Harold's Blog

Cary #1 for Renters

Monday the Triangle Business Journal ran a story to report that USA today had named Cary is the #1 municipality in the nation for renters:

“People looking to rent in Wake County should set their sights on Cary, a new study says.

A USA Todayreport on the best cities to rent in the U.S. ranks 315 cities — and Cary comes out as No. 1. Cary received the ranking due to financial accessibility, low crime and good schools.

Cary hit the top five in each of the categories that USA Today researched. It was named the best city for renting families, second best for pet owners who rent, and it ranked fourth for single renters.

The median rent in Cary is $1,719, while annual renter income is $73,872, according to data from Zillow and the U.S. Census Bureau. To determine affordability, USA Today looked at the percentage of rent-burdened residents — those spending more than 30 percent of income on rent — alongside typical rent prices.

Interestingly, the study found that 42.3 percent of renters in Cary are rent-burdened. Yes, that seems high. But four other cities in the top 10 had a higher percentage. The lowest figure in the top 10 is 36.9 percent for Santa Clara, California.

Cary’s growth in population — an increase of more than 80 percent over 20 years — has brought about more apartments and more commercial offerings. New apartments keep opening up, while even more are proposed in the town.

Retail offerings like Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, Life Time Fitness and Brewery Bhavana are coming to Cary. And the popularity of the downtown area is pushing plans for a large parking deck.

Cary was rated the best city for renting families due to the high quality of its schools, low crime and family-friendly attractions such as the new Downtown Cary Park.

Raleigh was ranked 11th on the USA Today list while Wilmington was 37th and Charlotte was 107th.”

Cary #8 South’s Best Cities on The Rise 2024

This week Southern Living ranked Cary as #8 city in the nation for “The South’s Best Cities on The Rise 2024”. Here is what they said about Cary:

“The Research Triangle’s innovative energy has rubbed off on this once-small suburb. A thriving arts and culture scene, excellent restaurants, and ever-growing downtown make Cary a worthy standalone destination. The long-awaited and recently opened 7-acre Downtown Cary Park now provides a centralized gathering space, further adding to the reasons the city landed on Livability’s 2023 Best Places to Live list.” 

If you click the link above, you will see the 17 best things to do in Cary according to Southern Living. We are proud to once again be recognized nationally.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

Has it been a week already since we were together at the Council/Staff Retreat? I’m already looking forward to next year’s event. We are hard at work, diligently following up on the discussions from the retreat. Enjoy this week’s stories and have a great weekend.
Sean

Council Meeting Follow-up

From the recent Housing and Community Partnerships presentation, staff mentioned a map that tracks children’s outcomes in adulthood. This map is available here: https://www.opportunityatlas.org/

Construction to Begin on Cary’s Historic Ivey-Ellington House

Crews will begin rehabilitation work at the Ivey-Ellington House on March 11. This work will renovate the interior of the house, transforming it into office space for downtown park staff while preserving the home’s historical integrity. The exterior of the Ivey-Ellington House is being rehabilitated with improvements that are consistent with its historical character. The site will also feature new landscaping, incorporating ADA parking and walkways, a bio-retention rain garden, and an era-appropriate garden.
Visitors will still enter and exit at existing points and use the old library lot during construction even though fencing around the house is expanding. The rehabilitation work is anticipated to continue through Spring 2025.

Visiting East Austin’s Zero Energy Capable Community

Councilmember Lori Bush and Chief Information Officer Nicole Coughlin visited a 2000+ acre mixed-use community known as East Austin’s Zero Energy capable community to learn and understand its direction.

Their community-wide geothermal exchange infrastructure, or GeoGrid, uses the earth’s natural energy to heat and cool all of the Whisper Valley Homes, reducing home energy consumption by up to 70%. All homes also have Solar PV to generate electricity. Homeowners can use EcoSmart technology to monitor their energy usage in real time and learn better energy behavior. With a target of 7,500 homes, including single-family, affordable homes, multi-family, and tiny homes, along with 3 million square feet of commercial space, schools, and parks, they are creating a community with sustainability at its core. 

Cary Participates in Raleigh Chamber Sustainability Conference

Cary joined regional business executives, elected officials, and community leaders at the Raleigh Chamber Sustainability Conference this week. Panel discussion topics included regional water partnerships, Net Zero emission actions, zero waste opportunities, and global environmental challenges. Utilities Director Jamie Revels served as a panelist in the regional water discussion highlighting community engagement and business community partnerships that have fostered Cary’s actions in water resource management, solar energy production, emissions inventory development, reclaimed water service, and biosolids beneficial reuse. Jamie served alongside panelists Wake County Water Resource Manager Nancy Daly and Trophy Brewing Chief Brewing Officer Les Stewart, further emphasizing the benefits of regional partnership approaches.

Cary Senior Center Awarded with National Accreditation

On Wednesday, Brett Moraes, Operations & Program Supervisor, attended the Senior Advisory Board and shared the news that Cary’s Senior Center has been awarded national accreditation through the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Over a 12-month period, a self-assessment committee consisting of Cary staff, program instructors, participants, and other community partners worked together to complete the application.  Accreditation through the NCOA is considered to be the “Gold Standard” in senior center operations and has only been achieved by 3% of senior centers nationwide. This accreditation serves as evidence Cary is on the leading edge of providing the best-in-class programs and activities for seniors in our community. The award will be presented in May at NCOA’s annual conference in Alexandria, VA.

Enhancing Public Lands Through Invasive Plant Awareness

The Cary community gathered to enhance our natural lands in support of Invasive Plant Awareness Week. Through the efforts of 119 volunteers working a collective 256 hours, large volumes of non-native species were removed. Work took place town-wide including key watershed areas such as the Black Creek Greenway, Annie Jones Greenway, Carpenter Park, Dunham Park, Godbold Park, Bond Park, and Hemlock Bluffs. An additional 100 participants benefited from three outreach events, learning about common invasive plants in our area and how to support ecosystem health by planting native species.

Holly Springs Road & Ederlee Drive Sidewalk Projects

Construction of a new sidewalk along Holly Springs Road, near Jones Franklin Road, has been completed to close a short sidewalk gap. Pedestrians are now able to walk continuously along the north bound lanes of Holly Springs Road to reach shopping centers and other destinations. Guardrails will be installed in the coming weeks to address pre-existing roadway conditions. Crews have moved to Ederlee Drive to begin the second phase of the work, from Richelieu Drive to Avenue of the Estates. This sidewalk will close the remaining gap along Ederlee Drive, enhancing pedestrian accessibility to greenways, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, and increasing neighborhood connectivity. Along with the 5-ft sidewalk, conduit will be installed for the future expansion of our traffic signal facilities. Construction is expected to wrap up later this spring.

2023 Annual Biosolids Report

Cary utilizes thermal drying at both the South Cary and Western Wake Regional Water Reclamation Facilities (WRF) for managing and treating biosolids, a nutrient rich byproduct of wastewater treatment. Cary produces EPA-Certified, Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids by recovering valuable nutrients from the wastewater for beneficial reuse in a natural fertilizer and soil amendment product. In 2023, the North Cary and South Cary WRF together produced 3,817 dry tons and the Western Wake Regional WRF produced 3,184 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 2023 Annual Biosolids Report  here. 

Crabtree Greenway Project to Begin Construction

Cary’s Crabtree Greenway Project from Bond Park to High House has reached a major milestone. Cary has issued the Notice to Proceed, and construction is set to begin for the greenway that increases access to Bond Park and connects the Preston soccer fields to the park facilities. This project received a $1,570,000 Federal LAPP Grant to offset Cary’s design and construction cost. Construction is beginning this month, with a targeted completion date of winter 2025. Lanier Construction Company has been hired to complete the project. The project begins at the existing trail system in Bond Park and will head north to an existing tunnel under Cary Parkway, then past the Preston soccer fields, and finally connect to High House Road and a proposed street-side trail. This project will complete an important gap in the Crabtree Creek Greenway corridor and provides another bike and pedestrian connection into Bond Park, the hub of the greenway system.

March into Earth Day

Cary’s annual spring environmental outreach campaign launched on March 1 with dozens of programs, celebrations, and resources for going green! Through a robust communications plan, the public is invited to join us in building a more resilient future with exciting opportunities in our six sustainability focus areas of Community, Energy, Natural Resources, Solid Waste, Transportation & Mobility, and Water Infrastructure.  

Duke University Graduate Students Tour South Cary Water Reclamation Facility

South Cary Water Reclamation Facility (SCWRF) hosted a group of graduate students from Duke University this week. The Urban Forestry and Greenspace Management class is being taught by former Cary employee, Katie Rose Levin. The class was on hand to learn about how Cary is incorporating greenspace management into urban and industrial type sites.

Upcoming Meetings

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

Human Relations, Inclusion, and Diversity Task Force
Tuesday, March 12
6:00 p.m.

Historic Preservation Commission
Wednesday, March 13
6:30 p.m.

Council Meeting Work Session
Thursday, March 14
4:45 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday, March 14 
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about GoCary services.
• A complaint about missing trees in a buffer.
• A thank you for considering moving to the November elections.
• A thank you for planting flowers in a median downtown.
• A request for information about the Crabtree Greenway.
• A request for the Cary Parkway railroad crossing (this is a CAMPO decision).
• A request from Girl Scouts to place bat houses in Bond Park (staff is working with them).
• Congratulations on being one of the Best Cities on the Rise in the South.
• A complaint about private property damage due to the Maynard Road project.
• A complaint with obscene language about an event at the Indian Temple on highway 54.
• A complaint about Wake County School bus transportation (I provided Wake County School Transportation information)

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting of the Cary Tennis Classic board, a Human Relations Inclusion & Diversity board meeting, a Wynston Ridge Homeowners meeting, a town council work session, a town council meeting, and a ribbon cutting for Spa by Jing.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, March 17^th, 2024. 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.

Town Manager One-On-One

I had a brief meeting with the town manager Monday evening. Our discussion included the upcoming retreat, a potential bond, and the Harrison Avenue extension.

Council-Staff Retreat

Friday and Saturday the entire council and about thirty staff members spend all day working on important town issues.

Council Dinner

Thursday night the council met for dinner, which was advertised as a public meeting. This is something that we do every year. We do not talk about town business and instead spend the time getting to know each other since we don’t have that opportunity as a group. I loved learning about our newest council members Sarika Bansal and Michelle Craig.

Ice Breaker

Friday morning the council and staff started with an ice breaker of “three truths and a lie” about each attendee. Other members were to guess the lie. It was a fun exercise that allowed us to learn interesting facts about each other. For example, one of my truths was that I was a foreman in a cookie factory.

Dr. Furman Presentation

Next, we had a leadership talk from Dr. Melissa Furman, who happened to speak at the annual Cary Chamber conference last summer. One of her interesting points is how different generations communicate and interact with others. She explained that this is based on events that shaped their lives. For example, being a baby boomer, I was shaped by the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Woodstock, Rock-N-Roll, the assassinations of MLK and JFK. These events influenced the goals I have in life and how I communicated with others. Of course, I am leaving out a lot of details. To find out more you can go here.

Meeting Wilmington Council

At lunch on Friday the council was scheduled to meet with three Wilmington Council members. Unfortunately, only one, Salette Andrews, was able to make it. It was interesting to share issues that each municipality was dealing with. We found out that council member Andrews was also a previously elected official in Arizona and how state authority there differed from North Carolina.

Capital Projects Update

After lunch future capital projects were presented to the council with the latest information. These are potential projects that the council has been discussing since last year’s retreat and could be on a bond this fall. After the presentation the council did an exercise to reprioritize major capital projects since there are two new council members. The ranking showed tennis and pickleball was first, four projects tied for second, and the Earnest Jones Property was a close third. Here is the order of the ranking with the estimated cost:

Cary Tennis Park Pickleball and Expansion Project: $60 million

• 30 pickleball courts for play and tournaments
• Clubhouse expansion including NC Tennis Hall of FameFlexible courts that can be converted into a 3000-seat stadium to hold higher professional tournaments. This will significantly increase economic benefit.
• Structured Parking

Cary Community Sports and Recreation Center: $560 million with $75 million from Wake County

• Community Center
• Senior Center
  • Flexible Competitive Space for multiple sports options
  • A 4000-seat arena
  • Structured parking
  • This has the potential to have an economic impact equal to or greater than all our sports venues combined. It will help transform the South Hills area.

Mills Park Community Center: $150 million

   

• Community Center
• Senior Center
• Structure parking.

Walnut Creek Greenway: $30 million

• Downtown Cary to Fenton and to South Hills

Asian Garden: $10 million

• Rock gardens, water elements, winding paths, bridges, meditation areas, shelter, restroom, parking

Earnest Jones Property of 217 acres: $10 million

• Phase I – foot trails, restroom, parking, & restoration of historic structure

The council then spent the rest of the day discussing financing such a large amount of money. While financially Cary and its citizens could afford such a large bond, council was not comfortable with that amount especially when re-evaluation of properties will have an impact on citizens. End the end the council agreed that a $560 million Cary Community Sports and Recreation Center would have to be phased with the first phase not including the arena portion. And that the cost would have to be under $200 million which would result in a smaller design but keep all the features of the community center and senior center portion in tack. It is important to note that the bonds would be spread over ten years and the earliest sale would be 2027.

Saturday Recap of Friday

Saturday began with a group picture of all attendees and a recap of Friday. The council confirmed that a potential bond would not include an arena at South Hills.

Financial

Saturday’s first topic was a financial update. There were a lot of interesting facts on property values:

• Residential property value change in Cary averaged a 56% increase while Wake County averaged 53%.
• Commercial property value change in Cary averaged a 39% increase while Wake County averaged 45%.
• Cary’s assessed value was 34.4 billion in 2023 and now is 49.7 billion which is a 44.4% increase in one year.
• Our tax base was 70% residential and 30% commercial in 2020 and is now 68% residential and 32% commercial.
• Average residential property value was $415,951 in 2020 and is now $647,748.

There was also interesting information on individual property values. The staff presented six random properties in Cary showing the value of the property and taxes over time based on today’s dollars. All properties showed a significant increase in value but four out of the six showed a decrease in taxes (today’s dollars).

One of the examples was a house near Maynard, Cary Parkway, and Castalia Drive.

It was first built in 1982 with a value of $63,500 (today’s dollars) but today is worth $445,018 which is an increase of 601%. At the same time the original taxes in 1982 were $1,786 (today’s dollars) and today is $1,536.

A lot is attributed to the increase in property values. Some of the contributing factors noted since 1998:

• 81 miles of greenway
• 20 new parks (including Downtown Cary Park, USA Baseball, Cary Tennis Center)
• 4 new fire stations
• 215 street miles

Cary’s current tax rate is 34.5 cents per $100 of value which is the lowest in Wake County by 4.5 cents. Our revenue neutral rate would be 24.5 cents per $100 of value. Other points noted from the financial report included:

• A penny on the tax rate was $3.5 million last year and is $5.1 this year.
• To maintain levels of service staff recommends 32.5 cents per $100 of value.
• Services would have to be cut to move to a revenue neutral tax rate. Many factors such as inflation, additional expenses, supply chain, etc. are causing the increase.

The council will decide the tax rate at the beginning of the fiscal year 2025 which begins on July 1^st.

Council Elections

The rest of Saturday morning was spent talking about council elections. Currently council elections are held on odd years in October. If a candidate does not get 50% + 1 then there is a runoff in November. The cost of elections is shared with other entities holding elections during that time. For years Raleigh and Wake County shared the cost of October elections. Now Cary, by itself, is paying all the cost. In 2023 Cary paid $690,711 for the election and $133,796 for the runoff. The council agreed that Cary should consider moving to November for elections. But to do that Cary would have to give up the runoff and 50%+ 1. This could mean a council race with multiple candidates could result in the winner getting something like 30% of the vote which means that 70% voted for someone else. The council will discuss this further in the future.

The discussion on council elections also included a segment where two council members expressed the desire to consider even year elections to save money and have better voter participation. Staff pointed out that even year elections would cost the same as odd year elections in November. In addition, changing to even year elections would require legislative approval from a unanimous council, and since one council member stated that they would never agree to that, it became a moot point.

In my opinion, even-year elections would be very harmful to Cary. Citizens that vote in odd-year elections, in general, vote because they are engaged and care about local issues. In even year elections the ballots are very long with races on all levels of government. Council elections would be at the bottom. My biggest fear is that uninformed voters would marginalize informed voters and that partisan politics would play a bigger role in electing council members. Political parties hand out slate cards at the polls. It is amazing how many people take them. Voting for someone because they are a Democrat or Republican is not good for local government. It doesn’t matter if it is a Democrat or Republican that keeps you safe, puts out fires, provides water/sewer, runs parks, etc. If councils turn partisan, then they are more likely to engage in partisan issues such as passing resolutions for or against Israel or Humas. This has absolutely nothing to do with the core services we are sworn to provide. Cary, unlike most municipalities, has become one of the greatest places in the nation partly because we remain apolitical. Should we change? I think not!

Development

The presentation on development covered a lot of areas. The following are some of the points I noted:

• Cary’s office vacancy rate is under 13% while the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US are above 17%.
• Office vacancy rates are expected to grow in Cary to 16% by the end of 2025. By that time the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US will be around 20%.
• Interest rates have not significantly slowed development in Cary.
• 41% of Cary is working from home which is one of the highest in the nation.
• Fenton had a parking deck approved in January with 5 levels and 722 spaces. It should be completed in a little over a year.
• Fenton’s Crawford Steakhouse is scheduled to open this fall.
• The South Hills project is moving forward and will have a Public Hearing this spring.
• Alston Yards near Parkside Commons will have 850 multi-family units, 400,000 square feet of office space, 55,000 square feet of commercial space, 200 room hotel, and a landing for a pedestrian bridge across Highway 55. They should have a Public Hearing this spring.
• The Weston office park is being visioned for lakefront development. The council will have a work session on this during the fall.
• Weston Parkway is being studied to add bike-ped trails on each side as part of the visioning process.
• The town hall campus issued an RFQ in May of 2023. Eighteen applications were submitted. The council has not seen these and is expected to review them before the end of June. The council’s process is only to select a developer before the public gets involved to help decide what should go on the town hall campus.

Environmental Video

The council watched a short video on Cary’s numerous environmental initiatives. I noted that Cary has 161 EV charging stations, will be the 5^th community in the nation with an electric firetruck, and will be the 1^st in the nation with an electric garbage truck.

Housing

Staff presented over 30 slides covering our housing initiatives. Here are some of my notes:

• Cary has been making an impact and investing in housing initiatives for over a decade.
• Major initiatives are in progress, including development of Town-owned land and more housing options for seniors.
• As we evolve, we will continue using high-impact, proactive strategies to further Cary Housing Plan goals.
• Cary has 474 affordable units in progress which will be added to our 790 existing units.
• Rose Park Manor will have 80 affordable units and should be completed next year.
• The White Oak Foundation is building 15 affordable townhome units along with a daycare, and a resource center. They should be completed this year. They are working on an additional project for senior housing.
• Greenwood Forest Baptists Church is partnering with Cary owned land to build 60 to 68 units with daycare. This is in the beginning stages of the rezoning process.
• The Stable Homes Cary will supply housing stability support scaling up the current Dorcas model. There will be a council vote on March 14.
• Cary is working on changes to allow ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units). There will be a public hearing this spring.
• There is a Housing & Community Partnerships Website which will have resources for residents, project profiles, and an impact dashboard.
• Some of the things in progress or being considered for new housing opportunities include grants for housing, identifying land for housing, acquiring land for housing, changing to LDO to allow ADUs and other types of housing, transit-oriented housing zones, senior housing, entitlement incentives, and homebuyer down payment assistance.
• Some of the things in progress or being considered for existing housing rehab include Healthy Homes Cary, grants for housing rehabilitation, partnerships with rehabilitation partners, a landlord rental rehab program, and an affordable market housing inventory reinvestment strategy.
• Some of the things in progress or being considered for housing stability and affordable living support include Stable Homes Cary, workforce development, community programming, the Play it Forward program, Oasis Utility Bill fund, and the Digital Access Equity program.
• Some of the things in progress or being considered for nonprofit capacity building include strengthening partnerships with faith based and nonprofits, building capacity of nonprofits, participating in regional housing groups, facilitating partnerships with developers and lenders, and expanding support for nonprofit executive leadership growth.
• The Staff is proposing an 84% increase in the housing budget which would be $9.65 million.

Summary

We covered a lot of ground in two days but did not cover all we had planned. Some topics were cut short and will be covered in upcoming work sessions. Other topics were omitted such as a Stormwater discussion which is now scheduled for the March 14^th work session. A discussion about Cary events, such as the Cary Christmas parade, will also be held at a future work session. All in all, it was a great retreat, and I am proud and honored to work with a great council and the best staff in the nation.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A concern of a social media post that said, “I think some Molotov cocktails through the windows of some developers’ offices is what it will realistically take for meaningful change.”
• Invitations to several events.
• A complaint that someone in a van with Florida tags parks at Barnes and Noble at night and we are doing nothing about it (From what I understand the private property owners must complain about trespassing otherwise it is OK).
• A complaint about panhandling at Waverly (Again, if the private property owner is OK with it, there isn’t much we can do. Trespassing is up to the private property owner).

Next Week

Next week’s activities include private meetings.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, March 10^th, 2024. 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.

Wake County Mayors Association Outing

Monday night I, along with my wife and two friends attended a Carolina Hurricanes game hosted by the Centennial Authority. Mayors from Raleigh, Morrisville, Zebulon, and Rolesville were also in attendance. The Wake County Mayors are blessed to be hosted by the Centennial Authority each year. It was a great time and the Canes won 6-3.

Tour of South Hills Mall

Tuesday afternoon I joined council member Smith, the town manager, and the chief development officer to meet with officials who will be redeveloping the old South Hills Mall. We talked about the vision for the area and the obstacles that would have to be overcome. Phase one of their development will depend on the Center that the council is discussing for that area. The developers plan to make the area a mixed-use development with a focus on walkability. Their concepts showed lots of trees and outdoor areas. Other council members will also be visiting this area in the coming days.

Town Manager One-On-One

I met with the town manager briefly Tuesday evening for our weekly one-on-one. Our topics included the future of town parades and future town elections.

CAMPO

Wednesday afternoon I participated in a meeting of the Executive Board for CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization). This board has 31 voting members from municipalities in Wake, Johnston, and Harnett counties as well as members from NCDOT. The agenda included three consent items, two public hearings, and four discussion items.

The Consent Agenda, approved unanimously, included minutes, 3^rd Quarter Wake Transit Work Plan Amendment Requests, and Mobility Management Program Funding Agreements to allow the implementation of a regional Mobility Management Program.

The first public hearing was for the CAMPO fiscal year 2025 Unified Planning Work Program which had no speakers and was approved unanimously without discussion. The second public hearing was for the 2025 LAPP (Locally Administered Projects Program) which also had no speakers. The LAPP program divides up about $25 million each year among members of CAMPO. Criteria previously approved by the board ranks each submittal from municipalities. The discussion centered around a Raleigh project that didn’t seem ready to move forward which would mean the next ranked project would move forward. The Raleigh representative assured the executive committee that they were moving forward, and it was unanimously passed.

The four discussion items were for information only and included information about the US 401 corridor study, an amendment to Fiscal Year 2024-2033 TIP (Transportation Improvement Program), a draft of the 2055 MTP (Metropolitan Transportation Plan), and a draft memorandum of understanding for the MTP.

As a result from a discussion at the meeting, CAMPO staff transmitted a letter Thursday afternoon to Wake County and GoTriangle outlining the Notice of Significant of Concern called by CAMPO, through the Executive Board, in accordance with the Wake County Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement (ILA) and in response to Wake County’s Notice of Significant Concern. The letter also notifies Wake County and GoTriangle that Vice Chair Lawter and Mayor Cawley have been appointed to serve on the Conference Committee that will be convened by Wake County to discuss the Significant Concern(s) raised by Wake County and CAMPO. Here is a copy of that letter:

“February 21, 2024

VIA U.S. Mail & email: david.ellis@wake.gov

David Ellis

County Manager

Wake County

P.O. Box 550

Raleigh, NC 27602

VIA U.S. Mail & email: clattuca@gotriangle.org

Charles E. Lattuca

Chief Executive Officer

GoTriangle

4600 Emperor Boulevard, Suite 100

Durham, NC 27703

Re: Appointment of Conference Committee Members & Notice of Significant Concern

Dear Mr. Ellis and Mr. Lattuca,

In response to the Wake County letter dated February 21, 2024, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Executive Board (Executive Board) has appointed two members to serve on the Conference Committee being convened by Wake County to address the Significant Concern issued by the County in relation to the Vehicle Rental Tax (VRT) funds allocated to the Wake County Transit Plan and the Wake County Transit Work Plans. The two members of the Executive Board appointed to serve on the Conference Committee are:

Vice Chair and Johnston County Board of Commissioners Chair R.S. “Butch” Lawter

Email: butch.lawter@johnstonnc.com  

Member and Town of Morrisville Mayor T.J. Cawley

Email: tjcawley@morrisvillenc.gov  

In addition, pursuant to Article X of the Wake Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement (ILA), this letter serves as formal notice that CAMPO, through its Executive Board, is issuing a Notice of Significant Concern relating to the portion of the Vehicle Rental Tax (VRT) funds allocated to the Wake County Transit Plan and Wake County Transit Work Plans.

The items of Signfiicant Concern to be addressed are as follows:

1. What “portion” of the Vehicle Rental Tax collected by GoTriangle will be allocated to Wake Transit in Fiscal Year 2025?

2. What “portion” of the Vehicle Rental Tax collected by GoTriangle will be allocated to Wake Transit in the ten-year period from Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2035, effectively setting capacity assumptions for the next update of the Wake Transit Vision

Page 2 of 2

One Fenton Main Street, Ste. 201 | Cary, NC 27511 | Phone: (984) 542-3601| http://www.campo-nc.us

Plan?

3. The financial outlook for GoTriangle’s Authority-controlled Funds, including the actual Fiscal Year 2023 financial results, Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, and long-range financial projections, which CAMPO understands as the driver for GoTriangle’s plans to recapture all Vehicle Rental Tax Revenues.

This Significant Concern will be addressed in tandem with the Significant Concern from Wake County through the Conference Committee convened by the County in accordance with Section 10.02 of the ILA.

We understand that the Wake County Transit Planning Advisory Committee (TPAC) is in the process of publishing a draft Recommended FY 2025 Work Plan and the decisions made through the Conference Committee process will be timely and helpful in this process.

The Executive Board understands that the duty to engage in dispute resolution is a material part of the ILA and the Board’s joint commitment to implement the Wake Transit Plan. The Board is hopeful the Conference Committee process will result in meaningful discussion and resolution of the concerns outlined herein.

Sincerely,

Chris Lukasina

Executive Director”

Economic Development Committee

Wednesday evening, I attended a meeting of the Economic Development Committee. The agenda included an Imagine Cary Community Plan Interim Update Overview by the Assistant Town Manager, a Quarterly report from the Vice President of Economic Development, a Management Update from the Chief Strategy Officer, and a Development Update from the Chief Development Officer.

An interim update of the Imagine Cary Community Plan was presented to the board. The board was asked to review the plan in detail and provide comments. The plan is available for review and comment to everyone and can be found here.

In the summary of Economic Development activity, I made the following notes:

• Class A Office has a 12.4% vacancy rate and is expected to peak at 16.4% by 2025.
• Regency has a 30% Class A Office vacancy rate compared to 17% in the triangle and 23% in the Raleigh-Durham area.
• Office tenants are looking for more amenities.
• It appears that most companies are using an average of 3 days in the office and 2 days hybrid.
• There is a tremendous amount of interest in the Cary and the Triangle area.
• Verizon may be expanding in Cary.
• Garmin is doing well and may expand into aviation, leveraging co-ops and internships.
• Costs are increasing rapidly, and some projects are 30% to 40% under budgeted.
• There are currently 31 active projects that could result in 6491 jobs, $3.3 billion in capital investment. Our biggest weakness is not having buildings or sites that meet immediate needs.
• North Carolina is the #1 state for Female tech.

The Chief Strategy Office gave a brief update of council-staff activities including our former Director of Economic Development’s move to become the President of Lee and Associates.

Cary’s Chief Development Officer provided a fiscal year 2^nd quarter update (October – December 2023) of activity within the town, and I noted the following:

• 30 rezoning cases came through to staff. The Viridis development was the only one approved.
• There were permits for 174 single family homes, 75 townhomes, 306 apartments, 175 hotel rooms, and 66,000 square feet of commercial space in the 2^nd quarter.
• An application has been submitted to tear down an office building in Weston to build multi-family units.
• Multi-family is very hot in Cary and surrounding areas.
• The entire rezoning process in Cary is taking about a year to complete.

The committee discussed various trends and observations before adjourning. The meeting lasted a little over two hours.

Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Saturday night my wife and I attended a celebration for Dr. Subhash Gumber receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine which is the highest honor in North Carolina. In attendance were Congresswoman Deborah Ross, NC Attorney General Josh Stein, NC Secretary of State Marshall, Sheriff Rowe, Cary Council member Bansal, Morrisville Council member Rao, and several former elected officials. The event was attended by several hundred. I along with about half a dozen others provided remarks.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

It’s been a very productive week, especially in terms of getting ready for the retreat. And speaking of the retreat, we’ll be sending out the agenda and supporting materials on Monday.  
Given that we’ll all be together on Friday, there will be no weekly report on March 1.
Have a great weekend.
Sean

Downtown Cary Park Neighborhood Meeting

Last night, the Downtown Cary Park hosted its first neighbor meeting since the park’s opening. We welcomed nearly 50 neighbors to answer questions and provide information about park operations. Topics of major interest included parking, upcoming programming, and food and beverage. Park staff were joined by Deputy Town Manager Russ Overton, Police Officer Ed Ross, and the team from Cary Park Ventures (the food and beverage operators for the park). The overall sentiment from attendees was very positive.

Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility Annual Disinfection Process Change

The Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility will begin its annual disinfection switchover  on March 1. In accordance with state and federal recommendations, each year, the treatment facility switches from its normal disinfection mixture of chlorine and ammonia to free chlorine, which is more potent. This change, combined with the flushing of Cary’s water lines, cleanses the system and helps ensure safe, high-quality water throughout the year. During the switchover period, which will last until April 11, residents and customers may notice a minor increase in chlorine odor. In areas near active hydrant flushing, water may also appear slightly discolored.  

Proactive Data Collection for Stormwater Planning

In keeping with our adaptive approach to stormwater management, we are utilizing light detection and ranging, LiDAR, technology to collect geographic information within Cary’s urban service area. Through a contracted service, a plane equipped with LiDAR is flying over Cary this week to collect topography, impervious surface, and building footprints data. As our current data is over 10 years old, this proactive initiative will benefit Cary staff and the community. From this collection effort, new datasets will be developed to inform future Cary projects, enhance basin flood modeling, and support community resiliency.  

Presentation to Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau Board

On Tuesday, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Board had their quarterly meeting in downtown Cary. Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Director John Collins provided an overview of Cary’s sports and entertainment venues, as well as other exciting information about Cary. After the meeting, Downtown Cary Park Manager Joy Ennis provided the Board with a tour of the Downtown Cary Park. 

Three Federal Grants Awarded to Cary

Cary has successfully secured federal grant funding totaling $5,520,709 to enhance greenway and transit infrastructure within our community. The grants, approved last week by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Executive Board, represent benefits to citizens and also a vote of confidence in Cary’s transportation vision and commitment to sustainability.

The three projects include  Optimist Farm Greenway, which is currently under design and will improve bike/pedestrian connectivity in south Cary. This project will receive $3,250,000 in grant funding towards construction. Additionally, GoCary will receive $270,709 to upgrade the communications equipment on their vehicles, thereby improving communication efficiency and safety. Lastly, GoCary’s Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility project is currently under design and will receive $2,000,000 towards construction.

Statewide Minority and Business Owned Business Enterprise Board Convenes in Cary

Cary’s Office of Business Inclusion welcomed the North Carolina Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Coordinators’ Network Board to Town Hall Campus on Tuesday for its Annual Board Retreat.  Discussion topics included recruitment and retention of diversity talent, collaboration with the NC Department of Administration’s Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses, and organizational programming for 2024. Cary staff, Denisha Harris, Assistant Finance Director, and Diamond Branch, Business Inclusion Specialist, both represent Cary on the Board of Directors.

Polar Doubles and Wheelchair Event

Last weekend, the Cary Tennis Park and the Western Wake Tennis Association hosted the Polar Doubles Adult Tennis Tournament. Registration for the event was the highest in almost 20-year history. The tournament also included, for the third straight year, the Up/Down Wheelchair Divisions. These divisions have doubles teams with a wheelchair player and a standing player paired together. There were 21 wheelchair players from across the state that competed in this event.

Citizen Science and Wildlife Protection

Cary’s Great Backyard Bird Count inspired more than 300 residents to join in this international citizen science initiative last weekend. Participants of all ages enjoyed nature education through informational sessions, guided walks, and bird box building events at Hemlock Bluffs, while many others accessed bird watching supply kits at five other facilities in Cary. Along with understanding the valuable role that birds play in our ecosystem, this project provides data that scientists will use worldwide to better understand bird populations, migration patterns, and climate change.

Blasting at Hidden Creek Subdivision

Mid South Drilling has applied for a blasting permit at Hidden Creek Subdivision, located at Yates Store Road and Mother Teresa Drive. The application has been reviewed, and the first blast is planned for Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. Mid South is proposing two blasts per day (morning/afternoon) Monday through Friday for the duration of the permit; however, weather, and other factors could change the proposed plan. The blasting permit is from Feb. 26 through March 26. Sauls Seismic will be providing written notification to neighbors about the upcoming blasting and has offered voluntary pre-blast inspections to all structures within 500 feet of the proposed blasting. Sauls will also be monitoring the blasting with five seismographs located around the site. A representative from the Fire Marshal’s Office will be on-site for each blast to ensure compliance with the applicable requirements.

Black History Month Programs

Each February, Cary celebrates the contributions that African Americans have made to our community, state, nation, and world during Black History Month. For a full list of events, click here. 

In-Person Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rap Session Resume

For the first time in four years, Cary’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted an in-person Rap Session on Monday at the Herb Young Community Center guided by facilitator Tru Pettigrew. Leading the group in a deep dive discovery on inclusive leadership, participants came away understanding that an inclusive leader shows commitment to meeting people where they are to ensure they feel a sense of belonging while providing them with what they need to maximize their full potential.  Acknowledging Cary’s cultural tenet that anyone can lead, the two-hour discussion focused on the “Five Cs of Diamond Leadership” – Competence, Confidence, Commitment, Consistency, and Care and inspired all present to carry these inclusive concepts forward in their work.

Upcoming Meetings

Planning and Zoning Board
Monday, February 26
6:30 p.m.

Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday, February 28
6:00 p.m.

Council/Staff Retreat
Friday and Saturday, March 1 -2 
8:45 a.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A concern about permitting for a business.
• Invitations to several events.
• A question about how fast pickleball courts would be built if there were a bond and it passed.
• A complaint about no overhead cover between the parking deck and the downtown library (Wake County oversees this and is reviewing).
• A complaint about future Christmas parades having the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” and that it is child pornography. (Cary Jaycees, not Cary, has authority to decide who is in the parade).
• Best wishes for the annual staff-council retreat with a request to focus on people and not political parties.
• A concern about a potential future connection of South Harrison and Kildaire.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, council pictures, and the annual council-staff retreat.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, March 3^rd, 2024. 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.

Manager One-On-One

Monday evening, I met with the town manager for our one-on-one weekly. Topics of discussion included potential bond questions and the retreat. Our meeting was brief.

SkillPointe/NACCE Announcement

Wednesday morning I joined council member Craig at the Cary Chamber for an announcement by NACCE (National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship), headquartered in Cary, of the acquisition of the SkillPointe technology platform. Founders of SkillPointe agreed to donate the technology platform valued at over $6 million, to NACCE, which is a national leader in entrepreneurship education in community colleges.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina’s labor force participation rate continues to face a worker shortage with only 55 workers for every 100 jobs. The SkillPointe platform helps grow the supply of skilled employees that employers need and lists over 1,000 community colleges and their 60,000 training programs organized under 80 in-demand career paths that require a low amount of training, connecting students to jobs with high earnings potential.

Downtown Cary Park Receives TBJ Space Award

Thursday evening I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Bryson-Robinson, council member Bansal, and several staff members for the Triangle Business Journal Space Awards in Raleigh. These awards were given to the top commercial and real estate projects. Cary received an award for the best State/County/Municipal project, and I was proud to accept the award on behalf of the town. Also receiving awards in the downtown area were SAAP (1^st floor of the Walker) for the best restaurant project, and Mackenan Property Group for the West End beer garden on Chatham Street.

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Triangle Business Journal President and Publisher Jason Christie, about the Downtown Cary Park. You can see that interview here.

Cary #2 Safest and Affordable in South

The News and Observer reported that GoBankingRates, a personal finance website, released a list of the 25 safest and cheapest cities in the South based on costs of living and the rates of property crime and violent crime. Cary ranked #2. The website analyzed those factors in the most populated cities in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Washington, D.C. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

In addition to the stories found below, I would like to thank the staff for their excellent work dealing with two difficult challenges that occurred on Wednesday. Chief Sult and Cary PD, along with Cary FD, were incredibly effective in safely concluding a stand-off in which no one was harmed. In the second example of grace under pressure, Chief Cooper led a large interdepartmental team in resolving a long list of issues related to a power outage on Town Hall Campus. Both of these matters required decisive leadership coupled with supreme technical capabilities, and I am proud of everyone involved. Let us never take them – or each other – for granted.

Sean

Sri Venkateswara Temple Parking Rezoning (23-REZ-09) Discussion 

At the council meeting last week questions were raised about sidewalks and overhead power lines during the rezoning discussion. Regarding the timing of sidewalk construction along the existing Sri Venkateswara Temple site, the sidewalk is a commitment of the approved development plan for the new assembly hall (22-DP-6356) and specifically notes “sidewalk along NC-54 to be completed prior to Certificate of Occupancy issuance.” As for the question about the power lines in front of Bainbridge Cary Apartments (at the intersection of Chapel Hill Road and NW Maynard Road), there are no overhead utility lines along the Bainbridge Cary apartment site on Chapel Hill Road. Power lines are located on the opposite (north) side of Chapel Hill Road at this location.

Mills Park Food Waste Drop-Off Site

To celebrate the first week of service at the Mills Park food waste drop-off, Councilmembers Lori Bush and Sarika Bansal, accompanied by members of the Carolina Preserve Environmental Group, Towards Zero Waste volunteers, and Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar, visited the drop-off site. The group engaged with citizens who are embracing this additional opportunity to compost in Cary, with half a ton of materials already dropped off. Both of Cary’s food waste drop-offs accept food scraps (raw and cooked), including meat and bones, as well as specific paper products such as pizza boxes and paper towels. Citizens are encouraged to deposit their items directly into the bins or in a Biodegradable Product Institute (BPI) certified compostable bag, which is also available free at the site to encourage participation.

Council Member Bush Named Chair of Jordan Lake One Water

We are pleased to announce that Councilmember Lori Bush has been named Chair of the Jordan Lake One Water Coalition. The membership of Jordan Lake One Water (JLOW) elected Councilmember Bush as Chair of the coalition and its Board of Directors at their last meeting. JLOW works collaboratively with stakeholders and state regulatory officials to envision integrated strategies and water policies for the watershed. This is an especially crucial time for the coalition, as the  State Division of Water Resources is now initiating stakeholder meetings to discuss future regulatory policies within the watershed. Congratulations to Councilmember Bush! We are very thankful for your leadership in this important endeavor.

Councilmember Bryson Robinson Discusses Downtown Cary

This week, Councilmember Jennifer Bryson Robinson was interviewed about Downtown Cary for Morrisville Councilmember Steve Rao’s radio program, Leaders and Legends. In preparation for the show, staff compiled a list of appropriations to Downtown over the last 20 years. 

Symphony Lake Dredging

Symphony Lake dredging is moving forward on schedule. The dredging work will continue through March, prior to the new season at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, with the silt being deposited at South Cary Water Reclamation Facility following removal from Symphony Lake. Council members interested in a tour in March to observe the dredging operations may reach out to Ginny Johnson to schedule. 

Spring 2024 Program Registration

On Wednesday, registration opened for spring programs. Online registration remains popular with citizens, as 93% of the over 5,000 registrations were processed this way.  Registration for non-residents will open on Wednesday, February 21. Additional services in RecTrac are now available online, such as room and shelter reservations, as well as volleyball court reservations. 

Volunteers Help Grow Our Urban Forest

With community support, Cary is growing a more resilient urban forest and providing an adaptive approach to stormwater management through a native plant project. A multi-departmental collaboration utilized community volunteers to install native trees and shrubs including elderberry, sweet bay, and button bush along the edge of the natural wetland at Dunham Park. Staff provided hands-on instruction to the volunteers about the environmental benefits of ecosystem restoration. 

Cary Updates Water Distribution System Master Plan

As part of Cary’s commitment to comprehensive planning to guide the future of our community, Utilities has completed a multi-year effort to update our Water Distribution System Master Plan. This Master Plan update reflects current projections for future water demands and right-sized new water distribution and transmission mains in support of growth and development throughout Cary’s utility service area. The updated plan helps ensure the successful long-term design, engineering, and development of Cary’s water system infrastructure.

American Legion Honors Public Servants

Cary Police Lieutenant Frank Schelah and Cary Fire Captain Zane Franks are the recipients of the American Legion Post 67 2023 Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year awards. They were honored on Tuesday at a dinner held at the American Legion. Police and Fire are incredibly proud of these employees and grateful for the service of the men and women of Post 67.

North Carolina State University Student Tour at North Cary Water Reclamation Facility

On February 9, North Cary Water Reclamation Facility (NCWRF) staff partnered with North Carolina State University to provide an opportunity for several future environmental engineers. The students were tasked with developing a Preliminary Engineering Report for a local municipal wastewater treatment plant as part of their senior design project. The students chose to visit NCWRF to see a well-maintained facility with state-of-the-art treatment capabilities. The ‘Pack’ of seniors were engaged, and we look forward to future visits with Dr. Francis de los Reyes III and his students.

Virtual Neighborhood Rezoning Meetings on March 6

Two rezoning meetings, 6200 & 6308 Holly Springs Road and Searstone PDD Amendment, will take place virtually on Wednesday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming Meetings

Economic Development Committee
Wednesday, February 21
5:15 p.m.

Public Art Advisory Board
Wednesday, February 21
6:15 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A complaint about “aggressive begging” in Cary.
• A thank you for removing anti-Semitic graffiti from a pedestrian tunnel.
• A complaint about a backhoe tearing up asphalt on Glasgow Drive.
• A complaint that Cary isn’t doing anything about affordable housing.
• A complement on one of our affordable housing initiatives Stable Homes Cary.
• A complaint about a proposed rezoning next to Cameron Pond.
• A complaint about the entrance to the library from the parking deck not being covered. (This is controlled by Wake County not Cary. They have received our feedback on this issue.)
• A concern that improvements to the parking deck are to charge a fee. (Installing gates at the parking deck will help better manager parking within the deck not to charge a fee.)
• A complaint about someone homeless living in a van.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a Wake County Mayors Association outing, a tour of the South Hills proposed development, a CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) Executive Board meeting, an Economic Development Committee meeting, and an event for the presentation of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 25^th, 2024. 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.

Council Meeting Prep

In preparation for Thursday’s council meeting, I attempted to contact each council member to learn of questions or concerns they may have had. Questions and concerns were expressed about rezoning 23-REZ-09, a rezoning proposal by the SV temple to allow overflow parking. Concerns and questions were related to not requiring the sidewalk along Chapel Hill Road. Later in the day I met with staff and Mayor Pro-Tem Bryson-Robinson to go over the agenda items.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later in the day the town manager and I met for our weekly one-on-one. We talked mostly about the Kansas City trip, The Center, and a potential bond.

Umstead #1 Hotel in NC

Tuesday the Triangle Business Journal reported that the Umstead Hotel is once again the best hotel in North Carolina. You can read the story here.

Human Relations, Inclusion, & Diversity Task Force Meeting

The HIRD (Human Relations, Inclusion, and Diversity) task force met Tuesday night. Presentations were given on potential future center and inter-generational community center at South Hills and the inter-generational community center at Mills Park. The group discussed experiences in the Downtown Cary Park, the two newest parks in western Cary, and DEI education efforts.

Disney Invests $1.5 billion in Epic Games

Wednesday it was announced that Disney will invest $1.5 billion in Epic Games which is headquartered in Cary. Epic Games has included Disney playable characters into Fortnite in the past. The Disney CEO says that they plan to work with Epic Games to create a new virtual reality universe as well as new games and entertainment with more characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and other company properties. I was asked by WTVD to issue a statement. Here the statement I provided:

“I believe Disney’s investment in Epic Games is good news for Cary. We are glad that Epic Games is headquartered in Cary, and we look forward to seeing what impact this new investment will have on Epic and Cary. Hopefully, Epic and Disney will develop a long partnership. Regardless of your place or stage in life, millions of people around the world have found inspiration, happiness, excitement, and joy in the experiences offered by Disney and Epic Games, so collectively we can’t wait to see what comes next for those of us in Cary. We are excited to see how both companies will come together to stay on ‘Top of the Arc’ and what role Cary, NC plays in that.”

Stable Homes Cary

Wednesday staff provided finalized work to Council about a new partnership with Dorcas ministries for affordable housing. This was originally presented to Council at a work session in January and council agreed to move forward. The following is the staff summary of the new program, called Stable Homes Cary, with additional information:

Cary Housing Plan & Support for Housing Initiatives

• Two key foundations of Cary’s housing strategy are Partnerships and People First. Through projects and programs, Cary collaborates with local and regional partners to improve housing resources in Cary. These endeavors help ensure that all Cary citizens can enjoy the high quality of life that Cary has to offer.
• Since the adoption of the Cary Housing Plan in November 2021, Cary has launched several initiatives including Healthy Homes Cary to support those in need with home improvements; Cary’s Nonprofit Capacity Building Program to provide training for nonprofit leaders; and Cary’s partnership with Laurel Street Residential to develop 126 units of mixed-income housing on Town-owned property at 921 SE Maynard.

Stable Homes Cary – Dorcas Partnership

• Over the past year, Cary has been in discussion with Dorcas Ministries and other local groups interested in addressing housing instability, and in particular helping Chatham Estates residents. In addition to Cary and Dorcas, other organizations involved in the discussions include Taylor Family YMCA, Northwest Cary YMCA, The Carying Place, A Doorway to Hope, OneWake, and the Western Regional Housing Action Group.
• Through these discussions, Dorcas Ministries, a major Cary non-profit established in 1968, agreed to serve as lead agency to support the launch of a new program, Stable Homes Cary. Dorcas provides emergency relief and support services to residents experiencing housing instability. Dorcas integrates three key components: short-term emergency relief, case management, and referrals to other area providers.
• Dorcas also administers two existing Cary programs: the Oasis Utility Bill Program which assists residents with utility bill payments, and Play It Forward which provides scholarships to children for Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources activities.

• Stable Homes Cary will allow Dorcas to scale up their current program model to serve more community members in need, while creating capacity and expertise to provide support to residents who may need to relocate due to specific large-scale property redevelopments, such as Chatham Estates.
• Stable Homes Cary assistance will include individual case management to assess each household’s needs, to identify potential housing options, to connect residents with resources, and to administer relocation assistance disbursement. Dorcas’ expertise and data collection through case management will inform and determine relief needs.
• Cary will utilize previously budgeted housing funds to fund Stable Homes Cary and support the administration the Oasis Utility Bill and Play It Forward programs, including:

• a three-year allocation ($500,000 in 2024, $550,000 in 2025, and $600,000 in 2026) to increase Dorcas’ capacity, establish Stable Homes Cary, administer the Oasis Utility Bill and Play It Forward programs.
• an initial allocation of $800,000 to seed a fund for assistance to be disbursed exclusively to residents who need to relocate due to property redevelopment.

Chatham Estates Potential Sale

• As of February 7, 2024, Curtis Westbrook, owner of Chatham Estates, the 27.25-acre mobile home park located on 607 Cedar Street at the intersection of E. Chatham Street and SE Maynard Road, has listed the property for sale with broker Lee & Associates.
• The Listing currently includes the residential portion of the property. The current owner plans to maintain ownership of the commercial area Chatham Square Shopping Center and Maynard Plaza. There is not an advertised listing price.
• Cary continues to have a keen eye on the sale and welcomes the opportunity to work with any potential new owners to communicate Cary’s vision and needs as we do with all property in Cary. Until then, Cary will continue to communicate with the current property owner as they work to limit new tenancy.

The Stable Homes Cary will be brought to the Council for a vote in March.

Ashworth Drugs Closes

Thursday it was announced that the iconic business, Ashworth Drugs, located at Academy and Chatham, closed its business. This business has been in operation since 1957 and I remember it well as a child. I wish the Ashworth family the best in their future endeavors and hope to see a new business in its place soon. We will certainly miss their iconic presence downtown.

Council Work Session

Thursday evening the council held a work session and discussed retreat topics, the council calendar, connectivity requirements, the potential 2024 bond, and philanthropy.

Topics for the retreat include:

• The 2024 Bond
• Timing of municipal elections
• Development in Cary
• Downtown Issues
• Stormwater
• Cary Events such as the Christmas parade

The council calendar was reviewed, and no revisions were made.

The council asked staff to review connectivity requirements especially considering the Middleton Avenue complaints.

A potential 2024 bond was discussed at length. It was pointed out that most people are not sure what it means (bonds are essentially voter approval of a loan not whether a project should be built).

A discussion on the lack of Cary philanthropy. It was pointed out by a council member that Cary will eventually stop growing and funding could be an issue without philanthropy.

Council Meeting

Thursday night the council met for its first regularly scheduled meeting of February. The agenda included five consent items and one discussion item.

The auditorium was full because the group OneWake asked their members to show up and speak for Cary’s proposed Stable Homes Cary (see above). They had several speakers in the Public Speaks Out portion of the meeting.

The consent agenda was approved unanimously.

The discussion item was 23-REZ-09 for the SV Temple Parking. This will allow for overflow parking at the temple. In addition, they dedicated land so that the town could build a sidewalk along Highway 54. The proposal was unanimously approved.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

It was so good to be able to spend time with you this week, Council, both individually and collectively. During last night’s work session and after our regular meeting, I heard from several of you just how much you’re valuing the work sessions and the opportunities they bring for thinking out loud and free-flowing discussions. I couldn’t agree more – an excellent prelude to the retreat.
Thanks to you, we’re making good progress toward this year’s retreat, and the staff is fully engaged in making it our best.
Have a good weekend.
Sean

Girl Scouts Learn About Environmental Initiatives

Councilmember Sarika Bansal and Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar visited Girl Scout Troop 2327 to speak with the girls about trees, environmental initiatives, and sustainable practices. The information was well received by the troop, and the girls had insightful questions and engaging discussions.

TBJ Business Persons of the Year

Councilmember Carissa Kohn-Johnson and Town staff attended a February 7 event celebrating Triangle Business Journal’s 2023 Business Persons of the Year, Cary developers Jordan Gussenhoven and George Jordan III. From the stage, both men credited the Town with giving them the confidence to invest in the Cary community. The panel, including several past winners and the 2023 winners, also discussed economic development, entrepreneurship, health care, and community development initiatives for the future of the Triangle region.

Soft Opening of Neighborhood Parks

Two new parks located in western Cary are now available to the public. While each park has some punch-list work remaining, staff has decided to allow soft openings to occur to facilitate the use of most facilities. A celebration for the opening of the parks will be scheduled later this spring.
The Neighborhood Park on McCrimmon Parkway features 12 new courts (six pickleball and six tennis) and hosts walking trails, a community garden, a playground, and public art.
The Neighborhood Park on Carpenter Fire Station Road features ballfields, a basketball/futsal court, a playground, an adult fitness area, dog park, public art, and a connection to the Panther Creek Greenway.

Cary Launches Online e-Commerce Store

This week, the branding team took a significant step in Cary’s rebranding initiatives with the launch of a new online store. This platform extends Cary’s merchandise availability beyond our two existing in-person locations and allows people to purchase branded merchandise from anywhere in the United States so they can represent Cary no matter where they reside. Visit the store and explore the collection at shop.carync.gov.

Downtown Library Parking Deck Gates Project

Contractors are wrapping up the installation of the parking gates at the Downtown Library Parking Deck. Now that the parking equipment and gate arms are installed, the contractor will continue to perform work behind the scenes to commission and test the smart parking system and will install signage before it is activated. This work will occur intermittently over the next month. Once the system is activated, parking will continue to be free of charge to the public. Cary will be able to use this new technology to better understand the use and capacity of the deck to help effectively manage parking. For more information about this work, please visit our website. 

ACC Championship Commits to Cary

Given our deep history of hosting nearly 90 college championships, the ACC views Cary as a great host, especially since we have hosted 49 ACC championships over the past 21 years. We will continue this legacy through 2029 as we have committed to each other to host Men’s & Women’s soccer and tennis over the next six years in Cary.

Cary Marketing Team Visits GRVCB at Tourism Talk Live

The Cary Marketing team attended “Tourism Talk Live” from the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) on Feb. 8 at The Ritz, a live music venue in Raleigh. Members of the GRCVB marketing team shared what they’ve been working on and how they can be a valuable resource to partners, like Cary, in promoting future visitation to Wake County.

Chamber Leadership Tour and Presentations

On Jan. 31, Cary PRCR hosted the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Cary program. The group consisted of 40 business leaders in the Cary area, including Assistant Finance Director Denisha Harris. The group took tours of WakeMed Soccer Park, The Cary Arts Center, and the Downtown Park. The tour ended at the Bark Bar for a great social outside.

Parks at West Lake Meeting

This week, staff met with residents of the Parks at West Lake community to discuss signal and sidewalk projects currently under design in the area. These projects include:

• New signal at Optimist Farm Road and Glade Hill Drive
• Upgrades to the existing signal at Optimist Farm Road and West Lake Road
• New sidewalk along two sections of Optimist Farm Road
• New sidewalk along West Lake Road from Optimist Farm Road to Piney Branch Drive

Staff shared key safety features included in these projects and listened to feedback from the residents. Final designs and permitting will continue through the fall.

Police Training and Awards

Congratulations to six of our leaders (Lieutenant Jenkins, Sergeants Pearson, and Marks, and Corporals Jones, Pyland, and Crossman) for completing the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Executive Leadership Institute training course. Furthermore, we are proud to announce that five of them have earned the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award for completing all three leadership institute courses. We are proud of their achievements and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Fire Recruit Academy 28

Fire Academy 28 reported for duty on Monday. These 21 individuals will train rigorously over the coming months to earn their required fire, rescue, hazardous materials, and rescue certifications, as well as immerse themselves in Cary’s culture before joining their fellow firefighters on shift.

Celebrating World Wetlands Day with Service Learning

Cary celebrated World Wetlands Day on Feb. 2 with a service-learning event. In collaboration with our nonprofit partners from the Carolina Wetland Association and environmental science students from Green Hope High School, staff organized an afternoon of litter collection in the wetlands that border the Cary Tennis Park and high school properties. Participants collected 160 pounds of litter and witnessed the wonders of a local wetland ecosystem via a short educational presentation.

Cary’s Compost Comes to Good Hope Farm

Cary citizens are helping to grow future crops at Good Hope Farm with compost generated from material collected at the Food Waste Recycling Drop-off. Through CompostNow’s Garden Partner Program, the farm received almost 40,000 pounds of finished compost this week, and almost 10,000 pounds of that weight was derived from Cary’s Food Waste Recycling program efforts in 2023. Through this partnership, 10% of the annual weight of food scraps collected are delivered back to the community as finished compost for our fields.

Upcoming Meetings

Environmental Advisory Board
Tuesday, February 13
6:00 p.m.

Greenway Committee
Thursday, February 15
6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A question about a sidewalk project (You can see the status of all sidewalks here).
• A question about how to get involved with a Public Transit working group.
• Complaints about a rezoning proposal 19-REZ-25 on Piney Plains Road. (This proposal, from 2019, has yet to be scheduled for a public hearing.)
• A request to walk through Taylor’s Pond over the extension of Middleton Avenue. This is related to 22-REZ-21.
• Several comments that support Chatham Estate residents (This property is up for sale and residents have stated they can’t afford to live anywhere else in Cary).
• A request for a ribbon cutting.
• A comment that downtown redevelopment should have a maximum of four story buildings.
• A complaint that the “town, manager agenda, supported by council” to turn Cary into North Hills because of the RFQ submittals last fall for town hall campus. (Part of my response: “The newest building on town hall campus is 20 years old. We are reaching the point of having to rehab many of the buildings. Currently the buildings and the community center are not meeting the needs of the citizens or staff. It makes sense to research to see if it is cost effective to redevelop the area and include a new town hall. An RFQ was issued last year to get ideas of what a developer would do in redevelopment. I haven’t seen any of these to date. We will have plenty of time to provide input of what we think should happen with the town hall campus. One thing for sure, with an acre going for $1 million downtown, it would be foolish not to explore all our options.”).
• A complaint that the library parking deck is not covered.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a SkillPointe/NACCE Announcement event, TBJ Space Awards, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 18^th, 2024. 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.

Town Manager One-On-One

Monday I met with the town manager for our weekly one-on-one. Our discussion included my upcoming trip to meet with consultants on a potential recreation facility. Other topics included reevaluation and a potential bond this year.

Populous in Kansas City

Tuesday through Thursday I was in Kansas City with council member Bush and staff to meet with the consultant, Populous, to discuss concept ideas for a potential future Center to go at South Hills.

This potential facility would have a senior center, a community center, a competitive space, and a 4000-seat arena. Wake County has already committed $75 million if this facility is built. It would be a one-of-a-kind facility that would transform the South Hills part of Cary very much like the Downtown Cary Park has been a catalyst for downtown redevelopment. In addition to providing a much-needed senior and community center on the southern and eastern part of Cary, it has the potential to double the economic benefit from our sports venues.

A big thanks to council member Bush for hundreds of detailed questions and comments for the consultant. As we provided comments, the consultants were able to take those comments and create AI generated images which generated additional thoughts and comments. We were also able to look at and touch samples of ideas they had. The visit was very productive, and I look forward to furthering this concept.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

This report features a variety of activities councilmembers and staff participated in this week.

Work continued this week on a potential recreation facility with a visit to Kansas City to meet with our consultant Populous.  As we further develop the concept, we will be seeking participation by other council members on a second visit, likely in March or April.  While I couldn’t attend, I do understand the trip was highly productive and informative!  Thank you to all who participated!

Retreat planning is in full swing with the directors hard at work developing their presentations. I look forward to presenting the topics for your consideration, post individual council feedback sessions, at the February 8 Council Work Session.

With January now behind us warmer weather will be here soon.  Enjoy your weekend!

Sean

Annual Regional Transportation Alliance Luncheon

Councilmembers Michelle Craig and Sarika Bansal joined staff for the annual Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA) State of Mobility meeting last week. Elected officials, transportation professionals, and business partners participated in interactive discussions focused on the priorities outlined in RTA’s Accelerated Metropolitan Mobility Strategy. Priorities include an enhanced regional transit system, rapid relief freeway improvements, and support for mobility innovations.

Driving Through Innovation

Yesterday, Cary ‘s Councilmember and SAS Global Public Sector Strategic Advisor Jennifer Robinson and staff member, David Spencer, were joined by NCDOT Sarah Searcy to play host and lead a panel for a Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC) event “Cleantech Spotlight – Driving Innovation: Autonomous Transportation & Sustainability”.   Cary’s Chief Information Officer Nicole Coughlin moderated the panel focusing on lessons learned from Cary’s CASSI deployment and how government and businesses can collaborate to implement autonomous transportation projects to help reach their environmental and sustainability goals. 

Making Composting More Convenient

In support of the community’s interest and demand for growing composting opportunities, Cary opened a second food waste drop-off site at Mills Park, 425 Mills Park Dr. The expansion in service comes exactly one-year after the initial pilot drop-off became a permanent fixture at the Citizen’s Convenience Center and collected 80 tons of material from 26,000 drop-offs. In addition to reducing waste, the community’s efforts provide finished compost for Good Hope Farm equivalent to 10% of the of the weight of collected food scraps from both sites. As Cary continues to develop long-term waste management strategies, making food waste diversion convenient and accessible for citizens is a commitment that’s crucial in extending the landfill’s life and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

We’ve Got Mail

Beginning next week, Cary residents will start to receive their recycling stickers and magnets in the mail. The stickers and magnets will aid in our community effort of recycling right. Food for thought, the National average for recycling contamination is 17%, and in some areas across the nation there is up to 40% contamination. While Cary stands at 12%. Let’s continue to exhibit sustainable waste management practices.

Fenton Building Permit Update

During the month of January, some significant building permits were approved at Fenton. Building permits were approved for construction of a new 772-space parking deck and Doc B’s Restaurant.

Update on NCDOT’s Complete I540 Project

Complete 540 is being constructed in two phases, and Phase I crosses through southern Cary. Phase 1 (Sections A, B and C) extends 18 miles from NC 55 in Apex through Cary to I-40 and is currently under construction. This phase is nearing completion and expected to open Summer 2024.

Cary has partnered with NCDOT to identify where and how future Cary greenways, sidewalks and bike lanes will cross NC540. These proposed greenway/pedestrian/bike crossings were incorporated into NCDOT’s highway project. The future Camp Branch Greenway will cross under NC540 via a bridge on the highway. The Bells Lake Road interchange bridge will include the Optimist Farm Greenway which will be buffered from vehicular lanes; and a greenway tunnel will be constructed under the ramp at this interchange. These greenway and bike/pedestrian improvements are funded with Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond, and staff continue to work with NCDOT as Phase 1 finishes construction.

Reclaim Water Holiday

On February 12, Cary’s annual 10-day maintenance shutdown of the reclaimed water system, “Reclaimed Water Holiday”, will begin. The scheduled shutdown provides Cary staff the opportunity to perform routine maintenance of the system while irrigation and reclaimed water demands are minimal. Cary staff mailed letters to our 937 reclaimed water customers on January 29, notifying them of the upcoming system shutdown. Citizens also have a valuable opportunity to perform essential maintenance of their own systems. Commercial customers who use reclaimed water for cooling tower operations were notified in advance via mail and by phone. Commercial users typically switch to their potable water backup feeds during the annual maintenance window. Following completion of maintenance and repair work, the system is scheduled to be restarted and back in operation by February 22. 

Cary and Lochmere HOA “Leave the Leaves”

As loose-leaf collection comes to an end, we had the privilege to partner with Megan Holler of the Lochmere HOA Landscaping Committee to give back their leaves. As the HOA is shifting a number of their landscaping practices to more sustainable ones, we felt like this was a perfect opportunity to give back to the community. The leaves were collected within the Lochmere subdivision and then given back to them to repurpose as mulch in natural areas and garden beds. The effort of repurposing leaves is one Cary has made every year to support programs within the town such as Good Hope Farm. Leaves are dumped at the farm which allows the farmers to add the leaf mulch to their gardens. Citizens can also request to have leaf mulch delivered to their home. 

GLOW with the Flow – Meet and Great GLOW Artists

More than 500 people attended the 2024 GLOW With the Flow – Artist Meet and Greet in Downtown Cary Park. There was great engagement with the VR experience led by Augmentality Labs as well as lots of people dropping in for some flow art using alcohol ink. Artists Matt McConnell and Erik Beerbower chatted with visitors while Rhett Hissam continued her installation on the Performance Pavilion stage and was able to share some of her process with onlookers. 

Getting’ Around with GoCary

Transit and PRCR Specialized Recreation and Inclusion staff partnered to provide a hands-on experience using GoCary. Participants spent time in the classroom learning about GoCary bus routes, understanding bus schedules, and using GoCaryLive.org to plan their trips and track their buses live. Then, the class traveled to the Cary Depot to talk with GoCary bus drivers and ride Route 4 to practice what they had learned.

Detective Andy Maurer Receives Distinguished Service Award

On Wednesday, Detective Andrew Maurer received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award at the 71st Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC. Detective Maurer has faithfully served the Cary Police Department as a Task Force Officer on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and was awarded this honorable distinction from United States Attorney General Merrick Garland for his part in disrupting and convicting a multinational suspect for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist criminal organization. Led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice, the Joint Terrorism Task Force is a locally based multi-agency partnership between various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating terrorism and terrorism-related crimes.

Two Renovated Playgrounds are Now Reopened

Ed Yerha Park and Bond Park playgrounds are now open for visitors! The freshly renovated playground at Ed Yerha Park has something for everyone. A mix of different styles of play equipment, sound and sand play, added shade structures to cool down the summer months, and new soft surfacing to protect from falls are key features. While the design theme for Lazy Daze Playground was naturalistic in keeping with other Bond Park facilities like the Challenge Course. This renovated playground includes play areas and swings for different ages, spring riders, merry-go-round, sand play, and nature play with boulders. 

Upcoming Meetings

Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Advisory Board
Monday, February 5
5:15 p.m.

Information Services Advisory Board
Monday, February 5
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday, February 5
6:30 p.m.

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

Senior Advisory Board
Wednesday, February 7
12:00 p.m.

Historic Preservation Commission
Wednesday, February 7
6:30 p.m.

Town Council Meeting (Work Session)
Thursday, February 8
4:45 p.m.

Town Council Meeting (Regular)
Thursday, February 8
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Complaints about a rezoning proposal 22-REZ-14 next to Cameron Pond.
• A complaint about a rezoning proposal 19-REZ-25 on Piney Plains Road. (This proposal, from 2019, has yet to be scheduled for a public hearing.)
• A thank you for all that I do. (THANK YOU!)
• A concern about crime in nearby municipalities that may be related to here.
• A concern about transit issues.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a State of Cary staff taping, a Human Relations, Inclusion, & Diversity Task Force meeting, a council work session, and a council meeting.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 11^th, 2024. 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.

Council Meeting Prep

On Mondays before all regularly scheduled council meetings, I attempt to contact each council member to learn of questions and concerns about the upcoming agenda. A couple of council members had questions about the procedure for the Twyla Road closure. There were also concerns expressed about the Trinity Road rezoning proposal. Other than that, there were no questions.

Agenda Meeting

Later in the day I met with staff and Mayor Pro-Tem Robinson to go over the agenda. The meeting was short, and we anticipated a few speakers at the Wackena rezoning.

State of Cary Prep

Tuesday night I met with a couple of staff members to go over the State of Cary slides and the address text. I can’t thank them enough for their support, especially Ginny Johnson, our town clerk, who spent hours helping with the slides and getting the right people to fact check the address.

State of Cary Address

Wednesday morning, I presented the State of Cary address at the Cary Chamber’s Eye-Opening breakfast. It was a sold-out crowd and the largest one ever for my initial address.

I wrote the address over several weeks starting immediately after Christmas. It was turned over to staff for fact checking and review in the second week in January. I worked with the town clerk to produce the slides and decide which ones to use in this address. The last change was made to one slide on the morning of the presentation.

The presentation was given at Prestonwood, but the town used its own setup which included the stage, podium, backdrop, lighting, and sound system. It was recorded and should be available for viewing in a few weeks. You can see the slides and text here.

I gave the presentation, by my estimate, in about 40 minutes. I did not perceive that I made any major screw ups. Afterwards I fielded three questions which included affordable housing and pickleball.

I will be giving the address multiple times throughout the year. The next presentation will be in early March.

Visiting with Seniors at Town Hall

Wednesday afternoon I met with a few senior citizens from a tour group headed by Katherine Loflin. The focus of the tour was Cary’s history. I provided information about more recent history and the town hall campus. The group posed for a picture in the council chambers before leaving.

Council Work Session

Thursday afternoon the council held a work session on Housing Partnerships and heard information about two initiatives in helping with affordable housing. Staff reminded us that our housing efforts were focused on people first.

The first presentation was a partnership proposal with Dorcas Ministries to help with the affordable housing crises with Chatham Estates trailer park. Dorcas already helps Cary manage its Oasis program and Pay-It-Forward program. Chatham Estates was recently sold and will likely be redeveloped displacing several Cary residents who depend on workforce housing. This new initiative will fill gaps not covered by Wake County Social services and use Dorcas to provide emergency housing assistance, case management, referrals, and displacement support. The proposal would be for the town to provide financial support to the Dorcas support program with $500K in 2024, $550K in 2025, and $600K in 2026 using funds already budgeted. The council will consider additional funding of $500K to $800K for displacement services. This will be voted on in a February council meeting. For more information contact Heather Whelehan and Dana Widmar at the Town of Cary.

The second presentation was about a potential partnership with The Carying Place. They provide transitional housing to working families with children. They own 13 duplexes which they use in this effort. Currently they are working on a partnership with Greenwood Forest Baptist church to provide 60 affordable housing units on church property. In addition, the town owns adjacent land which could potentially provide affordable units. This was information for the council so that they were aware of what is being worked on. We will hear more later.

Council Meeting

Thursday night the council held its last regularly scheduled meeting of January. The agenda included two consent items, four public hearings, and one discussion item.

The consent agenda was approved unanimously and included the Ivey-Ellington House rehabilitation bid award, and technical revisions on council rules and procedures.

The first public hearing was for the Wackena Towns proposed rezoning. There were several speakers in opposition to the proposal. The complaints included the proposed density and the lack of connectivity of Highcroft Drive. This property was rezoned in 2015 to R8 which means single family on a .20 acre lots. It will go to the Planning and Zoning Board for their review and recommendation and return to council for a vote in a few months.

The second public hearing was for the Bel Canto proposed rezoning at the destination center located on Green Level West near I540. While there were no speakers the council expressed several concerns including a lack of enough commercial space to support residents, not enough EV chargers, and lack of affordable housing. This will go to the Planning and Zoning Board for their review and recommendation and return to council for a vote in a few months.

The third public hearing was for a portion of Twyla Road that was abandoned by NCDOT. There were no speakers and the council unanimously approved closing the right-of-way and returning it to adjacent property owners.

The last public hearing was for a portion of Macedonia Road that was abandoned because of road realignment.. There were no speakers and the council unanimously approved closing the right-of-way and returning it to adjacent property owners.

After the council meeting, I briefly met with two scouts who attended the council meeting. We talked about the meeting and discussed what they witnessed. They asked a few questions, and I gave some insight into council activity. Afterwards we took pictures.

Cary #1 in US for Remote Working

Thursday I was notified that a recent study by SmartAsset examined remote work trends in 344 large U.S. cities. Cary, N.C., had the highest percentage of remote workers with 41.4% of its workers working from home. You can read the entire article here.

Town Manager’s Report

Russ’s Message

It was great to start off the year on such a positive note at the Mayor’s State of Cary Address during the Chamber Eye Opener on Wednesday. I was happy to share the experience with elected officials, business leaders, and community members, all of whom share a love of Cary and everything we accomplish together. The mayor did an incredible job summarizing the past year and highlighting what to look forward to in the coming year. 
Happy Friday and have a great weekend.
Russ

2024 Biennial Citizen Satisfaction Survey

Starting Monday, Jan. 29, Cary’s ⁠Biennial Citizen Satisfaction Survey will be issued to a randomly-selected group of citizens to gauge effectiveness in its mission and measure overall confidence in the Town’s government operations. Consultants working on behalf of Cary will contact randomly selected residents by phone. As in previous surveys, topics covered will include public safety, services, communications, transportation, recreation, and the environment.

Bus Rapid Transit Update

Cary and Raleigh continue to prepare for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) which will provide fast, reliable, and frequent service between downtown Cary and downtown Raleigh. The Western Corridor line will originate at Cary’s future Multi-Modal Center and travel along a 12-mile route with 20 stations, 6 of which are planned for Cary. Over the last few weeks, BRT and station area planning groups conducted meetings covering topics such as pedestrian and bicycle accommodations near transit stops, housing data and considerations, multi-jurisdictional coordination on the BRT route, and station design. This work will contribute to the FTA Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Small Starts Ratings submission, which Cary and Raleigh are actively preparing to complete by the Fall of 2024. The ratings application is a major step in the federal process required to secure federal funding. 

Teen Council Bike Workshop

The Cary Bike Plan is currently being updated. Recommendations received will guide decisions and shape the future of safe and comfortable bicycling across Cary. On Tuesday night, staff and the project consultant, Toole Design, met with the Cary Teen Council for a bike workshop to share the goals of the plan and solicit input. Topics discussed include bicycling in Cary today, national best practices, making connections, and the greenway network.

2024 Performances at the Page

The Performances at the Page 2024 Indoor Series kicked off on Sunday with Erik Dyke & Friends. Nearly 70 guests enjoyed music from the Great American Songbook. The ‘friends’ this year included Nikita Pace, Brad Hunnicutt, Corinne Crowley, Tatiana Zibrova, Anne Dyke, Anna Black, Nancy Pitkin, and James Long. This special concert was presented by the Friends of Page-Walker as the Carol J. Wright Memorial Concert. 

Cary Hosts Academy of Engineering Students

Cary staff hosted Wake County Public School System Academy of Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing students this week. Students job-shadowed Cary engineering staff to explore the field of civil engineering, learn about public sector service, and gain hands-on experience in the field. Highlights of the day included a tour of the Traffic Management Center, the Carpenter Fire Station Rd. bridge project, and several neighborhood traffic calming projects. 

Upcoming Meetings

No Upcoming Meetings

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Dozens of complaints about rezoning proposal 22-REZ-14 next to Cameron Pond.
• Concerns about new property values because of reevaluation (These are set by Wake County and not Cary. Cary will set the tax rate in our next budget that takes effect on July 1^st.)
• Kudos for my State of Cary Address at the Chamber breakfast.
• A question about why we don’t require builders to provide more electricity than the house consumes “like Florida does” (Municipalities in NC get their authority from the NC legislature. We do not have the authority to require this.)
• A complaint about the rezoning proposal 22-REZ-23 Wackena Towns.
• A complaint about sidewalk obstruction near Jenks Carpenter that ended with “… the worst US State to live and work in for 2023. Cary and North Carolina are seemingly vying for that title in an obscure race to the bottom.” (Wow! Sorry we are not moving fast enough.)
• A complaint about the lack of pickleball courts.
• A complaint about loud cars downtown.
• A complaint about e-bikes on Cary greenways.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, and a trip to Kansas City.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 4^th, 2024. 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.

4H Club

Monday morning I had the opportunity to visit with a 4H club who were working on restoring the community garden off Dry Avenue across from Bliss Reality. It was abandoned in 2015 and was totally overgrown. They have cleared out most of the brush and are now working on removing small tree trunks in the raised beds. It is my understanding that they meet every Monday morning to work on the community garden if you want to lend a hand.

Mental Health

Monday Wake County Commissioner Stallings shared the following:

“… I am excited to share this mental health training opportunity for adults who work with our youth that has developed over the past several months (planning started in August 2023). It was an idea brought to Andi Curtis at Wake Med from Raleigh City Councilwoman Christina Jones and area DBT psychologist Dr. Melanie McCabe. Dr. McCabe uses DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) in her mental health practice and she wants to offer training to adults who work with Wake County youth to help adults teach DBT skills to youth. DBT therapy is skills based, and aims to help youth learn behavioral and emotional regulation skills, social problem solving skills, and conflict resolution skills. A detailed DBT training manual has been developed for adults who work with youth in communities, and Dr. McCabe and her colleagues are willing to offer 2 separate training days free of charge to community members interested in receiving the training (parents, civic club leaders, parks and recreation mentors, camp counselors, faith leaders, coaches, 4-H leaders, etc) – March 7, 2024 and April 23, 2024.

A person interested in the training only needs to attend 1 day of training (8:30 am – 4:30 pm). There likely will be opportunities for consultation circles to develop for those who receive the training.

A number of community, education, and behavioral health stakeholders have been involved in the planning and organization of this work (including me).

The City of Raleigh and Alliance Health will be paying for the training manuals/materials and the lunches for the 2 training days. Efforts to collect data will also be included so we can track progress and success, which will help us determine the need for follow-up training or additional training opportunities if we end up having a wait list of people who want to receive the training.

I wanted you to know about this exciting opportunity, and to give you the opportunity to share with your Council colleagues and community networks so people can begin registering for the training …”

Wake County Mayors Association

Ten of the twelve Wake County Mayors met Monday night for the first of our monthly meetings in 2024. Absent were the mayors of Apex and Raleigh. Our discussions focused on the 2024 calendar, community accomplishments, and the upcoming property reevaluations. Most of the mayors believed they would not be able to do revenue neutral because of inflation and increasing costs. Our meeting lasted about two and a half hours.

CAMPO

Wednesday afternoon I attended a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board (CAMPO). We are responsible for carrying out an annual work program which includes updating the Transportation Improvement Program (a seven-year project programming schedule) and the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (a minimum twenty-year forecast of projects and programs). The agenda for this meeting had two consent items, one public hearing, and eight discussion items.

The public hearing was for an amendment to FY2024-2033 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). These amendments had no significant impact on Cary were approved unanimously.

Under discussion items, the Chair, Mayor Jones, and vice-chair, Commissioner Lawter, were reelected.

CAMPO staff presented the LAPP (Locally Administered Projects Program) projects. Three Cary projects were part of the LAPP report:

• Crabtree Creek Greenway Connector (Weston Parkway Grade Separation) – Final plans have been submitted for approval. One remaining easement is needed. Construction authorization is planned in the next two to three months.
• Carpenter Fire Station Road Widening – Utility relocation which includes burying power lines on the east portion of the project began this month and is expected to take approximately a year. Construction authorization will be issued after this phase is completed.
• Old Apex Road Sidewalk Gap – Staff continues to coordinate with the railroad which is a lengthy process to obtain design and permit approval. Construction authorization is planned in the next two to three months.

Information was also presented on GoTriangle, the Unified Workplan for next fiscal year, a regional rail committee update, and the US 1 North project. The executive board unanimously approved a study for tolling US 1 North of I540 since that is not scheduled for freeway changes until the late 2030s.

The meeting concluded after about two and a half hours before going into closed session to discuss merit increases for the Executive Director.

Foutainworks and Retreat Prep

Thursday I met with a representative for Fountainworks, who will be facilitating our annual council-staff retreat at the end of February. We went over a few dozen topics, and I was asked to rate them as least to most important for the retreat. The Fountainworks representative will do this with each council member to decide what to cover at the retreat. Remaining topics will be covered and discussed at quarterly meetings or work sessions.

NC Representative Cervania meeting

Thursday afternoon I met with NC Representative Maria Cervania who represents parts of Cary. We talked about ways she could help Cary in her role as legislator. My main point was do no harm. So many times, legislation is introduced to fix an issue with one municipality by making a bill for all municipalities. That type of legislation can prove very harmful to some municipalities.

Private Citizen Meeting

Later Thursday I joined council member Smith, and Housing Director Whelehan to meet with two citizens about affordable housing. Based on their questions and comments they were mostly curious about our commitment to affordable housing and how they can help. I explained that one of the most impactful ways we can address affordable housing is through partnerships. Currently, Cary is exploring several partnerships including several churches.

State of Cary Slides Overview

Thursday evening, I met with town staff to go over the first set of slides for the State of Cary address. We narrowed down the slides to 36 and cleaned them up. I will give the address multiple times throughout the year and speak from these slides.

Interview with TBJ

Friday afternoon I did a taped interview with Jason Christie, the President, and Publisher of the Triangle Business Journal. Cary will be receiving an award on February 15^th for one of its “spaces”. It was fun for me to talk about a place in Cary that is so special.

State of Cary Slides Final Overview

Friday evening, I joined two staff members for one more review of the State of Cary slides. They will be finalized by Monday, and I will practice from that version.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

I recently met with the managers of Wake County, Morrisville, and RDU to update each other on current issues and shared interests along our jurisdictional boundaries. This was a very positive meeting and important in helping ensure our relationships stay strong by maintaining open and effective communications for potential future collaborations. I have a great deal of respect for these colleagues and always find our time together to be incredibly valuable.

Have a good weekend.

Sean

Walnut Street Community Meeting

Last night, Police held a community meeting for neighbors along the Walnut Street corridor. Councilmembers Carissa Kohn-Johnson and Michelle Craig joined Chief Sult, Police staff, and Deputy Manager Russ Overton, to listen to citizens and answer questions regarding pedestrian and vehicular concerns along this corridor. There were good comments by citizens and discussion of many short-, middle-, and longer-term solutions. Staff told citizens that Cary would be bringing back plans for a “road diet” that included a median and narrower lanes including more bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Chief Sult reiterated that there will be more opportunities for citizen dialogue and discussion moving forward, and the focus is on education, engineering, and enforcement. Police has enhanced enforcement in the area while working to collect and analyze traffic information for continued problem-solving efforts with Town staff and the community.

2024 MLK Dreamfest Weekend

During the long weekend, Cary honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a diverse range of programs which invited citizens to reflect on social justice issues championed by Dr. King. The weekend included a live comedy show, a “Tellebration” storytelling for kids, and a “Dreamfest Celebration” multi-performer showcase production at the Cary Arts Center on Saturday evening. Sunday featured an Interfaith Service at Christ the King Lutheran Church and a Village Gathering at Cary First United Methodist for a community meal and discussion. Citizens were invited to conclude the Dreamfest weekend with a Day of Service at Good Hope Farm.

Accessory Dwelling Unit Community Meeting

Cary is proposing an ordinance amendment to broaden the locations where accessory dwelling units (ADUs) can be constructed. Over 90 citizens joined a virtual meeting on January 17 to provide input. This initiative aligns with the 2021 Cary Housing Plan, aiming to enhance housing options and meet diverse resident needs. Citizens are encouraged to send comments and questions about the proposed amendment to 311@carync.gov . Next steps will include a review of public input into draft language for an ordinance amendment and then presenting the draft findings to Cary’s Town Council for a public hearing in the coming months.

Imagine Cary Community Plan Interim Update

Starting next week, staff will present the draft Imagine Cary Community Plan Interim Update to Cary’s Boards and Commissions. They will provide an overview, answer initial questions, and follow up with each board and commission in their March meetings to gather feedback and comments on the draft. The initial draft will be available for public review and feedback from January 23 to March 31.

Fire Hosts Civil Unrest Class

Fire partnered with Wake Tech Community College to host a Civil Unrest and Planning for Public Safety Agencies class on January 18 in the Council Chambers. About 100 attendees, including members of Cary Fire and Police, as well as other regional public safety partner agencies, learned about current and emerging threats. They also gained insights into the requirements for planning and safely responding to riots or violent protests in their community.

Fire Hosts GiGi’s Playhouse Friends

Crews from Fire Station 2 had already established a relationship with GiGi’s Playhouse, located in their district. They further strengthened this connection on Wednesday when some GiGi’s friends visited the firehouse, bringing food for a great bonding experience over lunch and a station tour.

Transportation Staff Visits Reedy Creek Middle School

Transportation staff, David Spencer and Anthony Campbell, visited with tech savvy students at Reedy Creek Middle School to talk tech in Cary. The discussions with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders focused on the innovative Smart Cities applications occurring in Cary which incorporates Big Data, video analytics, predictive algorithms, and drones.

GLOW Kicks off with Under the Silver Moon Lantern Parade

On Saturday night, more than a thousand spectators and participants gathered in Cary’s Downtown Park for a community parade and celebration of light with handmade lanterns, music, and entertainment. Academy Street Artwork Projects and internationally renowned visual teaching artist Gowri Savoor, led a series of lantern-making workshops in preparation for the Under the Silver Moon Lantern parade as a part of the GLOW 2024 outdoor exhibition. Brian Magee took some amazing photos of the event. 

West Chatham Street Closure Planned

As a reminder, beginning Monday January 22, West Chatham Street will be closed between Harrison Avenue to Academy Street. The temporary road closure is expected to last one week.

Upcoming Meetings

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

Cultural Arts Committee
Wednesday, January 24
6:00 p.m.

Council Work Session
Thursday, January 25
4:45 p.m.

Council Meeting
Thursday, January 25
6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Dozens of complaints about rezoning proposal 22-REZ-14 next to Cameron Pond.
• A request to give State of Cary Address.
• Interest from a business to get involved in Cary.
• A complaint from a non-profit about being relocated from South Hills because it was sold.
• Complaints about property reevaluation. (These are done by Wake County and the average increase in Cary is 56%. Some will be more, and some will be less. Mine was 64%.)
• A complaint that there aren’t enough parking garages in downtown Cary. (We have the Walker parking deck. Under construction soon the Meridian Cary deck at Harrison and Chatham, the Rogers deck across from the Cary theater, the Meridian East deck at Chatham and Hunter, and the Number 5 deck at the roundabout of Chatham and Old Apex.)
• A complaint about the rezoning that will connect Middleton Avenue.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, preparations for the first State of Cary address, State of Cary address for the Cary Chamber, meeting Seniors at town hall, a council work session, the second regularly scheduled council meeting of January, and a tour of the proposed South Hills development.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, January 28^th, 2024. 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.

Council Meeting Prep

Monday I contacted council members to learn of any concerns or questions about the upcoming agenda. Since the agenda was light, there were no questions.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later in the day I met with Mayor Pro-Tem Bryson-Robinson, Management, and staff to go over the agenda items. It was a brief meeting, and we believed the council meeting would be brief as well.

Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships Board Meeting

Monday night I met with board members of the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships. We spent time talking about marketing issues and sponsorships. Our next meeting will be on February 20^th.

Winter Storm Finn

Because of Winter Storm Finn all town activities were canceled on Tuesday evening. The forecast had potential tornados, flash flooding, and power outages. Cary faired well. No major incidents were reported.  There were approximately 20 calls for service for Public Works and 35 emergency responses including a couple of trees on houses. The Duke Energy outage map indicated approximately 7,000 residents in Cary were without power at one point during the storm.

Council Work Session

Thursday afternoon the council held a work session to review several items including historic properties, council seating, technical changes from the legislature, and actions taken by the council.

The historic Ivey-Ellington house was moved from Chatham Street to the old library site on Academy Street early last year. The initial use will be for staff offices. The staff plans to bring a $2.67 million proposal forward that will rework the land and refurbish the house. There will be 50 new trees planted using silva cells. Silva Cells enhance the natural environment below while supporting the city hardscapes above. Funds will be used from the 2019 historic preservation allocation. The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025. Staff also reported that one of the oldest houses in Wake County, the Nancy Jones house, has been preserved and a consultant was hired to create construction documents. That effort will be completed this year.

At our last work session in December staff noted that town ordinance allows the mayor to determine the seating order of the council. At that time, I explained that I thought it was best for the newest council members to be seated closest to the town manager. A council member requested that the council review the seating order again at this work session. After their comments there seemed to be no interest in changing the seating order.

The town’s attorney explained new legislation that allows for abstentions by council members on zoning votes. This can be problematic on a controversial vote. That is, it is possible that most of the council could refuse to vote for political reasons. I hope this does not happen to Cary and council members vote on all matters since that’s what they were elected to do.

The last topic at the work session was an explanation on the difference between a statement made by the mayor, a proclamation, and a resolution. It has been our practice not to make resolutions on national and international matters if it does not directly impact our core services.

Council Meeting

The first council meeting of the year was held Thursday night after the work session. The agenda included one consent item (minutes for approval), one public hearing, and two discussion items.

Under Public Speaks Out there were written comments and an in-person speaker complaining about speeding on Walnut Street.

The Public Hearing item was a renewal of a 2003 agreement between Cary and Holly Springs to establish a mutually agreed upon annexation boundary between the municipalities. No one spoke and the agreement was passed unanimously.

The first discussion item was to award the bid for the Crabtree Creek Greenway project and the recognition of an additional $250,000 in Federal LAPP Grant funding. This construction project is a half mile extending from the existing greenway trail system within Bond Park, north to High House Road and located entirely on existing Cary-owned property. The project will use an existing grade-separated crossing of Cary Parkway and include a street-side trail along the frontage of the Preston soccer field site. The council approved the LAPP Grant in the FY 2020 budget to offset Cary’s design and construction cost. The council unanimously approved this item.

The last discussion item was for an interlocal agreement between the City of Raleigh and Town of Cary regarding procurement, funding, maintenance, and ownership of the Computer Aided Dispatch to Computer Aided Dispatch System. Basically, it moves the data to the cloud and makes it more secure. The council also approved this unanimously.

The meeting concluded after 31 minutes.

WPTF Interview

Friday morning, I did a live interview on WPTF talk radio. The questions included our growth, what is expected in 2024, sustainability initiatives, and Fenton. It lasted about 5 minutes. To listen to the interview, go to https://rss.com/podcasts/wptf-morning-show/1298866/. In the interview you will hear me say we will have the first electric Fire Truck in the Southeast. I meant to say Garbage Truck.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

The staff and I are so appreciative of your support of and active participation in our work sessions. The two we’ve had so far have been incredibly helpful, and we believe they are a great lead up to next month’s retreat in terms of helping build our new dynamic and strengthening relationships. 
I hope you agree and welcome your feedback
Enjoy the holiday weekend – our last for several months.
Sean

Council Meeting Follow-Up

Referendums:
Yes, we can have bond referendums during Cary municipal elections. Here are the details. 

Mullingar Street:
Mullingar Street is 37-foot-wide, and, yes, we are exploring the potential to convert this to a public street. Here are the details.

2024 Wake Property Tax Reevaluation

Wake County is expected to mail notices of new property values to Cary citizens early next week. As is always the case during revaluation, many citizens may have questions as to why their tax value changed and/or want to challenge the new value. Please feel free to send citizen inquiries directly to Wake County. Citizens may also have questions about how the new value relates to Cary’s property tax rate which is explained here on our website.

Utility Relocations Starting on Carpenter Fire Station Road Widening

In preparation for the Carpenter Fire Station Road widening, on January 16, Duke Energy will begin the process of relocating their existing utilities. This work includes relocating utility poles to accommodate the widening and installing new underground facilities. Intermittent shoulder work, traffic shifts, lane closures, and flagging will occur throughout this phase. After the utility relocation phase, construction of the widening is anticipated to begin Winter 2025. Additional project details are available on the project webpage.

West Chatham Street Road Closure Planned

Beginning January 22, weather permitting, West Chatham Street will be closed between Harrison Avenue and Academy Street. The temporary road closure is expected to last one week.
As part of Cary’s Annual Water Main Replacement project, both water and sewer connections are being replaced. Due to the location of the utility mains, short-term road closure is required to safely complete this work. During the road closure, the sidewalk on the north side of Chatham Street will be closed to pedestrians, while the sidewalk on the south side will remain open. Construction in the driveway area adjacent to 122 W. Chatham St. and the alley to the rear of the building is expected to last one month.
Message boards will be placed on January 16 to alert citizens and motorists to the planned closure.

2024-2025 Cary Housing Funds Applications

Applications for 2024-2025 Cary Housing Funds open January12. Each year, Cary invites organizations working in the key areas of housing development and preservation, housing stability support services, community development, and critical need assistance to apply for grant funding. Cary supports these five key housing initiative areas to further the goals of the Imagine Cary Community Plan and Cary Housing Plan using a blend of local and federal funds. Under the Town’s 2024-2025 Cary Housing Program Grant application process, eligible entities are invited to submit applications for funding to carry out community development activities for the period July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. Applications will be due March 1, 2024 with awards made by Council in May 2024.

Winter PRCR Registration – RecTrac

January 10 marked Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources’ first program registration in the new registration system – RecTrac. On the first day, 3,120 program registrations occurred, with 93% completed online, an all-time high for online registrations. Registration continues throughout the week for residents, and non-resident registration will open on Wednesday, January 17. Anecdotal feedback from staff and citizens included gratitude for the transition to the new system, comments on the ease of online registration, and questions about when more programs/camps would be visible and available for registration. We’ll continue to work in the coming months to implement online reservations for rental and shelters, dog park access, and a return this spring to the printed program guide.

Yates Store Road Greenway Visibility Enhancements

New pavement markings and traffic signs were recently installed in western Cary, along Yates Store Road, to enhance the visibility of two greenway crossings. Designed and funded through Transportation’s Spot Traffic Safety Program and executed in partnership with Public Works, these improvements promote safety for users of the Morris Branch and Amberly Lake greenways by encouraging awareness of pedestrians.
Next up for the Spot Program are similar enhancements to the existing crosswalk on Ederlee Drive near Symphony Lake. Markings and signage were pre-marked and will be installed when weather conditions permit.

Long Range Water Resources Plan Kickoff

On January 8, Cary launched a Long Range Water Resource Plan (LRWRP) update in close coordination with a wide range of stakeholders and regional partners including RDU, RTP, Cary Chamber of Commerce, Morrisville, Apex, Chatham County, Wake County and of course an interdepartmental Cary team. The visioning process, which looks ahead several decades, laid the groundwork for how this LRWRP will be distinct from past planning efforts as Jordan Lake is nearing full allocation and the region continues to grow. Unique trends and adaptive strategies were brainstormed as well as sneak-peaks to the draft forecast based on the Triangle Regional Model and other regional planning efforts. We look forward to staying in close coordination with our partners as the plan is developed in 2024.

Upcoming Meetings

Accessory Dwelling Unit Virtual Community Meeting
Wednesday, Jan. 17
6:30 p.m.

Greenway Committee
Thursday, Jan. 18
6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• A question on when the Carpenter Fire Station Road Park is opening.
• A request to give the State of Cary Address at Glenaire.
• Questions from a potential developer about developing land.
• Concern from a non-profit in South Hills to be able to relocate.
• A complaint that I cut-and-pasted responses to the hundreds of emails complaining about the Cary Jaycees parade.
• A question about how to get involved in the community.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with the 4H Club, a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Executive Board, a meeting with the retreat’s consultant, a meeting with NC Representative Cervania, a meeting about Affordable Housing, a review of State of Cary Slides, and an interview with the Triangle Business Journal.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, January 21^st, 2024. 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.

Happy New Year!

Writing Annual Address

I haven’t been involved in activities the first week of the year so there is nothing to report. I have spent the time writing the annual address. At the time of this journal posting, I am about 2/3 done and already have about 6800 words. Of course, I will need to trim it down once I have a draft. I should send it to staff for fact checking next week.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

Happy New Year! I am excited to start the work of 2024. I look forward to my meetings with all of you next week as we gear up for what appears to be a busy month after the quiet time of the holiday season.
Enjoy your weekend.
Sean

Maintenance and Gate Work Continues at the Downtown Library Parking Deck

In our continuing efforts to improve and maintain the library parking deck, you will see construction activity at the deck over the next few weeks. To start, crews working on behalf of Cary will repair the Walnut Street entrance beginning Monday, Jan. 8. This work will require closing the Walnut Street entrance for approximately two weeks to repair soil conditions and replace the current asphalt driveway with a new concrete driveway. 
Additionally, we’ll leverage the closure to install the second phase of the parking deck gates. Specifically, this includes gate arms and smart parking technology/equipment. The Walker Street entrance will remain open during this time. On or around Jan. 18, the Walnut Street entrance will reopen, and we’ll shift to the Walker Street entrance to install the same type of gate equipment. Walker Street access will be closed for approximately three days. Dedicated traffic control staff will be at each entrance during peak usage hours and signs will be in place to assist motorists with wayfinding. Notifications have been distributed to the tenants of One Walker, retail businesses, and the library. For more information about this work including when gates may be activated, please visit our website.

First Walk of 2024

On New Year’s Day, Cary Teen Council and Cary Greenways Committee collaborated to present First Walk 2024. This event highlighted the White Oak Greenway, showcasing the mural wall at the railroad crossing tunnel in Davis Drive Park. More than 80 participants joined in the walk for Cary’s first event of the new year.

Lead and Copper Rule Revisions

As part of the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) , the Environmental Protection Agency is requiring all water systems to create an inventory of every water service line in an effort to eliminate lead. Cary has approximately 75,000 service line connections and no known lead lines, but approximately 6,500 of these have unknown material. Cary will engage the citizen community to help identify the materials in those connections. On Jan. 10, a flyer will be mailed to these 6,500 properties inviting residents to request a free of charge service line inspection or to self report their service line material. The flyer includes step-by-step instructions on how to identify the service line material and residents can report their results using an online survey form. Residents can access additional information on the  Service Line Inventory webpage. Under the requirements of the LCRR, the service line inventory must be submitted in October and be made publicly available. Cary’s goal is to not only have no lead service lines, but also to eliminate all of the unknown service line materials.

Upcoming Meetings

Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board
Monday, January 8
5:15 p.m.

Information Services Advisory Board
Monday, January 8
6:00 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Monday, January 8
6:30 p.m.

Environmental Advisory Board
Tuesday, January 9
6:00 p.m.

Human Relations Inclusion & Diversity Task Force
Tuesday, January 9
6:00 p.m.

Senior Advisory Board
Wednesday, January 10
12:00 p.m.

Historic Preservation Commission
Wednesday, January 10
6:30 p.m.

Council Work Session
Thursday, January 11
4:45 p.m.

Council Meeting
January 11, 6:30 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

• Sadly, several emails from mentally ill residents. This usually happens this time of year and unfortunately, they are very nasty.
• A complaint about GoCary not driving to a Morrisville church.
• A complaint about crosswalks on Academy Street.
• A complaint about Parks and Rec reservation software.
• A complaint about speeding on Walnut Street.
• A complaint about reckless driving on Walnut Street.
• A request to promote a private survey (we do not have that authority).
• A complaint about lifeguarding at private pools (we do not have authority to regulate that).
• A complaint about the Chinese Lantern Festival: “This is not a time to showcase a small minority of people who are hell bent to kill, steal, and Destroy America and everything we stand for the Luciferian Kazarian mafia. Are you one of their bots? Good Day!”
  
  

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting of the Atlantic Tire Tennis Championships board, a Western Wake Town Hall, a Human Relations, Inclusion, and Diversity task force meeting, a council work session, 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 14^th, 2024. 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.