Cary Town Council and

Morrisville Board of Commissioners
Joint Work Session
August 21, 2007
Page Walker Arts and History Center
119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC
5:45 p.m. (dinner) followed by meeting

1.       Call to order

Mayor of Cary, Ernie McAlister called the joint meeting of the Cary Town Council and Morrisville Board of Commissioners to order at 6:35 p.m.  Also present for the meeting from Cary were Mayor Pro-Tem Smith and Council Members Dorrel, Roseland, Robinson, and Portman.  Present staff included Ben Shivar/Assistant Town Manager, Sue Rowland/Town Clerk, Chris Simpson/Town Attorney, Susan Moran/Public Information Officer, Tim Bailey/Engineering Director, Jeff Ulma/Planning Director, Mary Henderson/Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Director and Scott Fogleman/Budget Director.  Council Member Julie Robison was absent.

Present from the Town of Morrisville were Mayor Faulkner, Mayor Pro-Tem Martin and Commissioners Carrow, Johnson, and Snyder, Murry and Lyons.  Present staff included Frank Gray/Town Attorney, John Whitson/Town Manager, Diana Davis/Town Clerk, Tim Gauss/Senior Director of Development Services, Julia Ketchum/Senior Director of Resource Management and Tony Chiotakis/Senior Director of Community Services.

2.       Discussion Topics

·         Road Improvements

Mayor McAlister stated that the main issue as heard from both Cary and Morrisville was road improvements, specifically Chapel Hill Road/Hwy 54.  The Town of Cary just completed improvements to a portion of this road near Maynard.  It may be a good starting point to get an update on Morrisville’s plans for Hwy 54.

Tim Gauss, Senior Director of Development Services stated that the current main focus was to expand the capacity of the Morrisville-Carpenter/Aviation and Hwy 54 Intersection.  Bond money would be utilized, which was passed by the voters in 2004.  The widening would improve east/west movements with an additional lane on Morrisville Carpenter Road and additional lanes on Hwy 54 for right turns and to reduce back-up congestion on Hwy 54. 

Mayor Faulkner stated that was identified as Morrisville’s number one bottleneck for the town.

Council Member Robinson asked how many lanes Morrisville Carpenter would be.

Mr. Gauss stated that there would be four lanes on Morrisville-Carpenter at that intersection.  There would be a dedicated left and right off of Morrisville Carpenter with 2 through lanes in both directions.

Mayor Faulkner stated that the through lanes were important to relieve the stacking.

Council Member Robinson asked about the amount of lanes from that intersection down to Davis.

Mr. Gauss stated that it would 4 – 5 lanes.  There were a few gaps, but most sections were five lanes.

John Whitson, Town Manager stated that the section in front of Progress Energy near Davis Drive would be widened.  The town was obtaining right-of-way from Progress Energy.  Progress Energy was considering development of an additional small structure on that site.  Part of that development would be a requirement to improve the road and there was $250,000 in Small Urban Project funds from the Department of Transportation (DOT).  When this was done, it would be 5 lanes from Davis to the Savannah subdivision.  Then there would be 2 small sections near the shopping center close to Hwy 54.  There needed to be culvert widening completed prior to DOT completing widening at that location.  There was no current value for a traffic signal as the road could not be widened at this moment.

Mayor McAlister asked about plans for the railroad tracks and asked about potential redevelopment site of the ANDRX site that would expand capacity towards Cary on Hwy 54.

Mayor Faulkner stated that there were 2 projects.  The first was related to the intersection improvements Mr. Gauss mentioned.  The crossbars would be reworked to accommodate the additional dedicated right turn off of Morrisville Carpenter onto Hwy 54.  The second project was a study of a grade separation. 

Mr. Gauss stated that the study included that intersection and some other crossings along Hwy 54.  This project was being coordinated with the railroad company and the Town of Cary.

Mr. Whitson stated that the study had not started yet.  North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) did approve some funding.  Morrisville was willing to approve some funding to help the study and there was a request to Cary to help fund that study.  The opening of I-540 changed the traffic on Hwy 54 considerably, which was reduced currently.  This would be a good time for construction before the traffic count went up again. 

Mayor Faulkner stated that the ANDRX site was a Mixed Use site that included some improvement along Hwy 54.

Mr. Gauss stated that the project was submitted to the Planning Department.  In Morrisville, staff worked with the applicant to bring the plan to a point where it was presentable to the Planning and Zoning Board and the Board of Commissioners.  This project was still being worked on and there was coordination with the Town of Cary that included a Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA). 

Mayor Faulkner asked about the minimum road improvements required.

Mr. Gauss stated that consultants were hired to evaluate the TIA.  Minimally, there would be an additional lane along Hwy 54, and a dedicated right turn into Cary Parkway.  There were further negotiations taking place.  One of the issues was the potential for a planted median on Cary Parkway.

Mr. Whitson stated that there was also discussion of a median on Hwy 54 as well.  The TIA indicated that they must have a connection on Morrisville Parkway, but they did not own land.  They were in the process of acquiring property.  The connection would be beneficial by providing multiples ways in and out.  Stormwater was also being worked on. 

Council Member Robinson asked about the envisioned cross section of NC 54.

Mr. Whitson stated that Morrisville was on a cusp.  The vision for the Transportation Plan and Land Use Plan was currently being updated.  The cross section on Hwy 54 would probably be 5 lanes.  NCRR controlled a lot of that area and would not permit improvements on one side which created an issue.  There was a water floodway near Crabtree Creek that would require the Army Core of Engineers, North Carolina Department of Environmental Resources to get involved.  In the concept sketch of the Town Center Plan there was a design of Hwy 54 split into 2 one way pairs for 3/4ths of a mile and then coming back together. If the grade separation was not done, this would provide more left turn queue onto Hwy 54.      

Council Member Roseland stated that the biggest challenge was from Maynard to the northwest and that was a tough cross section.  When Cary discussed road projects, widening Hwy 54 from Maynard to Maynard was discussed for the downtown.  Then it was discussed that congestion issues should be tackled first.  Some planning and design money had been set aside and there may be a way for Cary to coordinate efforts with Morrisville. 

Mayor McAlister stated that there has been discussion and there were sections that crossed through Morrisville where there were fewer lanes.  It was appropriate to look at together and allow free flow of traffic through the area.   The Morrisville staff mentioned a study currently underway.  He asked Morrisville to submit a request to Cary to participate in the study.

Council Member Robinson stated that she would like an update on Davis Drive north of McCrimmon and an update on Morrisville Parkway going westward and connected to Hwy 55.

Tim Bailey, Engineering Director stated that Morrisville Parkway westward was being worked on and permits had been obtained from the Corps of Engineers recently.  That Davis Drive section will be linked and continued past the new regional library.  A new rail crossing agreement was just approved to go all the way the Hwy 55 with an at-grade crossing.  There was also work being done with the functional alignment with the Corps to continue in a line with Green Level Church Road, which continued into Chatham County.  There was work on a new interchange and the I-540.  Davis Drive north was a project being done by NCDOT, Cary funded a southern portion.  It was a 4-5 lane road.  CC Mangum was the contractor and the project had about 18 more months to completion.

Council Member Robinson asked about the completion date for section of Morrisville Parkway near Louis Stephens to 55. 

Mr. Bailey stated that Morrisville Parkway should extend to Hwy 55 in about 2 years.  The bidding would be done in the next couple of months.  The construction duration would be long because of a 400 foot bridge above the wetlands just above Crabtree structure number 23, which was the lake at Carpenter Village. 

Council Member Portman stated that while Morrisville and Cary were reviewing transportation needs it should be considered where roads passed through both communities.  The roads could be prioritized and financing could be discussed, including the potential of loaning the money to DOT with the understanding that DOT would reimburse the money at a future date.

Mayor McAlister stated that a starting place would be identifying roadways that would be similar to the Hwy 55 project that would have that kind of positive impact.  Then a plan could be put together to work with the DOT plan.  A corridor that was funded on the State Transportation Improvement Plant (STIP) would have to be identified.

Commissioner Murry stated that when 2 municipalities join together on a single project it added points to the priority during Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) consideration.  There were several projects that were done like this during the last round of submittals to CAMPO, which was a step in the right direction.

Mayor Faulkner stated that this would be kept in mind during the new Morrisville Transportation Plan (TP).  However, there was not as much funding available for Morrisville as there was for Cary.

Mayor McAlister asked about any specific corridors.

Mr. Bailey gave Aviation Parkway and Hwy 54 as two examples.  As Aviation was worked on toward I-40 there was the opportunity to partner with the Airport Authority.  They have a different funding source from Aviation Funds available through DOT that may provide some opportunities.

Council Member Portman stated that prior to a transportation budget being developed, both municipalities should compare priorities and note the joint projects.  It may be that other municipalities could be included as well.  This would prevent funding projects that went to an area that narrowed down and bottlenecked.

Mayor Pro-Tem Martin asked Cary’s plans for Evans Road.

Council Member Roseland stated that was being widened from Maynard to Dynasty. 

Council Member Robinson stated that the Crabtree Crossing extension was contentious for some citizens of Cary who were concerned about that being a shortcut.

Mayor Faulkner stated it was still planned but not funded at this point.  There was a need for that connection for transportation and public safety.  The concern was understood but the connection was necessary.

Council Member Robinson asked if it was needed to alleviate traffic on Morrisville Carpenter.

Mayor Faulkner stated that the north/south connection was needed.  Hwy 54 was congested, as well as Davis Drive.  There were very few north/south connections.

Commissioner Snyder stated that the other issue was emergency response as there was consideration being given to relocation of Fire Station One because of the changes at the Morrisville Carpenter/Hwy 54 Intersection.

Mayor McAlister stated that he understood the need to take pressure off of Hwy 54, but it was a connection that some citizens did not like.

Council Member Robinson asked about potentially designing to encourage movement east and west onto Morrisville Parkway.

Mayor Faulkner stated that Morrisville was not that far into design on Crabtree Crossing.

Mr. Whitson stated that there was a design that went to bid and came in way over budget.  The focus was currently on the Morrisville Carpenter/Hwy 54 Intersection project which was a better improvement for the funds required.  It would be a while before funding of Crabtree Crossing could be considered.

Council Member Roseland stated that there were no funds coming. The funds were going to the rural western and eastern portion of the state.  The 2 highest priorities discussed were Hwy 54 and Aviation Parkway.  There were funds set aside for planning and design.  Staff could come up with some tangible options to have for the citizens.

Mayor McAlister stated that time frame was important.  Morrisville had mentioned work on their TP, but that seemed to be underway.  Cary was willing to assist, coordinate and be a part of that project.

Mr. Whitson stated that Morrisville was not active on design for Hwy 54.  The Board would be taking action on a policy that in summary the town would not spend money on state roads until it was on the STIP. Once on the STIP, the project would be taken to the voters for bond approval with a tax increase.  There was no capacity in the Long Range Financial Plan (LRFP) to finance the amount it would require to complete these types of projects. 

Council Member Robinson stated that once a project was on the STIP, a loan could be granted to NCDOT and then reimbursed by NCDOT at a future date.  Sometimes funds were spent on roads that would never be on the STIP.  Council Member Roseland’s suggested to jointly work on a design for Hwy 54 to get CAMPO to prioritize this on Hwy 54 would work.  Then there could be consideration for granting a loan versus spending citizens’ money. 

Mr. Whitson stated that was the purpose of this policy, to look for reimbursement from NCDOT.

Mayor Pro-Tem Smith stated that the congestion  was part of fueling the economic engine of Research Triangle Park (RTP).  This project would solve our congestion problem with pass-through traffic. He asked if Cary and Morrisville would get credits from CAMPO based on these multiple goals.

Mr. Whitson stated that the scoring system for CAMPO included congestion relief and regional impact which added points to a project.  Joint projects do end up with more points.

Council Member Robinson asked if RTP had a role in the CAMPO process.

Mr. Bailey confirmed that they did.  Cary has partnered with RTP and gotten their support.  All top priority projects in Cary were partnered with someone because the individual projects would probably not be considered.  However, none of Cary’s projects were funded in the last round and it would be 2 years until the next cycle.  Quick gains in road improvements were probably unlikely.

Council Member Roseland stated that Cary and Morrisville could have their own MPO and send joint letters to the house, senate and other local and federal officials to get their attention.  This could provide a different approach that was necessary. 

Mr. Whitson stated that Morrisville has made great strides recently in getting more attention in the CAMPO process.  Caution would be advised when doing anything that may harm that relationship, at least for Morrisville. 

Commissioner Murry stated that the Federal Highway Fund was broke and would probably not be able to offer any relief. 

Council Member Portman stated it would take forever to wait for NCDOT to fund these projects.

Mayor McAlister stated that the focus was on ways to work on the stretch of Hwy 54.  Staff can coordinate with each other and work on that.  Cary was trying to get past the issue of spending money improving from Maynard to Maynard when further down the road narrowed down and still created congestion.  It sounds like Morrisville was working on that and Cary was willing to help.  For the next 2 year cycle for the STIP, Cary and Morrisville should be prepared and working on that now.

Commissioner Murry stated that he was interested in Louis Stephens, which did not exist.  Adding new roads to a system should alleviate congestion on old roads.  It may be easier to build Louis Stephens versus 2 one way pairs.  Louis Stephens would be like another Davis Drive.

Mayor McAlister stated that Cary was trying to gauge the impact of that and expect a significant change, but the focus should still be on Hwy 54.

Mr. Bailey stated that Cary was building a section of Louis Stephens.  A $300,000 grant in small urban funds had been obtained from DOT.  It would be built on the existing alignment as much as permitted and would be a 2 lane road.  Cary was trying to make that connection and get under the bridge at I-540.

Council Member Robinson asked about the comparison to Davis Drive.

Mr. Bailey stated that it was a 4 lane median divided road north of Morrisville Parkway just like Davis Drive.  The southern section was a minor thoroughfare, which was a three lane section with bike lanes. 

Commissioner Murry stated that it seemed that the intersection of McCrimmon and Louis Stephens would be a significant intersection. 

Mayor Pro-Tem Martin asked about potential funds for the Evans Road extension.

Mayor Faulkner stated that was discussed during the last update to the TP.  The traffic may be able to be taken off of Hwy 54 by being routed around town on Evans where it stops at Aviation and continue through to McCrimmon, which would create a loop around the downtown area.  This may be part of staff’s consideration when prioritizing road projects.

Council Member Roseland stated it was parallel to I-40 and made sense.  The Evans Extension and Hwy 54 project together would be a good plan. 

Mayor Faulkner stated that would have to be considered.

Mayor McAlister stated that the other projects should still be considered but the hot spot was Hwy 54.

·         Utility Merger Issues

Mayor Faulkner stated that the utility merger went smoothly and staff should be complimented for their hard work.    

Commissioner Lyons stated that some citizens felt that commercial owners were getting a better deal price-wise than residential property owners.

Mr. Gauss stated that he would discuss development fees.  As the coordinator for Morrisville, Cary staff was excellent to work with and there was a smooth transition.  The area where there was continued discussion included certain commercial development projects that involved development fees.   For large commercial development over 300,000 square feet, the development fees were higher than what was charged in Morrisville. This was not an issue for smaller commercial development fees which carried the same price in Cary as was in Morrisville.  There have been some issues financially with prepaid fees and the affect on fees in Cary now.    

Karen Mills, Finance Officer stated that the merger process did not include a goal to change the rate structure.  There was a plan laid out to take Morrisville’s current rate structure and move it forward to the future to accommodate the goal to pay for the utility merger.  Staff worked out a method to get to that goal under Morrisville’s current rate structure.  There was no change to the relationship of residential and commercial through that merger.  That relationship existed prior to the merger.

Commissioner Lyons asked if Cary and Morrisville residents were paying the same utility rate.

Ms. Mills stated that Cary was like Morrisville in that there was a tiered rate structure for residential customers and a flat volume rate for commercial customers, based on an average rate cost to produce the water.  When setting rates, there needed to be a balance of administrative burden and customer management.   The key was helping customers understand the rate system and being able to implement it cost effectively.  It was not generally cost effective to have a tiered rate structure that was equitable for all commercial customers because they were so different.   It was typical to have a flat volume rate for commercial customers.  Whereas Morrisville residential customers could be treated in a similar manner with inclining rates that encouraged conservation. 

Council Member Roseland stated that it sounded like the rate set up was simple, but the impact fees for new development have gone up in terms of the starting costs.  Developing a tiered rate structure for commercial would not be practical.

Ms. Mills agreed and stated that there was one top tier that addressed irrigation needs and sent a strong conservation message.  It was practical to implement that one upper tier that addressed excessive usage.

Commissioner Murry asked if all debt increases were going to pay down Morrisville debt. 

Ms. Mills stated that development fees counted 100% towards the reduction of the merger cots.

Commissioner Murry asked when the next audit would be done.

Ms. Mills stated that the last audit only included April, May and June concurrent with the fiscal year and the date of the merger, April 1st.   The next fiscal year ended June 30^th.  Cary would go through a full audit and prepare a report by the end of October as required by the state.  A merger report would be prepared as well after that.  This was an economic look utilizing actual audited numbers.  This was also reviewed by the auditors.

Commissioner Murry stated that an analysis of where or what area the debt came from would be helpful.  This could help answer some of the equity type questions and ensure that the residential and commercial customers had a fair funding share of the debt. 

Ms. Mills stated that she would prepare further detail of what merger costs existed and what merger costs were predicted.  Each year costs were incurred and the debt was increasing at the same time it was being paid off. 

·         Regional Cooperation to assist in the development of school capacity

Mayor Faulkner stated that Cary had met with the Board of Education to address school capacity.  Morrisville was limited by the amount of land available, but there may be some way to assist.

Mayor McAlister stated that Board of Education (BOE) representatives attended the Council/Staff Retreat in March.  The challenge heard from the BOE was their challenge to identify and purchase new sites for schools.   There is an agenda item being considered that will address that issue by Cary purchasing and land banking school sites and the school system would purchase the sites when it was time for them to develop that school.  This is still under consideration.

Council Member Robinson stated that the item on the agenda deals with banking the land for community purposes.  It may or may not be for schools.  The purpose is to get land before it is all developed and the only parcels left are too small to do anything with.  The hope is that it will have an impact in the future in terms of school capacity, but it is not an immediate resolution. 

Commissioner Murry stated that part of the issue may be the way the schools were built as one story big buildings.

Mayor Pro-Tem Smith stated that the bigger problem was the rural model that does not work.  Schools historically work better smaller and being one of the larger systems in country was hard.  There was some frustration with the process and the thought was to help if possible with the land banking process.

Mayor Faulkner stated that Morrisville wanted to try to stay in a similar position with the BOE, but was landlocked and appreciated the feedback from Cary.

Council Member Roseland stated that after the rate of growth reported at the March retreat, something needed to be done.  The last bond approval for the schools provided 4 new schools.  The land banking provided a means for purchase when that was financially possible. 

Council Member Portman stated that it was important to know the demand for school seats and know the projected seats for the next several years.  Make requests from the BOE contacts.  Stay focused and ensure that capacity was identified for your community and children.

Jeff Ulma, Planning Director stated that as a planner he was also involved with school planners.  A school siting model was created with the help of NC State.  Alternative site design was being considered.  There was a new elementary school design in Cary that was 1 story in the front and 3 stories in the back.  They had issues to deal with as far as the age of students, safety and other issues.  They spent a lot of time discussing with planners the lack of cost benefits for flat schools versus taller schools by the time the support structure was designed; it did not save a lot of money for them to build up.  However, staff will continue to work with them as the sites become smaller and there is less land available.   

·         Border Development

Mayor McAlister stated that there were inquiries where sites were straddling both jurisdictions and the common question was if the site could be moved into one jurisdiction or the other and the common answer was that was not done. 

Mayor Faulkner stated that she received inquiries as well and there were developments that straddled the jurisdictional line.  The developers need to proceed and talk to planners.

·         Regional Recreational Partnerships

Mayor Faulkner stated that this item was a workshop item for discussion to possibly combine some of the fee structure so that Cary and Morrisville citizens could enjoy facilities and activities at the same rate.  This was also discussed with Apex.

Commissioner Carrow stated that this started when there were residents that went to facilities in Cary thinking that they were in Morrisville and ended up paying a higher fee as an out of town member.  There may be a way to have similar fee structures for facilities in Cary and Morrisville that were approximate with each other to avoid that problem and provide additional amenities to citizens.  In discussions, it expanded to include Apex as well. 

Council Member Roseland left the meeting at 7:48 p.m.

Mayor McAlister stated that Cary worked hard to get a higher cost recovery fee at their facilities.  It would be better if the Council understood how much fees came from our out of town members and residential members and the affect of ultimate cost recovery. 

Council Member Dorrel stated that it was an interesting concept.  Maybe there could be a Western Wake Express Pass that when purchased provided access to multiple facilities.  This takes effort and some initial money to start.

Commissioner Murry stated that maybe it would be best to consider some facilities and not all.

Mayor Pro-Tem Smith stated that he liked the concept of regional participation.  It was also important to consider what it provided to Cary who provided the initial investment and how to be fair.  There was the issue of rate concerning Cary residents versus non-Cary residents.  There has to be some way to do this and make it fair.  The area was growing and providing common recreational services was beneficial.   

Mayor McAlister stated that including Apex made sense.

Mr. Whitson stated he spoke with the Mayor of Apex, who was willing to discuss the issue further.  The fee structure review would be the first step.  The thought was not to give away priority status.  For instance, Cary’s residents would have first access to available spots but to have a common fee structure so that residents of the 3 towns would not have to pay a higher fee.   Staff has heard that for Cary residents sometimes the closest recreational facility was Morrisville and vice-versa.  They would have to wait and pay a higher fee.  It sounded fair to people to have to wait but be able to pay the same fee.  If the Council and Boards of the 2 or 3 towns would consider this, staff could launch a study to determine the economic impact on the budgets.  All towns rely on out of town members to pickup a share of the costs for the facilities.  But, it may be able to be done somehow and it should be left on the table as a viable option.

Council Member Portman stated that Council Member Dorrel’s thought was good.  The thought of regional sharing at a premium fee for those that want to use facilities outside their communities could be supported.  There was nothing wrong with individuals paying a higher fee to participate in programs in other communities where they do not pay taxes.  The thought of sharing the regional infrastructure was positive.  There was a responsibility to make sure that residents had access to things that they paid for.  The best plan would be for each municipality to consider a premium pass that was fair.

Mary Henderson, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Director stated that non-resident fees were set up to permit people that were outside of town to be able to participate.  When the programs started to fill, staff looked at the priority system so that residents could participate.  Another thought staff had was to look at the fees as a discount fee for Cary citizens.  The adult sports leagues were the heaviest in non-resident member participation and the youth leagues were much lower in the non-resident participation.  These numbers can be reviewed.

Council Member Dorrel stated that initial view needed to consider what facilities and programs were in common and had a lot of municipal cross-over.  A situation needed to be set up so that the citizens of Cary felt that they were getting a benefit and it worked in both directions.  It should start with certain programs and facilities that had a good mix.  This was a short term view.  It was exciting to undertake a regional approach; to start planning new facilities and programs together, especially for more specialized facilities.  One example would be a dog park.  Maybe the next one could be in Morrisville.  Maybe there could be a ten year plan to eventually change the structure of planning together.

·         Connectivity between the greenway systems

Ms. Henderson stated that there was a meeting to discuss greenways between Apex, Morrisville Holly Springs and Cary.  There was discussion as to where we should be connecting greenways to make a regional system.  Standards were reviewed to see if they were different or the same or how rules and regulations would be maintained.  It was more than just connectivity.  The meetings were planned to continue to take place.   

Mayor McAlister stated that connectivity of greenways was already occurring.

·         Benefits of possible shared or coordinated services

Mayor McAlister asked if there were any particular services in mind.

Council Member Dorrel asked if Morrisville was going to utilize the C-Tran.

Mr. Whitson stated that avenue had been explored the two years ago, right before Cary changed the way that program was managed from routing to point to point.  At the time, the money to invest was not economical and subsequently the County let Morrisville join their TRACS system for a small fee.  It was a point to point program that was managed through Human Services.  So far there was good service and there was no call for the C-Tran service.  Prior to that that there were some requests for public transportation, but it seemed that the need had been filled. 

Council Member Dorrel asked if the riders were senior or disabled.

Mr. Whitson stated that there had not been data from the County as to the ridership.  The information available was how many and the frequency. 

Council Member Dorrel asked if the access was available for general public.

Mr. Whitson stated that it was used for citizens to go to work and for other reasons as well and could be booked up to 30 days in advance.

Commissioner  Johnson stated that the first request was from seniors and disabled persons seeking transportation and now it served many others.

·         Adjournment

Mayor McAlister stated that this meeting was beneficial and it was good to know that some of the items on the agenda were being taken care of. 

Mayor Faulkner stated that she appreciated Cary hosting this event.  She added that the intention of this meeting should clearly be stated as a discussion of things that could be worked on together but not to merge.  This should be clearly stated because a citizen had stated during public comments that there was concern among the citizens about this issue.

Mayor McAlister adjourned the meeting at 8:04 p.m.