Harold’s Blog: Highlights from the Quarterly Report

/in , , , , , , /by

From the blog of Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, covering the week through July 31, 2011. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

I started this week at the beach as the family had one last long weekend together before the girls head off to college. We returned on Tuesday evening and it was back to work on Wednesday.

Wednesday – Dorcas Ministries

Wednesday I participated in a short video for Dorcas ministries. They will use this on their web site and for talks and presentations. The narrator of the video was Bill Leslie from WRAL.

Thursday – Raleigh Chamber

Thursday I attended the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Partners dinner at North Ridge Country Club. It was a who’s who in politicians.

Some of the people I talked with included Kevin Hill and Debra Goldman of the Wake County Public Schools, Mayor Matheny from Zebulon, Mayor Broadwell from Wendell, Mayor Eagles from Rolesville, Mayor Jones from Wake Forest, and Mayor Williams from Garner. I also talked with several legislators, Raleigh council members, county commissioners, and business owners.

Joining me at my table for dinner were three mayors, newly appointed Wake County Commissioner Portman, and two executives from Waste Industries. Speakers for the evening included chamber representatives, Raleigh council member Hunt, Goldman, Broadwell, and others. There were about 100 in attendance and the event ended in about 2 hours.

Friday – Filing for Re-Election

Friday morning I headed to the Board of Elections in downtown Raleigh to file for my second term as Mayor of Cary.

For the past four years, I have worked to enhance the quality of life for Cary’s citizens by pursuing balanced growth, bringing in high paying jobs, showing fiscal discipline, being the citizens’ advocate and increasing environmental protection.

As we continue to move Cary forward we will need steady, proven leadership to ensure that our town remains one of the best places to live, work, play, and do business in this nation.

I have delivered on my promises and if re-elected, I will continue to advocate for citizens, not for special interests. I believe that Cary citizens want to continue in the direction that my council colleagues and I have collectively set.

Friday Evening – Triangle Aquatics

Friday evening I headed over to the Triangle Aquatic Center for the Southern zonal championships.

I was hoping to get there in time for the parade but missed the start by a matter of seconds but I was able to observe it in its entirety. The parade allowed the swimmers to dress up, cheer, and march around the pool deck as they were introduced. After the parade I gave a few words of welcome and then watched a few races. In total, approximately 700 swimmers from 11 states were competing and were joined by siblings, parents, and friends.

Needless to say, this event was a good economic boost for the town.

Emails – Sewers, Seniors, Soccer & Geese

Emails this week included a complaint about a sewer issue, a complaint about the use of the senior center, a complaint about a soccer camp, a complaint about the cost of sewer for people outside the town limits, a complaint about the appearance of Maynard Road from Kildaire to Old Apex Road, a complaint about geese, a request from Indiana for a town pin, a request for an interview from a pastor, and a request for an interview by a scout.

Highlights of the Quarterly Report

The quarterly report was emailed to council this week. Highlights include the following:

  • Aquastar automated water meters are now installed to 1/3 of Cary residents.
  • C-Tran has seen a 4.5% increase in ridership during the last year.
  • Since the last quarterly report, the Town grew by 14.2 acres through annexation of Town owned land bringing the size of Cary to 35,586.7 acres (55.60 square miles).
  • Spruce’s Adopt-a-Spot was launched in May. Four groups have already conducted litter sweeps of their spots and 8 other groups have submitted applications to adopt spots.
  • Water demand for the quarter averaged approximately 18.5 million gallons per day which was consistent with the same time period in 2010 when demand averaged 18.6 million gallons per day.
  • While much of the watershed that drains to Jordan Lake is in either an Abnormally Dry or Moderate Drought status, all of the water supply reservoirs in the Triangle Region are full, or nearly full. We anticipate no concerns for the Town of Cary’s water supply this year.
  • There were 21 violent crimes reported in this quarter as compared to 43 violent crimes in the same quarter last year.
  • Nominations for hometown spirit awards will begin on Monday and run through August 9th. So if you know of someone who gives of themselves so that Cary can be a great place then they may be worth nominating. To find out more information go to http://www.townofcary.org/Departments/Town_Clerk_s_Office/Hometown_Spirit_Award.htm.

Week of August 1

Next week will be full of private meetings. The highlight of the week will be National Night Out on Tuesday. I plan to try and make the two community gatherings at this year’s National Night Out.

Stay in Touch

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, August 7th. Please feel free to email me with a comment. Email all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org. Email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.