This week included the last regularly scheduled council meeting of the month.
Monday I contacted each of the council members to hear of questions or concerns about Thursday’s agenda. There was a question about an Act 22 item which was a public hearing, and a question about the proposed sister city.
Later Monday I met with staff members to go over the agenda. Our meeting lasted about fifteen minutes.
Monday night I participated in a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association. There were seven other mayors in attendance. Absent were the mayors from Apex, Raleigh, Wake Forest, and Wendell. Our discussion topics included the county’s mask mandate, issues with growth, and communicating with citizens. Our meeting lasted about two and a half hours.
Tuesday night I joined council members Smith, Yerha, and Liu in presenting $40,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations with programs and projects in the cultural arts. These grants were from the 45th Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival proceeds. To date the festival committee has given over $800,000 back to the arts in our community.
The first public hearing was on Act 22 Land Development Ordinance Amendments and Town Code Amendments. These would be a series of technicalLDO amendments that would align the LDO with state statutes, make LDO process improvements without changing town policy or regulatory intent, and make minor clarifications and corrections to the LDO and Town Code. There were no speakers for the hearing and it was sent to the Planning and Zoning Board for their review and recommendation.
The second public hearing was for the 21-A-17 Pleasant Grove Annexation. The owners of the properties petitioned for annexation to relocate their business from Downtown Cary to this site next to the airport. The hearing had no speakers, but several written comments were submitted to the council. Most of them were told, through Nextdoor and other social media, that the council wanted to create a strip club. They expressed disgust with the council and the town. Here are the facts:
All legitimate businesses, including strip clubs, must be allowed to locate in a municipality, by law.
Years ago, Cary created a zoning for strip clubs next to the airport and nowhere near residents, schools, churches, and other sensitive businesses to accomplish this requirement.
What was being voted on at this meeting was not the use (zoning at this site was approved years ago), but whether this business could be annexed into the town, pay taxes, and get water and sewer.
The applicant wanted to move the strip club from downtown Cary (that had been a non-conforming use for years) to the airport site.
While I am confident that council members are not happy to have this type of business in town, it is a legitimate business that is protected by law. As a result the vote was unanimously approved. I look forward to the strip club in downtown being a thing of the past.
Under discussion the council unanimously approved our fifth sister city, Bandirma, Turkey. Other sister cities include Le Touquet, France; Markham, Canada; Hsinchu, Taiwan; and County Meath, Ireland. Since Spring 2019, Council Member and Liaison to Cary Sister Cities Jack Smith has been in conversation with Turkish representatives about the communities’ interest in formalizing a sister city relationship between Cary and Bandirma, Turkey. I look forward to other sister cities in the future. Personally, I would love to have a sister city in India and Germany.
After a short closed session, the council meeting concluded after about 45 minutes.
Sean’s Message
The town manager’s report for this week included:
It is hard to believe that February is coming to a close already. Council and staff had a productive month of meetings and action. Personally, I look forward to March – the warmer weather and spring activities.
One spring initiative is a pressure zone modification in the Piper’s Crossing, Piper’s Grove and Pritchett Farms subdivisions on April 6. In preparation of this improvement Council Member Jack Smith joined staff for a virtual neighborhood meeting that was held February 23 to discuss the upcoming water pressure increase in the identified area. A recording of the meeting is available on Cary’s Pressure Zone Modification webpage.
Annual Biosolids Report
Cary’s Water Reclamation Facilities (WRF) utilize thermal drying at both the South Cary and Western Wake Water Reclamation Facilities for managing and treating biosolids, a nutrient rich byproduct of wastewater treatment. Cary produces EPA-Certified, Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids by recycling valuable nutrients from the wastewater for beneficial reuse as a natural fertilizer and soil amendment. In 2021, the North Cary and South Cary WRF together produced 3,665 dry tons and the Western Wake Regional WRF produced 3,087 dry tons of biosolids. Cary’s high-quality dried biosolids, known as Enviro-Gems are marketed to a vendor for use in the agribusiness industry. Read the entire 2021 Annual Biosolids Report here.
Downtown Park E-Newsletter
To keep up with the progress in the Downtown Park consider joining the E-news list. Citizens can add themselves to the Downtown Park E-news list by going to the park’s website, scrolling to the bottom and entering your information. Once the information is submitted a confirmation email will be sent to authorize being added to the email list.
A complaint about Morrisville Carpenter Road should be named by the Carpenter family.
A complaint about a storm device overflow that the town refuses to fix (the pond and devices are privately owned and maintained by the HOA)
A complaint about high rents in Cary
A complaint about a plugged drain on Ralph Drive
A concern about Cary multi-story buildings might collapse like the one in Florida
A complaint about an out-of-state vehicle parked at Crescent Commons every day giving the appearance that they are working at Harris Teeter
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a visit to the compost center with Toward Zero Waste in Raleigh, a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors, and a meeting with a citizen on a mission to meet all North Carolina Mayors.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Monday, March 7. 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.
Wednesday I participated in a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board. The agenda included three consent items, three public hearings, and five regular agenda items.
Public hearings for the Unified Planning Work Program along with MPO Certification and an amendment to the FY2020-2029 Transportation Improvement Program were held without speakers and approved unanimously. A public hearing for the FY2023 Locally Administered Project Program (LAPP) was held without speakers, approved unanimously, and included funding for Cary’s Old Apex Road sidewalk.
Items of interest under the regular agenda included the announcement that the I540 project to US70 is expected to be completed around March of 2024. It was also announced that the I40 widening project to Johnson County, which has been ongoing for two years, is expected to have overall completion in late 2024.
The meeting concluded after about two hours.
Meeting with Representatives of Fast-Growing Frisco, TX
Later Wednesday I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Frantz in a meeting with Cary Chamber members, staff members, and representatives from Frisco, Texas. A contingent from Frisco will be visiting in late March.
Their city grew from 30,000 people in 2000 to over 200,000 now (recognized as the fastest-growing community in the country several times). We visited Frisco, Arlington, and other areas around Dallas about three years ago in an intercity visit. I look forward to their visit here.
Staff & Homebuilders Association Meetings
Thursday morning I met with staff to discuss how to strategically improve my interactions with other governing entities. My meeting lasted about an hour.
Thursday midday I joined the town manager in a meeting with representatives from the Homebuilders Association. The focus of our meeting was mostly relationship building.
Learning How to Better Fund Transportation Needs
Friday I participated in a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors which used the meeting to hear from the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce on “Destination 2030”.
The mission statement for this initiative is stated as “The Road to a Stronger Transportation Future initiative, powered by job creators on the Destination 2030 Coalition, is leading a broad-based, business-driven effort to modernize and diversify North Carolina’s transportation funding structure to protect our quality of life, support the healthy growth of our economy and our communities, and ensure we continue to meet the mobility needs of our fast-growing state in an increasingly competitive business environment.”
Basically, this group is trying to broaden the discussion on how to better fund transportation needs since it continues to be inadequate because funding is mostly based on the use of gasoline.
The following summary of Legislative action this week was received on Friday from the KTS Strategies lobbying group:
Legislature Submits Revised Maps This week, the legislature returned to pass remedial state legislative and congressional maps. On February 4, the State Supreme Court ruled the first maps the legislature submitted unconstitutional. The revised NC House map received bi-partisan support with a vote of 115-5 and 41-3 in the House and Senate respectively.
The NC Senate map passed along party lines with Senate Democrats stating the revised maps do not solve the underlying partisan gerrymander. The Congressional map also passed along party lines, with the exception of two House Republicans voting in opposition.
The legislature had to submit revised maps to a three-judge panel by noon today (February 18). The court has appointed three “special masters” in the case to help review the maps submitted by the legislature. Compliant maps must be approved or adopted by the court by noon on February 23. The candidate filing period is scheduled to resume February 24. The primary election will be held on May 17.
Mask Requirements On Thursday, Governor Cooper held a press conference encouraging schools and local governments to end their mask mandates. NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley encouraged schools to move to voluntary masking beginning March 7.
A summary of changes to the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit can be found here. Masks will still be required in certain places such as health care settings, long-term care facilities and public transportation in compliance with federal regulations.
The House and Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would allow parents to decide whether or not their children wear a mask in schools. S173, Free the Smiles Act, would repeal the requirement for monthly votes on face covering policies, allow parents to opt their child out of face covering requirements in schools, and limit the liability for public school units when allowing parental opt-out of face covering requirements. The bill passed the House with a vote of 76-42 and the Senate 28-17.
Town Manager’s Report
The town manager, Sean Stegall’s report for this week includes the following:
Sean’s Message
While Terry Sult continues to do an incredible job for us as Interim Chief of Police, our search for Cary’s next chief went public this week with the posting and national circulation of this recruitment brochure.
Many thanks to Deputy Town Manager Russ Overton and Chief Human Resources Officer Renee Poole for leading this critical element of our work to ensure the strength and effectiveness of our police for the future
I look forward to seeing most of you Thursday night for our only regular Council meeting of February. Sean
Public Safety Update
There are 14 active Covid-19 cases among town employees bringing the total to 470 since the pandemic began. The percentage of employees vaccinated is at 89% which is one of the highest, if not the highest, in the state. The percentage of citizens over the age of 5 vaccinated remains at 76% which is the second highest in the county.
Public Safety Communications
This week, staff from several departments came together for a session facilitated by Warren Miller of Fountainworks to begin work on improving public safety communications.
Annual Reclaimed Water Holiday
On February 14, Cary began its annual 10-day maintenance shutdown of the reclaimed water system, also referred to as the “reclaimed water holiday.” The scheduled shutdown provides staff the opportunity to perform routine maintenance on the system in the winter while irrigation and reclaimed water use is lower.
The shutdown also allows reclaimed water users an opportunity to perform maintenance on their own systems. Cary’s 870 reclaimed water customers were notified in advance of the annual maintenance shutdown of the system. Following completion of maintenance and repair tasks, the system is scheduled to restart on Feb. 24.
Annual Water Disinfection Change
Cary will begin its annual water system disinfection process on February 25. During this period, the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility (CAWTF) will switch from the standard mixture of chlorine and ammonia for disinfection to free chlorine. Water line flushing to cleanse the system will also begin at this time.
This change, which will continue until April 13, is in accordance with state and federal recommendations and is part of our normal water system maintenance process. During the switchover period, residents and customers may notice a minor increase in chlorine odor and temporary discoloration of water due to nearby hydrant flushing. More information is available by visiting townofcary.org/waterchange.
Holly Springs Staff Tours Downtown
On Wednesday, Cary hosted several members of the Holly Springs Town staff with representatives from their manager’s office, planning department, and economic development office to tour Downtown Cary.
It was a great opportunity to see firsthand several private development projects and talk through the various aspects necessary to make them a reality. We also discussed the many public investments Cary has made, which has played a significant role in the revitalization of Downtown Cary.
Those public investments made developers confident that Cary is committed to our vision and plans for Downtown.
Pilot Food Waste Recycling Drop-Off Opens
Pumpkins, pasta and potato peels are some of the many items being tossed into the carts at the pilot food waste recycling drop-off during the first week of operation. Engagement in social media and in 311 inquiries reflect a tremendous amount of interest and excitement in this service.
Social media conversations about Waste Management in Cary generated 616 interactions — approximately 14x greater than the weekly average over the past three months. The spike in volume is primarily attributed to the high engagement in response to posts about the Town’s pilot service.
We continue to monitor engagement online and in person. Staff and Toward Zero Waste Cary members are volunteering at the site each week through February to support answering questions and help monitor what we’re seeing at the drop-off.
Spring My Tree, Our Tree Registration Opens
The spring My Tree, Our Tree registration is bloomin’ hot! In the first week, citizens reserved nearly 500 of the 650 available native trees. Beautiful burr oak, serviceberry, silverbell, and sweetbay magnolia are still available for citizens who want to add a tree to their yard and to the community’s canopy. Click here for more information.
Basic Canine Handler Graduation
On February 9, the Police Department honored its newest Police K9’s as they, along with their handlers, successfully completed a Basic Canine Handler Course hosted by the Cary Police Department.
Officer Matthew Cotten and his K9 partner, Arlo, as well as Sergeant Seth Everett and his K9 partner, Logan, received certificates of completion. Please join us as we extend a hearty welcome to our newest police K9 teams.
Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meetings
The following cases will be discussed on March 9 at an upcoming neighborhood meeting that will be held virtually on WebEx from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. To learn more about the cases click on the rezoning name to view the neighborhood letter and vicinity map.
A complaint about a future proposal in Chatham County
A complaint about storm runoff from construction at the downtown park
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a chamber event, the Lazy Daze Grant reception, and a regularly scheduled council meeting.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 27th. 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, NC — This week the staff and council held its first quarterly meeting of the year.
Monday I met with the town manager to go over items to be discussed at the quarterly meeting. Those topics included branding, an environmental update, an update on capital projects, park projects, and sidewalk projects. We also talked about the upcoming DEI committee appointments which I will make in a few weeks. Our meeting lasted about fifteen minutes.
Recording the 2022 State of Cary Video
Tuesday I recorded the voice-over parts for the video version of the State of Cary address at Digital P studios. This video should be available for viewing at the end of the month. These recordings took about thirty minutes.
Afterward, I went to the council chambers to record an opening and a closing for the State of Cary video that was taped when I presented to the Cary Chamber of Commerce members in late January. The tapings of the opening and closing took about twenty minutes. FYI, the State of Cary address that I presented at the Cary Chamber can be seen here on YouTube.
The quarterly report (October – December) came out on Thursday and can be found here.
A Recap of the Council’s Quarterly Meeting
Thursday the council held its first quarterly meeting of the year. Our next quarterly meeting will be in May. Here are some of the notes I took from the slides at the meeting:
Financial
Property Tax (over half of revenue) on track
Permits and Fees up 27%
Parks 100% over last year and almost to pre-Covid levels
Sales Tax revenue up
Inflation expected to have impacts this fiscal year
Cary has $3 billion of town owned property
There is $34 billion in taxable property excluding vehicles and non-taxable properties such as churches
Environment
Alyssa Campo Bowman was hired as an environmental manager for Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainable Community Practices
Our environmental initiatives are integrated into all sustainable practices such as stormwater, public works, facilities, utilities, fleet, and transit
Emission Reduction Plans: Completion of SEAP (Strategic Energy Action Plan) and CAP (Climate Action Plan)
Other Plans: Solid Waste Master Plan, Urban Forestry Master Plan, Open Space Plan, and Communications Plan
Energy actions: Solar – bus shelters, stormwater sensors, and USA Baseball, New Energy Monitoring Program, Solar Master Services
Solar Installation increased 53% in 2021, there will be a webpage for tracking
Cary is in negotiations to purchase the solar farm at the South Cary plant
Transportation: GoCary ridership at pre-Covid levels, adding a Morrisville Smart Shuttle. Soon an Apex Smart Shuttle will be added. Electric will be considered our first option moving forward.
Pilot program in the works with NCSU for Cool Streets – an application that not only preserves streets but keeps them cooler reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Two Teslas are currently used by Police, expect eight more this year. These vehicles not only perform better but will save the town $4000 over the life of the vehicle.
Idle reduction technology is being added to Fire Trucks.
We will sponsor a Tree Talk Series.
There will be changes to the LDO to focus on native species, and planting seasons.
We will be creating tree planting webpage.
Several employees in public works are being certified as arborists.
We are creating a tree orchard and pollinator garden and continuing with My Tree Our Tree program.
We have purchased 200 acres in Chatham County. There will be programs to restore natural lands such as in Walnut Creek.
We are partnering with Triangle Land Conservancy on Watershed protection.
We received a grant to preserve 300 acres of wetlands on the White Oak Creek Greenway.
We will provide help to create residential rain gardens.
Soil cells are now being used, such as the sidewalk area in front of the Rogers, which allows trees to grow healthy in urban environment and allows better stormwater control.
We are partnering with NCSU on recycling. We received an AI award.
We are part of TJCOG regional solid waste consortium.
We are creating a food and waste webpage working with education and outreach toward zero waste.
Food waste recycling center is now open on Dixon Drive.
Capital Projects
Construction costs continue to trend up.
Material lead times are longer than normal.
Supply chains continue to be disrupted.
We currently have 500 active town projects worth about $1 billion. This takes 70 project managers from 10 departments.
There are 160 town projects under construction worth about $415 million.
Most of the non-utility projects are transportation and parks.
Projects from the 2019 bonds include 11 park projects worth $82.6 million and 11 transportation projects worth $60 million.
Active Park projects include downtown Cary Park, Carpenter Fire Station and McCrimmon neighborhood parks, Penny Road school park, Court renovations, playground renovations, and open space acquisitions
Active Transportation projects include the Cary Parkway Sidewalk, the Louis Stephens Sidewalk, street improvements, intersection improvements, and NCDOT Enhancements.
Future Park projects (from the Bond sale) include historic preservation, South Cary greenways, Cary Action Park improvements, Veterans Freedom Park enhancements, Tryon Road Park, and Walnut Creek greenway.
Future Transportation projects (from the Bond sale) include the Green Level Church Road widening, the O’Kelly Chapel Road widening, NC55 Pedestrian Grade Separation study, the downtown parking development, and the Fenton infrastructure.
There will be a Kildaire Farm Road Water line replacement project that will begin this quarter which will go from Maynard to McEnroe Court. During construction two lanes will remain open.
The McCrimmon Parkway Park, starting construction this spring, will have a hammock sculpture, a playground, a natural play area, pickleball courts, a community garden, a shelter, and tennis courts.
The Carpenter Fire Station Road Park, starting construction this spring, will have a skate park, a multipurpose court, a playground, an area for adult fitness, ball fields, a dog park, and a shelter.
Branding
Council decided on a logo which will have various adaptations depending on how it is used.
“Live Inspired” will be the tag line.
We realize that logos, like art, are in the eye of the beholder. As a result, there will be many people that like the logo and many people that don’t like the logo.
Development
There were 21 cases seeking rezonings in Q2 (October – December) rezoning with 5 being approved.
Q2 approvals included a 10,000 square foot grocery store, 55 detached dwellings, 32 dwellings with a minimum of 3 detached, 160 dwellings with a maximum of 15 detached, and a habitat and flood mitigation.
Q2 rezonings are up 9% close to 5-year average.
Q2 development plans are down 21% from the 5-year average.
Q2 building permits are up 2% from the 5-year average.
Q2 had 15 rezoning pre-application conferences with only 6 rezoning applications submitted.
The Fenton is scheduled to open late spring with 556,525 square feet of retail and office and 357 multi-family units.
South Hills Redevelopment plans will soon be submitted.
South Hills may include Sportsplex center.
The quarterly meeting lasted a little over four hours.
Dancing at Diwali
Friday I participated in a virtual meeting with Hum Sub board members, council member Bush, Parks Director McRainey, and Cultural Arts Director Lewis to talk about Cary officials participating in dancing at Diwali.
Bush, McRainey, and I will dance and will try and recruit other Cary officials. There will also be dance teams of officials from Morrisville and Apex.
Mayor’s Mailbox
Emails from citizens this week included:
A question about sidewalks off Chapel Hill Road
A question about community/neighborhood meetings
Requests to support a town-sponsored rezoning for affordable housing
A request to speak to Triple F group
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board, a meeting about a future Chamber intercity visit, a meeting with the Homebuilders Association, and a meeting who is trying to meet with all 532 NC mayors.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 20th. 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, NC — This was another light week as the council and staff prepare for our first quarterly meeting of the year next week.
Meetings & Tennis Championship Board
Monday I met with the town manager and town attorney to discuss elections, and ordinances related to discrimination. Our meeting lasted about 30 minutes.
Later Monday I met with the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships board. The tournament date for this year is set for September 11th through the 18th. Our discussion focused on getting our community and businesses involved. This may include new events during the tournament. Our next meeting is scheduled for March 7th.
Interview with the “Living in Cary” Podcast
Thursday I participated in a podcast interview with Wayne Holt who is a local builder located in downtown Cary. This was the first of his podcasts which will be called “Living in Cary”. Some of the questions included:
How would you describe Cary to those who aren’t familiar with it?
As Mayor what are some of the things you look back on in your tenure that you’re most proud of about this town?
What do you see as some of the biggest challenges facing Cary these days?
What are some of your goals for the future of Cary?
Our taping was completed in less than an hour.
NC Metro Mayors Discuss General Assembly, Transit
Friday morning I joined a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors. The following is a summary of that meeting from the Executive Director:
Federal Update
Larger cities have submitted ARP Reports to US Treasury
When you have ribbon cuttings, consider inviting your members of Congress to demonstrate the work that is associated with the ARP.
General Assembly
While the NCGA is officially in session, there is no regular committee work or votes taking place.
We are waiting to see what happens with the maps. The State Supreme Court had their hearing on Wednesday of this week. We expect a ruling to be issued quickly (by early next week).
We assume the Court will return a ruling for the General Assembly to redraw the maps with specific instructions. They could also rule that a Special Master participate with the same instructions.
The legislature will have 14 days to review, draw, and execute new maps. The maps do NOT go to the Governor for action.
The General Assembly may also consider budget technical corrections language for specific agencies, but we expect the scope of items they take up to be extremely narrow.
Current timing for elections is still May 17 for the Primary, but this date is likely to move. Feel free to call Beau as you prepare your budgets to navigate this issue.
Transportation
The NC Transportation Summit was held in Raleigh. All of the presentations and materials from the conference can be found HERE
The big issue for cities continues to be the delay in major transportation projects.
Economic Development
Nothing new to report. Congrats to Greensboro and Triad for both Toyota and Boom Supersonic and Concord/Kannapolis for Eli Lilly job announcements.
Special Guest
Ryan Berni, White House Special Advisor for Infrastructure. Introduction by Evan Wessel, White House IGA. They shared an update on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and BUILD.GOV & Guidebook – focus on Building a Better America opportunities for cities.
The intent of the guidebook is to increase access to information to provide for planning on the front end. There is also an excellent summary of local grant opportunities attached to the email.
The 400-page guidebook was released this week and provides an overview of each program. There are over 375 programs with opportunities for local governments, most existing funding programs, but there are also 125 new programs for locals to consider applying for.
Each page lists the agency name, who is eligible, timeline, and key program information. The file is also searchable/sortable so you can filter the information you are looking for.
The White House is organizing webinars over the next six weeks for deep dives into specific programs. In addition, NCLM and Metro Mayors are organizing a grants overview webinar for city managers and staff. Beau will make sure you get the details for these informational sessions as soon as they are available.
As your cities begin to initiate projects or stand-up programs with federal dollars (incl. both ARP and the Infrastructure funds)– PLEASE consider inviting your Members of Congress to participate in the events. We need to make sure they are seeing the impact of the funding they have entrusted us with. Remember – both of our Republican Senators were a key part of the bipartisan vote in favor the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The meeting concluded after thirty minutes.
New Cary Food Waste Drop-Off Now Open on Dixon Street
Friday the town announced the Cary Food Waste Drop-Off on Dixon Street will be opened on Monday, February 7th. This drop-off is a new way for residents to divert household food waste from landfills and return it to the earth as valuable compost through its food waste recycling drop-off pilot.
This site, the first of its kind in Cary, will gauge citizen interest and participation in this style of service to reduce food waste in trash and provide data for analysis of the impact on the Town’s solid waste stream and management program. The following is additional information based on questions received:
What is the pilot Food Waste Recycling Drop-Off?
Cary’s pilot food waste recycling drop-off is a new local option for residents to turn food waste into compost. All material is processed by a local facility and some of that finished compost will be hauling services in this pilot. The drop-off is a year-long pilot service that will allow the Town to evaluate the community’s receptivity to food waste recycling and the impact it has on the solid waste stream. According to a 2019 study, 27% of Cary’s waste that goes to the landfill is considered food waste. Cary has also partnered with Toward Zero Waste Cary to provide education resources, planned efforts, and events that will support citizens’ participation in the program.
What is accepted at the pilot drop-off?
Food Scraps and leftovers (raw or cooked)
Coffee grounds, filters, tea bags
Napkins, paper towels
Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) Certified items
Collect food scraps at home and bring to the drop-off during operating hours. Toss the accepted items in the food waste collection carts on-site or, contain your scraps in a Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certified bag and then toss them in the cart.
How is this different from backyard composting?
Food scraps collected at the drop-off are taken to an NC commercial grade composting facility composting facility that achieves significantly higher temperatures; meaning, more items such as meat, dairy projects, and bones can be more effectively composted than in a backyard system. Learn more about backyard composting; https://www.townofcary.org/composts
I am looking forward to this pilot program getting started and hope that the community shows interest.
New Schedule for Candidate Filing & Elections
Friday evening the council was notified by the town attorney that the NC Supreme Court issued a ruling striking down the legislative and congressional redistricting maps.
The General Assembly was ordered to redraw new maps by February 18 and submit them to the three-judge trial court panel. The trial court must either approve the General Assembly maps or adopt its own maps by February 23. Here is the current schedule based on that decision:
February 24 – filing opens
March 4 – filing closes
May 17 – election day
July 5 – municipal runoff date if second primaries are needed for state races and no second primaries are needed for federal races
July 26 – municipal runoff date if second primary is needed for any federal race or if no second primaries are needed for state or federal races
Stay tuned for more changes.
Recording the State of Cary Address
Sunday I did several on-location tapings for the video version of the State of Cary address. This version was taped at the USA Baseball National Training Center, the Davis Dive Park greenway tunnel, and Good Hope farm. The on-location tapings took about three hours.
Deputy Town Manager’s Report
The following is the weekly report from the Deputy Town Manager:
Russ’ Message
After three weeks of weekend snow, Groundhog’s Day came and went with a prediction of six more weeks of winter – followed by two sixty-degree days. Welcome to North Carolina winter – sorry Sean! In all seriousness, I am thankful that our staff received a much-needed break from snow removal this weekend.
In other news, I look forward to seeing each of you on Thursday at the Quarterly Meeting. Staff will provide updates on our branding effort, as well as other financial, capital project, development, and environmental updates. By the end of the meeting, you should be completely up to date so there will not be a Council Weekly Report on February 11.
Take care, Russ
Public Safety Update
Currently there are 52 town employees infected with Covid-19 bringing the total to 447 since the pandemic began. The employee vaccination rate is at 89% while the citizen vaccination rate is at 76% which is the second highest in Wake County behind Apex.
Cary leads the county in the percentage of most boosted out of those eligible. Cary is second in case rate per 100,000. Infections and hospitalizations are declining in the county and state.
USA Baseball Office & Training Complex Improvements, 280 Brooks Park Lane: The building permit was approved for a new facility located between Coleman Field and the parking lot. Assembly space is approximately 22,000 sq. ft. of unconditioned flexible space; full-size baseball infield or up to eight pitching/batting lanes and three individual training spaces. Tenant spaces to include new office and warehouse. Remaining spaces include staff offices, classroom, restrooms, showers and storage spaces. Construction will be phased to minimize disturbance of existing operations.
Crosstown Pub, 154/156 East Chatham Street: The building permit was approved to expand existing food service and restaurant into adjacent vacant suite in the former Daylight Café location.
Twin Lakes Apartments, 1015 Hatches Pond Lane: The building permits were approved for new apartment buildings within the Twin Lake PDP. The development will construct 230 units with site amenities and structured and surface parking.
Fire Station 9 Receives Design Award
Fire Station 9 received a 2021 Fire Station Design Awards Program recognition award from Fire Industry Education Research Organization (FIERO), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving firefighter health and safety.
Recognition awards go to those projects for which four out of six jurors agree that the project exemplifies excellence in all aspects of planning and design, including site plan, floor plan(s), innovation, and architectural image.
An online magazine, FireRescue1, spotlighted the award in its January 28 edition.
Community Rezoning Meeting
Cary will host a virtual community rezoning meeting on February 16 at 6:30 p.m. to provide a second opportunity for citizens to provide comment on the proposed rezoning at 921 SE Maynard Road (21-REZ-18). In partnership with Laurel Street LLC, this town-owned site is proposed to be developed into 130 mixed-income units, consistent with the goals of the Cary Housing Plan.
Construction of two sand volleyball courts began this week at Thomas Brooks Park. Contractors will clear, grade, install court drainage, a retaining wall, fencing, and lights, then staff will finish volleyball courts by installing sand and netting. The courts will be open this spring.
Academy Street Water Main Replacement Update
Beginning on February 8, the northbound lane on Academy St (from Chatham St to Cedar St) will be closed to traffic while crews install a new water main as part of the annual water main replacement project.
Once this segment is finished, it will complete a larger run of pipe between the Field Street elevated water storage tank and the heart of downtown. Traffic control signs and barricades will be posted and a detour around the work area via Chatham St & Harrison Avenue will be in place.
The work is expected to last approximately one week. Southbound traffic on N. Academy St will not be impacted.
Phone Service Interruption
Cary’s phone service provider, Windstream, experienced issues this week causing the Town to be unable to receive inbound calls for a portion of the day Wednesday.
Windstream moved the Town’s circuits which supports the phones to a new piece of hardware and removed the legacy hardware to reduce the potential for outage due to failure. In doing so, the new hardware was not processing calls correctly.
To get phones working properly Windstream rolled back the change and put the legacy hardware back into service.
This action restored phone services. Staff was unaware that Windstream was making changes, and Windstream has committed to coordinating the next maintenance window with MIT Operations to ensure staff is on site to prevent this issue from impacting Town business in the future.
Weston Crabtree Connector Greenway Project Update
A virtual public meeting was held on February 3 with nearby residents and local businesses for the Weston Crabtree Connector greenway project. Staff along with consultants from Withers & Ravenel presented project location, goals, and artist renderings of the future trail and pedestrian tunnel.
The project will complete a 1,000-ft gap between the Crabtree Creek Greenway and numerous neighborhood trails to the south. The tunnel, which is proposed to be similar to the one on White Oak Creek Greenway near Davis Drive, will safely carry greenway traffic beneath Weston Parkway.
Meet and Greet with the Jewish Community Relations Council
On January 28, members of the Police Department’s command staff welcomed Janis Zaremba, Jorie Slodki, and Judah Segal of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) a meet and greet.
The JCRC is a locally based organization which operates as the local, grass roots affiliate of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs organization. They aim to represent the consensus of the organized Jewish community in the cities in which they operate, and then assist in consulting other local stakeholders on matters of importance to Jewish community values.
Both groups discussed how the JCRC can serve as a liaison to the Police Department, and how together we can form a partnership to find solutions through collaborative problem solving and improved public trust. To quote the Jewish Federation of Raleigh/Cary, “together we are the community!”
Dozens of emails asking the town to support a town-initiated rezoning for affordable housing.
A request to help with solar at Green Level High School
A request to gauge interest for public drinking districts in downtown
A complaint about Wake County EMS response times
A complaint about a residence on Walker Street
A request for help with getting EV chargers at Chatham Walk
A request to pay for car damage obtained on a NCDOT maintained road
A complaint about staff’s response to housing rehab
Praise for staff in helping with a water leak issue
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, tapings for the State of Cary Address, a staff-council quarterly meeting, a North Carolina Metro Mayors meeting, a surprise birthday party, and a meeting about a celebrity dance for Cary Diwali this year.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 13th. 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, NC — This week I was scheduled for a trip to Miami on Wednesday which was canceled. As a result, there were not a lot of activities on my calendar.
Weekly 1:1 with the Town Manager
Tuesday I met virtually with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Our topics of discussion included downtown development, future ordinances, intergovernmental meetings, the Eastern Gateway developments, and the DEI task force. Our meeting was less than thirty minutes.
2022 State of Cary
Wednesday morning I delivered my annual State of Cary address to a couple hundred people in the Prestonwood Country Club ballroom. I wrote the address in the first week of the year. Then it was passed to staff for fact checks and suggestions. The town clerk’s office created the slide deck from my drafted text. I am grateful for their work on this since it takes a LOT of time.
My main message was that we are doing very well despite being in the middle of a pandemic. It was captured in the opening:
“…As we begin 2022 and in spite of the continuing personal and professional challenges and tragic losses which cannot be overstated, my assessment as your mayor is that Cary’s todays and tomorrows have never shone more brightly.
Why? Because we have the people with talent and skills. We listen to and care for each other, because we are intentional in how we collect and spend your money, because we not only plan but also execute on those plans, because we focus on what unites us instead of what divides us, Cary continues to be an unparalleled place to call home. …”
You can find the complete State of Cary Address and the slides I spoke from on the Town website.
Town Manager Report
The town manager’s report for this week included the following:
Sean’s Message
It was so nice to see so many familiar faces at the Mayor’s State of Cary address on Wednesday. For me, the mayor’s annual presentation contributes to renewed excitement for the year ahead. To echo the Mayor, Cary is in a great place, and we have so much to look forward to this year.
With an experienced Council, remarkable staff, and passionate citizens, I am confident Cary will continue to be a special place.
Have a great weekend. Sean
Winter Weather
It’s our third consecutive winter weather weekend, and we’re cautiously optimistic that accumulation this time will be minimal. Nevertheless, all operational teams are preparing in case we see something more substantial, and crews have brined all the major roads ahead of the storm.
Public Works crews will report at 10 PM. Friday night and be active until Sunday morning to operate plows and tend to any slick spots. Staff is monitoring forecasts and will announce any service changes on the Town’s website, by email, and on social media.
COVID-19 Update
Cary and Wake County remain in a high transmission state. There are 89 active cases among town employees bringing the total to 416 since the pandemic began. Town employees have a vaccination rate of 89% while citizens over the age of five have a vaccination rate of 76%. Cary has the second highest vaccination rate in the county. Cary has the second lowest infection rate in the county.
Election Update
The Governor has vetoed HB605 which would have changed the election date to June 7, 2022. In his veto he states that “The constitutionality of congressional and legislative districts is now in the hands of the North Carolina Supreme Court and the Court should have the opportunity to decide how much time is needed to ensure that our elections are constitutional.”
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next week. The Court may change the election date, but until then it will remain May 17, 2022.
Covid-19 Wastewater Tracking
COVID-19 wastewater testing data for Cary is available on the NCDHHS – NC Wastewater Monitoring Network website , along with other COVID-19 response health metrics. In October 2021, Cary began its participation in a Wake County Public Health funded project that is in coordination with NCDHHS that tracks COVID-19 trends in sewer systems.
Cary collects influent wastewater at our three water reclamation facilities twice a week to test for concentrations of COVID-19 RNA fragments. Wake County coordinates data management, sampling, and record keeping for high-quality metrics for public health action. Wake County will assess wastewater data against other available health indicators to work with the CDC, NCDHHS, Cary and other communities to improve and better manage the pandemic.
SolSmart Community Designation from Department of Energy
Cary is excited to receive the SolSmart Silver Level Community Designation from the U.S. Department of Energy. The SolSmart program helps local governments make systematic improvements to make it faster, easier, and more affordable for residents and businesses to go solar.
To receive this designation Cary improved upon existing permitting and planning procedures, facilitated staff training opportunities, and expanded education efforts including a new solar webpage that provides Cary-specific solar information, resources, and guidelines. Continuing an upward trend, the Town experienced a 53% increase in solar permitting during calendar year 2021.
Cary is proud to provide increased access to renewable energy solutions, an important part of reducing carbon emissions and building a sustainable and resilient community.
USA Baseball National Training Center Improvements
Construction will begin soon on the USA Baseball Training Complex. The construction contract and building permit were approved and a pre-construction meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 31. The project will be completed in two phases in order to maintain event parking and pedestrian access to the main entrance during construction.
Phase One will involve new underground stormwater and utility work and reshaping the existing parking lot for the new 40,000-square-foot facility. The start date of phase one is Feb. 14 and construction is estimated to be completed on May 18. Phase two includes the construction of the new office and training facility which will overlap with the end of phase one with an estimated completion date in Summer 2023.
I received several emails requesting support of the Laurel rezoning which is a town-initiated multi-family development near Cary Towne Boulevard and SE Maynard. If approved it would have 130 multi-family units, with half designated as affordable, on 7.06 acres. The Public Hearing for this rezoning has yet to be scheduled. Council’s decision will be months after the Public Hearing.
Other emails from citizens included:
A complaint about classes canceled at the Senior Center without notification (staff apologized and as rectified the problem)
A complaint about the Hatcher rezoning proposal
A complaint about not having a mask mandate
A request to have tobacco-free parks (my understanding is that this would require legislative approval)
A complaint about poor road conditions in Walnut Hills (improvements were delayed because of sewer line updates and road improvements should begin in April)
Comments about Cary’s and Morrisville’s diversity
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting of the Atlantic Tire Championships board, a taping of the short version of the State of Cary address, a podcast with Reward Builders, a photo op at the Cary Food Waste Drop-Off, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 6th. 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, NC — This was a holiday week so things were a bit slow.
Meeting with Mayors, Congressional Candidates
Monday I participated in a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association. Ten of twelve Wake County Mayors were in attendance with only Apex and Raleigh absent. We welcomed Blake Massengill, the new mayor from Fuquay Varina, Sean Mayefskie, the new mayor from Holly Springs, and Glen York, the new mayor from Zebulon. After introductions, we talked about what was going on in each of the communities. The meeting lasted about three hours.
Tuesday I met with a Congressional candidate. We talked about current issues and development in Cary and what is important to our citizens. Our talk lasted about an hour.
CAMPO Meeting Recap
Wednesday I attended a meeting of the CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s) Executive Board. The agenda included a public hearing for the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. There were no speakers.
Discussion items included the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair. The board unanimously approved the re-election of Sig Hutchinson of the Wake County Commissioners as Chair and Mayor Vivian Jones of Wake Forest as the Vice-Chair. Other items unanimously approved included new CAMPO Office Space which will be located at the Fenton in Cary.
Strategic Retreat follow-up items were also approved. Presentations, to be received as information only, included the Unified Planning Work Program and MPO Self-Certification FY 2023 and the FFY2023 Locally Administered Projects Program (LAPP) Investment Program. The meeting concluded after a little over an hour and a half.
Clearing the Roads Following Snow Event
Friday I attended a virtual meeting for those that were scheduled to travel to Miami next week to look at commuter rail. Over half the participants believed it was a bad time to travel due to the COVID spread and asked that the event be postponed.
Friday evening into Saturday was Cary’s first winter event in a couple of years. There were about three inches of snow on the roads which was no match for the Cary A-Team. They had main roads and collector roads clear by lunch. Absolutely amazing! It will be interesting to see how long it takes our neighbors to clear their roads. Hopefully the sun and warmer temperatures will help them.
Town Manager Report
The town manager’s report includes the following:
Sean’s Message
Coming from the Chicagoland area, I’m still getting used to North Carolina’s definition of snow! But seriously, I want you to know that whatever the weather, our organization does a stellar job of being prepared and following through with their thoughtful plans as you can see below in the Public Safety Update.
I know you join me in appreciating all that they do.
Following the big thaw early next week, I look forward to seeing you all next Wednesday at the Chamber breakfast for one of my favorite and most important events of the year, the Mayor’s State of Cary address.
Stay safe and warm,
Sean
Winter Weather Preparedness
This week, staff has been preparing for another round of winter weather in Cary. A mix of snow and freezing rain coupled with low temperatures is expected overnight through Saturday.
Town facilities will be closed on Friday, with staff working remotely if they’re able to do so. All web-based services will continue to be open to citizens. The Citizens Convenience Center will operate with modified hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All Wake County COVID testing sites, including WakeMed Soccer Park, will be closed on Friday.
Public Works will begin their winter weather response this evening with spreaders and repairs crews standing by and prepared to address any potential black ice issues as a result of Thursdays rain. Public Works will establish Snow Command at 6 a.m. Friday morning and are prepared to address road impacts and will operate through Saturday or until conditions no longer warrant it.
Our 311 Center will operate on a normal schedule Friday, 7am to 7pm and will remain flexible to weather conditions through Saturday if additional activation is needed. Fire, Police and our Emergency Communications Center are staffed and at the ready!
Our first messaging to citizens will go out late this afternoon with a listing of closings and service modifications, but our focus, as always, will be on safety, encouraging citizens to limit travel over the next few days so snow crews can do their work effectively.
With the forecast currently indicating less precipitation, our biggest concern for this event is the freezing weather, which could make black ice a major risk factor in the days to come. We’ll continue to drive traffic to our website and social media channels to give timely information throughout the event, and we’ll keep you informed about any significant issues as they arise.
COVID-19 Update
There are 81 active cases among the town’s staff bringing the total to 365 since the pandemic began. The vaccination rate for staff is 89% and for Cary citizens it is 75%. The transmission rate remains high in Cary even though Cary has one of the lowest transmission rates in the county.
Council Tour of NCSU Compost Facility
Council Members Lori Bush, Jack Smith, and Ya Liu joined staff and members of Toward Zero Waste Cary to tour North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) compost facility. NCSU shared best practices, current procedures, and the value of composting collected food scraps from designated locations to reduce food waste at the university.
The facility is an impressive, closed-loop system that returns the finished compost to their gardens and fields.
Solar Masters Service Agreement
Cary is excited to continue promoting solar on Town properties by starting our search for qualified Solar companies through the release of a Solar Master Services Agreement Request for Qualifications (RFQ). This RFQ will help Cary find qualified firms to support municipal solar related planning, analysis, and design services. The RFQ continues Cary’s assessment of the potential for solar installations on Town buildings as well as helping Cary understand and manage the carbon footprint of all Cary facilities. It is also the next logical step to meet and further the goal(s) of Cary’s Strategic Energy Action Plan and Carbon Reduction Recommendations from the Environmental Advisory Board.
Keeping Trees in Tip-Top Shape
Two dozen citizens joined the recent online Pruning Tips class in Cary’s Tree Talk series. Topics covered in the pruning workshop included how, when, and why to prune trees, as well as appropriate tools to use for different applications.
The free series of tree care workshops provide opportunities for citizens to gain valuable tips on how to support tree health across the seasons and the years. Keep an eye out for the spring workshop, Soil Care, that will provide information on how to keep trees rooted in healthy soil.
Chapel Hill Road Mobility Study
The next step of the Chapel Hill Road Mobility Study is a 3-day charrette Jan. 24-26. Cary’s consultant on the project, Stantec, will facilitate the charrette with designers and illustrators on-hand. A charrette is a collaborative planning process, open to the public where they can attend virtual open houses to review different scenarios and maps drafted each day. At the charrette, the design team will examine two alternatives: 2-lanes with a left-turn lane and 4-lanes with a left-turn lane. The goal is to build public consensus for a future project, identify preferred bike, pedestrian and transit facilities, and gather feedback for Council and staff to use when planning the future cross-section. Residents may attend virtually to learn about the study, and provide feedback on different design elements and conceptual plans. For more information about the project go to the project webpage, www.townofcary.org/chrstudy.
A complaint that the town’s sanitation workers were working on MLK day
A thank you for having pickleball at Bond Park
A complaint about information/misinformation from the 21-REZ-09 neighborhood meeting
Next week’s activities include staff meetings and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors. The schedule is light due to the RTA planned trip to Miami.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, January 30th. 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, NC — I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Performance Reviews & Interviews
Monday I attempted to contact each council member for questions or concerns about Thursday’s council meeting agenda. The agenda was light so there were not any questions. Later in the day I met with staff to briefly go over the agenda. We anticipated the meeting would be short.
Monday night the council met in closed session for about two and a half hours to give a performance review of two of its three employees.
Wednesday I had an interview with an N&O reporter about our DEI efforts and task force. Our talk lasted about ten to fifteen minutes. I mentioned that Cary has been celebrating and embracing its diversity for decades. We are always trying to better ourselves so we look forward to what recommendations the task force can bring.
Council Addresses 2 Discussion Items in Jan. 13 Meeting
Thursday was the first council meeting of the year. The agenda included six consent agenda items, no public hearings, and two discussion items. The two discussion items were the sidewalk priority list and the joining the FEMA Community Rating System.
Each year, staff compiles and ranks sidewalk requests to provide a list of prioritized projects for Council approval and is based on the Town’s adopted Sidewalk Policy criteria. Three sidewalk projects located on NW Cary Parkway, Wrenn Drive and W. Chatham Street were unanimously approved for funding using sidewalk funds and a $100,000 for contingencies due to higher construction and material costs.
The second discussion item was a resolution to join FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) which the council unanimously approved. This is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities. The goals of the CRS program align with Cary’s adaptive approach to stormwater, as well as policies in the Imagine Cary Community Plan.
This is good news for Cary property owners in CRS is that they receive discounts on flood insurance premiums. The more credit-earning activities a community participates in, the higher the discount for residents.
The council meeting’s regular agenda only took about fifteen minutes, but the council spent about an hour in closed session.
NC Metro Mayors Start Off New Year
Friday I attended the first meeting of the year for the North Carolina Metro Mayors. Here is a summary of that meeting from the Executive Director:
Federal Update
New Guidance on ARPA funds – Beau and Chris Nida, NCLM Research and Strategic Initiatives Director
Final ruling issued by US Treasury on ARPA funds was issued last week (guidance link), and there were significant changes, most good for municipalities.
There is a category of spending eligible under ARP based on “revenue loss due to the pandemic.” The final rule says every municipality may claim up to $10 million of revenue loss OR use a formula to determine the level of the “revenue loss.” “Lost revenue” funds may be spent on any government services, with a few restrictions.
Please be advised that even though the funds are flexible, there are still reporting or tracking requirements connected to this funding. Be very diligent about what projects you are using these funds for and how it is being tracked.
If you have additional questions regarding ARP funding, please do not hesitate to contact Beau or Chris (cnida@nclm.org).
General Assembly/State Policy
General Update –
The legislature reconvened on December 30, 2021 but have only held skeletal sessions. No votes or committee activity has taken place since the start of 2022. The “short session” that convenes in even years would normally begin in May.
The number of items the legislature can consider is very narrow as outlined in the adjournment resolution and includes things such as veto overrides, appointments, and redistricting.
We expect interim oversight committees to begin meeting over the next month to prepare for the short session. We also expect the Governmental Operations Subcommittee on Use and Distribution of Federal Covid Funding to continue to meet. The Subcommittee’s website can be found here.
NCLM End of Session Bulletin
Transportation
NC DOT Summit Jan. 19-20 & Metro Mayor luncheon (Jan. 19 at Noon).
Every year, profiles for each county in NC are put together to show a snapshot of affordability. Information such as how many households are cost-burdened, how many of those are renters or homeowners, what is the average market rate housing, etc. can be found by accessing the links above.
A big victory during this past legislative session was addressing the significant gaps in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit development (exacerbated by rising costs). The General Assembly allocated $170 million from the state’s ARP funding to address this gap through the Workforce Housing Loan Program. One of the problems is the final guidance issued from the US Treasury last Friday that disallowed use of the funds for loan programs that extend the use of the funds past 2025, making most loan programs ineligible. This guidance means that we cannot use those funds in the way that they were set up by the General Assembly. NC Housing Coalition and the NC Housing Finance Agency are looking for a fix this problem, but it will take legislative action at the State or Federal level to fix this issue, not a timely solution. Mayors and city leaders may hear from local affordable housing developers that this problem is having a detrimental impact on projects in your city.
If you have any questions, please contact Samuel at 919-433-6635 or sgunter@nchousing.org.
Public Safety – nothing to report
Local Control/Local Revenues – nothing to report
Elections Update
Lawsuits and impact on 2022 municipal elections – Erin Wynia, NCLM Govt. Affairs Director
Municipal elections dates (for now…)
Filing: 8 AM Feb. 24 through noon March 4
Candidates do NOT have to refile if they have already filed for the same seat.
Primary: May 17
Second municipal election (proposed by State Board of Elections): July 26
Please contact Erin Wynia at ewynia@nclm.org or (919) 961-6108 if you have additional questions.
Friday afternoon I was interviewed by a N&O reporter about future developments in Cary including the Eastern Gateway and downtown.
Report from Cary’s Deputy Town Manager
The deputy town manager’s report for this week includes:
Russ’s Message
This was my first week back to work following a family trip to Disney World. I always enjoy visiting Disney as it reminds me a bit of Cary; perhaps it’s their continual pursuit of excellence and their exceptional customer service. One major way Cary excels is in its winter weather preparedness, which we are currently doing in advance of forecasted inclement weather that is expected to impact our area Sunday morning into Sunday afternoon.
Public Works has been working diligently to prepare our roads and anticipate that all major thoroughfares will be fully brined by this evening. They are ready if plowing is needed and will have chainsaw crews on standby in the event of downed trees. Police and Fire are ready to help for any emergency responses. PRCR has cancelled programming and closed all PRCR facilities for Sunday and are monitoring forecasts into Monday. Our Marketing and 311 staff are ready to assist with citizen requests and external communications. Staff from all departments will continue to monitor and make adjustments to operations and services as the weather forecast and storm impact predictions evolve.
As a reminder, Town Hall and most staffed facilities will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The Town’s annual Dreamfest, a celebration of the life, work, and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., started this week and will continue into next week.
I hope you can stay inside this weekend and watch the weather while staying safe.
Take care, Russ
Public Safety Update
There are 76 active COVID cases among town employees. This brings the total number of cases to 316 since the pandemic began. 89% of town employees have been vaccinated. 75% of Cary citizens over the age of 5 have been vaccinated.
Record Attendance at NC Chinese Lantern Festival
Cary’s NC Chinese Lantern Festival welcomed more than 200,000 visitors recently, setting a new attendance record compared to 121,645 visitors in 2019. The festival generated more than $5.54 million in direct economic impact according to figures released by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. The $5.54 million is a conservative estimate that does not include spending from local attendees, nor does it include a multiplier of indirect or induced impacts.
Three Kings Day
On January 8, Cary partnered with Diamante Inc. to present their annual Three Kings Day Parade & Gift Giving campaign. The end of the holiday season in many Spanish and Latin American communities officially ends on January 6, which is the 12th day of Christmas known as Three Kings’ Day. The holiday celebrates the Los Tres Reyes or Three Kings/Wise Men, visit of baby Jesus after birth. This year’s parade celebration featured the Three Kings and 29 participants, most notably Los Rayados, a Mexican indigenous group that showcased Mayan customs and culture. The parade welcomed 1,000 spectators. Directly following the parade, 135 families were given bags of groceries, gifts, and a sweet bread known as rosca del rey.
Crabtree Creek Sewer Rehabilitation Update
Work to rehabilitate the 48-inch sewer pipeline along Lake Crabtree is progressing. The contractor is completing installation of the temporary bypass piping and ground protection mats. Sewer line cleaning is scheduled to begin the week of January 7, which will be followed by installation of cured-in-place pipe liners. With the beginning of more intensive construction operations, the Crabtree Creek Greenway will be closed beginning January 24 through the Spring of 2022 to facilitate construction and maintain safe conditions for the public and contractors.
Greenwood County Officials Visit SCWRF
County officials from Greenwood, South Carolina visited the South Cary Water Reclamation Facility (SCWRF) to see the thermal biosolids drying facility. The group was interested in our facility and utilizing similar technology in their service area. The biosolids dryer at SCWRF has been in operation since 2006 and provides exceptional quality, class A biosolids as classified by the EPA, for beneficial reuse in agribusiness applications.
Town Hall Field Trip
On January 7, students from Connections Academy Middle School visited Town Hall to learn about local government as part of a school project to design a city of their own. While on their field trip, they received a tour of the Police Department, the Traffic Management Center, Council Chambers, Fire Station 9, and Planning.
Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meetings
The following case will be discussed on Feb. 2 at an upcoming neighborhood meeting that will be held virtually on WebEx from 6 – 8 PM. To learn more about the case click on the rezoning name to view the neighborhood letter and vicinity map. 21-REZ-17 Destin Phase 3 Rezoning For more information and to register visit the Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting page.
A complaint about EMS and first responders not wearing masks (EMS are county employees, first responders are Cary employees)
A complaint that a Wellington property owner is preventing a neighborhood from getting a daycare on the site
A request for lights at pickleball courts
A complaint about the Epic Games rezoning proposal on the mall site
A complaint about the lack of COVID testing sites (the county allowed WakeMed soccer park to be used)
A thank you for my service as mayor
A complaint about the Hatcher rezoning
A complaint that planes are “flying over and discharging something”
Complaints about the developer representing the Old Apex rezoning at the neighborhood meeting
Next week’s activities include a Wake County Mayors Association meeting, staff meetings, a meeting with a Congressional candidate, and a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, January 23rd. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communication with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.
Cary, NC — I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Monday I met briefly with the town manager. We talked about the COVID spread among staff. We also talked about the pandemic in general and how vaccinations are helping Cary residents. Other topics included the Epic rezoning proposal for the mall site.
Take-Aways from the 2022 Economic Outlook
Wednesday Dr. Michael Walden from NC State presented the economic outlook for 2022. Here are some of the points from his presentation:
NC GDP is doing better than the national average
NC Sectors doing well in terms of %GDP:
Information 119%
Professional Services 114%
Administrative Services 114%
Finance 109%
Wholesale Trade 105%
Manufacturing 104%
Health Care 102%
Restaurants 102%
Raleigh-Cary has 100% of employment of the February 2020 number of jobs
Labor participation rate in NC is well below national rate
Reasons why fewer people have been looking for work:
Many workers using time during pandemic to improve their skills
Business response to labor supply issues:
Attract labor with higher pay and/or benefits
Substitute technology and automation for workers
Improve worker productivity
Labor Availability
Should improve as supplemental unemployment payment ends
Up-skill of workers will present on-going issues for some industries
Long-term solutions will take time
Raleigh-Cary Market
Strong job market
Ranked 17th among 368 metros in building permits
75% increase in new commercial space over 2020
Profile rising as one of the growth centers of the country
Federal assistance is $5.5 trillion or 25% of GDP, $80 billion to NC
Assistance errored on size of too much help; wanted to prevent collapse of economy which would have been catastrophic
Federal Reserve rate near 0; holdings at $8 trillion
Money supply up 85% since beginning of pandemic
Inflation rising with 6% change
View #1 of inflation:
Economy is flush with cash and pent-up demand
Higher inflation rate (4% to 5%) through 2022
Higher inflation is the price of the enormous federal help
View #2 of inflation:
Faster inflation is related to disruption in the production of products and services as the economy recovers from the pandemic
The disruptions are temporary
Federal Reserve Challenge: reduce stimulus by increasing interest rates and decreasing money growth without hindering economic growth
We faced the same situation in the late 1070s
Forecasts have NC real GDP with strong growth but growing less with new COVID variants
Forecasts have NC unemployment rate moving to less than 4% this year but slightly above 4% with variants
The economy after the pandemic:
More labor market disruption
Shift from production to delivery and services
More jobs in technology
Post high school training apprenticeships, on-the-job training, collaborations
Education after pandemic will have some level of distance learning. It is here to stay at all levels.
High Speed Internet is now a necessity. We should see continued expansion of cable provision. Our country could reach full internet by 2030.
Tele-working: 8% pre-virus, 60% at pandemic peak, 20% – 30% long term
We will see more drone deliveries of products
Reconsideration of residential location:
Proximity to work, schools, shopping is no longer needed
Internet from the “sky” could impact location
NC implications:
NC had strong economy in 2021
Record job growth with bigger gain in production than nation: $10 billion of announced investments
Continued or accelerated growth; Some forecasts have 13 million rather than 12 million
Considered a safe state
Look for suburbs to have fastest growth
Potential game changer – universally available high-speed internet
We are so thankful to have Dr. Walden’s economic outlook every year. Based on my experience, he has been very accurate.
Town Manager Report
The town manager’s report for this week included:
Sean’s Message
Like I’ve heard from several of you, I’m glad that 2021 is in our rearview mirror and am looking forward to all of the good things we’ll make happen in 2022 – together. While, in many ways, this year is beginning much as the last two, we have all grown and learned so much, and our organization has never been stronger. The most important event of 2022 will be our municipal elections, and staff has been busy monitoring the developments in court and plan to update you on relevant outcomes next week. As a reminder, the only January Council meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, Jan. 13. At this point the agenda appears to be relatively light. Until we all get together again, stay safe and reach out if you need anything. Sean
Public Safety Update
89% of town employees are vaccinated. Mandatory testing for the remaining will occur weekly. Currently there are 62 active cases of COVID-19 among town staff bringing the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 262. 75% of Cary residents over the age of 5 have been vaccinated.
DEI Task Force Recruitment
The application period for the new Human Relations, Inclusion & Diversity Task Force is open through January 14. Cary citizens that have a passion and interest in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), experience being a change agent or would like to give back to the community are encouraged to apply.
Task force appointments will be made by Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and terms will begin in April with task force orientation scheduled to occur in March 2022.
Protolabs, 3615 Pleasant Grove Church Road: The building permit was approved to construct the shell building for a new 120,000 sq ft manufacturing and warehouse facility. The building permit to upfit the building for Protolabs is currently under review.
Cary Towne Center Partial Demolition Permit, 1105 Walnut Street: The building permit was approved to the demolish the former Cary Towne Center with the exception of the former Belk building.
Annie Jones Restroom Facility, 1414 Tarbert Drive: The building permit was approved to construct a new restroom building to replace the former building near the baseball field at Annie Jones Park.
Fenton Tenant Permits –The following building permits were approved for new tenants within the Fenton Development: Athleta, AltardState Arula, Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, Dram & Draught, Lunchbox Wax, M Sushi, Nike Live, Pottery Barn, Southern Tide, and four future tenant spaces. Restaurants receiving Certificates of Occupancy (COs) in December:
Fangs Kitchen, 677 Mills Park Road: New Chinese restaurant in the Greystone Shopping Center.
Hibachi 88, 675 Mills Park Road: New Hibachi and Japanese restaurant in the Greystone Shopping Center.
First Walk 2022
On January 1, members of the Cary Teen Council and the Greenway Committee held the annual First Walk to start the year off on the right (or left) foot.
More than 120 citizens joined the early morning trek along the White Oak Creek greenway starting at Davis Drive Park. Thanks to the warm temperatures, participants enjoyed a nice walk with family and friends to kick off 2022.
Storm Event Impacts
Crews responded quickly to remedy storm-related impacts along greenways following a heavy rainstorm on January 3. Saturated soil conditions and heavy winds caused a large oak tree to fall onto the Crabtree Creek Greenway.
In addition, a sewer line was damaged along the Black Creek Greenway due to high water levels. Staff and contractors quickly completed repairs and removed fallen trees and debris.
The significant rainfall from the storm positively impacted Jordan Lake after several weeks of declining lake levels. The lake is now more than a foot above its normal pool elevation.
Using Native Plants Just Got Easier
Cary continues to provide information and programs to help citizens plant native species. A new list of trees and plants that do well in this area, along with tips on where the plants prefer to grow, is now available on the Tree Planting Projects webpage as a resource guide.
Citizens will also find a list of invasive species to avoid or remove from their yards. Additionally, to jumpstart the upcoming tree planting season, the spring My Tree, Our Tree webpage describes the selected native trees Cary is giving away in conjunction with Cary’s Arbor Day celebration at Bond Park.
While the registration period for My Tree, Our Tree doesn’t begin until early February, now’s the time for citizens to investigate which native tree best suits their landscape, prepare a myCary account to enable registration for a tree, and sign up to attend a virtual tree planting tips webinar.
Complaints about not having a mask mandate. Some of the quotes include “YOU make me feel unwelcome” and “You are not helping with my depression”
Requests to not move to “draconian” mask mandate
Kudos for changes in downtown
A complaint about a pothole on Maynard causing car damage (NCDOT maintained road; we put him in touch with NCDOT claims person; fixed NCDOT’s pothole)
Complaints about The Terraces proposed rezoning (not scheduled, put them in touch with staff)
Kudos to police and fire for finding a lost child in the Christmas parade
A request to update town ordinances to prevent someone from having a light that shines into someone else’s house
A complaint about not receiving funding for a project for Partners For Environmentally Justice
Kudos for downtown holiday decorations (staff has plans to double them next year)
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting to do performance reviews of council staff (attorney and clerk), and the first regularly scheduled council meeting of the year.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, January 16th. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communication with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.
Harold's Blog 