In response to an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the area, Mayor Harold Weinbrecht issued a mask mandate for all indoor spaces within Cary’s town limits, regardless of vaccination status. This move, effective August 18, aligns Cary more closely with neighboring municipalities and CDC guidance on masking to stop the spread of COVID-19. Masks were not required in outdoor settings.

After being closed to the public for more than 15 months, Cary welcomed citizens back to Town Hall with a new and safer citizen experience, complete with a centralized consolidated services desk in the atrium near Council Chambers. Known as The Hub, the new desk is the first stop for citizens looking to engage with the Town of Cary in person. It’s an extension of 311 and offers services previously provided at departmental service desks in Finance; Planning, Inspections, and Development Services; Transportation; Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources; Human Resources; and Administration. In concert with reopening Town Hall, select exterior doors were labeled for public use and hours of in-person operations for citizens were modified. Since reopening in July, Cary is seeing about 25 people visit Town Hall per day for various business needs, including package deliveries, payment processing, and meetings.

The Cary Town Hall roof replacement project wrapped up this quarter. This replacement comes with a 20-year warranty and leaves the roof solar ready. Cary’s next roof project will be the replacement of the roof at the Garmon Operations Center.

At its Sept. 23 meeting, Council appointed new members to Cary’s advisory boards, including
17 new volunteers and 11 returning members. A complete list of the appointments can be found at townofcary.org/2021CaryBoardRecs.

Officer Matt Berl and K9 Nitro are the newest additions to Cary’s K9 Unit. K9 Nitro is Cary’s first explosive detection capable police canine. He was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and was transferred to the United States by Orchard Knolls Kennels in Angier. Before Officer Berl and his K9 partner begin their patrols in the spring, they’ll spend three months learning how to work together as a K9 team. Upon completion of their training, Officer Berl and K9 Nitro will be able to sniff for explosive materials as well as track missing persons.

Cary’s Emergency 911 Communications Center renovation project is complete. This project added square footage and office space, upgraded lighting, sound-absorbing ceiling tiles, new flooring, and state-of-the-art console furniture. 

This quarter, Cary participated in a pilot project to study the air quality in its Fire Station 4, resulting in the station being the first in the world to earn the UL Verified Healthy Building distinction. UL conducted site visits and performance testing as well as reviewed related documentation to verify that the building air meets rigorous standards. UL introduced the program to meet the rapidly growing demand for buildings that prioritize occupant health and wellness. 

In August, Cary sent 13 members of its swift water rescue team to support search, rescue, and recovery efforts in Haywood County, N.C., following Tropical Storm Fred. Emergency Management deployments typically last approximately 72 hours, but the state extended the deployment to five days due to the widespread damage and destruction left behind from flooding and mudslides. The team focused on search and recovery efforts, working an average of 14 to 16 hours per day. 

After nearly a year of discussion under the guidance of Triangle J Council of Governments, Cary and area governments developed the Triangle Region Solid Waste Consortium. This quarter, members gathered for the first official meeting to begin formulating objectives and a work plan. The consortium will strategize on a regional approach to a variety of waste and recycling contracts, services, and program partnerships.

Cary utilizes up to 1 million gallons of reclaimed water each day during the summer. This environmentally friendly resource reduces discharges to streams, lessens the amount of drinking water used on lawns, and reduces the water production demand on the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility. The reclaimed water system is guided by a master plan, which is periodically updated to ensure that future infrastructure is aligned with current demand and growth forecasts. This summer, the latest update was completed to reflect revised reclaimed water demands as well as adjustments to the service area. This reclaimed master plan update is part of the larger vision for Cary’s water resource management planning, with updates to the water and wastewater master plans on the near horizon. The Reclaimed Water Distribution System Master Plan is available at carync.gov/ReclaimedWaterMasterPlan. 

In August, Cary released its 2020–2021 Annual Wastewater Report. The annual report is created to keep citizens and customers informed of programs related to the operation, maintenance, and performance of the wastewater collection and treatment systems. The report is also a regulatory requirement of Cary’s state-issued wastewater system operating permits. Cary is thrilled to once again report that there were no permit compliance violations at the water reclamation facilities, and of the 7.3 billion gallons of wastewater transported and treated for the year, only 2,245 gallons escaped the system from backups and overflows. This year was the lowest number and volume of sewer spilled in Cary’s recorded history. The report can be found at carync.gov/wastewaterreport.

In July, RIoT, the City of Raleigh, and Town of Cary, in partnership with US Ignite and Facebook Labs, hosted the final “RIoT Your Reality AR Challenge” pitch. RIoT stands for Regional Internet of Things and is a users group and technology organization based in Raleigh. As part of this challenge, five innovators, entrepreneurs, and companies over 16 weeks developed augmented reality, or AR, solutions to several questions, including “Using AR, how can we make our communities more inclusive and accessible?” and “How can AR help drive employee growth?” City of Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin and Cary Council member Lori Bush both gave speeches on innovation and AR to presenters, judges, and attendees. Demonstrations can be found here.