implementation at the federal and state levels, analysis of policy and funding implications, and visions from regional partners. Unfortunately, I had to leave the meeting to attend the North Carolina Metro Mayors meeting.

North Carolina Metro Mayors

The summary of the North Carolina Metro Mayors meeting from the Executive Director is as follows:

Federal Update

• President Biden has proposed a FY 22/23 Federal Appropriation to Congress. 
• As part of the annual appropriation process, a number of our NC Congressional Delegation members are now accepting proposals for local earmarks or “Community Project Funding.”  If you check on their websites and don’t see anything about applying for funding – we recommend directly calling or emailing your Congressional offices to inquire about the process for earmarks projects they may consider.
• ARP and Affordable Housing –  HR 7078 – Lifeline Act  – a bi-partisan effort, led by NC’s Rep. Adams (D) and Rep. Rouzer (R), have co-sponsored a bill to amend ARP funding restrictions by adding eligibility of the funds for affordable housing projects that include loans and low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC).  While ARP funds can be used on affordable housing, they are not currently authorized for use in projects that include both loans and LIHTC.  Some municipalities successfully found solutions to this restriction by supplanting other local costs using ARP funds and then flexing the newly unencumbered local funds for worthwhile LIHTC affordable housing projects. 
• The Lifeline Act would certainly make it easier for locals to use ARP for affordable housing projects.  AND most significantly, it would unlock $170M in ARP funds the State has designated for the workforce housing loan program that are currently stalled due the ARP restrictions that HR7078 would overcome. 
• We have seen growing support amongst our NC House members (Reps. Rouzer, Adams Budd and possibly Price and Murphy) and we are hopeful that our two Senators will support it when a Senate version is introduced.   Given that affordable housing is a high priority for Metro Mayors Coalition members, we will continue to monitor this issue.

General Assembly

General Update

• Things remain quiet relative to legislative work.  The General Assembly is currently in an adjournment period, so legislators have been focused on electoral fundraising efforts.
• The legislature will return next week (April 4-6).  We anticipate non-voting sessions and no issues to be taken up.
• Governor Cooper, Speaker Moore, and President Pro-Tem Berger collaborated to help bring Vietnam-based VinFast and over 7,000 auto-manufacturing jobs, to a Chatham County mega-site.  There will be a legislative appropriation for site preparation that was part of the incentive package for VinFast.  It is unclear as to whether we will see legislation for that appropriation prior to the short session in late May.
• REMINDER: Local bills need to be submitted to bill drafting by 4:00 PM on Monday, May 9 and filed by 4:00 PM on Tuesday, May 31.
  • All local bills for the short session must have consensus by each member of the delegation (House and Senate).

Transportation – nothing new to report.

Public Safety – nothing new to report.

Economic Development – nothing new to report.

Local Control/Local Revenues– nothing new to report

Special Update & Discussion: Short Term Rentals – AirBnb and others

Local Updates:

Mayor Esther Manheimer, Asheville

• The short term rentals in Asheville are having a huge impact on housing affordability.
• Asheville regulates short term rentals within the City with a “home-stay” concept, a tool that Buncombe County does not utilize.
• The Asheville Tourism Development Authority (independent authority) just announced $40M in revenue from their occupancy tax receipts – with 38 percent of that coming from short term rentals.  The large and growing market share for STRs is causing great concern in the local lodging industry.  This market share in Asheville/Buncombe is another indicator of STR’s impact on the local affordability crisis in the real estate market.
• Asheville has reached a creative compromise with the STR industry representatives. AirBnB corporate representatives that both sides seem to be able to live with.
• Asheville’s focus is on a “home-stay concept” which means they don’t allow a whole house rental inside the city limits (some were grandfathered-in to remain whole house rentals). Anybody can use up to two bedrooms as STRs, in an otherwise occupied home (this also includes other conditions, such as requirements for parking).
• Asheville is home to a number of “condo-tels”, that include a large portion of short-term rentals in multi-family condo buildings, with more being built in downtown. This poses a continuing challenge to affordability, as local residents struggle to afford the high costs in the city that is so impacted by STRs.
• The City of Asheville is happy to share its model ordinance/home-stay concept with other cities.

Mayor Bill Saffo, Wilmington

• Wilmington has a STR separation requirement of 400 ft within the city, except for properties in the Central Business District.
• Each STR is required to register with the city, then a lottery is used to award registrations within the 400 ft constraints.
• Wilmington’s STR procedures have been challenged in court by VRBO, contesting the city’s registration fee being charged to STR. Despite the case being argued on appeal in November, no opinions have been issued by the court yet. The case includes a significant challenge to the city’s STR registration requirement as a tool for their program.
• Without a registration requirement, it is impossible to manage the STRs in the neighborhoods and communities in the City of Wilmington.  The Superior Court case, which may be decided in April will be a critical juncture in the regulation of STRs in NC.

Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, Raleigh

• Raleigh went through a four-year process to establish a regime for STRs.  The previous city council adopted a model similar to the Asheville “home-stay concept.”
• The new city council has implemented different rules, including a registration program.
• The planning department has been monitoring the process and carefully tracking whole house rentals.
• In order to prevent “party houses,” Raleigh has a “3 Strikes” rule that removes the registration on the third strike of complaints/disruption at a STR property (although, they have not had to go that far yet).
• Would caution that “one size does not fit all” – Raleigh is very different from tourist cities, like Asheville and Wilmington.  NC cities have unique challenges and needs and may require varied tools to address those unique needs in the specific communities in cities across the state. 

City of Charlotte staff report

• The City Council is in the process of developing a quite complex and broad Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), that includes STR registration, as well as controls their density and attempts to prevent unruly “party houses.” The first draft was released in October 2021, and the public engagement period ended on March 18.
• Charlotte had a lengthy public comment period for the complex UDO, and STR’s was the topic that attracted, by far, the most public feedback.
• One of the topics that elicited disapproval during public comment was the proposed 400 ft of separation distance between STRs. As a result of the feedback, the 400 ft separation may be reconsidered for the next version of the proposed UDO.
• The next draft should be released in late May and council plans to adopt the UDO in July.

Mayor Pam Hemminger, Chapel-Hill

• Chapel-Hill’s process has taken over two years to develop, with broad public input. The town received neighborhood complaints about “party houses” in the past and this has become a high-profile topic.
• The town is attempting to put a registry together and has implemented a rule that each STR must have a local presence/person/contact that can be called to fix something or respond to a complaint.
• Residents can rent out rooms if it is your primary residence, similar to the “home-stay” concept and Chapel Hill also has the “3 strike” rule.
• New townhomes, condos, and apartments that require conditional rezoning now include language that does not allow STR units within them (avoiding the “condo-tels” that Asheville referred to).

Update from state level:

Erin Wynia, NCLM Government Affairs Director and Beau Mills

• During the short session, we generally don’t see the legislature wanting to take up high profile, controversial issues like STR, but we need to be well prepared and vigilant as always.
• This issue has continually come up over the past few years and the NCLM has worked closely with the NC Restaurant and Lodging Association to help maintain the option for local controls to meet local needs.
• One indication of greater engagement from the STR industry at the state level/legislature – AirBnB has hired a well-known lobbying firm to represent them this year (McGuireWoods).  Previously, corporate STRs have not had lobbying representation from the large, well known lobbying firms.
• Details of local ordinances have previously been discussed and even voted on in the legislature (House included restrictions on local STR authority in the House version of the budget last year), but it has NOT passed in both chambers.  Some of the legislative discussions have included complaints about the 400 ft rules as well as local government requirement for registrations and location tracking of STRs. The issue of “local registration requirements” for STRs, has especially been a flash point/bone of contention for the issue in the legislature.
• This is one of the League’s top priorities and concerns for the short session.  While NCLM staff are hopeful that state preemption of local STR programs won’t be a topic during the legislative short session, NCLM and Metro Mayors will be keeping a close eye on the issue.  Based on today’s conversation amongst metro mayors, and on past experience with NCLM members – it is clearly important that local governments retain the ability to address this fast emerging and impactful issue, without a “one size fits all” preemption of local control from the General Assembly that could harm neighborhoods. 

Discussion

• If you hear anything from AirBnB or other industry representatives, please let us know.
• The work that Asheville has done with AirBnB (home stay concept, grandfathering of pre-existing STRs) has appeared to address most of the STR industry concerns. Asheville continues to work with the industry representatives, with largely positive results, but still have sticking points over the enforcement and the industry’s willingness to share information/data with the city.
• It was recommended by several mayors that collaborating with nearby smaller communities can be a powerful way to grow awareness of the impact of STRs.  For example, small mountain communities like Brevard, Highlands and Cashiers have been interested in implementing local STR ordinances.
• It was suggested larger cities would have more success explaining and conveying the importance of the regulating STRSs to state legislators if they were to approach the issue in concert with smaller jurisdictions in their region that share similar concerns.  Example might be a community such as Kings Mountain that is concerned about the impact of unregulated STRs on their community as their tourism industry grows with a new casino opening in their community.
• PLEASE actively engage your neighboring municipalities on the topic and make sure your state legislators are aware of your community concerns and share your efforts to address community concerns regarding STRs. 

The meeting concluded after about 45 minutes.

Cary-RTP Rapid Bus Extension

Friday afternoon I attended a stakeholder team meeting for the Cary-RTP Rapid Bus extension. This will build upon the Wake BRT which is currently under development as a separate project. The first phase of public engagement occurred in the fall of 2021 and the second phase, occurring now, is evaluating the three alignment alternatives. You can find out more about this study at https://wakebrtextensionsstudy.com.   

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included

Sean’s Message

This week I signed a letter agreement with the new owners of South Hills Shopping Center to set preliminary terms for locating a community recreation and sports center in their new development. Our next step will be creating and signing a Memorandum of Understanding. The new owners remain very excited about the possibility of our working together as are we.
Enjoy your weekend in spite of the pollen.
Sean

Group Visits from Frisco, Texas

This week, Cary hosted a group of city and business leaders from Frisco, Texas. During the group’s three-day trip, they had the opportunity to learn about Cary’s downtown development, housing, and economic development projects. Their trip also included a visit to Research Triangle Park and Koka Booth Amphitheater. Click here for more information on their visit to Cary.

Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival

Council Member Jack Smith provided closing remarks at the 12th Annual Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center on Sunday. More than 100 people attended the festival honoring Greek poet Constantine P. Cafavy. Attendees enjoyed readings, music, and the keynote address by Dr. David Liu. Following the event, guests enjoyed a reception of Turkish and Mediterranean delicacies. The event was presented by the American-Turkish Association of North Carolina, Duke Middle East Studies Center, Cary Sister Cities, North Carolina Poetry Society, and the Town of Cary.

Willow Structure “Fly Away Home” Is Complete

Last Friday, folks gathered in front of Patrick Dougherty’s latest public art project, Fly Away Home, which is located at Carpenter Park. A large group of community volunteers, including Council Member Lori Bush, helped the artist create the willow sculpture. A group of volunteers, including high school students, will help maintain the sculpture over the next two years.

Spruce Environmental Volunteer Service

In this quarter, Cary’s environmental volunteer program, Spruce, hosted 42 projects with 270 volunteers who worked a collective 685 hours to support the environmental health of our community. Scout troops, businesses, families, and religious organizations performed projects such as removing invasive plants from our greenways, constructing gardens, and removing 2,905 pounds of litter from Cary’s streets and parks.

Compost Giveaway Workshops and Farm Tours

Environmental Outreach staff hosted a series of Compost Giveaway Workshops from March 22-26 at Good Hope Farm. In support of Cary’s waste diversion and storm-water mitigation goals, 220 residents received instruction on how to convert their fruit and vegetable scraps into compost for the health of their own lawns and gardens. Additionally, participants received gardening and composting guidebooks, tips for pollinator protection strategies, and a collective 660 cubic feet of compost. Each session closed with a tour of Good Hope Farm to experience first-hand Cary’s commitment to food security, environmental conservation, and historical preservation.

Heroic Life-Saving Effort

On Wednesday, Green Hope High School Principal Camille Hedrick and staff hosted a special recognition ceremony honoring the heroic actions of Capt. Brian Smith. On Feb. 5, Brian immediately started life-saving measures by performing CPR on Mr. Gresham and his quick actions revived Mr. Gresham. Dr. Hedrick and staff presented Brian with the “Excellence in Service” award. Mr. Gresham and his family were in attendance and were able to meet Brian and embrace each other for the first time since the events of Feb. 5. During the ceremony, Mr. Gresham’s son, Robert Gresham, Jr., thanked Brian for saving his father’s life. In typical Brian fashion, he said he was “just doing his job.” Click here to read more about the story.

Street Closure Update

Beginning early next week, message boards will be located on Walnut Street, Kildaire Farm Road, Cary Towne Blvd, and Dry Avenue in advance of upcoming construction that will impact downtown traffic operations beginning on April 18. Traffic will be reduced to one way heading outbound on Walnut Street between Kildaire Farm Road and Walker Street. Inbound traffic will be detoured to Maynard Road or Byrum Street and then to Kildaire Farm Road. Construction is related to private development located at the corner of Kildaire Farm Road and Walnut Street and expected to last through mid-May.  

Clean Transportation Demonstration Day

On Tuesday, members of the Police Department’s Traffic Safety Team and Fleet attended the Clean Transportation Demonstration Day at the NC Highway Patrol Training & Driving Facility in Raleigh. Hosted by North Carolina State University’s NC Clean Energy Technology Center, the event highlighted clean energy vehicles across multiple professional fields and served to educate attendees about the benefits of electric or hybrid energy to promote a sustainable energy economy. In addition to demonstrating the agility of our Tesla Model Y patrol vehicle on the closed course track for riders, Police staff also test drove the Mustang Mach-E and the Zero motorcycle. A special thank you to Fleet Division Manager Brandon Pasinski for lending his team’s perspective on the Tesla Model Y during a lightening round presentation to attendees.

Water Pressure Increase Update

On April 6, approximately 200 homes in the Piper’s Crossing, Piper’s Grove and Pritchett Farms Subdivisions will experience a pressure increase of between 10 and 20 psi. The South Hills Baptist Church will also be included and is prepared for the change. This work is part of Cary’s water system management strategy to ensure a more resilient and reliable water system. Citizens have been notified of the pressure zone change with letters, public meetings, Nextdoor, HOA communications, and integrated voice response messages. Staff also completed more than 40 pressure checks requested by citizens. Staff will be stationed throughout the abovementioned neighborhoods Wednesday morning monitoring the operation and being available to answer citizens’ questions.

2021 Water Resources Year In Review

The 2021 Water Resources Year In Review report is now available and provides meaningful snapshots and historical trends about Cary’s excellent utility service. Some of the fun facts in this year’s report include a check on Cary’s per capita usage as well as the water demand of the overall service area of the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility. Continue reading the 2021 Water Resources Year in Review to see how water usage numbers relate to treatment capacity, and the impact of rainfall and seasonal changes on water demand.

Procurement Month Success

During the month of March, over 200 Cary employees expanded their knowledge and gained new insight into navigating the procurement process by attending Cary’s first-ever Procurement Academy. With seven virtual classes and one in-person class offered as part of National Procurement Month 2022, participants delve deep into requisitions, procurement processes, contract fundamentals, and Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) principals and best practices.

Technology Speaker Series

The Marketing and Information Technology (MIT) Department has started a monthly speaker series in partnership with RIOT. Each month, the series will focus on new or existing technology to spark creativity. In March, we focused on augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR). MIT invited Mark Lambert with VArtisans and Derek Alan Rowe, an immersive filmmaker and entrepreneur, to talk about their experience with this technology.

Upcoming Meetings

Hybrid Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board
Monday, April 4
5:15 p.m.

Hybrid Information Services Advisory Board
Monday, April 4
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday, April 4
6:30 p.m.

Hybrid Senior Advisory Board
Wednesday, April 6
2:00 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday, April 7
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• Requests to support the town-initiated Laurel Street affordable housing project
• Requests to deny the town-initiated Laurel Street affordable housing project
• Thanks for our police officers for helping with the Cary Greenway Marathon
• Questions about programming at the Dunham Tennis Courts
• Complaints about medians on Kildaire Farm Road, and along Cary Parkway near Lake Pine
• Thanks for speaking at a youth group of high school juniors
• A request to have Bocce courts

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a tour of Fenton, two presentations of the State of Cary address, an Atlantic Tire Championships Tennis Board meeting, the kickoff of Ed Yerha’s campaign, a regularly scheduled council meeting, speaking to 3^rd graders at Highcroft elementary, the groundbreaking for the USA Baseball Expansion including a first pitch, and a USTA Tennis Industry Appreciation event.

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

Interview with High School Students

Monday I was interviewed by two students from the Enloe High School newspaper. They asked several questions regarding schools, housing, future retail, development, economic development, and other items. Our talk lasted about 30 minutes

Agenda Review

Monday I attempted to contact each council member to hear of questions or concerns about Thursday regular meeting agenda. Topics of concerns expressed to me included the Terraces proposed rezoning of Highway 55, and questions about the Meridian development in downtown.

Later in the day I met with staff and the Mayor Pro-Tem to go over the agenda items. We discussed the council member’s questions and concerns to help prepare staff’s presentations for the meeting. Our meeting concluded after 15 minutes.

Town Manager One-on-one

After the agenda meeting I met with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Topics included the South Hills mall purchase, the future Sportsplex, our light ordinance, updates on the tennis center, and the Fenton’s rezoning proposal.

Wake County Mayor’s Association and the University Games

Monday night I met with several Wake County mayors for our monthly gathering. Attending were mayors from Cary, Fuquay Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Morrisville, and Rolesville. The meeting started with a presentation on the University Games. The Triangle venues are in the final location selection with Korea for the 2027 games. Cities involved in this bid include Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, and Greensboro (for swimming). If picked this area will host 19 events over a 13-day period. The economic impact from these games is estimated to be over $153 million. After the presentation the mayors held a roundtable discussion mostly on budgets and projects. Our meeting concluded after about 2 ½ hours.

DEI Task Force Interviews

Tuesday night I joined council members Bush, Liu, and DEI manager Harris in interviews of the final eight applicants for the DEI task force. The mission of the task force is to improve the quality of life for the organization and community by encouraging fair treatment and promoting mutual understanding and respect amongst all people. The task force will consist of seven members appointed by me for two years or until the final report of findings from the Reimagining Policing Project is presented to Council, whichever is later. The candidates we interviewed were very articulate and impressive. The covered a wide range of DEI topics we are trying to assess. I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish.

State of Cary Address

Wednesday I presented the State of Cary address to the Templeton Retirement Community. There were several dozen people in attendance. This was the second time I have given the address and the first time since January. There were a few updates, but it was very similar to the first presentation.

Council meeting

Thursday the council met for its last regularly scheduled meeting of March. The agenda included four consent items, three public hearings, and three discussion items. The consent item for the sublease agreements at the WakeMed Soccer Park was moved to the April 7^th meeting to allow more time to finalize documents. The discussion item for The Terraces at West Cary rezoning was removed from the agenda at the request of the applicant. There is currently no date on when a final decision will be made on this proposal.

The public hearing for the Estes rezoning to would allow fifteen detached dwellings, had speakers concerned about traffic directed onto Mills Road. There were also questions about allowing traffic on Emery Gale Lane which is a private road with no plans to be a public road. This proposal will go to the Planning and Zoning Board for their review and recommendation.

The public hearing for a Chapel Hill Road rezoning that would allow thirty-two townhouses had speakers concerned about additional traffic on Wilson Road. This will also go to the Planning and Zoning Board for their review and recommendation.

Under discussion the council approved the Meridian project for downtown on East Chatham Street. This development will be a mixed-use residential building with ground floor retail and a parking structure. In a partnership with the town, the development will include extending Hunter Street to Cedar Street as well as water, sewer, and stormwater improvements within East Chatham Street.

The council also unanimously approved the FY 2022 Street Improvements Bid Award and the use of $698,953 of Powell Bill Capital Reserves for projects. The FY 2022 Street Improvements construction bid was awarded to Blythe Construction, Inc. for $8,483,627.90. Cary maintains about 504 miles of streets which are mostly in neighborhoods. Thoroughfares are mostly the maintenance responsibility of NCDOT. Cary continues to have a much high standard for its streets than the NCDOT maintained roads.

Cary Council Candidate

Friday morning, I met virtual with a candidate for Cary Town council. In our forty-five-minute conversation I was able to learn about their passion for Cary and their ideas to make Cary better.

RTA Trip prep

Friday afternoon I participated in a RTA (Regional Transportation Alliance) Tour Prep meeting. Eighty-four people will travel to the Miami area to tour and discuss rail transit.

WRAL Interview at the Fenton

Friday evening I traveled to the Fenton construction site to provide WRAL comments on the impact of the project. The Fenton is the biggest development in Cary history. It is designed not only to provide living, shopping, and dining, but will be an experience like no other in this region. Some of the retail stores will open on April 29^th and the grand opening will be on June 3^rd and June 4^th. To read the WRAL story go here.

Town Manager’s Update

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

Danna’s Message

It was great seeing everyone at last night’s Council meeting. We look forward to welcoming a group from Frisco, Texas for an Inner-City visit next week. Staff has worked closely with the Chamber to coordinate a great visit that includes facility tours, panel discussions, and meet and greets.
I hope everyone enjoys the nice weather this weekend.
Danna

Cary Youth Leadership Program

Forty Cary students participated in a mock public hearing at the Cary Chamber of Commerce to learn about Cary’s rezoning and development process with Planning staff members, Erin Puckett, Kaley Huston, Jeff Caines and Allen Davis.

Cary Chamber of Commerce Business Expo

Planning and Development staff Tara Adams, Julie Mitchell, and Sue Wall, participated in the Business Expo sponsored by the Cary Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday at Prestonwood County Club.

Fire Attends Railroad Emergency Training

Fire staff attended TRANSCAER (Transportation, Community Awareness, and Emergency Response) train incident training course last week. The training was sponsored by Norfolk-Southern Railways as part of their nationwide program that helps communities, and first responders prepare for and respond to a hazardous materials transportation incident involving a train. This year Nutrien Ag Products co-sponsored the training to share information about new hazardous material railcars that will be traveling through our community going to and from their manufacturing facility on the coast of North Carolina.

2021 Asset Management Report

The 2021 Annual Asset Management Report was recently completed and provides a dashboard view of the current state of Cary’s linear assets. The report tracks assets added through capital and development initiatives and helps verify that key performance targets are being achieved. Over the past year, the focus has remained on GIS improvements, maintaining buried linear infrastructure, and continuing work on risk-based capital planning. One of the highlights of the report is the record low number of sanitary sewer overflows experienced in the past year. Having only five overflows for a system of over 1,000 miles is a testament to Cary’s maintenance and rehabilitation work.

Cary is for the Birds

From now through May 31, Cary is partnering with Wake Audubon Society to prevent bird strikes through the national Lights Out Program. During this time, billions of birds are migrating, and staff members are piloting an initiative to prevent bird window collisions specifically on Town Hall Campus. By reducing bird exposure to non-essential lighting at night, this initiative will help protect migrating birds without compromising public safety. The internal efforts will be complimented by an external public education campaign that invites our community to join us in this important environmental protection program.

CAWTF Ozone Replacement Project Completion

The Cary-Apex Water Treatment Facility (CAWTF) Ozone Replacement Project is now complete. Three new ozone generators have been installed, integrated with the existing generator, and are all running smoothly. The collaboration between the CAWTF staff and the contractor contributed heavily to the success of this project. Having a well-functioning ozone system mitigates some of the seasonal variations of lake water and helps ensure that the CAWTF continues to produce high quality, great tasting water now and into the future.

Cary’s First Electric Mower

Cary’s first electric mower can be found at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Gravely Pro-Turn EV will be put to the test this season maintaining the park’s general turf. This electric mower is great for the environment, has lower maintenance and operational cost, and is quieter than a gas mower.

Reclaimed Water Networking

This week, Cary hosted a meeting with area reclaimed water utilities that included staff from Cary, Raleigh, Holly Springs, and Durham County. The networking allowed everyone to share information about the operation and management of their reclaimed water systems and how each jurisdiction promotes the utilization of this sustainable reclaimed water resource. Cary is celebrating its 20-year reclaimed water system anniversary and although we have the oldest residential reclaimed water system in North Carolina, it is valuable to hear from and share information with other utilities so that we can continue to learn and improve our programs.

NC Tech Diversity + Inclusion Tech Summit

On Thursday, Chief Information Officer Nicole Raimundo served on a panel discussion – The Intersection of DE+I and Tech – at the NC Tech Diversity + Inclusion Summit in Durham. The panelists discussed the advances in digital transformation and growth in data and analytics that have led to technology becoming pervasive in helping us to better understand our current state, the gaps that exist in building an inclusive workplace, and how to move the needle towards a culture of diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion.  

Cary Academy and District C

The Marketing, Information and Technology (MIT) Department had the pleasure of working with Cary Academy and District C on a mutually beneficial problem-solving exercise. District C is a nonprofit program that offers training to high school students in navigating “real life” problems. Cary Academy often invites local startups and established businesses to draft problem statements for their students, which help teach them the importance of critical thinking and problem solving. Cary provided this statement to the students to work on over a four-week period: “Recruiting and retaining technical staff against the backdrop of a robust array of household names in the private technology sector is a consistent challenge for the Town.”

In response, students set up an interview with MIT staff to dive deeper into the problem and get a better understanding of how government works, after which they embarked on a two-week sprint to explore solutions. The engagement culminated in a pitch event where two student groups offered up separate solutions on how government could retain technologists during a time of extremely competitive hiring. MIT staff was impressed with the thoughtfulness of the students’ ideas and hopes to partner with Cary Academy and District C again on future educational opportunities.

Upcoming Meetings

Planning and Zoning Board
Monday, March 28
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

Emails from citizens this week included:

• Thank you emails from students who attended Youth Leadership
• A thank you email for all Cary is doing for senior housing
• A thank you email for interviewing a candidate for our DEI task force
• A concern about a “hazardous light pole” on the Cary Wake Med property
• Condolences for the tragic loss of life in a recent apartment fire in Cary
• A request to have an ordinance to prevent a neighbor’s floodlight from shining in a window
• A request to have 5% of our budget (about $20 million) for affordable housing
• An ongoing complaint about the background color of my blog
• A complaint about town inspectors
• A complaint about a water bill
• A request to fix sidewalk issues near the Templeton
• A complaint about the Meridian proposal causing traffic and pedestrian safety concerns
• A request to help sale a home to work force employees
• Several emails to support the town-initiated Laurel Street rezoning which includes affordable housing

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a taping of Cary Matters, a trip to Miami with a RTA (Regional Transportation Alliance) group, welcoming remarks to a group visiting from Texas, and a Cary-RTP Rapid Bus Stakeholder meeting.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Monday, April 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.