This week consisted mostly of meetings. It is probably one of the slower weeks I’ll have for a while.

Monday was a meeting of the Western Wake partners. Joining me at this meeting were mayors from Apex, Holly Springs, Morrisville and their staff. We were presented information about the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Facility which we expect to begin constructing later this year. Decision points at the meeting included adopting a logo and reviewing citizen comments. One citizen comment asked that we consider creating a station to dispense treated water for irrigation which we adopted. Another comment asked about a park in the area. The area is in Apex’s jurisdiction and the Apex mayor said they have no plans for a park in this area. So we agreed to ask the county to plan for a park in this area. To find out more information about what was discussed at the meeting see http://www.westernwakepartners.com/PAC/2010/PAC%20Agenda%20and%20Reports%2008-30-10.pdf.

Tuesday I met with the town manager and Mayor Pro-Tem Robison to discuss various issues. As usual we discussed several hot items and how to deal with them. The meeting lasted a little over an hour.

Wednesday I was scheduled to attend a fundraiser for a NC House candidate. Unfortunately, they rescheduled and forgot to tell me.

On Thursday morning the town announced that it hired Danny Hopkins as the community’s next Director of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources (PRCR). Hopkins, 55, has been working in the recreation and parks arena for more than two decades. He was town manager’s top pick from a pool of 168 applicants from eight states as far away as Alaska, California, Texas, and Utah.

Thursday started with a special meeting of the council to consider changing financing options on our debt. According to staff, this will save us about $875,000 in interest. This was another great strategic move by our financial staff. We also held a closed session on an item which I cannot discuss.

After the meeting with council I met with a representative from the YMCA. He was interested in how the Y was working in Cary and about the Y’s strengths and weaknesses. He asked my ideas about future needs and changes. I suggested that the Y partner with the town on more projects.

Thursday night I attended the concert at the Booth amphitheater which headlined Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon. Both acts dinged the town for its noise regulations. I talked with a consultant at the concert who said Cary is getting a reputation for being the most restrictive place to play. We talked about several ideas to allow more volume without creating a burden on the adjacent neighborhoods. One idea for change included allowing more decibels but controlling the bass decibels. This is something that staff and consultants are currently working on.

Emails this week included a number of complaints including red light cameras, the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Facility, crashes on Reedy Creek Road, cell phone towers, legal expenditures, noise at the convenience center, and the Kildaire Farm Road paving.

This coming week I will be attending a number of events including the Annual Chamber of Commerce awards banquet where I will introduce the citizen of the year, a charity tennis match where I will be playing, an Indian dance recital, and the September 11^th event at the Booth amphitheater where I will speak.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, September 12^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

This week was another full week as mayor. It included a joint meeting of the Morrisville and Cary councils, a taping of Cary Matters, the appointments for boards and commissions, and a council meeting.

Monday I phoned all council members for questions or concerns about items on Thursday’s council meeting agenda. I was able to contact all but two council members. The concerns and questions centered on solutions to the permit issue with the Amberly’s Peninsula.

Later that afternoon I met with directors and managers to discuss the agenda and council’s concerns. In addition to the Amberly issue we discussed the LDO amendments that were part of the Planning and Development committee recommendations. Based on the agenda and issues it appeared that the meeting would last between 2 ½ and 3 hours. It actually was less than 2 ½.

Monday night the Cary council met jointly with the Morrisville council. The Morrisville staff and Cary staff presented items of common interest between both municipalities. Here are some of the facts from that meeting that may or may not be known:

• Both municipalities share construction equipment that saves over $100,000 annually.
• Morrisville uses Cary’s fueling stations which reduces cost.
• We jointly share fire districts and even house a Morrisville engine in station 7.
• Cary’s traffic management system includes one Morrisville signal and may include others in the near future.
• The huge Park West development:
  • There are three phases. They closed on financing Friday
  • The latest plan has 575,000 square feet of retail including a 3000 seat cinema, 100,000 square feet of office, and 300 dwelling units.
  • Target is set to be one of the anchors
  • Road improvements will start in September
• Cary and Morrisville are sharing information and planning on highway 54.
• Improvements to Louis Stephens will be late spring to early summer of 2012.
• The county’s hotel/motel tax continues to be a problem for both municipalities. Cary contributes over 20% of all county funding and receives less than 5%. Morrisville contributes over 16% and receives nothing.

I recommended that both mayors set up a subcommittee to address joint issues and to meet on a regular basis. The Morrisville mayor agreed. I am currently working on the committee of three from Cary. It will include me, the District A Representative Jennifer Robinson, and one other council member.

Tuesday I met with several homebuilders from Amberly’s Village Square. They are affected by the same developer that has caused permits to be held with Amberly’s Peninsula. They all expressed that they would probably default on these lots if Cary continued to hold permits. Cary ordinance requires that all infrastructure be in place before a permit can be issued. But a developer can get a financial agreement with a bank instead of making the improvements up front. The developer of Amberly did just that. The problem occurred because the bank defaulted. Now the town’s only recourse is to hold permits until infrastructure improvements are in place. But the individual builders can’t afford that so they asked the town to intervene. The town is in the process of creating a temporary ordinance that would allow builders to pay a per lot cost of infrastructure. The town staff was still calculating but was estimating around $12,000 per lot. These builders said they could afford that. Council member Robinson asked what they could afford and they did not answer the question. It is important to note that whatever costs the builders don’t pay the town/taxpayers will.

Wednesday I did a taping of Cary Matters with Mayor Pro-Tem Robison. We completed the taping in less than an hour even though we had a few false starts. The main topic for September will be the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Management Facility. The facility partners recently received a record of decision from the Corps of Engineers which will allow the construction to begin.

Thursday before the council meeting we had a work session on board and commission appointments. The process requires the council liaison to interview applicants nominated by council members. Then they make a recommendation to the rest of the council which is voted on in this work session. The appointments will be ratified at the first meeting in September. This is the process I initiated when elected and seems to be open and fair.

The council meeting that followed was dominated by the Amberly Peninsula discussion. In the end the council voted 6-1 to approve the following based on the recommendations of the Planning and Development Committee:

• Resuming the issuance of building permits for Phases 1 and 2 of the Peninsula at Amberly Development on a per lot basis, with a percentage of the substitute financial guarantee being collected at the time each building permit is issued and the balance being collected with the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
• Initiating the process of a temporary Land Development Ordinance amendment to formalize this proposal.
• Recognizing revenue from the substitute financial guarantee and appropriation to GG1095.
• Staff continues to hold the developer responsible for the required improvements through issuing notices of violation and any other available methods.
• The fee calculated is based on the original Letter of Credit with half payment up front and the other half payment at the time of Certificate of Occupancy.

My only problem with the motion was the fee calculation which puts taxpayers at a risk of approximately $137,000 according to staff. The precedence set by this calculation could put taxpayers at risk for millions in infrastructure improvements.

Saturday I gave the welcome comments to open Lazy Daze. Joining me on stage were town crier John Webster and his wife Mary from Markham, Canada. Brian Fitzgerald from County Meath Ireland (both are sister cities), council member Portman, council member Frantz, and council member Smith. Later that day I volunteered at the Beer Garden which was being manned by the sister cities. It was a lot of fun and they raised a good amount of funds for their organization.

This weeks emails were dominated by builders and others wanting council to take action in the Amberly Peninsula permit issue. I also received complaints about red light cameras, New Hill and the waste water facility, and a bad after taste with water at someone’s house.

Next week promises to be busy as well. It includes a meeting of the Western Wake Partners, a fundraiser, and a few staff meetings.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, September 5^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

This week was a full schedule for me as mayor. Highlights include a Mayor’s Association meeting, a Planning and Development meeting, and a ribbon cutting for a new school.

On Monday the Wake County Mayor’s Association met for our monthly gathering. All mayors were present except Mayor Weatherly from Apex and Mayor Meeker from Raleigh. The meeting covered a financial report, future outings, the Christmas party, and how to proceed with a legislative agenda for this year’s upcoming long session. It was decided by the mayors present that we would approve a unanimous agenda from the mayors. Then the legislative agenda would be proposed to the individual municipalities for approval. Then items agreed on from all the municipalities would go on another legislative agenda. Then the individual municipalities would each propose their own agendas.

Tuesday I met with two separate developers about multi-family proposals. The first was land next to Harrison Point which is currently zoned commercial. The proposal would change that to apartments. My comments were that I believed it would take something spectacular to gain the favor of the surrounding community and council. I also noted that there were over 500 apartments in about a one mile radius of that site.

My next meeting was with a developer that wanted to rezone commercial to apartments at the corner of Cary Parkway and Tryon Road. This is currently across the street from Wellington shopping center. This developer proposed high end apartments and spoke to the need to mix uses noting that the adjacent shopping center has had a lot of vacancies. He also noted the lack of multi-family nearby and the close proximity of office and the hospital. He made good points. We will see what the nearby community thinks. He promised to go ahead with a shopping center is this is not approved.

Wednesday I visited the Cary Senior Center to get a tour of the community garden. This garden is only available to those 55 and older. It just so happened that on this night the gardeners were holding a dinner which included items harvested from the garden. Those items included tomatoes, melons, okra, corn, cucumbers, strawberries, and more. Before their dinner I had a wonderful tour and found out from our staff and from the gardeners how much they are committed to this garden. They expressed the desire to expand the garden and/or create other gardens including gardens for all ages. Unfortunately I was not able to stay and dine with the gardeners due to a private dinner I had scheduled in Raleigh.

Thursday I substituted for council member Adcock, who was on vacation, at the Planning and Development committee. This, unlike most committee meetings, had a lot of discussion and lasted over an hour. The fist item of discussion was on a staff proposal about permits for the Peninsula at Amberly. The original developer had gone bust and the bank that held the financial guarantees for infrastructure development had also gone under. The builders and owners of the lots want to begin building but the permits are frozen until it is decided how the infrastructure is going to be paid for.  Council member Portman and Frantz suggested that the cost of that infrastructure be based on the original agreement which would not fully match the cost to provide the infrastructure. I suggested that the current cost be used otherwise the balance would fall in the laps of the taxpayers. I think it is totally unfair to make all the people of Cary pay for infrastructure for future development because of a developer and a bank failing.

The second item of discussion was on the LDO (Land Development Ordinance) amendments. The discussion centered on the language to strengthen the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. Council member Portman expressed concern about equity issues and how timing causes some businesses to be responsible for most of the burden for improvements. We decided to exclude this one point which we asked staff to rethink. The other items will be sent to the rest of council with recommendation for approval.

The third item was a review of Landscaping guideline comments to be provided to the Turnpike Authority. The staff did a great job on this. We asked that the guidelines be prioritized to focus on areas where buffers had been cleared like Cameron Pond.

Friday I was part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for Mills Park Middle School. Joining me were county commissioners Brown and Coble, Wake County School board chairman Margiotta, and several people from the school board and administration. After each of us gave a little speech we cut the ribbon and then toured the school. My tour was led by three young ladies from the 6^th grade. I was amazed by what I saw. This school’s facilities and athletic fields are second to none and are nicer than some of high schools in the area. These students will have a wonderful environment to learn.

It was pointed out in emails this week that Cary was recognized in the Wall Street Journal for its turf by back program. We continue to be leaders in the environment and now we are finally getting national recognition.

Other emails this week included concerns about safety around Cary High School, excessive noise from someone working on cars, a complaint about an obsolete DOT sign, kudos and complaints about the Lochmere traffic signal solution, and a complaint about speed control on Castalia Drive.

Next week promises to be another busy week. Highlights include a joint meeting with Morrisville, a taping of Cary Matters, a work session on board and commission appointments, and a town council meeting. Saturday next week will be Lazy Daze. In addition to opening the festival I will be volunteering late in the afternoon. See if you can find where I am working.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 29^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

Unlike the last two weeks this was a busy week for me as mayor.

Monday started with calls to council members about questions or concerns they had about the agenda for Wednesday’s council meeting. Only council member Smith was available.

Later that afternoon I met with directors and management about the agenda. We talked briefly about the Kildaire Farm road bridge solution recommended by committee that was on the consent agenda. There were also five presentations on the agenda and we coordinated how we would handle those. I asked about a grant application to the federal government for White Oak Creek Greenway project. I believed the main part of the meeting would be fairly short but I was informed that we would have a closed session which meant we would probably be there a while.

I had three staff meetings on Tuesday. In the first meeting I met with the town manager and the town clerk to go over a proposal that I am preparing to make to council on communications and related issues. They helped me think some of my thoughts. I hope to make this available soon.

My next meeting was with the town manager. We discussed many items including issues with Chatham County. Now that Cary and other partners have received the record of decisions from the Corps of Engineers, it is essential we move forward expeditiously.

My last meeting was with the town attorney and town clerk about the structure of our quasi-judicial hearings at council meetings. It is our hope to make these hearings more clear and understandable for the citizens and council.

Wednesday was the first of two regularly scheduled council meetings for August. Highlights included three significant discussions and Cary being named a Gold Level Fit Community by the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund. This is the first year gold level status has been awarded in the Fit Community’s program history, and only one other organization shares this honor. The Town was again designated as a Fit Community for 2010-2013, an award given to only seven other municipalities this year. Cary was first named a Fit Community in 2007.

The first discussion was on the proposal to rezone property between highway 55 and the rail tracks next to Morrisville Carpenter Road. This passed by a 4 to 3 vote. I voted against the proposal because the use is similar to other uses along highway 55. This combined with the fast food drive-thrus will create even bigger traffic issues on highway 55. A better use would be office.

Another big discussion item at the meeting was on the Kildaire Farm Road bridge. Earlier in the week the Cary News did a story on this proposal. It implied that we were skipping higher priority projects because of the complaints we received. That is absolutely false. This was brought to our attention by citizens as a safety issue. It was investigated by staff and discussed with DOT. It discussions and negotiations included several state legislators. Staff found that an intersection near the bridge had almost reached all of its criteria for a traffic signal. It was also evaluated as one of the top two needs for signals in town. This combined with the pedestrian safety concerns made the recommendation for a signal a good choice.

One of the most interesting discussions at the council meeting was on a grant application for the White Oak Greenway project. This project is a greenway link that will connect Cary’s portion of the East Coast Greenway which goes from Maine to Miami. In addition, it will give Cary residents a connection to the American tobacco trail. This connection would create several miles of grade separated greenways for our citizens. It has been deemed as one of the most important projects by our parks and recreation department. The cost of this project was well over $3 million dollars. With a matching grant from the federal government Cary’s portion would be $675,000. While this is a large sum of money, the opportunity for federal assistance makes this very attractive. Given the fact that the town is planning to do this and has made this a high priority it makes sense to apply for this grant and is the reason I supported moving forward.

Thursday night I attended the elected officials dinner held by the Cary Chamber of Commerce at Rey’s restaurant. The event was well attended. I had the privilege to be sitting next to Congressman Price. My table also included NC Senator Stein, a sponsor from Fidelity Bank, our town manager, and a member from the chamber. It was a great evening and I was able to talk with several elected leaders in addition to those at my table including Congressman Miller, state legislators Stevens, Weiss, and Dollar, County commissioners Ward, Norwalk, and Bryan, School board members Goldman and Morrison, and many others.

Friday I had a conversation with staff about the citizen Economic Development Advisory Board. In the past it had been stated by some board members that they felt there wasn’t anything to do. My initial thought was to recommend combining some of those members with the Economic Development Governing Board (made up of staff, chamber board members, and council members) as non voting members. That is, they could provide their advice and recommendations directly. Since that time staff has investigated and reported that the purpose of the governing board was to ensure accountability from the chamber and that this might not be a good fit. Upon reflection, I agree. In addition, staff believes they can redefine the purpose of the board so that they can provide valuable input on certain topics. Again, I agree with staff. So based on all the new information I would be in favor of keeping the Economic Development Advisory Board so that we can continue getting their input.

There was a great story about a downtown community garden on TV and in the paper this week. These folks spend their time and money to grow food for the benefit of others. God bless them! If you want to find out more see the WRAL story at http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8067460 or the newspaper version at http://www.carynews.com/2010/08/03/19552/community-gardens-take-root.html. Just an FYI, there are lots of these gardens sprouting up around town. I will be visiting and talking this week with volunteers working in a community garden at the senior center.

Emails this week included comments about a Cameron Pond meeting at town hall on August 25^th. I think there is an expectation that the town IS building the wall and that this meeting is just to plan what it looks like.  To date the funding of this wall has NOT been done. It is my belief that funding from the other sources will be extremely difficult if not impossible. A staff member correctly summarized the purpose of this meeting with the following:

“As you may be aware, Town Council asked staff to continue developing engineering specific plans for a potential wall along the west side of the Cameron Pond neighborhood.  The staff report presented to Town Council can be found on-line at www.townofcary.org by typing EN10-057 in the search box.

Now we are gathering feedback on the placement, height, and style of a potential wall, should one be built, to help create a more detailed plan and cost estimate.  There will also be an opportunity for a question and answer session.

The meeting will be held on August 25, 2010 from 5:00 - 6:00 PM in the Engineering Department conference room at Cary Town Hall located at 316 N. Academy Street.” - Kristen Dwiggens, PE

Other emails included complaints referencing the Cary News story about the Lochmere bridge issue and the fact that the town is installing a light. I spoke to this earlier.

While I am on the subject of emails and news stories, the Independent Weekly printed a misleading story about the location of the Western Wake Wastewater Management Facility. People emailed this week about changing the location of the site. That decision was made years ago and to change the location now would cost Cary citizens millions and delay the treatment facility by years. If that facility was delayed then our water supply expansion would be delayed. Both of those delays would have a HUGE impact on our local economy.

Tonight I will attend the Sheryl Crow concert accompanied by Mayor Byrne of Fuquay-Varina, his wife, my wife, my youngest daughter and her friend. While I am not a big fan I do enjoy some of her music. Who knows, I may be a big fan after tonight.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 22^nd. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

It was another slow week as mayor. This will probably be the last easy week for a while. The week included a couple of interviews and National Night Out.

The week started Monday with an introductory meeting. Pastor Slotta of Mosaic Church introduced himself and we talked about his church and its mission. His church is a non-denominational church which is focused on fixing broken lives. He asked me to attend on Sunday, September 12^th and I accepted providing that I am not teaching Sunday School that morning.

Tuesday was National Night Out in Cary and across the country. I was stationed at the Cary Towne mall with several fire fighters, police officers, CAP (Citizens Assisting Police) members, the K-9 units, and various other groups. The groups included security system folks, the Wake County Animal Shelter, and a no kill animal shelter. One of the highlights of the evening was when I went up 100 feet on the extension ladder of one of the fire trucks. From the fully extended ladder I could clearly see the Raleigh skyline.

I talked with many people throughout the National Night out gathering including officers, fire fighters, and EMS. The police chief and I had a conversation about fitness. She was explaining that everyone in the police department had to pass a fitness test including administration. She explained what was involved in the fitness test and I asked if I could take it and she agreed. So I will let you know when that happens and how I do.

On Thursday I was contacted by the Independent Weekly about the Western Wake Wastewater Treatment Facility. Here are the questions and answers to that interview:

1) Now that the ROD has been released and signed by the USACE, what are you immediate thoughts on receiving the permit?
We are very happy to have reached this milestone but there are many more milestones to reach.

2) Are you conflicted with the choice of Site 14, and with the ROD’s okay of that location?
I was not a part of the decision on the location of this new facility. In reference to my quotes you noted, I asked what it would mean to choose another site. The answer was at least several million dollars and at least two or three years in delays. Given that information I had no choice but to conclude that changing sites would not be in the best interest of the citizens of Cary. Therefore, I support this site and the ROD’s okay of the location.

It is important to note that Cary is in two river basins and because of the interbasin transfer this facility has significant importance not only to our wastewater but to our water supply. It is mandated by the state that we build a regional facility and that we return water to the Cape Fear river basin. The building of this facility will meet those requirements.

3) Do you feel the Partners should move forward with breaking ground for the plant?
If the partners do not move forward then there will be significant problems with our wastewater capacity and our future water supply expansions. These would have a dramatic impact on the quality of life in the towns of this area. It is important to note that Apex has nearly depleted its wastewater capacity and Cary’s capacity will become an issue within the next few years. The partners need to move forward as soon as possible.

4) How soon might you begin construction?
Now that the ROD has been given the next phases can begin. This will begin with applications to the Corps and NCDENR for permits. The facility is divided into eight separate construction contracts and will require 34 permits. We anticipate beginning construction on the first contract, which includes site development and the liquid treatment train of the Water Reclamation Facility, by the end of this year.

Thursday night I met with a friend who is involved in local politics. We discussed a variety of topics pertaining to Cary and surrounding areas. Since the first day I took office I have been open and honest to everyone about every thing. I will gladly answer anyone’s questions to the best of my ability.

I received tons of email this week. The emails that filled up my email box the most were cc emails from Cameron Pond residents stating they would attend a community meeting on August 25^th. I also received a couple of complaints about the Kildaire Farm Road bridge at Lochmere. Other emails included the Home Builders Association regarding building permits in Amberly. I also received several invitations to various events including Eagle Scout ceremonies, dance recitals, teen awards, a church service, and a charity walk. There has been a barrage of meeting requests lately including those from developers. The clerk’s office has informed me that my calendar is now booked to October including some weekends. It makes me tired to think about it.

Next week I start picking up the pace with meetings and activities. The highlight of next week is the council meeting on Wednesday. This will be followed by a Cary Chamber Leadership dinner on Thursday.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 15^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

I’m back. After a week in Hilton Head I had a slow week performing my duties as mayor.

My vacation in Hilton Head the week before last was great. I love very active vacations and a Hilton Head tennis resort is the perfect place for me. And when I come back home I have usually lost weight. After my early June vacation I lost about 5 pounds and this time I only lost 3 to 4 pounds. But have no fear; I easily gained the weight back once I was home. My usual daily activities at the beach usually started with an hour of tennis (playing a set against someone) then an hour of tennis cardio drills before lunch. After lunch I usually went for a bike ride to the end of the beach and back. This is a round trip time of about 2 hours to the toe and 1 ½ hours to the heel depending on the wind. (NOTE: Hilton Head is shaped like a foot so I refer to parts of the island as the toe and heel.) After the bike ride I sat under the umbrella for an hour or so then went for a 4 mile run before dinner. The hard part about all that activity was not the physical part but hydrating and sun protecting. With all the perspiration, I couldn’t come close to doing either. So when you see me it looks like I have been lying in the sun with baby oil.

Monday I was supposed to meet someone and take a tour of the community garden at the Cary Senior center located in Bond Park. Unfortunately, my host and I crossed our dates so I was on my own. I did walk the garden and saw tomatoes, squash, melons, etc. I am working on rescheduling my visit so that I can talk to those who are responsible for this beautiful garden.

Tuesday started with a phone interview. A representative from WTVD was explaining to me the difficulties with Time Warner and Disney. ABC (WTVD) is owned by Disney and unless Time Warner and Disney come to an agreement, all ABC and Disney channels will be pulled from Time Warner on September 2^nd. This happened a few years ago when I was on council. What I remember about that event was that Satellite Dish companies were offering free installations as soon as the Disney channels were dropped. Needless to say they didn’t stay off the cable long. It will be very interesting to see what happens this time. And in case you are wondering, I have Time Warner and use Road Runner. So I am hoping the two corporate giants will iron out their differences.

Later Tuesday I met with the town manager to catch up on things. I was given a briefing on our meetings with Chatham County. I was also told that we expected a Record of Decision (ROD) from the Corps of Engineers on the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Facility (WWRWF). We also discussed various other issues that were ongoing. Our meeting lasted just over an hour.

On Wednesday I was notified by the town manager that the ROD was actually signed. We didn’t get a copy of the agreement but the Corps promised to post the document online in short order.

Wednesday evening I taped the August episode of Cary Matters with Council member Robinson. It went very smoothly and we did all three segments on the first take. So since we had time we did all of them one more time to see if we could do them better. I believe in the end they will choose the second take of the 1^st segment and the first take of all the rest. Our topics for this episode will include bicycles, street lights, and geese.

Thursday I received a call from a Cary News reporter about the ROD on the WWRWF. I told him that I had not seen the document but that it was a great to accomplish this milestone.

Later Thursday I was scheduled to meet with a political candidate but cancelled because of work. BTW, many people don’t realize that I hold down a full time job as a software engineer. Since we were at the end of the month and I had missed the previous week due to vacation, my workload was tremendous. So I had to stay a little longer to get things done.

The 2^nd quarterly report to council came out this week from the town manager. It had several points that I would like to highlight:

• As of July 1^st Cary’s population was at 141,271 which is a 3.91% increase in the last year. This is a 4.94% increase over the last 5 years.
• “Cary remains a popular location. In the 2^nd quarter, Cary issued more single-family dwelling permits than any other municipality within Wake County”
• Cary’s major sports venues had a big impact on our economy:
  • USA Baseball — $2.2 million
  • Wake Med Soccer Park — $2.6 million
  • Cary Tennis Center — $1.5 million
• In June, the Town refinanced $10.21 million of general obligation bonds and $15.2 million of limited obligation bonds saving nearly $1.5 million over the debt period, almost $800,000 in FY2011 alone.
• Fifteen new police officers were sworn in on June 30^th during a ceremony in the Council Chambers.
• The nutrient removal standards achieved by North Cary wastewater facility enhance environmental protection and make it one of the best performing plants in North Carolina.
• Now that the Record of Decision has been given by the Corps of Engineers for the WWRWF, we can begin submittal of multiple permit applications to the Corps and to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Resources (NCDENR). The facilities are divided into eight separate construction contracts, and will require a total of about 34 permits.  We anticipate beginning construction on Contract 1, which includes site development and the liquid treatment train of the Water Reclamation Facility, by the end of 2010.
• In FY10, Solid Waste Management (SWM) collected 23% more recycling materials than in FY09, increasing from 8,560.9 tons to 10,527.56 tons.

There were a lot of emails during the last two weeks. Requests included a proclamation for suicide prevention, permission to use a horse for advertising, a round-a-bout at Cary Parkway and High House, assistance to get into Lazy Daze with a Frozen Yogurt cart, and participation in a questionnaire from someone in Pennsylvania. Complaints included gangs in Cary, and a Chatham County resident who feels they are being ignored.

Next week looks like another light week with the main event being National Night Out on Tuesday. I will be stationed at Cary Towne Center during the evening.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 8^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

This week’s significant events included a neighborhood meeting, a work session, and our only council meeting of July.

Monday started with calls to council members about the agenda for Thursday’s council meeting. I was able to talk with all council members except council member Robinson. The agenda meeting with managers and directors was later that afternoon and was attended by council member Adcock and Mayor Pro-Tem Robison. We also had a student from NC Science and Math attending. He met with staff members and will spend the week shadowing staff and council. There were no major topics of concern during the agenda meeting. However, Ms. Adcock did bring out a process issue with the Planning and Zoning Board. She expressed that if changes are made after the Planning and Zoning Board meeting then it should go back to the board for another review.

Monday night I met with consultants hired by the Wake County Public School System to discuss qualities for the new superintendent. I was joined by the mayors of Apex, Garner, Rolesville, and Wake Forest. Mayors expressed that the new superintendent should possess better business skills. In addition, they felt he/she should be someone from outside the Wake County School system. My comments were focused on people skills. I feel this person needs to be able to bring a strongly divided region back together and to gain trust from all the parents.

Tuesday I attended a work session with the council and the Planning and Zoning Board. The topic of this work session was transit. Numerous organizations are involved in transportation planning in the Triangle region. Several federal and regional initiatives related to rail and bus transit are now under way. One organization, Triangle Transit, has recently embarked on a plan for future bus and rail transit within our region. Triangle Transit was the main presenter at this meeting. They had several representatives and consultants presenting information and answering questions. There were several significant points made that many people may not know about. Such as:

• Commuter rail will have morning and evening runs but will stay idle during the day.
• Light rail will have to run on a separate track but will use the current CSX corridor.
• The current rail corridor has 400 feet of right-of-way so there is plenty of room for light rail.
• Triangle Transit will hold three rounds of informational workshops which will get more detailed each time. Cary had its first a couple of weeks ago.
• Triangle Transit is basing their planning on having a referendum for the half cents sales tax next fall.

Wednesday I met with Isaac Loh who spent a week shadowing staff and council members. He is a rising senior at NC Science and Math and was focusing on how local government works. In my conversation with Isaac he asked advice on how to be a good leader. My advice was to be a good listener. I enjoyed having Isaac visit us this week and hopefully will watch him become a leader over the next few years.

Wednesday night I attended a neighborhood meeting at Wellington. The meeting was about a new proposal of about 300 apartments at the corner of Cary Parkway and Tryon Road. My advice was to find out all they could about the project and let the developer and council members know their concerns. The next day the developer pulled this project and is preparing to bring another forward that has more of a mixed use.

Thursday I attended a ribbon cutting of Trans Atlantic bank located off Cary Parkway near Waldo Rood. It is great to see banks expanding especially in these tough economic times. Their decision to open a branch office in Cary is a good one. I strongly believe we will lead the region out of the recession and financial institutions will play a key role.

Later Thursday I attended a short meeting to approve minutes of the council state legislative agenda committee made up of council member Adcock, Frantz, and myself. These minutes have to be approved in a public meeting. So I called the meeting to order, a motion was made to approve which passed, and then adjourned. The entire meeting was less than a minute but necessary to follow the letter of the law.

Thursday’s council meeting lasted about three hours. Discussions focused on three major items: the Weston development, the Chapel Hill Road development, and the Weldon Ridge Road alignment. The final decisions for all of these will be made in the future.

Emails this week were on the light side. I had a few related to the Wellington proposal that ended up being pulled by the developer. I also received congratulations for the town being named as the #1 place to live in the Southeast United States (and 23^rd in the country). What an honor! I am so proud to represent a town that has had a history of great leaders and staff to create such an amazing place to live. I also received thanks from a citizen who heard about the town’s success in protecting our email list from distribution. There was a lot of work by our local delegation of legislators to make that happen. Weekly emails wouldn’t be normal without a few complaints. These included a conspiracy that our police department is out to get a particular individual and a complaint about signs.

Well that is all for this week. I will begin a family vacation today so my next post will be on August 1^st. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

This week consisted of a few private meetings, a committee meeting, and a grant award ceremony.

Monday was spent celebrating the July 4^th holiday. I had a rare opportunity to relax and play. I filled the day with a little swimming, a little tennis, and a little yard work.

Tuesday was a busy day which started with a Triangle Transit workshop that was held in the town hall lobby. This is the first of three planned workshops in Cary. General transit plans were presented by video and charts. Several key transit people were on hand to answer questions. I estimate about a hundred visited the workshop which consisted mostly of business leaders.

Tuesday evening I met with a developer on a project that is being reviewed on Chapel Hill Road. He wanted to make sure I understood all that was involved in his project and offer any help in understanding.

After the developer meeting I joined Mayor Holcomb and met Cary News editor Jack Hagel. Our discussion centered on past inaccuracies and on building relationships. I believe relationships are important with the local media. They need to feel comfortable asking questions to make sure they are getting all the details in a story. We need to feel comfortable giving them feedback on stories we feel are inaccurate and misleading.

Wednesday I met with several developers and their representatives for the Peninsula at Amberly. I also had staff, the town attorney, and the town manager in attendance to help with questions. The developers complained that they are having difficulty developing because of upfront road and infrastructure improvements required. Part of these improvements should have been made by the developer of Phase 1 and 2 but the bank that held that guarantee defaulted. At the end of the meeting staff agreed to look at options to bring to council that would allow developers to pay for improvements for properties as they are developed. While it is important to do what we can to help these developers, it is also important to protect the taxpayers from having to take on the responsibility of infrastructure in this area.

Thursday I substituted for Councilman Erv Portman on the Planning and Development committee. We had three items on the agenda. The first two items were approved without discussion. They included accepting grants from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and accepting artwork from two local artists. The third item was a discussion on the options for the Weldon Ridge road alignment in the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. We narrowed down the eight options to two and will bring that to council to begin the process of approval which includes a public hearing.

Thursday night I attended a grant presentation ceremony for several Cary CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) teams. CERT is a partner of Citizen Corps whose mission is to have everyone in America prepare, train, and volunteer. I had a great time at this event and was impressed to see and meet many of our citizens who are preparing and training to help others in case of a disaster. The big moment of the evening was a ribbon cutting of the new CERT trailer which was purchased with federal grant money provided to these teams.

Friday I completed an email interview by the Triangle Relocation Guide. This was an easy interview since we live in the most desirable place in the United States. J

Emails this week included complaints about the recently approved budget, lack of notification for the transit workshop, overpopulation of geese, the bicycle ordinance, the Weldon Ridge proposed road alignment, Prestonwood’s golf training facility, and our biosolids facility.

I also received many comments and emails this week regarding my letter to the editor on the Booth Amphitheater. You can read it (for the time being) at http://www.carynews.com/2010/07/04/18966/your-letters.html.

Well that is all for this week. I will begin a family vacation on July 17^th so that will be my next post. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

This week was a little slower than normal but still included a few meetings.

Monday was supposed to begin with a meeting between a local pastor and me but miscommunication caused him not to show.

Monday night I met with the board of the PBA (Police Benevolent Association). They ask that our conversations be kept confidential so I will respect that. I can tell you that our meeting lasted about three hours.

Tuesday I met with the town manager and a key staff member about our water situation. With the hot dry weather our daily consumption has reached a peak of nearly 24 million gallons a day. Although Cary can produce up to 40 million gallons a day, the state regulates how much we can use. Why? Cary is divided by a ridge line between two water basins. Our water comes from Jordan Lake which is in the Cape Fear basin. Our treated water is released into the Neuse basin. The state regulates, via an Interbasin transfer, that we must put back water we take out into the basin. Currently, we buy treatment capacity from Durham County. In the future the new Western Wake Wastewater Facility, that should begin construction this year, will allow us to put treated water back into the Cape Fear basin. In the meantime, state requirements limits how much water we can take from Jordan Lake by how much we can return to the Cape Fear basin. If our usage continues to grow and the weather stays hot and dry we may have to look at restrictions. Staff is looking at other options including working out agreements with more of our neighbors.

After talking about the water situation, the town manager and I talked about various other issues.

Wednesday morning I attended the ribbon cutting for the new Wake County animal shelter. Many of the municipalities in Wake County including Raleigh and Cary are partnering with Wake County. I presented a gift to the Wake County chair and said a few words expressing our gratitude on creating this partnership which was years in the making.

Friday I met with Mayor Pro-Tem Robison to catch up on issues. Ms. Robison basically represents the town on inter governmental issues during the 9 to 5 time frame. This alone is more than a full time job. With her effort I believe the town is well represented in the region. In the past Cary has been bypassed on many regional decisions.

Emails this week included complaints about dogs urinating in the street and town vehicles idling. Other emails included requests to leave abortion coverage in the health care plan, request to support citizens US64 draft corridor plan, and compliments on my letter to the Cary News about their story on the Booth Amphitheater.

Next week I will be attending a transit workshop, meeting with developers, meeting with Mayor Holcombe and the editor of the Cary News, and substituting on the Planning and Zoning Board.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, July 11^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

This week’s most significant event was approving a $348 million budget for fiscal year 2011.

Monday I called all council members to see if they had any questions for Thursday’s council meeting. I was only able to get in contact with council members Portman, Smith, and Adcock. None of them had any concerns or questions. As a result, the meeting with staff about the agenda went very quick. The conclusion was that the meeting would go quickly unless council members had a new problem with the budget. After the meeting I spoke briefly with the town manager on a variety of issues including transit.

Monday night the Holly Springs mayor, Dick Sears, and Joe Zonin of Carolina Brewery hosted all mayors, spouses, and town managers with a tour of the brewery. Mr. Zonin gave a history of the brewery and information about other breweries in the area. At the time Carolina Brewery started investigating whether or not to start a business in this area there were only two breweries in North Carolina. This type of business has increased drastically over the last few years in North Carolina and now there are a few new startups in the area. Mr. Zonin was a great host and a good time was had by all. BTW, in case you are wondering beer tasting was provided in addition to water and soft drinks. But as expected all in attendance behaved responsibly and truly just tasted.

Tuesday morning I briefly attended the State of Cary being held at Prestonwood Country Club and hosted by the Triangle Business Journal. I attempted to give a state of Cary update in two minutes which turned into about five. Even though I ran over I was still very rushed and I am sure my thoughts sounded a bit disjointed. Nevertheless, I did get major points across including how we are in great position to lead the region out of the recession. And I encouraged the businesses to work with the town and elected officials to partner in moving the town forward.

Wednesday I did a taping of Cary Matters with council member Adcock. The main topic was on the budget. There were also questions on noise, green initiatives, and potholes. The taping went smoothly and we were done in 37 minutes.

Thursday started with an interview by WRAL on Mayor Meeker’s comments about the Wake County School board’s policy direction. My understanding is that Mayor Meeker wants to form a group of local leaders to see if what is being done is legal and if not then he intends to file suit. In the interview I stated that I would rather not comment on what Meeker said without talking to him first. Then I was asked about my personal opinion. My response was that I can only speak as mayor and as mayor it is my responsibility to work with any school board that is elected. This includes the majority members and minority members. I have followed this policy since being elected in 2007. I meet and/or talk regularly with school board members. I feel that I have a strong relationship with several of the current school board members on both sides of the issues.

After the WRAL interview I met with representatives from the SV Temple. They recently had a complaint about noise and wanted to make sure I knew they complied. These people desperately want to be good neighbors and good citizens of the town. I am thankful they are here in Cary.

The council meeting followed and lasted only 55 minutes. The main topic was the budget and there was only one issue which was brought up by council member Frantz. He was opposed to the $348 million budget because there was a transportation cost increase for council members. The increase amounted to around $10 a month. While I respect his opinion, I do not believe this is a reason to vote against a budget which has the lowest tax rate in Wake County with the highest level of service.

Emails this week were mostly about abortion with most of them asking us to keep it in our health care plan. Other emails included a comment against shared sick leave and a comment against Mayor Meeker’s position against the school board.

Next week is 4^th of July week. Currently I have a couple of meetings scheduled and a ribbon cutting for the new Raleigh-Garner-Cary animal shelter.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, July 4^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.