Harold’s Blog: Cary Responds to the Death of George Floyd

Cary, NC — This was a holiday week which meant limited mayoral duties.

Tuesday – NC Legislation will Limit Local Control

Tuesday I was contacted by multiple North Carolina State Senators about legislation regarding the opening of gyms and bars. My comments were to make sure that we had local control in case we needed to enact local restrictions due to a COVID-19 spike. It does not appear legislation would allow that but instead limit our authority once again. This is a shame since local officials know what is best for their communities.

Wednesday – SBA District Director Speaks on COVID Response & Small Businesses

Wednesday I participated in the Chamber’s Eye-Opener Breakfast which had Thomas A. Stith, District Director of the Small Business Administration (SBA), as its guest speaker. His topics included the SBA’s response to COVID-19, the Payroll Protection Program, a debt relief program for small businesses, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, and the outlook for small businesses.

Friday – Weekly Recap From the NC Metro Mayors

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

Update on Governor’s Office

Guidance on Breweries/Distilleries

The original Executive Order that moved the state into Phase 2 of reopening originally excluded breweries and distilleries.  Guidance was issued late on Friday as Phase 2 went into effect, clarifying that a brewery, winery, or distillery are permitted to reopen in Phase 2 if it produces alcoholic beverages for commercial sale off-premises, per the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Here is an excellent example of an effort to REOPEN safely: Cabarrus Brewing Company.

Guidance from ABC for Outdoor Dining

Guidance intended to simplify expansion to outdoor seating and service was issued last weekend. Seen as helping current and planned municipal programs for outdoor seating under Phase 2. A number of cities have programs in place – Charlotte and Greensboro.

EO on household utility accounts

It appears that the Governor may be extending the period that prohibits utilities from disconnecting services for those unable to pay for electric, gas, water, and wastewater services.  The EO issued on March 31 is effective for 60 days.

NCLM has had a high-level, formal meeting on the issue with the Governor’s office.  While it is not definitive, in discussions with Beau, the Governor’s staff has indicated that they are likely to extend the EO that prevents utility cutoff for nonpayment, and they are looking at ways to mitigate the impact on cities.

General State Legislative UPDATE

Overview and Schedule

This was the second full week of the legislative short session.  The legislature passed a number of bills this week and things are moving quickly.  Part of this is due to “pre-negotiations” between the two chambers on the types of things to be considered and agreeing to not take up “controversial” legislation.

We do not expect a formal or “normal” budget process as in years prior.  We expect individual consensus pieces of legislation to be considered on items that need to be funded.  A number of those bills have already been filed in the Senate and have begun to move.  We expect to see some from the House as well.

The general consensus is that the legislature will adjourn before July 1 which is very likely if they are not dealing with controversial legislation or a typical budget.

A bill related to bars reopening and outdoor dining was passed (H536 -more details below).  We anticipate similar legislation to continue in the coming weeks that roll back the Governor’s EO related to gyms, baseball stadiums, and a number of other things. The Bar Bill vote was interesting – Senate had broad bi-partisan vote; House was a much closer vote which few democrats supported

Budget Update and Economic Forecast – Fiscal Staff Presentation

• The General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division and the Office of State Budget and Management released their consensus revenue forecast.
• The report indicates that North Carolina will collect roughly $4 billion less in revenues than previously predicted for the current biennium budget. May Revenue Revision
• There is still uncertainty in the forecast due to the July 15 extension of the income tax filing and payment deadline. There is talk about Congress delaying it event later – until August.
• The sales tax for the remainder of this fiscal year took the biggest hit (impact local and state govt), but personal income tax will take the big hit in FY 2021 (impact state govt).
• Since a budget was not enacted last year there is a cushion to fill the shortfall with unappropriated funds from FY2020.

Elections Bill

H1169, Bipartisan Elections Act of 2020, made its way through the House this week. It received strong, bi-partisan support in the House and will likely pass the Senate next week.  There may be some minor tweaks made, but we do not expect any major changes to be made to the legislation.

Transportation

NC DOT hearings

The legislature has continued to hold hearings regarding the audit on the Department.

It is clear that there will be a number of changes in the way DOT finances are managed moving forward though no formal recommendations have been made yet. It is worth noting that with the way the budget process is being handled, new legislation would have to be passed to eliminate any recurring funds that were placed in the budget last year.

House Bond Proposal

H1225 was introduced by the Speaker this week as a referendum for $3.1B package, that includes a $1.5B for NCDOT, that would appear on the ballot for the 2020 general election. Historically, the NC Senate has resisted general obligation bond proposals.

Public Safety

Nothing new to report in terms of legislation.

Minnesota situation – If anyone has something they want to share in terms of response or statements, send it to Beau and he will distribute to our membership.

Economic Development

Restaurants/Bars/Breweries – H536

The issue was originally addressed in two separate bills dealing with reopening of bars and allowing outdoor dining at restaurants.  The Senate combined the measures into one bill this week. The bill would allow bars that do not serve food to reopen and serve patrons outdoors at 50 percent of their indoor capacity.  It would also allow restaurants to open up outdoor seating in the same way.

The bill preempts local public health emergency orders and the Governor’s Executive Order that regulate restaurants, bars, private clubs, breweries, wineries, and distilleries. It would become effective when it becomes law and expire upon the later of:

• 30 days after any declaration of emergency expires
• October 31, 2020

It passed the Senate on Thursday with bi-partisan support (42-5). The House passed the bill the same day, but the vote fell largely along party lines (65-53). We expect the Governor to veto the measure.

Workforce Housing Appropriation – H1208

The bill includes a $20M appropriation from the General Fund for Workforce Housing Loan Program. It passed unanimously in the House this week and is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee next Tuesday.

Foreclosure Grants/Rental & Utility Assistance – H1200

The bill includes a total of $200M appropriated from the federal CARES Act funds.

• $100M for foreclosure assistance program for traditional home mortgage
• $100M rental and utility payment assistance

Citizens would be eligible for both grants, up to $6,000, if they meet certain income thresholds. We expect the bill to begin moving through both chambers next week. Mention it to your legislators – it has funds to help with citizens facing financial challenges with overdue rent and utility bills.  A real chance to build a coalition of business and community advocates for significant aid to our communities.

Local Revenues/ Local Control

Nothing new to report.

Federal Update

Update on Congressional Funding for Local Governments

We continue to collaborate around federal opportunities for aid to NC local governments. NCLM held a townhall meeting with Sen. Tillis this week.  Sen. Tillis seemed supportive of granting flexibility for the existing CARES Act and is interested in learning more about the need for additional funding.

While flexibility in CARES Act funds is helpful, it is important to continue to push for additional aid as most of the current CARES funding was directed to counties by the NC General Assembly and offers only modest help for cities – at best.

Upcoming Issues – Gyms Reopening

There is a lot of buzz around gym reopening’s and there are reports of gyms talking about opening on Monday regardless of the circumstances. Beau is happy to host a call with any cities that wish to talk about this issue specifically.  Please send an e-mail to Beau if interested and a call will be facilitated on how to manage enforcement around gyms.

The industry was originally expecting to open as part of Phase 2, but that didn’t happen and there is growing frustration over what the industry says are disparities in the way they are being treated versus retail and restaurants (who have opened with restrictions).  We expect legislation addressing this issue to surface over the coming week.

The meeting concluded after about 35 minutes.

Saturday – Cary Offers Police Assistance During Protests in Raleigh

Saturday night the country erupted in another night of violent protests because of George Floyd’s death (more on this later). Unfortunately, this time it included Raleigh with a night of looting, fires, and vandalism. As a result, Cary provided police officer assistance to Raleigh.

Town Manager’s Report

The town manager, Sean Stegall’s report for this week included:

Manager Addresses Planned Natural Gas Pipeline

Recently, the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) headlined in articles as a potential route for a planned 12-inch natural gas pipeline that would extend 13-miles from southwestern Wake County to Orange County. These articles also highlighted the North Carolina Board of Transportation action on May 7, 2020 that approved the financial terms for conveying an easement to Dominion Energy to install, operate and maintain the 12-in natural gas line within (ATT) railroad right-of-way corridor.

The utility has expressed that the gas line is necessary to allow for the reduction of pressure to 73 miles of a longstanding operational natural gas line in Orange, Chatham, Lee, and Wake Counties and is necessary to serve the growing population of the Triangle.

I met with Julia R. Wright, Economic Development and Local Government Manager for Dominion Energy on Wednesday of this week. First and foremost, she apologized on behalf of Dominion Energy for not communicating their efforts to the Town; however, moving forward Dominion Energy is committed to improved communications as part of their overall process.

Know that a final route has not been selected for the gas line. Dominion Energy is currently studying other route options, including ones that would not require the easement adjacent to the ATT. Over the next 60 days, Dominion Energy shared they intend to continue collecting data and other surveys to help identify the optimal route for the gas line. Here is a summary explaining Dominion Energy’s current position regarding the ATT.

Hi Jerry,

Please see the summary explaining DENC’s current position regarding the American Tobacco Trail. I apologize for the delay but just received approval from legal. Let me know if you have any further questions. Have a great afternoon.

Recently the American Tobacco Trail headlined in articles as a potential route for a natural gas pipeline. Dominion Energy North Carolina (DENC) would like to provide an update on the progress of the pipeline project. DENC will install approximately 13 miles of 12‐inch natural gas line from southwestern Wake County to Orange County. The gas line would allow for the reduction of pressure to 73 miles of longstanding operational natural gas lines in Orange, Chatham, Lee and Wake counties. Lowering the pressure of these existing gas lines will prolong their lifespan, enhancing reliability and safety in accordance with state and federal regulations.

Our goal is to select a route that minimizes impacts to the community. A route has not been selected at this time. DENC is currently studying route options and is engaged in survey activity to help us select the path of the gas line. Our options also include locations that would not be an easement adjacent to the American Tobacco Trail. An array of data is collected during the survey process to help identify the optimal route. The data includes but is not limited to, assessing construction feasibility, minimizing environmental and landowner impacts and using existing corridors where possible.

A final route decision has not been made. We anticipate making a decision about the final route of the natural gas line sometime in the next two months. DENC is committed to keeping you informed once the final route has been selected as well as throughout the project. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 919‐836‐2322. Julia R. Wright Economic Development and Local Government Manager [email protected](o) 919‐836‐2322

As we are made aware, you can expect updates on the Town’s website and included in future Weekly Reports.

Operational Framework & Update

The short workweek resulted in a brief Weekly Operational Message from Deputy Town Manager Russ Overton. One big takeaway for staff is that a new travel policy went into effect this week. With the state moving into Safer at Home Phase II last week it was time to update the policy.

The weekly operational report brings a close to the week’s activities outside of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Please take a moment to review the weekly operational report.

Departmental Updates

Included below is a summary-level overview of the operational activities continuing to take place during this health emergency.

• Volunteer Recruitment begins on Monday, June 1. The Clerk’s Office has been working to update the website, finalize the application, and coordinate communications with the marketing team before launch.
• In observance of Memorial Day, American Legion Post 67 set out flags in Hillcrest Cemetery on graves of veterans. The group also conducted a 21-gun salute. Families and visitors who normally attend the ceremony in-person were encouraged to drive through the ceremony for reflection.
• With recent rainfall this week, the level of Jordan Lake has risen approximately 10-ft above the normal pool elevation. Staff are monitoring conditions closely at the lake as the levels appear to have peaked.
• Finance continues discussions with Charlotte and Raleigh for how and when to restart collections on delinquent utility accounts. A normal month usually has 400 delinquent accounts; 1,600 accounts would be eligible now. There is no word on whether the Governor will extend the executive order past June 1 to not levy late fees.
• Development Services is exploring converting remaining paper applications to electronic IDT applications. Since March 16, we have received seven applications for backyard chickens and three applications for beekeeping, both of which are currently handled via paper.
• One Walnut-One Walker is ready for signature this week. Building permits are waiting for contractor information and verification of payment for the soil and erosion control permit. A monthly check-in meeting was held with Epic Games about the anticipated start of construction for their site in late summer/early fall. Current work on the existing parking lot expansion is moving along smoothly and should be wrapping up soon.
• Cary is maintaining the second-place spot among municipalities in Wake County when it comes to census participation (Cary has a 72.5% rate and Holly springs has a 78.7% rate.)We saw a slight increase in our self-response rate last week.
• Staff met virtually with residents of Mobile Estates to get to know them and hear their concerns.
• PRCR continues to work on scenarios to honor Cary graduating high school seniors. Tuesday evening, images were projected onto the Cary Arts Center to test the appearance of using senior pictures, illuminated downtown, as a way to acknowledge and congratulate high school seniors.
• Department Directors gathered for the second week in Chambers to continue work on departmental risk assessments, a necessary step in planning for employees to return to work.

NCLM Elects New President

Congratulations to Jennifer Robinson who was elected President of the North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) and sworn in during the business meeting and kick-off of CityVision. Robinson is the first Cary council person elected to serve this role.

Learning Continues for Mobility Working Group

Representatives from the staff Mobility Working Group virtually met with external stakeholders this week to review and collect input on a possible scope of work for a new citizen’s advisory board. Staff presented a scope of work option that focuses on four themes: advocacy, planning, policy, and emerging technologies. Fifteen stakeholders participated and they ranged from subject matter experts, business leaders, to general mobility advocates.

Following the meeting a Public Input Survey link was sent to the participants to collect additional thoughts on the proposal that were not shared during the meeting. The diverse perspectives (internally and externally) will be beneficial in creating a recommendation that is best suited to address mobility needs of our community. Council can expect a staff recommendation for next steps on this project by the end of summer.

RTA Leadership Meeting

The Regional Transportation Alliance Leadership Team meeting was held virtually last week. We have summary notes below as well as links to the presentations on the RTA regional FAST network study and RTA Zero Fare Pilot Study. RTA’s next meeting is the annual retreat currently scheduled for August 21 at The Umstead Hotel & Spa.

Jay Irby, RTA Transit Chair, described the purpose of the FAST (Freeway And Street-based Transit) network study as the Triangle’s first regionwide transit network study, which would build upon ongoing BRT and commuter rail studies and directly serve RDU Airport, RTP, and other core areas. RTA will lead and coordinate the study in concert with public sector partners; preliminary results will be released in July at a free, online-only webinar.

Julia Wright, RTA legislative and policy chair, announced a study of potential pilot operations to expand zero fare transit in the Triangle. All three universities, as well as the entire Chapel Hill Transit Team are zero fare. Currently, all patrons 18 and under and 65 and over, pay zero fare regionwide. Durham County is exploring zero fare for GoDurham as part of the countywide transit plan update that kicked off this month. Joe Milazzo noted that the business community recognizes there are financial and other challenges with any expansion of zero fare, but there are a host of potential benefits including equity, efficient use of tax dollars, accessibility and opportunity.

Maeve Gardner reported that NCDOT projects future revenues will be down 30% or more due to lower travel and reduced fuel prices experienced during COVID-19. Pre-COVID, NCDOT was already facing maintenance funding challenges in excess of $600 million. RTA discussed possible revenue options with the Steering Committee, hosted Congressman Price as the keynote speaker of Tri-MAP meeting and convened an RTA task force with NCDOT COO Bobby Lewis to take a closer look at the financial issues.

Joe Milazzo, Executive Director, reported being in a holding pattern on RDU given the coronavirus impacts on air travel. RTA is continuing to push for 540 connection between I-40 and I-87.

Powell Bill Update

With the annual state Powell Bill submission date drawing near, an ArcGIS online tool was created to quickly load and edit the Street Centerline data remotely. The tool includes functionality like measurements and table filter searches and will continue to be enhanced as more staff begin to use it.

Additional Information of Interest

I’ve found the following articles to be particularly interesting this week and wanted to share with your for your reading pleasure:

Some Countries Have Brought New Cases Down to Nearly Zero. How did they do it? – National Public Radio
CDC Recommends Sweeping Changes to American Offices – The New York Times

The Death of George Floyd

As I mentioned earlier, this week was marked by a horrible, sickening event in America’s history with the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This has sparked outrage, protests, and riots across the country. Sunday, I signed the following letter from Mayors of North Carolina about the injustice and death of George Floyd. Here is that letter:

North Carolina Mayors’ Statement on the Murder of George Floyd

As mayors of cities in North Carolina, we have come together to express our abhorrence of the horrific murder of George Floyd, an act of unspeakable violence, cold inhumanity, and racism.

The photographic evidence of this act speaks for itself. Mr. Floyd was suffocated to death by a Minneapolis police officer while pleading for his life as three other officers knelt or stood by and did nothing to help him, even as he called out, “I can’t breathe.” As a society, we cannot tolerate this kind of police violence rooted in systemic racism.

As mayors, we work closely with the police leadership in our cities, and we know that they also will not tolerate this kind of police violence and racism within their forces. Such acts not only harm innocent people, but they also deeply erode trust in our police forces, despite the good work of so many officers every day—officers who themselves abhor the racism and violence so evident in the death of George Floyd.

Our hearts go out to Mr. Floyd and his family. We support Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis in his call for justice and accountability. We expect a full and fair trial of the police officers involved. We also support the rights of those who are peacefully protesting and honoring the memory of George Floyd and countless others that have been victims of systemic racism and police violence.

Let’s work together to ensure that protests remain peaceful and stay focused on building equitable and just cities for all in North Carolina. And we pledge to make every effort within our power to fight systemic racism within our police forces, cities, and this nation.

I normally do not sign on to these types of letters without the full support of the council. But these are certainly not normal times, so I didn’t hesitate to add my name to the list of mayors confident that all my council colleagues would approve.

Words from a Cary Officer and the Police Chief

I have had several questions and concerns from citizens about how our police are trained and what our police are doing as a result of the George Floyd killing. I have also had several responses from our police chief and officers that I think is important to share.

The first is an email from one officer to other officers followed by a response from our police chief:

“… My Fellow Law Enforcement Officers,

By now we have probably all seen video of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Incidents like this stir strong emotions and opinions. If you have not yet seen the video, please watch it. Nowhere in any training I have ever been to do we teach or condone placing a knee on the neck of a handcuffed suspect.

Let us take this opportunity to reinforce the necessity for us as law enforcement professionals to train our bodies, our minds, and our skills to the best of our abilities. Officers who are highly trained in subject control and DT techniques are far less likely to have an excessive use of force than officers who are not. Officers who maintain a higher level of fitness and overall duty readiness are much better prepared to use the correct application of force than officers who have not maintained a higher level of fitness and readiness.

Please hold yourself to the highest possible standard as though your life depends on it. It does. … Be that officer that others want to be. If you are out of shape, get back in shape. If your DT skills are lacking, we have some of the best instructors around that can help you. If your firearms skills need improvement, we have our own range and the ammunition to make us all better. Hold yourself and your team-mates to the highest standard.

We owe it to each other, and to our city that we have sworn to protect to be the best possible officers we can be. It is an honor to work with each and every one of you.”

From Police Chief Toni Dezomits:

“All,

Please let <officer’s name> words resonate with you as you continue to serve our community with honor and professionalism. The actions of the officers in Minneapolis were deeply disturbing, are void of basic human compassion and as a result, have invoked strong emotions across all communities in this country.

Unfortunately, the actions of a few have tarnished the badge and will unfairly affect all who wear it with great pride. That leaves me sad and angry as is the case with many of you. Our department has worked very hard to build strong community relationships and our department’s foundation is built on the tenants of treating our community members with dignity, respect, professionalism, and compassion.

Although it feels unfair to bear the negative weight of the actions of a few, we must accept that will happen. We also must accept that events like this unfairly and broadly threaten to undermine the community relationships we worked decades to foster. We simply cannot allow the events in Minneapolis to erode our hard work in our community, tear down our partnerships and continue to tarnish our profession.

With that said, it is likely you may experience negative sentiments in the days to come. Please do not be discouraged by that. Stand proud. There are a lot of people feeling strong emotions over this incident. Instead, display professionalism and leadership by meeting that strong emotion with patience and understanding, knowing that emotions and pain are driving those sentiments.

Please know I believe in and support each of you and what we stand for at the Cary Police Department. I have strong faith and comfort in the fact that each of you will continue to maintain your role as positive community leaders.

Toni”

I also was copied by the police chief on her response to a citizen about what we are doing to train our officers:

“…First and foremost, let me echo the sentiments expressed by Mayor Weinbrecht in regards to the disturbing and heartbreaking death of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis. It was truly a tragedy that has created strong emotions across our country. I, like many, sit in disbelief of what I witnessed on the video and strongly denounce the actions of officers involved.

As you have likely seen in the media, many law enforcement leaders across our country share my same feelings as we strive to lead professional police organizations that treat their community with nothing less than dignity, respect, compassion, transparency and professionalism each and every day. Cary is strongly seated among them.

Second, thank you so much for reaching out in an effort to better understand how we serve the community here in Cary. It speaks to your commitment to share in the responsibility of maintaining a healthy and safe community. I am including our Professional Standards Commander, Brian Smith in this email chain so he can reach out to you directly to talk through all questions you may have and provide any public record documents you might want related to our policies and procedures.

As an overarching response, the Cary Police Department is and has been CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement) accredited since 1992 and adheres to over 500 best practices for law enforcement as set forth by the Commission, Accreditation includes standards such as best practices in handling citizen complaints, use of force policies and biased based profiling reporting, etc.. In fact, we just completed our on-site assessment in July of 2019 and received our re-accreditation in November of 2019. I am including the link to the CALEA website so you can learn more while you await connecting with Captain Smith.

In addition to stringent CALEA standards and in the interest of transparency and public trust, we implemented body cameras for all our police officers last summer. We also have a robust and diverse training program, which includes reality-based scenario training that incorporates police tactics, de-escalation and self-regulation techniques under high stress conditions, as well as classroom training on interacting with and policing across diverse populations.

Our holistic approach to equipping our officers for success in serving our community also includes one of the best officer wellness/peer support programs in the State. We also have a newly revamped on-site Police Chaplains program to further assist in supporting the wellness of our officers. Lastly, and most important, are our many strong and long-standing community partnerships such as the Building Bridges program, which is a partnership with our African American faith based leaders.

Again, we would love to have the opportunity to engage with you directly to share information about your police department on a deeper level and allow us to answer additional questions you might have. Again, I thank you for caring for and advocating for a healthy, safe community.

https://www.calea.org/benefits-accreditation

Regards,

Toni”

Finally, our police chief sent out a message to our community. Here is our chief’s message:

From Chief Dezomits to the Cary Community:

“Dear Cary Citizens,

Many of you are aware of the police-related incident in Minneapolis involving the death of Mr. George Floyd.  I have received correspondence from several members of our community expressing concern, anger, fear and sadness. I too share in your emotions and sentiments regarding the heartbreaking and senseless death of Mr. Floyd. The actions of the officers in Minneapolis were deeply disturbing, inexcusable, and were void of basic human compassion. As a result, this incident has invoked strong emotions across all communities in this country and threatens to degrade the trust and positive partnerships many police departments have worked tirelessly to foster within our communities.

As you have seen in the media, many law enforcement leaders and professional organizations across our country have denounced the actions of these officers and strive to lead professional police organizations that treat their community with nothing less than dignity, respect, compassion, transparency and professionalism each and every day. The Cary Police Department is firmly seated among those committed to those tenants and committed to ensuring that we hire, train and retain only the very best police officers. Please feel reassured that we are dedicated to the mission of serving you, our community, in the most professional way.

Our police officers have expressed worry and concern that the actions of the officers in Minneapolis will negatively and unfairly reflect on them in the eyes of the Cary citizens that they serve. I have encouraged them to continue to serve with professionalism, patience, and compassion. They know they have my support and that I have full faith and confidence in their ability to serve with grace under the most difficult of times. I also have strong faith in the authentic partnerships we have forged with our community members through open conversations and positive interactions to make Cary the special place it is.

Thank you for your continued support and willingness to partner with us in making Cary a safe and healthy community. We are here and we are listening. Please continue to reach out to us and let us know how we can serve you.

Stay safe and well,

Toni Dezomits

Chief of Police”

“Cary is Not Minneapolis”

As a Cary citizen, I feel blessed to have the best law enforcement professionals possible, led by one of the greatest police chiefs in this country. Thank you chief! Please know that Cary is NOT Minneapolis and our standards are MUCH higher than most municipalities across the nation. It is not an accident that we are consistently named as one of the safest communities in America. Our success is a direct result from the relationships our law officers have built with our citizens. Now is the time for us to strengthen those relationships and increase our understanding of one another. If we do this, we will reach our true potential as a community.

Get in Touch

Emails from citizens this week included:

• Several emails about the death of George Floyd.
• Complaints about the county’s plan to merge Cary EMS (This is a county decision)
• A complaint about the town’s utility payment software (staff is addressing)
• Complaints about businesses not being able to open (we are under state mandates)
• Complaints about Dominion Energy’s plan for a pipeline (they noted that a final route has yet to be determined)
• A thank you to staff for yard waste curbside pickup (Amen to that!)
• Requests to open Cary Tennis Park (We plan to open the courts June 1st but no staff will be at CTP)
• A request to open gyms since Apex has allowed gyms to open (No municipality has authority to override state orders. I am not aware of Apex defying state orders.)
• A concern that people are removing signs from closed playgrounds and children are playing on these playgrounds
• A concern about a construction variance delay
• A complaint about small trees at the Veterans Freedom Park
• A complaint about the experimental left-turn signal at Tryon and Cary Parkway

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association, the Chamber’s Economic Development meeting, a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors, and a council work session on the budget.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, June 7th.  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 [email protected] and email personal comments to [email protected].

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From the blog of Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. Images by Ashley Kairis and the Town of Cary.

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