Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, each quarter has posed a unique set of challenges. This included closing Town facilities, maintaining service levels while social distancing, and creating protocols to keep our employees and citizens safe as we reopened. With the majority of our organization and community vaccinated, the second quarter of FY 2022 was a balancing act — trying to find some semblance of normalcy without getting too comfortable in the face of another COVID-19 variant. Yet again, we’ve been faced with the unknown, and yet again, we’ve pivoted and learned. 

This quarter marked the return of many of our annual holiday events, such as Diwali, Hanukkah, Veterans Day, and the Chinese Lantern Festival, which was on track for a record-breaking year. We received several accolades and employee awards, including once again being recognized for our top-tier water distribution and wastewater collection systems. 

One of our biggest achievements this quarter was the Council adoption of the Cary Housing Plan, a comprehensive document that will guide us in meeting the diverse housing needs of residents over the next decade. In addition, following the launch of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office over the summer, we connected our Council, staff, and citizens via a DEI Mixer, which will be followed by the creation of a community-based Human Relations, Inclusion, and Diversity Task Force.

In its effort to maintain a cost-effective and sustainable fleet, the Cary Police Department added two all-electric Tesla Model Y long-range patrol vehicles. This will reduce Cary’s fuel consumption and save the Town $4,000 over the life of each vehicle. Finally, Cary’s fire apparatus will now experience guaranteed green lights en route to emergency response locations thanks to our Connected Vehicles Project. 

We look forward to providing an update on our branding effort, as well as other financial, capital project, development, and environmental updates at our next Quarterly Meeting on February 10 at the Courtyard Marriott in Parkside Town Commons.

#BeSafe 
#BeKind 
#BeCary 

Sean R. Stegall
Town Manager