The Fire Department entered into an agreement with Wake County to house its communications truck which can serve as a remote command post. The department’s responsibilities will include deploying the truck for both planned and emergency incidents. The truck will be an asset for the entire Town, as it can be used for Fire Department and Cary events as well.

Fire Station 9 is nearing completion and will be placed into service in winter 2020. This facility replaces the current Station 9, built in 1974. Relocating this station will help meet response time goals in the Crossroads/US 1 area. Station 9 is nearly 18,000 square feet and features a kitchen, day room, multipurpose room, office space and a three-bay apparatus bay on the first floor with dormitory space on the second floor. The multipurpose room will provide meeting space for all Cary staff and will also be equipped to serve as the Town’s Emergency Operations Center.

Now that construction is complete on the Raw Water Transmission Pipeline project, US 64 has been quieter between the Cary-Apex Water Treatment Facility and the Raw Water Pump Station at Jordan Lake. The six-mile, welded steel pipeline conveys sufficient raw water from the lake for treatment at the Water Treatment Facility to meet capacity needs well into the future. This is the third and final raw water transmission line in the water system.

In addition to capacity, the project increases the flexibility and resiliency of the water system through the addition of multiple new interconnects with the two existing raw water transmission lines. This allows for different flow configurations in case any portion of the pipelines needs to be taken out of service for repairs. It also provides an additional interconnection with Chatham County, which receives a portion of the water.

Working collaboratively with many stakeholders across two counties helped make this project successful. All businesses remained open during construction, and the line crossed the American Tobacco Trail twice with minimal impact to the public. The new pipeline started carrying flow ahead of schedule in spring 2019 with final construction and restoration of the easement area completed in October. 

The Good Hope Elevated Water Storage Tank and Pump Station were put into service in the fall. The two million gallon tank doubles the amount of storage in the Western Pressure Zone. Located near the corner of NC 55 and Good Hope Church Road, the tank is strategically positioned along the border of the Central Pressure Zone so that water can be moved between zones to supplement demand as needed. The piping, valves and pumps necessary to implement these transfers make the Good Hope Tank Cary’s most complex water storage tank. It also means that it is the most versatile, providing operational flexibility not found in most water systems.

With the Good Hope Tank complete, attention will now turn to the Carpenter Tank located a mile to the south. Constructed in 2002, its coating system is reaching the end of its useful life. Since the Good Hope Tank can currently satisfy the demands of the Western Pressure Zone on its own, the maintenance needs of the Carpenter Tank will be performed with no impact to citizens. Proactively addressing aging infrastructure reduces service disruptions, extends the life of assets and generates confidence in Cary’s ability to serve its citizens. Today, the water system has never been in a better position to meet water demand with total storage within the distribution system exceeding 13 million gallons. 

On December 20, the Police Department received a donation of 100 new teddy bears from Chaney’s Champions, a non-profit that was founded by the family of Chaney James Corcoran who passed away in 2016 at the age of 10 weeks. Chaney’s family was so moved by the care and compassion they were shown by the responding public safety agencies that they decided to honor his memory by donating teddy bears to first responders who subsequently give them to children who are witness to or are struggling with their own traumatic incident. Chaney’s Champions has partnered with law enforcement, fire departments and children’s hospice in North Carolina, Virginia and Michigan.

Leveraging the unique relationships that School Resource Officers (SROs) share with the students they work with every day, they partnered with student volunteers for Operation Blackjack. With blackjack being 21 and 21 being the legal age to purchase alcohol, Operation Blackjack is a campaign to remind businesses to check ID cards before selling alcohol. On December 20, 2019, high school student volunteers paired up with SRO’s and attempted to purchase alcohol from various establishments. Operation Blackjack tested 33 locations; only six clerks were cited for selling to minors.

On December 14, 2019, the Cary Police Department, with support from the Citizen’s Assisting Police (CAP) Team and several community partners, hosted its annual “Shop with a Cop” Winter Wonderland. Forty-one children from 19 families came together to celebrate the holidays. The families were greeted by Santa and Mrs. Claus on the candy cane path and then enjoyed a meal together. After dinner, families entered the Winter Wonderland where a keepsake photo with the Clauses was taken, and they were able to “shop” for gifts with officers. The night ended with a surprise of an additional $200 gift card and a bicycle for each child, all donated by Cary’s CAP Team.

In December, Wake County released the FY 2019 South Wake Landfill Partnership (SWLP) rebate. The Town receives two rebate payments per fiscal year, distributed based on tons of waste disposed. Cary received $611,000 for FY 2019.

The current tipping fee at the landfill is $32 per ton which includes the $2 per ton NC Solid Waste Disposal Tax. Fifty percent of this tax funds the Inactive Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund. Twelve percent goes to the General Fund, and the remaining 38 percent is distributed to cities and counties on a per capita basis. The State encourages local governments to use disposal tax proceeds for investing in recycling and waste reduction programs and services; therefore, these funds are not considered when calculating the net cost of disposal. Cary has always received 100 percent of this tax back, and sometimes more. Not including the tax, but accounting for the SWLP rebate, Cary paid an effective rate of $12.55 per ton of garbage taken to the landfill. As a comparison, the net cost to process recyclables at the material recovery facilities in FY 2019 averaged $46.34 per ton although the current fee is $73 per ton. Cary also paid an average of $25.41 per ton of yard waste and $17.92 per ton for loose leaves.

The South Wake Landfill has a current life expectancy of 20 years, or until 2040. Since it can take 15 to 20 years to site, permit and construct a landfill, it will be important for Wake County and its partners to develop and fund a sound solid waste disposal plan. Cary continues to be a leader in working with Wake County in initiating this conversation. 

State Water Conference

More than 1,500 water professionals from around the state gathered in November for the NC American Water Works and NC Water Environment Association Conference (NC AWWA/WEA) at the Raleigh Convention Center. The annual conference provides an opportunity to learn best practices, network with colleagues and share experiences with peers throughout the state. This year’s conference theme was “Game On — Moving Forward in the Water Game.” The annual conference also provides several opportunities for awards and honors among water service providers and staff throughout the state. The Town of Cary and staff brought home multiple awards.

• Large Water System of the Year
• Overall Water System of the Year
• Large Wastewater Collection System of the Year
• Water Distribution Operator of the Year – Davis Reynolds, Water Distribution System Operator
• Wastewater Collections Operator of the Year – Donald Smith, Wastewater Collection System Manager
• William D. Hatfield Award for career achievement – Damon Forney, Plant Manager, Western Wake Regional Water Reclamation Facility
• Wilbur E. Long Operator of the Year Award – Paul Ray, Plant Manager, North Cary Water Reclamation Facility

Police Re-accreditation 

On November 15, 2019, the Cary Police Department received its ninth consecutive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Awarded at CALEA’s annual conference, accreditation recognizes the police department’s commitment to meeting almost 400 standards for public safety professional excellence. CALEA first accredited the Cary Police Department in 1992.

PD Awards Ceremony

On December 3, the Police Department held a Promotion, Pinning, Oath and Awards Ceremony. The 21 new sworn and civilian employees were recognized, and the 20 sworn and civilian staff who were promoted were celebrated after receiving their Oath and Affirmation from Judge Reuben F. Young of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The touchpoint of the event was the honor and distinction detailed through the reading of nominations and the awards presented to both sworn and civilian staff for acts of Merit, Distinguished Service, and Lifesaving. The Police Department’s executive team was joined by Town Manager Sean Stegall, who served as the keynote speaker, Town Council members and other dignitaries, including Colonel Glenn McNeil of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Sergeant Frank Reidenbach, who served as a radio operator with the 4th Marines and fought during the Invasion of the Marshall Islands and the Battle of 
Iwo Jima.

Leadership Training

On December 3, 2019, Corporal Dustin Wright and Corporal John Maia completed the West Point Leadership Course through Methodist University. This course is adapted from the Military Leadership Course required of cadets at the United States Military Academy for use in non-military organizations. This academically-rigorous course relies heavily on case-based learning, examining and integrating leadership in organizations from four perspectives: the individual, the group, the leader and the organization.

On November 3, 2019, Sergeant Chris Redig graduated from the 85th Session of the Administrative Officers Management Program (AOMP) through North Carolina State University’s School of Public and International Affairs. Offered through NCSU’s nationally-accredited public administration program, AOMP is an intensive, 12-week academic program for law enforcement professionals. Participants enroll in five three-hour academic courses, each of which provide upper-level undergraduate or graduate credits. Courses are taught by faculty who hold the highest academic credentials in their field. The intensive course is a partnership that brings together the theoretical perspective of the faculty and the practical experience of police officers to produce effective public management techniques that are demanded in increasingly complex environments. With this partnership, the most up-to-date management and leadership research is placed into a law enforcement context. This “theory into practice” perspective gives participants the opportunity to make meaningful change in their organizations.

Local Government Fellow

Ashley Lategan, Senior Human Resources Manager, Total Employee Health, successfully completed the Leading for Results program at the UNC School of Government as a Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) Fellow. Ashley was one of 26 individuals selected to the program in a competitive process from among 150 NC applicants. Those chosen were identified as critical leaders who are committed to developing knowledge and skills to help both their organization and community. Ashley’s nomination emphasized her strengths in strategic thinking and communication along with her ability to turn thoughts into action through her passion for helping employees while developing relationships with cohorts. The program focuses on personal and organizational growth by introducing participants to models of leadership as well as management and leadership tools and strategies. Local Government Fellows gained insight into their individual leadership styles and strengths and practiced ways to increase their effectiveness within their organizations.

Fonteva Superhero

Congratulations to Luke Guthrie for winning the Fonteva Superhero award at the Fonteva Annual Conference in DC in recognition of his work on the development of the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources system. The Superhero award is presented to a Fonteva customer, or member of a customer team, who is just that — a superhero. This award recognizes the impact that the person has on their organization and well as the Fonteva platform. Luke was one of three recipients of this year’s award.

Hometown Hero Award

On December 10, 2019, Emergency Communications Supervisor Karen Smith received the Hometown Hero Award on behalf of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association (NCADA). This Hometown Hero Award Program recognizes first responders who go above and beyond the call of duty. Karen Smith was among 30 first responders in the state who received their recognition award from Governor Cooper.

Celebrate the Best

Hundreds of colleagues gathered at the Herb Young Community Center on December 4 to Celebrate the Best at a reimagined annual event that recognized all employees in a casual atmosphere of food and fun. Through a Town-wide effort, employees representing all departments contributed countless hours and extensive expertise to planning and rejuvenating the various aspects of this event: coordinating the Employee of the Year nomination and selection process; developing, planning and executing the program; communicating and marketing the event; coordinating, purchasing and distributing gifts and prizes; feeding hundreds of hungry employees; recruiting and overseeing volunteers; setting up the space; and overseeing technical details. Many dedicated and talented Town employees helped breathe new life into one of the Town’s most cherished traditions. 

Empower You

Before the holidays, 26 employees enjoyed a fun morning of networking that created a lot of conversation and inspiration. With themes centering around Connection, Communication and Confidence, the “Empower You” event was comprised of servant leaders who do great work every day across our organization but rarely take time out of their busy workdays for team building. Headlined by a keynote address from Paula Henderson, SAS Senior Vice President, US and Commercial Public Sector, the group expressed motivation to keep the vibe going in their work. Comments included, “It was inspiring to be noticed and valued as a TOC employee,”  “I was glad to have the opportunity to learn and share with my peers, and officially meet employees I didn’t know,” and “It confirmed my personal and professional goal to connect in an effort to grow together.” 

Taking care of employees is fundamental to our success, and various holistic health, benefits and well-being initiatives offered through Human Resources highlight this commitment.

In October, nearly 60 employees attended a pre-retirement seminar, learning and exploring options in group and individual sessions. This semi-annual event builds financial well-being by helping employees better understand when they may be eligible for retirement, their retirement benefits and retirement preparation strategies.

Partnering with WakeMed to host the annual on-site flu shot clinic supports the physical well-being of employees and their families, and nearly 25 percent of staff were inoculated at Town Hall, Public Works or one of the utility plants or fire stations.

To further support physical well-being, the Town’s Tobacco Cessation Program and Diabetes Awareness initiative attracted over 120 employees and led to a handful of employees engaging in health coaching.

The Town also realizes the importance of focusing on our employees’ mental and emotional well-being, and the first Self-Care Series help employees become self-aware and mindful through weekly meditation at Town Hall and Public Works along with seminars such as “Resiliency: Bouncing Back after a Setback,” “Mindfulness: Being ‘Present’ in your Work and Life” and “How to Manage Holiday Stress.” 

Safety

Employee safety is also paramount to our success, and the relaunch of the 23-member Safety Committee is helping support Cary’s safety culture and initiatives. By developing a collaborative mission to create a world-class safety vision, the committee is helping instill a behavioral mindset that enables employees to make safe decisions that protect their health and well-being.