Doesn’t it seem like summer just began? - yet here we are just a few days away from August. Time does fly when you’re having fun! ;-)
Monday I met with town manager Bill Coleman and key members of town staff to follow up on a citizen’s concerns I had spoke about in an earlier post regarding issues they are now experiencing as a result of the Maynard Road widening project. I am pleased to report that it appears that the majority of their concerns will soon be addressed. I swear our town staff continues to impress me more and more each day. They are an incredibly professional and dedicated group of individuals – it is really an honor to work with them.
Tuesday evening council had a worksession to discuss the land development ordinance (LDO) amendments proposed by our town staff. The bulk of these amendments dealt with proposed changes to the southwest area plan (SWAP). Council also discussed our long term vision for the area. Other amendments we discussed were building height restrictions in the cottage business district of the downtown area, and a few modifications to our town’s sign ordinance.
On Wednesday key members of town staff, the Heart of Cary Association, and council members Jennifer Robinson and I traveled to Clayton and Smithfield to visit with members of their downtown development associations and elected officials. The goal of this trip was two-fold; to learn more about how their downtown development associations and downtown merchants work together with their respective town’s government towards improving their downtown areas, and more specifically, how each town decided to structure that relationship. Clayton, for example hired a full time employee to serve as their downtown development director. Smithfield on the other hand preferred to fund a position within the downtown’s non-profit association – much like Cary does with our Economic Development Director and the Chamber of Commerce. Both scenarios have their advantages and disadvantages. Considering Cary may be looking to create a similar partnership with the Heart of Cary Association in the future, this was a very valuable trip.
Thursday evening….and Friday morning ;-) was our council meeting. It lasted until 12:50 am. That’s what happens when you don’t have a council meeting for a month. There were eight public hearings on our agenda alone. The main issues of discussion pertained to a proposed office development at Crossroads, a comprehensive plan amendment, a railroad crossing closure, and a proposed storage facility on Highway 55. Other issues of note were the consideration of a proposed mixed use sketch plan submitted by SAS, and a proposal to consider allowing Cary citizens to keep chickens in town limits.
Care to take a guess which topic generated the most media attention, phone calls and emails prior to our meeting? You guessed it – chickens. While I consider every issue that comes before council important, one of the biggest surprises to me since I have been on the council has been what topics motivate folks to contact us. $300 million budget? 5 emails, no phone calls. Chickens? 10-15 emails, 20 phone calls, customers asking about it at work and so on. Heck, I even received a message on my Facebook page about it.
Feedback was mixed - about 50/50 honestly. While I voted against the proposal for a number of reasons such as smells, noise, and the potential for disease and predators, my biggest concern was how would the town police this program? While the majority of Cary citizens would surely follow whatever guidelines the town set up, there would be those who abuse it. Would the town have to hire more zoning enforcement officers to enforce regulations? Would folks have to agree to have their property searched if someone complained? Years ago the town imposed a limit on the amount of dogs and cats folks could keep. We couldn’t enforce that ordinance so we scrapped it. While most folks just wanted chickens for the eggs, what about those who want chicken for dinner? Would they be slaughtered in the backyard?
I honestly see no cost savings to a citizen by allowing them to keep chickens either (fresher eggs yes). By the time you pay for materials and build a chicken coup, buy chicken feed, and pay any administrative costs/permits/fees to the town, how long would it take to recoup that money saving a buck or so on a dozen eggs? I don’t buy the gas savings/environmental argument either - I know of no one that goes to the grocery store solely for a dozen eggs. For those who want farm fresh eggs I would recommend the Cary Farmer’s Market in the train depot parking lot in downtown.
Friday I met with Morrisville Town Council member Tom Murray (it was his turn to buy lunch, and I have never been known to turn down a free burger.) ;-) Tom and I try to get together every couple of months or so to discuss the issues we are facing in our respective towns, and what each of us working on to address them.
Many of the problems facing our towns are a regional problem – rapid growth, water, schools, and traffic to name a few. These problems are in no way unique to Cary or Morrisville. Regional cooperation and fostering relationships with leaders in our neighboring municipalities is critical to better addressing these issues - and sometimes there is just no better way to do that than over a burger and fries. ;-)
Well, that’s about it for this week. Tonight my wife Lisa and I are headed out to celebrate her 29th birthday….again ;-) ;-) and hopefully tomorrow I’ll get to watch some of the Brickyard 400. Thanks for reading!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Week in Review 7/14/08 - 7/19/08
On Monday council member Jennifer Robinson and I met with Mayor Weinbrecht to discuss our differences regarding the possible redrawing of council districts this year. Council had directed town staff to look into redistricting back in February, and late last week staff notified council that they had completed their preliminary analysis, and were requesting further direction on how to proceed. Council agreed to hold a worksession on this topic in August to discuss further.
Why redistrict? Well in a nutshell, growth in Cary – especially that in the western portion of town – has created a significant imbalance in the populations of council districts. How much an imbalance you ask? District B and D for example have roughly 26,000 people in each one. District A has over 44,000 people and counting. District A now stretches from Academy Street in downtown all the way into Chatham County…seriously. I believe it is simply not fair for one district representative to have nearly twice the citizens - and twice the responsibility - as other district representatives.
There will be those who claim redistricting to be politically motivated. Some already have. And there will be those who claim not redistricting to be politically motivated. Some already have. I just believe it is the right thing to do - and quite frankly it should have been done years ago before things got so out of whack.
Tuesday evening was our Planning and Development Committee meeting. Nothing terribly exciting to report there except that we did agree to move the next round of Land Development Ordinance Amendments to council for further discussion and possible adoption – after our worksession of course.
Wednesday I met with the developer of two projects in Cary - the first is a proposed office development at Piney Planes and the second dealt with proposed changes at Weldon Ridge, a residential development at New Hope Church Road in west Cary. Originally, part of the property in question at Weldon Ridge was to have a Catholic School sited there. Unfortunately that project has fallen through. The developer has since met with the Wake County Public School System to see if they were interested in the site. They weren’t. I advised they speak with the folks from Thales Academy to see if they might be interested in that location, and it has since been confirmed to me that a meeting between Thales and the developer has been set for next week.
Thursday evening I attended the Wake County Growth Issues Task Force meeting in downtown Raleigh. The topic of the evening was schools – specifically, how do we turn WCPSS into a “world class school system”? Our guest speaker was Ann Denlinger from the Wake Education Partnership. She was a good speaker, and I really enjoyed her presentation… up until she said, “We expect everyone that comes to America to learn our language, but we don’t expect our kids to learn theirs – that’s very arrogant”. Let’s just say I disagreed with that assessment. ;-) For the record, I do believe children should study a foreign language in school – but NOT because we expect immigrants who come to America to learn English. If I moved to Germany, I would be expected to learn German. I wouldn’t expect Germany to learn English to accommodate me.
After Mrs. Denlinger’s presentation we broke up into small groups where we participated in a brainstorming exercise. Each group was tasked with coming up with two recommendations that we believed could better help WCPSS become that world class school system. Our group, which consisted of Councilors Tom Murray and Liz Johnson from Morrisville, Tim Sack from Holly Springs, Dale Beck from Zebulon, and yours truly ended up recommending that municipalities work with our local Chambers of Commerce and business community to create and support more vocational education programs, and encourage increased involvement from the private sector regarding mentoring and internship programs. All in all it was a productive meeting.
Friday I met with town staff and consultants regarding affordable housing in Cary. My concerns focused on the need to better disperse affordable housing/low income projects throughout town instead of always locating them inside the Maynard Loop – and what types of incentives the town could be looking at to encourage developers to site some percentage of affordable housing within new development. I also believe the town’s housing rehabilitation program should be more of a priority. I think we can all agree that a diverse housing stock in Cary is desirable, and we should do all we can to ensure there is quality affordable housing available for folks such as service employees, teachers, police officers, and town employees. It is my belief that Cary will be better served by having affordable housing projects dispersed throughout town instead of concentrated in one geographic area.
Well that’s about it for this week in review. As always, thanks for reading!
Why redistrict? Well in a nutshell, growth in Cary – especially that in the western portion of town – has created a significant imbalance in the populations of council districts. How much an imbalance you ask? District B and D for example have roughly 26,000 people in each one. District A has over 44,000 people and counting. District A now stretches from Academy Street in downtown all the way into Chatham County…seriously. I believe it is simply not fair for one district representative to have nearly twice the citizens - and twice the responsibility - as other district representatives.
There will be those who claim redistricting to be politically motivated. Some already have. And there will be those who claim not redistricting to be politically motivated. Some already have. I just believe it is the right thing to do - and quite frankly it should have been done years ago before things got so out of whack.
Tuesday evening was our Planning and Development Committee meeting. Nothing terribly exciting to report there except that we did agree to move the next round of Land Development Ordinance Amendments to council for further discussion and possible adoption – after our worksession of course.
Wednesday I met with the developer of two projects in Cary - the first is a proposed office development at Piney Planes and the second dealt with proposed changes at Weldon Ridge, a residential development at New Hope Church Road in west Cary. Originally, part of the property in question at Weldon Ridge was to have a Catholic School sited there. Unfortunately that project has fallen through. The developer has since met with the Wake County Public School System to see if they were interested in the site. They weren’t. I advised they speak with the folks from Thales Academy to see if they might be interested in that location, and it has since been confirmed to me that a meeting between Thales and the developer has been set for next week.
Thursday evening I attended the Wake County Growth Issues Task Force meeting in downtown Raleigh. The topic of the evening was schools – specifically, how do we turn WCPSS into a “world class school system”? Our guest speaker was Ann Denlinger from the Wake Education Partnership. She was a good speaker, and I really enjoyed her presentation… up until she said, “We expect everyone that comes to America to learn our language, but we don’t expect our kids to learn theirs – that’s very arrogant”. Let’s just say I disagreed with that assessment. ;-) For the record, I do believe children should study a foreign language in school – but NOT because we expect immigrants who come to America to learn English. If I moved to Germany, I would be expected to learn German. I wouldn’t expect Germany to learn English to accommodate me.
After Mrs. Denlinger’s presentation we broke up into small groups where we participated in a brainstorming exercise. Each group was tasked with coming up with two recommendations that we believed could better help WCPSS become that world class school system. Our group, which consisted of Councilors Tom Murray and Liz Johnson from Morrisville, Tim Sack from Holly Springs, Dale Beck from Zebulon, and yours truly ended up recommending that municipalities work with our local Chambers of Commerce and business community to create and support more vocational education programs, and encourage increased involvement from the private sector regarding mentoring and internship programs. All in all it was a productive meeting.
Friday I met with town staff and consultants regarding affordable housing in Cary. My concerns focused on the need to better disperse affordable housing/low income projects throughout town instead of always locating them inside the Maynard Loop – and what types of incentives the town could be looking at to encourage developers to site some percentage of affordable housing within new development. I also believe the town’s housing rehabilitation program should be more of a priority. I think we can all agree that a diverse housing stock in Cary is desirable, and we should do all we can to ensure there is quality affordable housing available for folks such as service employees, teachers, police officers, and town employees. It is my belief that Cary will be better served by having affordable housing projects dispersed throughout town instead of concentrated in one geographic area.
Well that’s about it for this week in review. As always, thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Say What?
Well, if I was in Congress I actually couldn’t say it. But since I’m not, here ya go.
Congress, in their infinite wisdom, is apparently trying to stifle its members from communicating with their constituents through blogs, social websites such as Facebook or Twitter, and other forms of electronic communication. Seriously. See related news story here.
Congressional leaders claim it’s about fairness and taxpayer protection. In reality it’s about control.
What happened to freedom of speech? What happened to openness in government?
Note to Congress: If you don’t agree with something one of your members posted online, start your own blog and rebut. Better yet - considering many of you have been there since the Stone Age, and probably aren’t that familiar with the internet yet - get one of your computer savvy assistants to set up a blog for you. Heck, if I can do it - so can you. It costs you nothing but your time.
We need greater transparency in government, not less. No wonder Congress’ approval rating is at 18%.
Congress, in their infinite wisdom, is apparently trying to stifle its members from communicating with their constituents through blogs, social websites such as Facebook or Twitter, and other forms of electronic communication. Seriously. See related news story here.
Congressional leaders claim it’s about fairness and taxpayer protection. In reality it’s about control.
What happened to freedom of speech? What happened to openness in government?
Note to Congress: If you don’t agree with something one of your members posted online, start your own blog and rebut. Better yet - considering many of you have been there since the Stone Age, and probably aren’t that familiar with the internet yet - get one of your computer savvy assistants to set up a blog for you. Heck, if I can do it - so can you. It costs you nothing but your time.
We need greater transparency in government, not less. No wonder Congress’ approval rating is at 18%.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Week in Review 7/7/08 - 7/13/08
This was a busy but very productive week.
Tuesday evening consisted of two meetings. The first was with a citizen regarding ambulance services in Cary, and possible changes that could be implemented to potentially improve response times and increase efficiency. I’ll be meeting with the town manager regarding these recommendations in the near future.
Afterwards I sat in on the animal issues task force meeting at town hall, and I am glad I did. It not only gave me the opportunity to catch up on what the group has accomplished thus far, but it was also a great opportunity to observe the group's membership and better understand where each individual is coming from. This is a very important issue and I wanted to learn more about the group’s work than what I will read in a final report. I was asked a couple of questions during the meeting for clarification, but I really didn't want to say too much as to not influence the group’s direction. A tip of the hat goes to Chairman David Forvendel. I was very impressed with his ability to keep the group on task while still allowing everyone ample opportunity to make their points.
Wednesday I was interviewed by UNC TV regarding instant runoff voting. It never ceases to amaze me how often it happens that when I’m up to my elbows in grease and sweat under the hood of a car, the TV media wants an interview. But what the heck – if they don’t care that I need a bath why should I? ;-)
After speaking with our town manager and staff earlier in the week I also received confirmation that the town will be developing a procedure to better alert guests at Koka Booth Amphitheater when a storm may be approaching so both guests and event staff may be better prepared in case we get another storm like we saw at our July 4th celebration.
I was also interviewed by the News and Observer regarding the press release by the US Census Bureau naming Cary the 5th fastest growing city in the Nation. I spoke to the reporter for about ten minutes – they used one quote. Go figure….
I also spent a good amount of time on an opinion piece for the Cary News regarding the downtown streetscape project. There was a letter to the editor from a citizen in last week's paper that was not only critical of the project, but my support of the project in particular. But considering the citizen who wrote the letter also happens to be the father-in-law and campaign treasurer of my predecessor and former opponent Mr. Nels Roseland, I'm not surprised. I thought it best to not stoop to their level, but I did find it important to explain to folks exactly what the project is, and why it is needed.
Thursday morning I attended the United Space Alliance’s (USA) award presentation to Net Direct Systems. Net Direct Systems is a local provider to USA’s space program, who through their hard work and attention to detail were one of a handful of companies honored by USA this year. USA is NASA’s primary industry partner in human space relations, the space shuttle, and the international space station. USA also gave a very informative presentation on the shuttle program, space station, and the Ares program. The Ares will ultimately replace the current space shuttle in the future. Dick Covey, four time shuttle astronaut and CEO of USA was the featured speaker and spoke to his experiences as an astronaut and test pilot over the years. He actually flew on the shuttle mission that launched the Hubble Telescope, and the follow up mission which repaired it. I had never met an astronaut before so this was a real treat.
On Friday I met with town staff regarding the installation of a stormwater control device in a citizen’s yard due to the Maynard Road widening project. Staff will be investigating alternative best management practices that could possibly be utilized instead of the grassy swale (fancy word for a ditch). While appearance and loss of the use of the citizen’s yard is definitely a concern, I also worry about the public’s safety. This ditch is only a few feet from the sidewalk and drops about ten feet down.
Afterwards I met with the developer and representative of the proposed office development at Kilmayne and Maynard Road. I had met with concerned citizens the previous week and today I presented those concerns to the developer. The developer has promised to make the two office buildings that will be visible from Maynard residential in appearance, and has also agreed to make this a condition of the rezoning.
Well that's about it for this week. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday evening consisted of two meetings. The first was with a citizen regarding ambulance services in Cary, and possible changes that could be implemented to potentially improve response times and increase efficiency. I’ll be meeting with the town manager regarding these recommendations in the near future.
Afterwards I sat in on the animal issues task force meeting at town hall, and I am glad I did. It not only gave me the opportunity to catch up on what the group has accomplished thus far, but it was also a great opportunity to observe the group's membership and better understand where each individual is coming from. This is a very important issue and I wanted to learn more about the group’s work than what I will read in a final report. I was asked a couple of questions during the meeting for clarification, but I really didn't want to say too much as to not influence the group’s direction. A tip of the hat goes to Chairman David Forvendel. I was very impressed with his ability to keep the group on task while still allowing everyone ample opportunity to make their points.
Wednesday I was interviewed by UNC TV regarding instant runoff voting. It never ceases to amaze me how often it happens that when I’m up to my elbows in grease and sweat under the hood of a car, the TV media wants an interview. But what the heck – if they don’t care that I need a bath why should I? ;-)
After speaking with our town manager and staff earlier in the week I also received confirmation that the town will be developing a procedure to better alert guests at Koka Booth Amphitheater when a storm may be approaching so both guests and event staff may be better prepared in case we get another storm like we saw at our July 4th celebration.
I was also interviewed by the News and Observer regarding the press release by the US Census Bureau naming Cary the 5th fastest growing city in the Nation. I spoke to the reporter for about ten minutes – they used one quote. Go figure….
I also spent a good amount of time on an opinion piece for the Cary News regarding the downtown streetscape project. There was a letter to the editor from a citizen in last week's paper that was not only critical of the project, but my support of the project in particular. But considering the citizen who wrote the letter also happens to be the father-in-law and campaign treasurer of my predecessor and former opponent Mr. Nels Roseland, I'm not surprised. I thought it best to not stoop to their level, but I did find it important to explain to folks exactly what the project is, and why it is needed.
Thursday morning I attended the United Space Alliance’s (USA) award presentation to Net Direct Systems. Net Direct Systems is a local provider to USA’s space program, who through their hard work and attention to detail were one of a handful of companies honored by USA this year. USA is NASA’s primary industry partner in human space relations, the space shuttle, and the international space station. USA also gave a very informative presentation on the shuttle program, space station, and the Ares program. The Ares will ultimately replace the current space shuttle in the future. Dick Covey, four time shuttle astronaut and CEO of USA was the featured speaker and spoke to his experiences as an astronaut and test pilot over the years. He actually flew on the shuttle mission that launched the Hubble Telescope, and the follow up mission which repaired it. I had never met an astronaut before so this was a real treat.
On Friday I met with town staff regarding the installation of a stormwater control device in a citizen’s yard due to the Maynard Road widening project. Staff will be investigating alternative best management practices that could possibly be utilized instead of the grassy swale (fancy word for a ditch). While appearance and loss of the use of the citizen’s yard is definitely a concern, I also worry about the public’s safety. This ditch is only a few feet from the sidewalk and drops about ten feet down.
Afterwards I met with the developer and representative of the proposed office development at Kilmayne and Maynard Road. I had met with concerned citizens the previous week and today I presented those concerns to the developer. The developer has promised to make the two office buildings that will be visible from Maynard residential in appearance, and has also agreed to make this a condition of the rezoning.
Well that's about it for this week. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Week in Review 6/30/08 - 7/6/08
I apologize for not posting a week in review during the last couple of weeks. My schedule has been incredibly busy as of late. I'll try and do better. During the last couple of weeks the majority of council's time was spent on the budget process. Please see my blog entry regarding that topic for more information.
Monday evening I had the pleasure of attending Chamber of Commerce Night at the the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. Numerous area chambers were in attendance such as Cary, Apex, Durham, Holly Springs, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. It was a great opportunity to meet with and hear from area community leaders about the future of business in our region. Afterwards we were treated to an amazing baseball game between USA Baseball's collegiate team and Chinese Taipei. The highlight for me however was having the honor of throwing out the first pitch! And YES I made it to the catcher ;-) A little high and outside - but I got it there.
Tuesday evening I had two separate meetings with citizens to discuss issues that have arisen as a result of the Maynard Road widening project. They both have very valid concerns, and it is my hope that with a little extra effort by the town and some common sense these issues can be resolved soon.
Thursday evening I met with residents adjacent to the proposed development at Kilmayne and Maynard Road. They have concerns regarding the compatibility and change of character their residential neighborhood will experience as a result of this proposed office development. I expect to meet with town staff and the developer sometime this week to discuss.
Friday night my family attended the 4th of July celebration at Koka Booth Amphitheater.....what there was of it anyways. A very nasty storm moved in a little more than halfway through the North Carolina Symphony's performance and the remainder of the event and fireworks were postponed until Saturday night as a result.
I was disappointed that event staff gave no indication to the crowd that a bad storm was moving in until thunder and lightning was already on top of us. This resulted in a mass exodus of thousands of people all attempting to hurry to their vehicles in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. It is my hope that we can learn from this experience, and not make these same mistakes again. We chose not to attend Saturday night's performance.
I hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday. As Americans we are blessed to live in a free country that affords us liberties that folks in other countries will never know. Please remember to say a prayer for our troops who are serving both here and abroad. Let us never forget those who have paid the ultimate price for this great nation. Freedom isn't free.
Monday evening I had the pleasure of attending Chamber of Commerce Night at the the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. Numerous area chambers were in attendance such as Cary, Apex, Durham, Holly Springs, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. It was a great opportunity to meet with and hear from area community leaders about the future of business in our region. Afterwards we were treated to an amazing baseball game between USA Baseball's collegiate team and Chinese Taipei. The highlight for me however was having the honor of throwing out the first pitch! And YES I made it to the catcher ;-) A little high and outside - but I got it there.
Tuesday evening I had two separate meetings with citizens to discuss issues that have arisen as a result of the Maynard Road widening project. They both have very valid concerns, and it is my hope that with a little extra effort by the town and some common sense these issues can be resolved soon.
Thursday evening I met with residents adjacent to the proposed development at Kilmayne and Maynard Road. They have concerns regarding the compatibility and change of character their residential neighborhood will experience as a result of this proposed office development. I expect to meet with town staff and the developer sometime this week to discuss.
Friday night my family attended the 4th of July celebration at Koka Booth Amphitheater.....what there was of it anyways. A very nasty storm moved in a little more than halfway through the North Carolina Symphony's performance and the remainder of the event and fireworks were postponed until Saturday night as a result.
I was disappointed that event staff gave no indication to the crowd that a bad storm was moving in until thunder and lightning was already on top of us. This resulted in a mass exodus of thousands of people all attempting to hurry to their vehicles in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. It is my hope that we can learn from this experience, and not make these same mistakes again. We chose not to attend Saturday night's performance.
I hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday. As Americans we are blessed to live in a free country that affords us liberties that folks in other countries will never know. Please remember to say a prayer for our troops who are serving both here and abroad. Let us never forget those who have paid the ultimate price for this great nation. Freedom isn't free.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
FY2009 Budget
I’m thankful I have a lot of patience – it’s a result of having six children I’m sure. I don’t know I could have made it through this year’s budget process if I didn’t. ;-) Council needed a total of six – yes six – worksessions (including a couple at 7:00 in the morning) to comb through FY2009’s proposed budget and make adjustments/cuts that at least a majority of council could agree upon. Council “officially” approved the budget at Thursday night’s council meeting.
Some of the highlights of the FY 2009 adopted budget are:
A revenue neutral tax rate of 33 cents – the LOWEST tax rate of any municipality in Wake County.
$15 million for Cary Elementary renovations and conversion to the Cary Community Arts Center.
$35 million for the Downtown Cary Streetscape project.
$8 million for Cary Parkway road improvements (previously only half was funded).
4.5% operating budget increase – whittled down from staff recommended 7.8% ($4 million decrease).
$30 million worth of Downtown projects postponed including the Harrison Ave. Extension, Hwy 54 widening from Maynard to Maynard, and the Walker Street extension/tunnel.
One council member, who shall remain nameless, believes Cary is spending too much on downtown at one time – even after council removed over $30 million worth of capital improvement projects downtown from the FY2009 budget in an effort to trim the fat. Yours truly believes downtown is finally getting its fair share. For years Cary’s capital improvements and investments have focused on our new growth areas. In other words, the nice and new always went to the nice and new. How much exactly? Over the last ten years, Cary has spent $310 million on parks, recreation, or transportation projects throughout the town. Only $12 million of that amount was spent downtown. The folks who have dealt with the effects and impact of growth longer than anyone else are the ones who have benefited the least from it.
For years we have seen increased neighborhood decay, businesses pack up shop and leave, and crime rates steadily increase downtown. Continuing to ignore these issues would only lead to more of the same. A town with an unhealthy downtown – and I’m not saying that’s the case yet – is an unhealthy town. Cary’s investment in downtown will encourage significant private investment and a revitalization movement that will, over time, transform downtown into a destination place - a place folks will want to live, work, and play. Cary must invest in downtown, we can’t afford not to.
The streetscape project – In retrospect – was probably the wrong title to give this project. The name leads one to believe it’s solely a beautification effort. That simply isn’t the case. For example, this project spends millions on road improvements downtown. I am sure those of you who have visited downtown know just how bad of shape the roads are. It also spends millions on drainage and storm water control measures, traffic control measures, upgrading and relocating utilities, and increased lighting for greater public safety. Unfortunately the project does cost $35 million. If we could make the same improvements for less we would – but we can’t.
Cary has been planning these improvements since our adoption of the Town Center Area Plan (TCAP) back in 2001. Sentiments from folks I have heard from are that Cary has planned, planned, and planned enough. It is time to stop planning, and start doing.
The council member who voted against the budget also stated we should focus more on public private partnerships, incentives, or the economics of downtown redevelopment instead of investing in the streetscape project. Good points. However, a few months ago when I recommended council reduce or eliminate impact fees downtown to help provide economic assistance (like he recommends) for folks to redevelop – he said “NO”. I don’t get it. (actually, yes I do, and I think you do too)
In the end I believe we have a very good budget. Is it perfect? No. But a very wise person told me that if you can get a budget that everyone is 80% satisfied with, you have a good budget. That means everyone didn’t get everything they wanted, but that priorities were addressed, and folks got what was most important. I believe that to be the case with Cary’s FY09 budget. Just as folks have had to tighten their belts and adjust their budgets in an uncertain economy, Cary has done the same.
I am proud of the work that council did on this budget. I am very proud of our town staff as well. Town Manager Bill Coleman, Budget Director Scott Fogleman and his staff, and numerous other staff members all did a tremendous job responding to council’s concerns, and exceeded our expectations – at least six of us anyways.
Some of the highlights of the FY 2009 adopted budget are:
A revenue neutral tax rate of 33 cents – the LOWEST tax rate of any municipality in Wake County.
$15 million for Cary Elementary renovations and conversion to the Cary Community Arts Center.
$35 million for the Downtown Cary Streetscape project.
$8 million for Cary Parkway road improvements (previously only half was funded).
4.5% operating budget increase – whittled down from staff recommended 7.8% ($4 million decrease).
$30 million worth of Downtown projects postponed including the Harrison Ave. Extension, Hwy 54 widening from Maynard to Maynard, and the Walker Street extension/tunnel.
One council member, who shall remain nameless, believes Cary is spending too much on downtown at one time – even after council removed over $30 million worth of capital improvement projects downtown from the FY2009 budget in an effort to trim the fat. Yours truly believes downtown is finally getting its fair share. For years Cary’s capital improvements and investments have focused on our new growth areas. In other words, the nice and new always went to the nice and new. How much exactly? Over the last ten years, Cary has spent $310 million on parks, recreation, or transportation projects throughout the town. Only $12 million of that amount was spent downtown. The folks who have dealt with the effects and impact of growth longer than anyone else are the ones who have benefited the least from it.
For years we have seen increased neighborhood decay, businesses pack up shop and leave, and crime rates steadily increase downtown. Continuing to ignore these issues would only lead to more of the same. A town with an unhealthy downtown – and I’m not saying that’s the case yet – is an unhealthy town. Cary’s investment in downtown will encourage significant private investment and a revitalization movement that will, over time, transform downtown into a destination place - a place folks will want to live, work, and play. Cary must invest in downtown, we can’t afford not to.
The streetscape project – In retrospect – was probably the wrong title to give this project. The name leads one to believe it’s solely a beautification effort. That simply isn’t the case. For example, this project spends millions on road improvements downtown. I am sure those of you who have visited downtown know just how bad of shape the roads are. It also spends millions on drainage and storm water control measures, traffic control measures, upgrading and relocating utilities, and increased lighting for greater public safety. Unfortunately the project does cost $35 million. If we could make the same improvements for less we would – but we can’t.
Cary has been planning these improvements since our adoption of the Town Center Area Plan (TCAP) back in 2001. Sentiments from folks I have heard from are that Cary has planned, planned, and planned enough. It is time to stop planning, and start doing.
The council member who voted against the budget also stated we should focus more on public private partnerships, incentives, or the economics of downtown redevelopment instead of investing in the streetscape project. Good points. However, a few months ago when I recommended council reduce or eliminate impact fees downtown to help provide economic assistance (like he recommends) for folks to redevelop – he said “NO”. I don’t get it. (actually, yes I do, and I think you do too)
In the end I believe we have a very good budget. Is it perfect? No. But a very wise person told me that if you can get a budget that everyone is 80% satisfied with, you have a good budget. That means everyone didn’t get everything they wanted, but that priorities were addressed, and folks got what was most important. I believe that to be the case with Cary’s FY09 budget. Just as folks have had to tighten their belts and adjust their budgets in an uncertain economy, Cary has done the same.
I am proud of the work that council did on this budget. I am very proud of our town staff as well. Town Manager Bill Coleman, Budget Director Scott Fogleman and his staff, and numerous other staff members all did a tremendous job responding to council’s concerns, and exceeded our expectations – at least six of us anyways.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Give Me the Keys, I'll Drive!
On Friday, June 20th, 2008 President George W. Bush visited North Carolina for a fundraiser for Charlotte Mayor, and candidate for North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory. I had the honor and privilege of serving as a driver in President Bush's motorcade. I drove the staff support vehicle - fifth in line to the President's limousine.
When I first got the call offering me this opportunity, I thought it was a joke. I always assumed they had people for this. Well, as it turns out, the White House sometimes allows individuals associated with the organization or candidate the President is coming into town to visit the opportunity to participate in the motorcade as a "thank you".
I arrived at the airport, and after going through security checks and briefings from Secret Service we were tasked with organizing vehicle position so that once Air Force One landed, we could orderly and quickly fall in line behind the President's limousine. I must admit I became a little nervous watching secret service members - especially those on the tactical team - readying their weapons in preparation for the worst. The amount of firepower these folks have at their disposal is truly amazing however, and I am confident that anyone who attempted to cause us harm would quickly have a new home address....six feet underground.
Once the President was in his limousine, our motorcade began, and we didn't stop moving until we reached our destination in Raleigh. It was great to see all the folks who turned out to watch the President drive by, hoping for that slim chance to catch a glimpse of the man, or to just snap a photograph. Hundreds of folks cheered and waved American Flags, held up signs of support, and we even saw a few "Congratulations Jenna and Harry!" signs. Too cute.
Once we left the fundraiser, our motorcade did make an unscheduled stop. The President decided he wanted to visit with some of the folks who had gathered on the side of the road. Talk about excitement! You never saw so many reporters run so fast in your life! (they were in the rear of the motorcade LOL....) Secret Service immediately went into action and secured the area so Bush could spend a few minutes with these folks safely. It was a sight to see. Can you imagine the President of the United States not only driving through your neighborhood, but also stopping to say "hello"? How cool is that?!
After we arrived back at the airport, the President climbed the stairs back into Air Force One, turned and waved goodbye before stepping inside, and he was off.
This was one of the most exciting experiences of my life - something I will remember forever. Many Thanks to the McCrory campaign for giving me this incredible opportunity.
To see more pictures, please visit my facebook page.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
June 12, 2008 Council Meeting
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht was absent from our meeting Thursday evening due to a death in his family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
Mayor Pro Tem Julie Robison was tasked with running our council meeting, and I must say she did a great job. She even called me prior to our meeting just to check in and see if I had any concerns. I really appreciated that.
Cary received yet another award at our meeting – the 2008 Cary Chamber of Commerce Water Conservation Award. And while the town has been, and will continue to be a leader in the state regarding water conservation, it is really our citizens who deserve this award. It is through their sacrifices that we have been able to conserve as well as we have. Way to go Cary citizens!
One issue that received quite a bit of discussion was whether or not to construct a sidewalk on Rock Pointe Lane. Believe it or not this is a very complicated topic, and I will address this issue in greater detail with its own post.
Council also discussed whether or not we should join Climate Communities, a national advocacy organization seeking new federal resources (ie. millions of taxpayer dollars), tools and incentives to support local government action to combat climate change. I recommended the Town not join Climate Communities, and instead recommended we join ICLEI. ICLEI is an organization whose mission is build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments to advance reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability. In other words, ICLEI helps local communities become more environmentally friendly through changes in development and operational practices – things that Cary can actually do. I am glad my council colleagues felt the same as I, and believed this to be a good compromise. It passed unanimously.
Council also extended our sheltering agreement with the SPCA for another 90 days until we decide whether or not we will continue to stay with the SPCA, or switch to Wake County. We also agreed to form an ad-hoc advisory committee to help us study and make recommendations on developing a spay/neuter ordinance. Personally, I prefer coming up with incentives instead of legislation to encourage folks to spay/neuter their pets, but I believe the goal of addressing the animal overpopulation issue to be an admirable one. It is always better to be proactive instead of reactive.
One thing that has really surprised me is the amount of citizen interest in both of these issues. So much so that I have had to create a new folder on my computer just to store all of the emails and information I have received on this topic (over 100 different emails and documents). To put this in perspective, I have received a grand total of 5 emails regarding the town’s budget and tax rate. Seriously.
Council also “officially” created two new advisory boards – a new environmental advisory board, and a citizen issue review commission. Appointments for the environmental board were postponed however since council has not had enough time to interview all the applicants who received votes from members of council. There has also been a little heartburn regarding one of the Mayor’s selections, but I will wait and allow the process to run its course before I decide whether or not publicly addressing the issue is warranted.
That's it on the council meeting, thanks for reading!
Mayor Pro Tem Julie Robison was tasked with running our council meeting, and I must say she did a great job. She even called me prior to our meeting just to check in and see if I had any concerns. I really appreciated that.
Cary received yet another award at our meeting – the 2008 Cary Chamber of Commerce Water Conservation Award. And while the town has been, and will continue to be a leader in the state regarding water conservation, it is really our citizens who deserve this award. It is through their sacrifices that we have been able to conserve as well as we have. Way to go Cary citizens!
One issue that received quite a bit of discussion was whether or not to construct a sidewalk on Rock Pointe Lane. Believe it or not this is a very complicated topic, and I will address this issue in greater detail with its own post.
Council also discussed whether or not we should join Climate Communities, a national advocacy organization seeking new federal resources (ie. millions of taxpayer dollars), tools and incentives to support local government action to combat climate change. I recommended the Town not join Climate Communities, and instead recommended we join ICLEI. ICLEI is an organization whose mission is build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments to advance reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability. In other words, ICLEI helps local communities become more environmentally friendly through changes in development and operational practices – things that Cary can actually do. I am glad my council colleagues felt the same as I, and believed this to be a good compromise. It passed unanimously.
Council also extended our sheltering agreement with the SPCA for another 90 days until we decide whether or not we will continue to stay with the SPCA, or switch to Wake County. We also agreed to form an ad-hoc advisory committee to help us study and make recommendations on developing a spay/neuter ordinance. Personally, I prefer coming up with incentives instead of legislation to encourage folks to spay/neuter their pets, but I believe the goal of addressing the animal overpopulation issue to be an admirable one. It is always better to be proactive instead of reactive.
One thing that has really surprised me is the amount of citizen interest in both of these issues. So much so that I have had to create a new folder on my computer just to store all of the emails and information I have received on this topic (over 100 different emails and documents). To put this in perspective, I have received a grand total of 5 emails regarding the town’s budget and tax rate. Seriously.
Council also “officially” created two new advisory boards – a new environmental advisory board, and a citizen issue review commission. Appointments for the environmental board were postponed however since council has not had enough time to interview all the applicants who received votes from members of council. There has also been a little heartburn regarding one of the Mayor’s selections, but I will wait and allow the process to run its course before I decide whether or not publicly addressing the issue is warranted.
That's it on the council meeting, thanks for reading!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Week in Review 5/24/08 - 5/31/08
This week was a pretty light week as far as council responsibilities are concerned...not so light in regards to work and the "honey do list" however. ;-)
On Tuesday I met with Cary Police Chief Pat Bazemore and key members of the Cary Police Dept. to discuss gang related issues in Cary. I wanted to better understand this issue, and learn more about what Cary P.D. was doing to address this ever growing problem in our region. There isn't a whole lot I can say about what was actually discussed at this meeting due to security concerns - some gang member could be reading this blog on a stolen computer ya know ;-) What I can say however is that I left this meeting encouraged that Cary's finest are doing everything in their power to address this issue before it becomes the problem it is in communities such as Wilmington and Durham. It is always better to be proactive than reactive. Last year, of the 6793 crimes committed in Cary, 33 had some connection to gang activity - that is down 33% from the previous year. Obviously Cary P.D.'s initiatives are working.
Coincidentally, Cary released this press release this week regarding gangs.
On Wednesday I met with a group of citizens who were looking for more information on what Cary was working on in regards to the schools/reassignment issue. I spent a great deal of time explaining Cary's legislative agenda, at-large school board elections, and council's roundtable schools initiative.
Thursday evening was our council meeting. One of the highlights was a proclamation to former Cary Town Council member Marla Dorrel renaming Kids Together Park in her honor. Marla was very instrumental in bringing this park to reality back in 2000, and to this day continues to stay involved by her service as President of Kid's Together.
Public hearings were held regarding the proposed Land Development Ordinance (LDO) amendments and changes proposed to the Southwest Area Plan and the Conservation Residential Overlay District. We heard from a number of residents and property owners in the affected areas who were not happy to say the least. They were concerned the proposed changes would decrease the value of their property by reducing the amount of development that could occur. Council agreed with my recommendation to hold a worksession on the proposed changes before we make a final decision. We still have work to do on this one.
I was however very pleased with the proposed signage amendments relating to the downtown area. I swear I think someone is listening every now and then. ;-)
Council also voted to send the Green Level Stream Restoration and Greenway Project back to the Planning and Development Committee for further review - we still have work to do on this one also.
Well, unless ya'll want to hear about my exciting experience plumbing up a bathroom on Saturday - and I'm pretty sure you don't - then that's about it for now. Thanks for reading!
On Tuesday I met with Cary Police Chief Pat Bazemore and key members of the Cary Police Dept. to discuss gang related issues in Cary. I wanted to better understand this issue, and learn more about what Cary P.D. was doing to address this ever growing problem in our region. There isn't a whole lot I can say about what was actually discussed at this meeting due to security concerns - some gang member could be reading this blog on a stolen computer ya know ;-) What I can say however is that I left this meeting encouraged that Cary's finest are doing everything in their power to address this issue before it becomes the problem it is in communities such as Wilmington and Durham. It is always better to be proactive than reactive. Last year, of the 6793 crimes committed in Cary, 33 had some connection to gang activity - that is down 33% from the previous year. Obviously Cary P.D.'s initiatives are working.
Coincidentally, Cary released this press release this week regarding gangs.
On Wednesday I met with a group of citizens who were looking for more information on what Cary was working on in regards to the schools/reassignment issue. I spent a great deal of time explaining Cary's legislative agenda, at-large school board elections, and council's roundtable schools initiative.
Thursday evening was our council meeting. One of the highlights was a proclamation to former Cary Town Council member Marla Dorrel renaming Kids Together Park in her honor. Marla was very instrumental in bringing this park to reality back in 2000, and to this day continues to stay involved by her service as President of Kid's Together.
Public hearings were held regarding the proposed Land Development Ordinance (LDO) amendments and changes proposed to the Southwest Area Plan and the Conservation Residential Overlay District. We heard from a number of residents and property owners in the affected areas who were not happy to say the least. They were concerned the proposed changes would decrease the value of their property by reducing the amount of development that could occur. Council agreed with my recommendation to hold a worksession on the proposed changes before we make a final decision. We still have work to do on this one.
I was however very pleased with the proposed signage amendments relating to the downtown area. I swear I think someone is listening every now and then. ;-)
Council also voted to send the Green Level Stream Restoration and Greenway Project back to the Planning and Development Committee for further review - we still have work to do on this one also.
Well, unless ya'll want to hear about my exciting experience plumbing up a bathroom on Saturday - and I'm pretty sure you don't - then that's about it for now. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Memorial Day
As you all enjoy that extra day off from work this Monday, please take the time to not only thank and honor those veterans who may be a member of your family, a friend, or a neighbor, but also pray for, and honor those who you never met. Pray for their families. Pray for those who lost a mother or father, brother or sister. Pray for those who paid the ultimate price. Pray for our troops, and pray for peace.Freedom isn't free.
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived" -- General George Patton
Week in Review 5/19/08 - 5/23/08
On Tuesday I had a couple of meetings. The first was part 2 of council’s budget worksession process. Council finally agreed on 33 cents as our new revenue neutral tax rate (which it is). We also began discussions on proposed capital improvement projects such as roads, the downtown Cary streetscape project, Cary Elementary renovations, aquatics, and the performing arts center. We also discussed previous bond referendums approved by voters in years past, and the coming debt service associated with them. I'll have more to talk about regarding the budget after our next worksession I am sure.
My second meeting was with folks from the Cary YMCA. I was given a tour of their facility off of Cary Parkway, and got a chance to see first hand, and learn more about the Y’s programs for underprivileged and at-risk children. I was very impressed with their efforts to provide classes and programs to these children who otherwise would not have such an opportunity.
On Wednesday I attended a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for Hummingbird Creative Group – a successful small business who has relocated into a new facility near the Maynard and Harrison Ave. intersection. They also happen to be the recipients of the 2007 Cary Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award.
Wednesday evening Council member Gale Adcock and myself met with a group of citizens regarding the schools issue. The council will soon be meeting with elected officials from all Wake County municipalities (or at least those who choose to meet with us) to discuss school related issues. Before these meetings take place however, council wanted to create what we call a “white paper” (ya, I know, we’re creative) ;-) This white paper would consist of facts pertaining to issues of capacity, reassignment, growth, and funding. We wanted factual data prior to our meetings with other municipalities so there would be no emotional "opinion" - just the facts mam. Council members created a list of questions and submitted them to WCPSS (months ago) to answer. Unfortunately WCPSS has been unwilling to provide us with answers to our questions. Realizing hell would freeze over before WCPSS would assist us in this regard, we instead decided to enlist the assistance of citizens who have shown a keen interest in this issue, and have already done much research themselves. It was good meeting, and I look forward to seeing the results of their efforts.
Thursday and Friday were spent working (hey, I have to earn a living ya know) ;-), answering email, and reading through documents in preparation for next week’s meetings. Sunday is the Coca Cola 600 – woo hoo! I gotta date with friends and a margarita…or two. ;-)
Well that's it for now. Thanks for reading!
My second meeting was with folks from the Cary YMCA. I was given a tour of their facility off of Cary Parkway, and got a chance to see first hand, and learn more about the Y’s programs for underprivileged and at-risk children. I was very impressed with their efforts to provide classes and programs to these children who otherwise would not have such an opportunity.
On Wednesday I attended a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for Hummingbird Creative Group – a successful small business who has relocated into a new facility near the Maynard and Harrison Ave. intersection. They also happen to be the recipients of the 2007 Cary Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award.
Wednesday evening Council member Gale Adcock and myself met with a group of citizens regarding the schools issue. The council will soon be meeting with elected officials from all Wake County municipalities (or at least those who choose to meet with us) to discuss school related issues. Before these meetings take place however, council wanted to create what we call a “white paper” (ya, I know, we’re creative) ;-) This white paper would consist of facts pertaining to issues of capacity, reassignment, growth, and funding. We wanted factual data prior to our meetings with other municipalities so there would be no emotional "opinion" - just the facts mam. Council members created a list of questions and submitted them to WCPSS (months ago) to answer. Unfortunately WCPSS has been unwilling to provide us with answers to our questions. Realizing hell would freeze over before WCPSS would assist us in this regard, we instead decided to enlist the assistance of citizens who have shown a keen interest in this issue, and have already done much research themselves. It was good meeting, and I look forward to seeing the results of their efforts.
Thursday and Friday were spent working (hey, I have to earn a living ya know) ;-), answering email, and reading through documents in preparation for next week’s meetings. Sunday is the Coca Cola 600 – woo hoo! I gotta date with friends and a margarita…or two. ;-)
Well that's it for now. Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)