This was a busy week for me with a ribbon cutting, meetings, interviews, political events, a birthday and my anniversary.

Monday started with the ribbon cutting of the new building for Siemens Medical Solutions. Not only is this expansion bringing high paying jobs to the area but the building is environmentally friendly and was awarded Gold Level Leed Certification. Some of the highlights of the certification include 95% of the construction waste was recycled and diverted from the landfill. No potable water will be used for irrigation. High efficiency toilets are installed reducing water usage by more than 40%. Energy usage is 25% lower than standard requirements. And many many more features. The ribbon cutting itself was attended by several elected officials including the main speaker Congressman David Price. I was honored to be recognized and presented a small gift from the town to the CEO who was in attendance from Germany.

Monday night I presided over the mayor’s association. We were fortunate to have all twelve mayors in attendance. The mayor’s association unanimously approved a state legislative agenda which I will present to the Wake County delegation. It includes:

1. Keep all local revenues intact through the upcoming budget session as well as in anything from the Tax Modernization Committee
2. Exempt list of citizen email addresses from disclosure under the Public Records Act
3. Retain municipal authority for annexation by supporting the League of Municipalities’ position.
4. Provide local authority to Wake County municipalities to order dwellings that have been declared unfit for human habitation to be repaired or demolished if they have been vacated and closed for six months.
5. Provide Wake County municipalities authority to use debt to pay down past retirement obligations
6. Provide authority to Wake County municipalities to use electronic notice for public hearings.
7. Eliminate the cap on charter schools.
8. Allow municipalities to use the design-build concept for capital projects.

Other actions taken by the mayors included asking each municipality to issue a proclamation on the National Physical Activity Plan by Advocates for Health in Action. For more information on this group see http://advocatesforhealthinaction.org.

Tuesday began with an interview by a student at Chapel Hill on the town’s appearance and sign ordinance. In the interview I pointed out that we have a committee currently reviewing our sign ordinance.

Later Tuesday I attended a fundraiser for Elaine Marshall hosted by council member Portman. I formally endorsed Ms. Marshall months ago. She has worked with me and other council members over the years. She has promised that if she gets to Washington she will always make time to meet with me when I make my annual trek in February (she knows that Senator Burr hasn’t met with me the last two years I visited). My visit to Washington every year is to present an agenda with the purpose of getting some of the federal dollars we send through our taxes sent back to Cary.

Wednesday night was an informal gathering of my campaign team from 2007. We talked about a lot of issues. Of course I will not disclose any of that on a blog to give my next opponent information.

Thursday I was scheduled to attend a Komen for the Cure at the Governor’s mansion. Due to several work and personal issues I was not able to attend. I sent my regrets mid afternoon.

Later Thursday night I did an interview with WTVD. They did a story about why we want the legislature to exist our citizen email list from the Public Records Act. I told them that I believed this was less about public records and more about invasion of privacy. A recent survey showed that 88% of Cary citizens agreed. I hope our legislative delegation will help by allowing us this exemption.

Friday was my youngest daughter’s birthday and Sunday was my anniversary. To celebrate we spent the weekend at Wrightsville Beach. We had a good time even though it was cloudy and cool.

Emails this week included a request for old turf from Wake Med Soccer, several compliments about our budget practices, complaints about the tragic murder at the Groves, complaints about the Weldon Ridge road alignment, a complaint about a builder, a request to help someone get a job, and a few invitations.

Next week promises to be busy with a council meeting, a work session, a Cary Matters taping, a litter sweep, the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame concert, and a few personal events.

Well that is all for this week. I plan to next post on Sunday, May 2^nd. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

This is my first post on mayoral duties in two weeks. The week included events typical for weeks that have regularly scheduled council meetings.

Monday started with calls to council members to see if they had any issues or questions about the agenda for Thursday’s council meeting. This was followed later that afternoon with a meeting of Directors, town attorney, town clerk, public information officer, and town manager to discuss the agenda. Our discussion seemed to focus on two issues: the state legislative agenda and the public finance resolution.

Tuesday I met with the town manager to go over any current hot issues. The legislative agenda and budget seem to dominate most of our conversations lately. Before meeting with the town manager I had the good fortune to meet and talk with Emily Barrett who is Cary’s first sustainability manager. The meeting was also attended by the members of the Environmental Board. I let them know that there are companies interested in getting involved in the community on various issues related to energy and the environment. One such company, ABB, has expressed a strong desire to get involved.

On Wednesday, I met with Cary’s budget director, the town manager, and assistant town manager to go over the draft budget. Here are some  points I took away from the staff’s  recommendations: economic downturn continues to impact revenue, no tax increase recommended, no change is solid waste fee recommended, sales tax revenue is down about 10%, and ad valorem revenues are up over the last fiscal year. In addition, the recommendation is not to remove any debt funded capital projects from the “delay” list.

Thursday before the council meeting I met briefly with the town clerk and retreat committee members to formally approve the minutes of our meetings held in November and December. That took all of about 15 seconds.

Before the council meeting Thursday I had the good fortune to meet with several groups. First, I met with the culinary students from Le Touquet, France that are here for a few weeks to study and cook in the US. This is an on going program and one I have participated in several times by hosting students. Next I met with Boy Scout troop 202 who were attending the meeting to earn merit badges. Then there were several dozen Green Hope High School Civic students. They often show up at meetings and most have their pictures made with me to prove they attended. This is usually a lot of fun and I am glad that they get exposure to town government.

The council meeting went as expected with no surprises. The main topics were the state legislative agenda and the public campaign finance resolution. The main points in the public campaign finance resolution for me were: it was an existing bill, we were asking for authority NOT making an action, and we would require a referendum of the people before using such authority.

Saturday I attended and spoke at the Turkish Festival at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. This was a great cultural event and I enjoyed the food, music, and dance that celebrated their culture. They were great hosts and presented me with a very nice gift. I think it is important to know that Cary is a diverse community with a large Asian population. Most of the people in Cary are not originally from Cary. As a matter of fact, less than 2 percent of all adults were actually born in Cary.

Saturday afternoon I met with a political candidate. I was glad to meet with them and answer any questions. I meet with any candidate who requests and try to help the best that I can. I think it is important to establish relationships with candidates and officials regardless of their party. In my 2 ½ years as mayor I have seen issues resolved because of strong relationships and trust and believe this approach to be invaluable.

This week was the last week to send in your census forms. If you have not sent in your census forms yet then you are likely to get a knock on your door from the census people. Cary is not doing as well as I had hoped. As I am writing this Cary has had 76% participation compared to 68% for Raleigh, 67% for Durham, 78% for Apex, 79% for Holly Springs, and 68% for Morrisville. If you would like to view data from anywhere in the country you can go to http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map .

I received an interesting email from town staff on Cary’s population. Surprisingly Cary continues to grow at a steady rate. Here is the information:

As of April 01, 2010, the Town of Cary’s population is estimated at 139,808. This is an increase of 4,675 people (+ 3.46%) in the last year (since the April 01, 2009 estimate). Cary’s population has increased by 45,245 people (+47.85%) since the last U.S. Census on April 01, 2000.

In addition to the population estimate, please note that the Town of Cary has averaged a 4.84% annual population growth rate from April 01, 2005 until April 01, 2010. This figure exceeds the Town Council’s 2003 goal of maintaining an annual growth rate of 3-4% measured over a five-year rolling average.

Note: This population estimate is based on the reported number of Certificates of Occupancy issued in the Town.

I received one other interesting email from staff related to a greenway on my side of town. Residents in this area have been waiting a LONG time for the Speight Branch greenway to actually go under Tryon Road (the tunnel has been there for years). Here is staff’s comment about that greenway which will use a SAFETEA LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users) grant:

Once completed, the greenway will go around the lake.  We met w/ the consultant last week to review the initial alignment so we are moving ahead.  Construction will take approximately 6 months. It is difficult to gauge when we will obtain all DOT approvals and whether we will need to purchase greenway easement which obviously will impact the schedule.  If we start construction by April 2011, we should complete by the Fall of 2011.  

During the last two weeks I have received tons of emails from citizens including complaints about the appearance of Waverly Place, comments about Cary’s community arts center, questions about moving to Cary, questions about open meetings, complaints about the turnpike being built, complaints about McCrimmon Parkway closing, complaints about Cary’s electronic email list being disclosed, complaints about sprinkler systems for residents and ordinances about pine straw, complaints about public campaign financing, support for public campaign financing, complaints about LifeTime fitness, and many, many requests for proclamations, visits, speaking engagements, and being a keynote speaker.

Next week includes my second meeting as President of the Mayor’s Association. We will discuss several items including issues all municipalities unanimously support presenting to the Wake County delegation for this year’s short legislative session.

Next week also includes several campaign events and a trip to the governor’s mansion.

Well that is all for this week. I plan to next post on Sunday, April 18^th. Please feel free to email me with a comment.

Special Masters Post:

A great finish to a great week with a great champion, Phil Mickelson, taking the green jacket. Most of the excitement was when Tiger made a small charge. At that time there were about 5 players within a couple of shots of the lead. But after the 13th hole Phil took control and it was over by the time he reached the 16th green.

For us volunteers it was a long hard week physically but a fantastic week in golf history. Personally, working from dawn to dusk and eating dinner at 10 PM was getting old but each day I was re energized by the excitement that surrounded me. I hope you enjoyed this years Masters as much as I did.

It is good to be home and I am looking forward to getting back to my everyday routine (and hopefully work off the 5 pounds I gained).

Special Masters Post:

It is the morning before the final round and what an incredible Saturday at Augusta. The conditions were perfect with temps in the mid to upper 70s and very little wind.

Early on in the day the crowds seem to divide into 3 camps, the Tiger crowd, the Mickelson crowd, and the Couples crowd. And what is even more interesting is that Westwood has been leading the tournament for the last two days.

Saturday felt like a normal Sunday in Augusta with incredible shots that electrified the crowd. Within a 15 minute span there were 3 eagles (two by Mickleson and one by Couples). This was followed by an almost eagle (birdie) by Mickleson which put him in the lead. From my perch in the middle of the course I could hear from the different directions of the roars as the shots happened. I haven’t heard those kinds of roars since 1986 when Nicklaus made his charge to win on Sunday. Anyway, it was one of the most exciting Saturday’s ever at Augusta.

Since this is my last day hear I am reflecting on the tournament. It has been a special one with all kinds of things going on. From the unusual when Kuchar had a ball bounce once, hit someone in the chest and his ball land in their cup. To the throw backs as Tom Watson at age 60 his playing and incredible Masters and is currently two under par. To the fashion setting as Freddie Couples wears his topsider looking golf shoes around in rounds 1 and 3. From the extremely disappointing to seeing the plane on Thursday with the banners trashing Tiger. To the crowds showing incredible support of Tiger and Tiger’s new respect and acknowledgement of the crowd. To the exciting shots on Saturday. It has been one heck of a tournament and one I will remember. I can’t wait to see what will happen on this final day.

Well, I will do a wrap up tonight.

Special Masters Post:

Yestersday was a good day at the Masters. The course was in perfect condition as usual. The pin placements were a little more difficult which held the scores down. The wind was also a factor in creating some big misses by some of the players. I saw at least two or three players hitting trees which is unusual since the course is so wide open.

The two biggest galleries were for Freddie Couples and Tiger Woods. Freddie’s score really suffered in the end with three straight boggies. The big joke around the course was that Freddie’s score suffered because of his shoes. He wore what looked like Topsiders on Thursday.

Tiger had HUGE galleries again. The plane with banners didn’t happened as promised. The papers reported that the pilot from Ohio was cited for several safety violations and couldn’t carry banners until those were addressed. Not a big surprise to me. I knew “someone” was going to find a way to stop those planes. Anyway, I guess the banner episodes are done. Tiger’s round was uneventful with mostly pars. Nevertheless he is only two shots off the lead. I was hoping to see Tiger paired with Kim today but Tiger is with Choi instead. It should be interesting to see how Choi plays with Tiger.

Today starts with cool weather but another beautiful day. It should be another day of pollen. I have never seen so much pollen on the course. Regardless, I suspect someone in the top 10 will post another 68 or better and that will be the third round leader.

Well, time to get ready to go to the course. See you on the 19th hole!

Special Masters Post:

I just finished my Thursday shift at the Masters. I was on the course a little after 7 this morning and left before the rain at 4 PM. I work on the 17th hole and a little over half the field has been through by 4 PM. The worst score of the day was Michael Campbell at 11 over. Yikes! At the time I left there were 4 players at 5 under par including big names like Mickelson.

Of course the big story is Tiger Woods. In my 32 years of scoring at the Masters he has had one of the biggest galaries today that I have ever seen. As Tiger was playing the 7th hole a plane with a banner flew over that said “Sex Addict? Yeah Right. Sure. Me Too.” I don’t believe he saw it but the galery sure did. As he teed off on the 8th the cheers were very loud in showing even more support. What is shocking about this incident is that it happened at the Masters. This is a very tightly run tournament that has the total support of the city and its citizens. I sure would love to know who had this done. I can only guess it was one of the old girl friends.

Well that’s about it for the day. I have the closing shift tomorrow. Not sure if I will post tomorrow or not.

This week included a charity event and two openings.

On Monday I played a charity golf event for Grace Christian School at Prestonwood Country Club. I played with the headmaster Don Payne, his son, and assistant headmaster Bobby Elder. We had a great time even though none of us were great golfers. To be able to play I had to work Sunday afternoon the day before. Although it was a sacrifice to be away from my family on the weekend it was for a good cause.

Monday evening I was supposed to run the meeting for the Western Wake Partners. Since I was running about a half hour late (still on the golf course) I asked by buddy, Mayor Dick Sears from Holly Springs, to run the meeting. I arrived as it was breaking up. Nothing earth shattering happened at the meeting. Mayor Holcombe did ask that we investigate doing more for the folks at New Hill that live near the site.

Tuesday I met with town manager Shivar and discussed various topics. Topics discussed included the proposed legislative agenda, the Black Creek Greenway group, and other minor items. BTW, the Black Creek Greenway group exists and is looking for a way to work with the town on expanding their mission. This is a great idea and I am looking forward to future details.

On Wednesday council member Smith and I went over to the ABB offices in Regency. This is the North American headquarters for ABB. I had the good fortune to meet and talk with Enrique Santacana, Region manager for North America, and other key administration officials. We talked about what they do in Cary and explored ideas about how the company can get become more involved in the community. They are very interested in energy, the environment and want to help the town. We talked about several ideas and I am excited about the potential of their help in the community.

Thursday afternoon I met with the council’s legislative committee that includes Frantz and Adcock. We went over the fleshed out version of the agenda to be presented to council for consideration. Only unanimous items will be presented to the Wake County delegation since it is a short session this year in the legislature. Council member Frantz already objects to the annexation item which is on the agendas for all municipalities in Wake County in addition to Cary. The part he objects to is the “Leagues position” on annexation. So we took that part out. Now we will see what happens with the rest of the council.

When the approved agenda is presented to the Wake delegation, I will be wearing two hats. First I will present items as President of the Mayor’s Association that all municipalities unanimously approved. Then I will be presenting items that the Cary Council unanimously approved. I expect this presentation to occur some time in late April or early May.

On Saturday morning at 8 AM I opened the downtown Cary’s Farmers market. I believe downtown is the next developer frontier. So this farmers market will become increasingly important as years go by. I have heard that the owner of the property, Mr. Westbrook, intends to build a pavilion which should help attract customers and vendors to the location.

On Saturday at 10 AM I gave welcoming comments at the Western Cary farmers market. This market is in its 2^nd year and is thriving. There was a good crowd on hand and people seemed to be having a great time. The mission of this market is not only to provide locally grown food and goods but to educate the public on health and the environment. They are interested in a permanent location with a permanent structure for this farmers market.

This weeks emails included complaints about potholes on Maynard, traffic issues on Green Level Church Road, noise issues with Camp Canine, pine straw usage near homes, lack of homeless shelters in Cary, the proposed Weldon Ridge Road alignment, and the federal government’s handling of survivor benefits.

History in Cary media was made this week. The first town tweet ever featured me filling out my census. BTW, make sure you fill out yours!

Well that is all for this week. Next week I will be at the Masters Golf tournament. This will be my 32^nd year working at the tournament. So I won’t be performing any mayoral duties next week. Therefore I plan to next post on Sunday, April 18^th. I may decide to post during the week to tell everyone about what is going on in Augusta. But if I do it will be a bonus post. Anyway, have a great week and please feel free to email me with a comment.