On Aug. 24, the School Resource Officer Team unveiled five new vehicles with custom designs ahead of the 2022–2023 school year. For this staff-initiated project, officers created specific SRO vehicle graphic designs with their respective schools‘ colors and mascots integrated into the Cary Police graphics. These designs strengthen the bond with students and faculty and show off school spirit. 

Congratulations to Police Officer Andrew Reuther and Fire Engineer Tyler Riva, recipients of the American Legion Post 67 Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year awards. Reuther was recognized for his lifesaving efforts for an individual suffering from multiple stab wounds. Riva, a Marine Corps veteran, was honored for going above and beyond in his pursuit of education and training and for his service on the swift water rescue team during a 2021 deployment. In addition, Wake County EMS District Chief Marion Houle was selected by his peers for the chapter’s EMT of the Year award in honor of 30 years of dedicated service. 

Also this quarter, N.C. Department of Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey presented SAVE Awards to 15 Cary firefighters who went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue citizens at an apartment fire in March. Those firefighters were Battalion Chief Tracy Williams, Battalion Chief Lee Wilson, Captain Thomas Page, Captain Zane Franks, Captain Will Vick, Captain Richard Moore, Justin (Lee) Holland, Johnathon (Brent) Holland, Christopher Newell, Christopher Weier, Kevin Moody, Daniel Havens, Ricardo Rojas, Brian Lupo, and Carlos Mendez-Perez. Causey also bestowed the Commissioner’s Award on the fire department in honor of its 100-year anniversary.

This summer, Cary saw steady water production for a routine warm season. The peak day production at the Cary Apex Water Treatment Facility occurred on Aug. 10 with 31.02 million gallons treated in a single day. This was comparable to last year‘s peak day of 30.2 million gallons yet also marks a milestone as the first time CAWTF surpassed 31 million gallons per day. Thanks to proactive long-range planning, these peak day values represent only about 55% of the CAWTF‘s 56 million gallon per day treatment capacity.

Every August, Cary’s Annual Wastewater Report is released electronically to citizens and wastewater utility customers. The report provides information on programs related to the operation, maintenance, and performance of the wastewater collection and treatment systems. Consistent with past years, Cary is thrilled to report that there were no compliance violations at Cary‘s water reclamation facilities. Overall, more than 6.9 billion gallons of wastewater were transported and treated, with only a small fraction (14,673 gallons) that escaped the system from backups and overflows, a real testament to top-quality operations, maintenance, and design of Cary‘s wastewater collection system. Visit townofcary.org/wastewaterreport for the full report.

In late July, sewer rehabilitation began along the Black Creek Greenway between West Dynasty Drive and North Cary Park. To ensure everyone‘s safety, this section of the Black Creek trail is closed and a signed detour is in place to direct greenway traffic around the work zone. Sewer rehabilitation is being accomplished via the installation of a cured-in-place pipe. This trenchless method of upgrading sewer mains will provide an additional 50 years of life to the existing line. The greenway will reopen in this area by early winter, and the next phase of sewer rehabilitation will start between North Cary Park and the Crabtree Creek Greenway. Up-to-date information about the project, greenway closures, and detour routes can be found at carygreenwaydetour.com.

It’s official! The solar facility at the South Cary Water Reclamation Facility is operating under Cary’s ownership. This quarter, Cary entered into several agreements that allow Cary to send power to Duke Energy’s electric grid, establish rates Duke Energy will pay Cary for power generated, and provide for facility maintenance and operations support from Cypress Creek Renewables. Based on historical production, the facility is expected to generate approximately $176,000 in revenue the first year. This facility acquisition and operation support Cary’s commitment to sustainable energy practices.

In response to citizen feedback and increasing use and volume of collections, especially on weekends, Cary expanded its food waste collection capacity at the Citizen’s Convenience Center by 50%. At more than 51,000 pounds of food waste collected, Cary exceeded the estimated collection tonnage for the pilot year by two tons. This quarter, Cary also joined Toward Zero Waste to share more about this pilot statewide at a variety of meetings and webinars. 

Cary celebrated its agricultural legacy and grew regional food security through a variety of programs and events this quarter. September’s Harvest Fest and the Farm to Fork Dinner attracted more than 650 guests to Good Hope Farm for tours, education, and farm-fresh food. Participants enjoyed learning firsthand how Cary’s commitment to pollinators, soil health, composting, and other conservation methods contribute to a thriving and robust local food system. For example, summer produce sales from Good Hope Farm’s community-supported agriculture program provided 25 families with eight weeks of produce and generated $6,080 in revenue for Cary farmers. Cary donated an additional 685 pounds of farm produce to Dorcas Ministries for families experiencing food insecurity. This was nearly twice the amount of food given in 2021, and it does not include the 70 pounds of produce donated from fire station gardens between July and September.

To support Cary’s continued economic vitality and environmental protection, Council approved updates to all stormwater-related policies that predated the Imagine Cary Community Plan and needed changes to align with adaptive stormwater goals. Council deleted Policy 73, Impoundment Maintenance of Swift Creek Watershed, because it was obsolete. Council approved the revision of Policies 66 and 72 to match the current grading permit process. The improved Policy 106 clarifies and outlines Cary’s framework for stormwater control measure maintenance expenditures and reimbursements. Policy 35 consolidated the previous Policy 35 and 146 to be consistent with Council’s adaptive stormwater vision. It improves Cary’s ability to consider stormwater drainage improvement projects on private and public property that best serve the community’s needs. Collectively, these policy updates remove barriers and advance creative and collaborative approaches to stormwater management.