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This has been a very busy week for me. The week included a Mayor’s Association meeting, a council meeting, a council work session, and the SAS Championship golf tournament.
Monday afternoon I met with staff to go over the agenda for Thursday’s meeting. Through our review of the agenda it appeared that the meeting would be relatively short. It was; it lasted less than two hours.
Monday night I attended the Mayor’s association meeting. Ten of the twelve mayors’ were in attendance. Those not present included Mayor Broadwell and Mayor Meeker. There was a brief presentation before the mayors’ discussion on various issues. One of the issues discussed was on changing the Mayor’s Association officers in December. Currently, I hold all the offices except President (VP, Secretary, and Treasurer). I think that means I am being groomed. 
Tuesday afternoon I met briefly with the town manager on a couple of issues. This meeting was followed by a work session on the Wayfinding project. The Wayfinding project will determine the type and color scheme of signs to provide direction and information to those visiting in Cary. The main focus of this work session was to determine the type of signage. We asked that the consultants and staff provide different options for color. This will go to a public hearing soon so that citizens can give their opinion.
After the work session, council member Smith and I went to the Embassy Suites in Cary for the SAS Championships pairings party. It is customary for the mayor to play in the Pro-Am on Wednesday and Thursday of the SAS Championship. The selection of the Pro is part of the Pro-Am that is done at the pairings party. We were fortunate to get Mark James (former Ryder Cup Captain) and Scott Simpson.
Wednesday was the first day of the Pro-Am. My foursome included Howard Johnson and Mike Winters of the Chamber, and council member Jack Smith. Our pro was Mark James. We had a great time and finished 12 under which is about middle of the pack.
Wednesday afternoon Mayor Pro-Tem Robison and I met with a board member of the Triangle Expressway. This meeting was called by both parties to discuss Cameron Pond situation and potential solutions to prevent noise and sight problems from the Triangle Expressway. We expressed a strong desire to have a “sound wall” installed in that area. The board member pointed out that this is a significant problem because a sound wall was not budgeted in this area and it would be extremely difficult to get one approved now. They are instead looking at engineering solutions. That is, they are looking at realigning the road away from Cameron Pond to provide more distance between the roadway and the residents. They are also looking at other potential solutions which may include solutions like creating a berm. While it was expressed that a wall was highly unlikely it was made clear that the board will continue to work with the town on a solution. We all committed to communicate on a regular basis on the progress of the engineers’ discussions on potential solutions.
Wednesday evening I taped the October episode of Cary Matters with Don Frantz. October’s big topic is what goes on in closed sessions. Other topics include the town’s electronic email list and the town’s boards and commissions.
Thursday I participated in the Pro-Am again with my foursome. Our pro was Scott Simpson. I thought one of the most meaningful moments of the round was when Scott talked about how he went from being agnostic to Christian (right in the middle of the fairway). Like I said earlier, both pros were great and I felt very fortunate to be a part of the Pro-Am. In case you are wondering we did a little better scoring around 14 under but were still in the middle of the pack. At least we didn’t get wet!
After my round I rushed home to shower, change clothes, and head back to Prestonwood. I taped a welcome message on the Golf Channel which will air at the beginning of the tournament broadcast. Having a lot of experience with Cary Matters helped. I was in and out of there in about 10 minutes. As bad as I play golf I never thought I would be on the Golf Channel.
My next meeting on Thursday was with the town manager and council member Adcock. We discussed issues related to the Police Benevolent Association. We asked the town manager to gather more information and provide that to the rest of the council.
Thursday night was a regularly scheduled council meeting. The most significant discussion of the evening was on whether or not to create a special residential zoning for Russell Hills. While I am all in favor of protecting the homes in Russell Hills, I believe this will invite others to come in and also be removed from the Town Center Plan. This will, in a sense, poke holes in the plan. I hope I am wrong. We’ll see.
Friday I attended the Cary High School Sports Hall of Fame luncheon with council member Smith and council member Frantz. We presented proclamations to four inductees and had a wonderful lunch. I was honored to present not only to ambassadors to Cary High School but to ambassadors of Cary. What a great group of people.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons I attended the SAS Championship. It was an outstanding tournament with Pernice sinking a long putt on the last hole to win the championship. SAS and Prestonwood did an outstanding job holding this tournament with the help of over 600 volunteers. This was a great event for Cary and another feather in our cap for becoming a sports destination.
Saturday morning I attended the Mathnasium of Cary’s Fall Math Triathlon. It was well attended and I was able to present awards to the winners of the competition.
Saturday night I attended the second annual Panther Creek Invitational Band competition. The weather held to just a drizzle until the awards were presented and then the sky opened up. Luckily I was in the press box. Anyway, it was another great competition hosted Panther Creek and I believe it will even be better next year.
Sunday afternoon I was interviewed by a 6th grader from Exploris. It was a very interesting interview with focus on education and my childhood. It excluding anything political. My interviewer will present her report at an event next Friday morning.
There was a great announcement late this week. Senator Hagan’s office notified me that Cary will receive over $1.1 million in an Energy Efficient and Conservation Block Grant. This grant will be used for a Sustainability manager, emissions inventory, an energy audit with improvements on town buildings and facilities, alternative fuel vehicles, LED streetlights, energy efficient ball field lighting at Thomas Brooks park, and Project NC Get Ready (regional partnership to prepare/provide infrastructure for vehicle electrification). I provided a quote for Senator Hagan’s press release:
“The Town of Cary is committed to preserving and protecting our environment. This is reflected in our Statement of Values and stands as one of the Town Council’s major focus areas. Our successes thus far are demonstrated in state and national awards and recognition, and this grant funding provides the opportunity to immediately further our efforts to be good stewards of our finite natural resources through energy efficiency and conservation projects.”
This grant is a HUGE win for Cary and will help us to continue to be one of the green leaders in the state.
Emails this week covered a wide variety of topics. Complaints included too many geese in Cary, not enough representation for the US64 group, the Cameron Pond revegetation plan, and a complaint about a ticket from a red light camera.
I received a few emails inviting me to events this week that included an all expense paid trip to China, a commission reception, and a wine tasting.
I also received a thank you email from Brazil because I responded to a request for an autographed picture. I am still confused why someone from Brazil would want this but it works for me.
Well that is about it for this week. I plan to next post on Sunday, October 4th. Please feel free to leave a comment on my post.
