Harold’s Blog: Quarterly Meeting, Historic Preservation and More

Cary, NC – This week was much busier than last week and included a quarterly meeting on the budget.

Monday – Elected Official Reception

Monday afternoon I met with the town manager and the chief strategy officer for my one-on-one weekly meeting. We talked mostly about the upcoming bond referendum this fall and the quarterly meeting later in the week. We also talked briefly about the mall site.

Later Monday I attended the Cary Chamber’s elected official’s reception. In attendance were Cary council members, Wake County School board members, judges, and NC Representative Gale Adcock who escaped budget meetings long enough to thank everyone. In my brief remarks I talked about how no one politician can get anything done by themselves. It takes working together to get anything done. Even though I was stating the obvious I thought it was important to remind everyone especially in the political divide we live in today. The rest of the evening was spent talking with various business owners and citizens.

Tuesday – 911 Call Center

Tuesday I received an announcement from our Director of Public Safety about our 911 center partnering with neighboring municipalities:

The process of transitioning calls from the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center to our 9-1-1 center began at 5 a.m. We are receiving and handling both wireless and landline calls in Morrisville and Apex as part of our CAM project. While we experienced minor issues, most were anticipated and have not impacted service levels.

We have seen a steady increase in overall call volume throughout the day. As of 3 p.m., the 9-1-1 center has answered a total of 264 phone calls. We processed 12 emergency calls for Cary Fire Department, five emergency calls for Morrisville Fire Department and seven emergency calls for Apex Fire Department. We have also handled 158 calls for the Cary Police Department and 19 calls for the Morrisville Police Department; as a reminder, Apex Police Department dispatches its own calls.

Fire operations are running smoothly with all agencies successfully responding together.

The technology utilized by our 9-1-1 center is working well, including phone, networking, radio communications and Fire records management systems (RMS). The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and mobile field units have been updated. We are working through some minor issues around Apex FD and Morrisville PD mobile hardware. We will continue to monitor the technology elements of the project to ensure that we maintain optimal configurations to assist our 9-1-1 staff.

Overall, the coordination between staff from all three towns has been exceptional and is the reason today was such a success. We will continue to work through all facets of this transition together, keeping communication open and quickly resolving issues as they arise.

As Director of Public Safety, I am particularly proud of Council’s support and the efforts from so many colleagues in IT, PD, FD and Legal who have worked relentlessly over the last year to make this initiative a reality. While the interlocal agreement for services will obviously improve the quality of life and safety for citizens in Apex, Morrisville and adjacent parts of Wake County, Cary citizens will also benefit from the integration of police and fire resources creating a more resilient, capable and coordinated public safety deployment force. This initiative is a clear example of taking what we have learned with our regional utility system and applying it to public safety services. The subtle difference is Apex and Morrisville came to us not because of a regulatory mandate, but because we could offer an option for high performance and reliable 9-1-1 services. We are all able to enjoy this moment because of professional work in our Emergency Communications Center, IT Department and of course, as a result of Council’s support.

We will provide ongoing updates as warranted, until then please know we are off to a great start.

Tuesday evening the Town of Cary celebrities held their first practice for the fall performance of Diwali. In this practice we learned a warmup dance. We will start learning our choreography in two weeks. Our dance will be about four and a half minutes long which means learning dozens of steps.

Wednesday – Historic Preservation

Wednesday I attended the Senior Appreciation Day at the Cary Tennis Park. I gave a few remarks welcoming everyone, encouraging them to keep playing tennis, and thanking them for supporting the Cary Tennis Park. Then I joined teaching professional Sean Ferreira and two seniors for a 4 game, 6 point set exhibition. It was a lot of fun and I wished we could have played longer. I very much appreciate Western Wake Tennis and the Cary Tennis Park staff for putting on this event and keeping our seniors active.

Wednesday evening I joined Mayor Pro-Tem Bush, council members Smith, Yerha, and George at a meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission. This meeting was special because I was reading a proclamation not only recognizing May as Historic Preservation month but also recognizing the purchase by the town of the 1803 Nancy Jones House, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is Cary’s oldest remaining house. Here is the proclamation:

WHEREAS, local historic preservation is an effective tool for revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering local pride and maintaining community character while enhancing livability; and

WHEREAS, historic preservation is relevant for communities across the nation, both urban and rural, and for Americans of all ages, all walks of life and all ethnic backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, it is important to celebrate the role of history in our lives as well as the contributions made by the dedicated individuals of the Cary Historic Preservation Commission and the Friends of the Page-Walker in helping to preserve the tangible aspects of our history;

WHEREAS, the Town of Cary has reached agreement with the Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina to take ownership of the 1803 Nancy Jones House, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is Cary’s oldest remaining house, as the first step in rehabilitating and preserving it;

WHEREAS, the Cary Community continues to demonstrate its commitment to preservation as it grows and develops through the recognition, rehabilitation and restoration of historic properties;

NOW THEREFORE, I, Harold Weinbrecht, Jr., Mayor of the Town of Cary, North Carolina, on behalf of the Cary Town Council, do hereby proclaim May 2019 as Historic Preservation Month in the Town of Cary, and call upon the people of Cary to join their fellow citizens across the United States in recognizing and participating in this special observance.

PROCLAIMED this 8th day of May, 2019.

After reading the proclamation members of the Sri Venkateswara made remarks about their partnership with the town and the purchase.

Thursday – Quarterly Meeting

Thursday council and staff held a half day quarterly meeting to discuss branding, the budget, a bond referendum, our quasi-judicial process, and the Cary Town Center development.

The quarterly meeting started with a representative from NorthStar (our contracted consultant) who reported that they are still in the research phase. Three takeaways from their brand barometer research:

• There is extraordinary advocacy for Cary – especially for living in Cary
• Advocacy is less, but still heavy, for doing business in Cary and visiting Cary
• There is an opportunity to arm residents to serve as brand ambassadors at activation stages

On the question of: One a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “not at all likely” and 10 being “extremely likely” how likely would you be to recommend living in Cary. About 95% answered 7 or greater with about 90% answering 9 or greater. While there was much more information presented, the top overall research takeaways:

• A compelling Truth: Cary is home to the people whose high standards and curiosity define the technological and scientific advancements that reach beyond the Triangle across the globe. Cary is thoughtful and idea-driven.
• The Cruel Irony: Cary lacks the recognition the 3 original Triangle communities enjoy yet it is the community most emblematic of the discovery and innovation with which the Triangle is associated.
• The Big Opportunity: The Town of Cary enjoys ready advocates and ambassadors to share its distinct story if given the information and cohesive tools needed to do so.

As of this date the full research findings presentation is tentatively scheduled for the August 29th quarterly meeting.

This year’s proposed budget is $335.9 million which is 3.4% less than fiscal year 2019. The tax rate will remain the same at $0.35. The solid waste fee will increase $2.50/month and utility rates will increase 2%. This budget will allow us to maintain our infrastructure and keep the current service levels. In addition it will allow us to invest in technology, public safety, and employee development.

The proposed bond referendum for this fall is currently estimated to be $225 million with $100 million for transportation, $105 million for parks, and $20 million for open space.

Transportation projects could include Fenton Infrastructure, bringing NCDOT projects to Cary standards, street improvements, sidewalk improvements, Louis Stephens Drive sidewalk, Cary Parkway Sidewalk at Black Creek, Intersection improvements, Green Level Church Road widening, O’Kelly Chapel Road widening, and Carpenter Fire Station Road widening.

Park projects could include the downtown park, renovation of town-owned historic properties, Carpenter Fire Station Neighborhood Park, McCrimmon Neighborhood Park, Annie Jones Tennis Court replacement, SK8-Cary Improvements, Penny Road School Park improvements, Walnut Creek Greenway at the Fenton, Tryon Road Park, Mills Park Multipurpose fields, Dunham Park Tennis Court replacements, and playground updates. The playground updates would be at Dunham, Annie Jones, Bond Park Laze Daze, Rose Street, Godbold, Thomas Brooks, Kids Together, Davis Drive, White Oak, and North Cary. Council will vote on the bonds at their May 23rd meeting.

Council also agreed to proceed with moving quasi-judicial hearings to the ZBOA (Zoning Board of Adjustment). This will likely occur after the June Quasi-Judicial meeting and after ZBOA members have been trained.

The council also heard the latest updates about the sale of the Cary Town mall site to the Turnbridge-Denali group. This proposal, when it is submitted, will likely have hotels, retail, and residential. Like Fenton this will be special and take a while to create a proposal that is ideal. It is expected that these two developments will complement each other.

The quarterly meeting concluded after about 4 ½ hours.

Friday – North Carolina Mayors

Friday I participated in a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors. Here is the Executive Director’s summary of that meeting:

OPENING remarks – “Crossover” deadline for both the House and the Senate was this Thursday, May 9.  The House concluded their work on Tuesday, while the Senate met through Wednesday.  Both chambers are now holding skeleton sessions until the middle of next week.  Lots of activity leading up to the crossover, but not nearly as hectic as in past years.

Transportation

Nothing new to report for the week.

• House budget has a number of positive sections supporting metro city priorities city (transit, airports, Powell Bill increases) that we should push for as the Senate works on tier version of the budget. Especially noteworthy for Metro Mayors was that the House restored funding for public transportation maintenance (SMAP funding).

NC FIRST Commission – Held its first meeting last Friday. They will be looking into the long-term financial challenges and the rapid pace of change for transportation. Metro Mayors member Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane is the co-chair of this commission.

Public Safety

H278, Parity for First Responders

• Passed as a study bill in the House.
• The House Pensions Committee members acknowledged that the General Assembly needed to find funding for it (avoid an unfunded mandate for cities)
• Testament to how hard we all worked together – cities did an outstanding job of communicating to House members our concerns about the expense of a new retirement benefit for firefighters at the same time cities are fighting and investing to maintain the basic retirement pension program for all employees
• After Pensions Committee it was converted to a study bill which requires a report to General Assembly before 2020 session.

Noteworthy that H520, Firefighters Fighting Cancer and  H622, Provide WC for PTSD in First Responders passed the House last week

Economic Development 

Nothing new to report

Local Revenues/ Local Control

H645,  Revisions to Outdoor Advertising

• House passed bill (73-43) and moves to the Senate after significant debate and amendments in Committee. This bill would require a city to allow a replacement billboard, if a billboard has to be removed for some reason (such as transportation or utility work).  This bill would require a replacement if there is a willing landowner within a two-mile radius of the original location of the billboard.
• Unresolved concern from some Metro Cities about that this would undo city designated scenic thoroughfares.

S650,Simplifying NC Local Sales Tax Distribution

• No new activity
• Continuing to work on a fiscal analysis.

S355, Land Use Regulatory Changes

• Moved through Senate before crossover – BUT, with an agreement that there would continue to be a stakeholder process

• City Attorney from Raleigh is representing municipalities in negotiations

Saturday – Ritmo Latino Festival

Saturday I had the privilege of making a few remarks and reading a proclamation at the Ritmo Latino festival. I was joined by council member George who “funny” translated my remarks.

The proclamation was translated word for word by a wonderful lady who volunteered to translate on behalf of Diamante. Here is the proclamation:

WHEREAS, Ritmo Latino, a music, art and dance festival that promotes the folklore and culture of Latin America and the Caribbean, is a festive occasion celebrating cultural diversity, artistic expression and community inclusiveness within the Latino/Hispanic Community and beyond.

WHEREAS, the Latino/Hispanic community includes persons with origins in 20 different nations and 1 million North Carolinians have Latino/Hispanic heritage.

WHEREAS, for 24 years Diamante, Inc. has been dedicated to the preservation, development and promotion of the culture, heritage, and artistic expressions of the diverse Latino/Hispanic population in North Carolina.

WHEREAS, on May 11, 2019, the 15th Annual Ritmo Latino Festival will commence in Downtown Cary for a time of entertainment, art appreciation, food, and education.

NOW THEREFORE, I, Harold Weinbrecht, Jr., Mayor of the Town of Cary, North Carolina, on behalf of the Cary Town Council, do hereby proclaim May 11, 2019 as the 15th Annual Ritmo Latino Festival, and I urge all of the citizens of Cary to join in the festivities during this special time.

PROCLAIMED this 11th day of May, 2019.

I departed after visiting vendors and viewing acts at the other stage.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager’s report for this week included:

An Incredible Quarterly

Only in Cary could we have believed that a meeting agenda with the annual budget, branding, QJ, and a $200 million proposed bond referendum would not only make sense but actually lead to one of the best quarterlies I think we’ve ever had. From SAS’ Five Star hospitality to staff’s near-flawless execution of their presentations to the amazing visuals, everything came together to create an environment for our success. Of course, everything we’re able to accomplish begins and ends with the Council, and I’ll say again just how appreciative I am of your taking time from work and family. It was evident just how much we care about each other and the community, which I believe is an unbeatable combination.

Earlier in the week, I was inducted into the Cary Rotary Club which is an honor and an opportunity to connect to active Cary citizens. At the same Rotary meeting on Tuesday, Chief Cooper made a presentation on the history of the fire department, overview of major service areas, current initiatives and future priorities.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity of welcoming Wake County Manager David Ellis and other municipal managers in Wake County to Cary. Topics of this bi-monthly meeting included a legislative update from NC League of Municipalities and an overview of Wake County’s proposed budget.

Sen Foushee Visits Cary

Ted Boyd, Dan Ault and Lana Hygh welcomed NC Senator Valerie Foushee to downtown Cary on Monday afternoon. Ted Boyd provided timely information about the status of numerous projects. As a long-time NC resident who remembers when Cary was not much more than a place to stop and get gas, Senator Foushee expressed pleasure at seeing the progress that has been made and appreciated the opportunity to understand more about the city she represents.

Green Level Church Road Study Open House

Approximately 30 people attended a second open house on the Green Level Church Road Feasibility Study. The public was invited to review a draft concept plan and context-sensitive design elements for the corridor, such as signage, plants and pavement material. Additional public comments on the concept presented are being taken through June 7. The concept plan recommends a modified 4-lane typical section with a planted median through the historic district and includes sidewalk and street-side trail to connect to the White Oak Creek Greenway just south of the study area. The proposed typical section is narrower than the standard to fit the unique historic context of the area. The draft plan and a link to the online comment form can be found here.

Duke Health Rezoning

Located in the Green Level Destination Center, the Duke Health rezoning (18-REZ-04) is moving forward. The zoning proposed for the site is Mixed Use District (MXD) with a Preliminary Development Plan (PDP) which would allow a variety of uses including medical office, commercial, residential, hotel or a hospital. The applicant has updated the plan since Council’s work session last November, and we are finalizing a schedule for the remainder of this rezoning. Due to the complexity and timing of this project, our plan is to have a work session with the Planning and Zoning Board (P&Z) in May or June, a P&Z vote on consistency in July or August and tentatively having the case ready for Council decision in September or October. If you have questions, please contact Scot Berry.

Historic Preservation Celebration

On May 8, Mayor Weinbrecht and Councilors Bush, Yerha, George, and Smith gathered with staff, representatives from the Sri Venkateswara Temple, Historic Preservation Commission members, and the Friends of the Page-Walker Board of Directors to celebrate the Town’s agreement to purchase the historic Nancy Jones House from the Temple. Mayor Weinbrecht also delivered a proclamation declaring May as National Historic Preservation Month.

NCDOT’s US64 Improvement Project

Residents of Balmoral requested a meeting with Jack Smith to discuss concerns related to NCDOT’s US 64 Improvements Project. Ed Yerha, Danna Widmar, and Meredith Gruber joined Council Member Smith on May 8 to host the Balmoral residents and NCDOT staff and consultants. Seven residents attended and shared concerns about increased noise and traffic, the potential loss of trees and general impacts to their quality of life. Jack Smith assured residents that Council and staff would be engaged as the project moves forward. NCDOT is hosting a public meeting for the US 64 Improvements in Apex and Cary Project on Tuesday, May 14 from 4-7 pm at Summit Church, 3000 Lufkin Road in Apex.

Zoning Board of Adjustment Action

On May 6, the Town held a Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBOA) hearing for 18-CP-01 Wackena Road. The applicant was requesting a reduction of the $60,604 civil penalty for a tree protection fence violation at the Reserve at Wackena subdivision.

Code Enforcement staff found the violation in October 2017 and issued a Notice of Zoning Violation and Assessment of Fine in 2018. Eight separate locations around the site were impacted by the tree removal, and some trees that were not removed had been damaged.

As part of the corrective action, the code enforcement staff worked with the developer on re-vegetating the impacted areas. ZBOA, taking into account the applicant’s prompt corrective action and the cost of the revegetation, reduced the fine to $30,302, pursuant to LDO guidelines.

Old Apex Road Closing

Old Apex Road will be closed between High House Road and the W Chatham Street Roundabout beginning at 6am on Monday, May 13 as contractors upgrade the asphalt adjacent to the CSX railroad crossing. A detour will be posted encouraging drivers to use High House Road and W Chatham Street. Local access will be maintained. The closure is expected to last for two days to safely complete the work, contingent on good weather and compatible rail schedules. This work is needed to improve asphalt and ride quality at the crossing. Crews will also be installing new pavement markings and repairing low shoulders.

Bike to School Day

Hundreds of students across Cary participated in National Bike to School Day on Wednesday. The event serves as an opportunity to recognize and bring awareness to Cary’s greenways, bike facilities and sidewalks and to help ensure a healthy, connected and bike-friendly community. Cary partnered with Safe Routes to School and the five elementary schools that registered for the event. Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush and Council Member Ken George attended events at Davis Drive and Weatherstone Elementary schools. Thanks to students, families, school leaders, law enforcement, staff and Council for supporting and encouraging our community to walk and bike to school.

Senior Day at CTP

Cary Tennis Park hosted over 60 seniors for Senior Appreciation Day. Following a morning of round robin tennis, the seniors were treated to lunch and an exhibition match featuring Mayor Weinbrecht. This biannual event is sponsored and organized by Western Wake Tennis.

Water Quality Report

Drinking Water Week is a time to acknowledge the vital role water plays in our lives and a fitting time to issue our 2018 Consumer Confidence Report. The annual water quality report provides results of over 50,000 tests conducted last year showing, once again, that Cary’s water meets or exceeds all federal standards. It features an article on emerging contaminants and highlights how we continue to make our system more resilient and prepared to serve our community’s water needs well into the future. Acknowledging our hard work and dedication to providing high-quality, safe and reliable water services, we’re proud to have received the 2018 Water System of the Year Award by our NC Section of the American Water Works Association, and for the 15th consecutive year the Partnership for Safe Water Director’s Award.

Morrisville Parkway / Carpenter Upchurch Road  Improvements

While work continues at the intersection of Morrisville Parkway, Carpenter Upchurch Road and CSX, the intersection has opened to full traffic movement. The concrete islands that prevented full traffic movements were removed as part of this project. Some work remains including installation and testing of a new traffic signal as well as a traffic camera to monitor the intersection as part of our traffic signal integrated network. Work is expected to be complete this summer.

Bond Park Boathouse Renovation Complete

The Bond Park Boathouse and waterfront officially re-opened on May 3 with the popular Bands, Bites and Boats event. The Bond Park Lakefront Renovation Project addressed ADA, safety, program efficiency and erosion issues. Work included an accessible route to the beach and fishing boardwalk, a new boat rack for canoes and kayaks, two new boardwalk sections along the water’s edge for erosion control and accessibility, a water line to the top of the floating dock for more accessible boat maintenance and a foot wash near the drinking fountain in front of the Boathouse. In addition to the renovation project, Public Works crews provided landscaping to ensure the aesthetic experience is up to Cary standards.

911 Partnership

Cary, Apex and Morrisville recently launched a partnership to improve emergency response times by consolidating 911 call processing and dispatching for the Apex Fire Department and for the Morrisville Fire and Police Departments. Effective Tuesday, May 7 at 6am, the Town of Cary 911 Center began receiving and processing emergency calls and dispatching for Morrisville Police and Fire and Apex Fire. The collaboration that resulted in consolidation of these services will provide better service to each community by decreasing emergency response times. In the first 48 hours, the 911 Center dispatched 24 fire calls to Apex and 23 fire calls and 174 police calls to Morrisville. The 911 Center also processed another 84 emergency calls for Morrisville and 64 calls for Apex.

Connecting with 311 Centers

Staff attended the 19th annual national conference of the Association of Government Contact Center Professionals (AGCCP) this week. The AGCCP is the leading organization for 311 and contact centers at the local and federal levels throughout the U.S. and Canada. Wes Everett and Kelli LaFrance-Girard had the opportunity to meet and share ideas with executives from some of the leading 311 centers in the country, including Baltimore, Washington DC and Denver. Connecting with and learning from other 311 professionals across the country will be a tremendous resource as we move closer to the January 2020 launch of 311 Cary.

Triangle Regional Resilience Partnership Highlighted

At the annual meeting of the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network, Sustainability Manager Emily Barrett presented on the Triangle Regional Resilience Partnership and the first work product, a Resilience Assessment. She guided participants on what it takes to create a regional collaboration, working with academics and contractors and how the results of such work can feed into existing plans such as the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Planning Process.

MetLife Fitness Fair

Cary was represented at MetLife’s fitness fair, promoting fun and healthy options around Cary this summer. The recently released 2019-20 Bike & Hike map was incredibly popular, as was the summer Program Guide and School’s Out. Those who stopped by shared comments about their love of the new Old Reedy Creek Trailhead, walking along the Black Creek Greenway as well as Cary’s diverse program offerings and upcoming summer camps.

Awards

SAFEChild presented the 2019 Wake County Multidisciplinary Team Award to Cary Detectives Armando Bake and Elizabeth Pearson. The multidisciplinary team consists of law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers and medical staff as they work to identify victims of abuse and prosecute the offenders. Congratulations to Armando and Elizabeth.

NCDOT Secretary Trogdon’s office presented GoCary with an Emergency Response and Recovery pin from for Cary’s assistance after Hurricane Florence. GoCary transported National Guard troops from Durham to Fort Bragg where they led evacuation and recovery efforts. In addition to assisting with emergency response, GoCary provided 251,000 trips to riders as well as secondary benefits, per research conducted for NCCOT by the Institute for Transportation Research and Education.

Taking Care of Employees

Planning for retirement can be difficult and the questions may be countless. To help employees better understand their benefits and options, Cary hosts a Pre-Retirement Seminar twice a year. The most recent seminar on May 7 had over 80 employees from various departments in attendance; the attendees heard presentations from Town staff as well as representatives from the North Carolina Local Government Employee Retirement System, Prudential and Voya. The representatives also offered one-on-one sessions to review specific cases and answer individualized questions; nearly 50 employees took advantage of these one-on-one meetings. Attendees shared that the seminar and individual meetings were extremely beneficial and informative.

Recognition

Kudos to Damon Forney and the Western Wake Water Reclamation staff for helping us meet the commitments of the Mayor’s Monarch Butterfly Pledge. As part of a staff team-building effort celebrating Earth Day, the group planted swamp milkweed on the grounds. Native milkweeds are the only host plants that help the monarch butterfly on its multi-generational trip to Mexico each year, so having milkweed in our environment is essential to the survival of this beautiful insect.

Our Facilities Group has also been planting native milkweed in beds around Town in support of the Butterfly Pledge. The idea for the Mayors Monarch Pledge effort started with the Environmental Advisory Board and was approved by Council. Implementation has been a multi-departmental collaboration as part of the on-going Cary Garden for Wildlife Program.

Officer Giovanni Labrador attended Vida Dulce ice cream shop’s one- year anniversary event. In addition to inflatables and a jump house, children had the opportunity to interact with Officer Labrador and tour his police vehicle.

A successful Wake County Senior Games Cycling event was coordinated by the Cary Senior Center staff and hosted at the Thomas Brooks Baseball Complex. A big shout out and hello to retired TOC employee Tony Clark who took bronze in the 1mile, 5K and 10K races and a big thank you to staff that made the event possible.

Advisory Board Meetings

Cary150 History Committee

Tues, 5/14, 4:30

Town Hall Conf Room 11130

Link to agenda not posted yet

Environmental Advisory Board

Tues, 5/14, 6:00

Town Hall Conf Room 10035

Link to agenda not posted yet

Public Art Advisory Board

Wed, 5/15, 6:15

Town Hall Conf Room 11130

Greenway Committee

Thurs, 5/16, 6:00

Town Hall Conf Room 11130

Agenda not posted yet

Emails From Citizens

I received a question this week from a citizen that resides in another municipality. They wanted to know what it would take to remove one of their council members. Here is some of the information I received from our attorney’s office:

            There is a School of Government blog post that addresses this question.  It can be accessed at:

https://canons.sog.unc.edu/removing-elected-board-members-from-office/

The post distinguishes needing to remove a board member (they are not qualified to hold the seat, say because they don’t meet a residency requirement) and desiring to remove a board member.  The post also has embedded links to other blog posts that further describe some of the processes and concepts discussed in the post.

I won’t recap what the blog describes, but the city should first check their charter to see if they have any special provision that might authorize a removal.   If the removal is based on desire, removal is likely to be challenging.  You are correct that General Assembly action is a possibility, but probably not a practical approach.  The ‘amotion’ process described may be all that is available.

Emails from Cary citizens this week included:

• Support for the proposed hotel on Weston (This project is not scheduled for a vote any time soon)
• Thanks for writing my blog (You’re welcome! Thanks for reading)
• A complaint about a tractor in a neighbor’s backyard (Unless you are in an HOA that prohibits it, there are no laws that prevents tractors in neighbor’s backyards)
• A request from a student to have more solar panels in Cary (We do and hopefully we will have more one day)
• A request to use town media to spread information about specific medical practice (town media resources are very restricted in what they can be used for)
• A complaint about an exercise class at the Senior Center being moved to another location (this operational issue is being addressed by staff)
• A complaint about traffic calming in the Reserve (the town uses criteria from the neighborhoods requesting traffic calming measures. Apparently over 70% approved in this neighborhood)

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, the Honor a Teacher Program, the State of Cary address to Fonville Morrisey, CAMPO, a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors, and a Proclamation reading at the Polka Dot Mama Skin Cancer Screening.

Get In Touch

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, May 19^th.  Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communications with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

From the blog of Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. Photos courtesy of Harold Weinbrecht.