March 31 marked the end of Cary’s 30th annual curbside leaf collection program. Public Works completed town-wide sweeps in November, December, and January, finishing off the season with two months of collection by request at no charge. This year, Cary collected 8,400 tons of loose leaves, which was 600 tons more than last year.

For the first time, loose leaf collection schedules were available exclusively through Cary Collects online and the mobile app. Cary saved trees, as well as printing and postage costs by discontinuing the annually mailed schedule to its nearly 55,000 households. In the first 18 months of the Cary Collects app, citizens searched 70% of Cary addresses to access collection schedules. The community is exceeding all of the 147 medium-size, municipal ReCollect customers in the United States and Canada for this time period in terms of app usage. With 11,000 mobile app downloads, Cary Collects is rated an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars based on hundreds of reviews.

Project PHOENIX partnered with El Centro de Hispania on a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at El Centro in Raleigh to serve the 65 years and older Hispanic/Latinx community members in Wake County. In addition, Savanna Click, Cary’s community engagement coordinator, participated in a county-wide COVID-19 Hispanic/Latinx Workplace Response Task Force aimed at decreasing the effects of the virus on the population by educating people on the need for the vaccine, resources available, and preventative measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Need a copy of a police report? Citizens can now save themselves a trip or a call to the police department. A new feature allows users to conveniently research and obtain copies of police incident and accident reports by visiting Cary’s online Police to Citizen (P2C) portal at https://townofcary.policetocitizen.com.

In February, Fire personnel began assisting Wake County Public Health, Wake County Emergency Management, and area healthcare providers with a drive-thru COVID-19 mass vaccination site at PNC Arena. Although other Wake County fire departments also provided personnel, Cary shouldered a proportionately heavier load, consistently sending five or more employees to four events per week and earning rave reviews for reliability and quality work. Work included administering COVID-19 vaccinations and assisting citizens with scheduling their second vaccination. The site operates by appointment only and provides vaccinations to more than 1,000 people per day. 

Fire received its fifth accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) at a virtual commission hearing in January. A team of peer reviewers performed a virtual site visit in December, during which they verified and validated the department’s self-assessment manual, Community Risk Assessment: Standards of Cover, and strategic plan. CFAI accreditation is an international recognition of achievement that demonstrates to the community that the fire department continually self-assesses, looks for opportunities to improve, and is transparent and accountable through
third-party verification and validation. The Cary Fire Department was first accredited in 1999, and the accreditation cycle lasts five years.

The ongoing sewer rehabilitation program is steadily making headway on improving Cary’s sewer system infrastructure. The current phase of sewer rehabilitation is nearing completion with more than seven miles of cured-in-place pipe liner installed and more than 100 manholes rehabilitated. The modern technique of cured-in-place pipe liner used to rehabilitate the sewer system significantly reduces the amount of disruption compared to digging and replacing sewer lines. Cary’s proactive sewer cleaning and inspection program identifies needed improvements early to help avoid more disruptive and costly repairs. Cary’s next major sewer rehabilitation project will include rehabilitation of the Crabtree Creek sewer line located adjacent to Lake Crabtree and the Black Creek sewer line located along the Black Creek Greenway from West Dynasty Drive to the Old Reedy Creek Road Greenway Trailhead. 

Rehabilitation of the two-million-gallon Carpenter elevated water storage tank is substantially complete. The exterior and interior of the 20-year-old tank received fresh coats of paint with a new perimeter fence and entry gate added on the property. The interior of the tank will be cleaned, disinfected, and placed back into service in early spring, ready to serve the citizens of Cary and maintain reliable water service for another 20 years.

This quarter, Cary completed phase 3 and 4 of its annual water main replacement project. Water main replacement occurred along Pond Street, Rose Street, and Gordon Street in the Burtrose neighborhood, as well as Griffis Street in the Russell Hills neighborhood. The water mains in these areas previously experienced issues, such as water main breaks and leaks, due to age. The new water mains have an estimated service life of 100 years. The final phase of the annual project in the Walnut Hills neighborhood will be complete by the end of the fiscal year.

Cary installed and placed into service nearly a mile of water line along the Cary-Apex line. Designed, managed, and inspected by Cary staff, the water line closed a gap in the water distribution system on Holt Road, Howell Drive, Kenneth Ridge Court, Farm Pond Road and West High Street. The new water line increases resiliency in the water system by providing another large feed coming from the water treatment facility directly into the central pressure zone. Additionally, it is available to serve residents in the area that were without access to Cary water. One voluntary annexation request and numerous inquiries have been made as a direct result of the project.

This quarter, Cary completed the 2020 Asset Management Annual Report, which provides a dashboard view of the state of Cary’s water, wastewater, and reclaimed water infrastructure. The report identifies key performance targets, such as number of line breaks, sewer spills, and miles of pipe replaced. Those key performance indicators are used to help determine future maintenance needs of assets. The report can be found at bit.ly/CaryAssets2020.

The seeds of an urban forestry program were sown last year, but with the hiring of Cary’s first urban forestry manager this quarter, initiatives started to flower, and plans for a comprehensive urban forestry program began. Cary planted nearly 300 native trees across Dorothy, Heater, and Carpenter parks; the North Cary Water Reclamation Facility; and the Cary First Christian Church Cemetery. In addition, 300 more native trees took root in citizen yards through the inaugural My Tree, Our Tree Program. Tree preservation and species selection at the Downtown Park were also a focus this quarter, setting the stage for a diverse and tree-filled future park. 

This quarter, recruitment for Council’s newly-created Senior Advisory Board brought in applications from 49 interested individuals. The Senior Advisory Board will collaborate with staff to advise Council in the creation of an inclusive and connected environment to support senior services in Cary. Through advocacy, policy, planning, and engagement in emerging issues, members will serve to promote the advancement of a safe, inclusive, and diverse senior network.