RESPONSIBILITIES OF TOWN GOVERNMENT BY DEPARTMENT
The
Legislative Department includes the Legislative Division, the Town Clerk
Division, and the Legal Division.
1. The Legislative Division consists of
the Town Council, which is comprised of the Mayor and six Council Members, and
is selected by the registered voters of
2. Town Clerk Division is responsible
for giving notice of Town Council meetings, preparing the Council agenda,
recording Council proceedings, serving as custodian of all permanent Town
records, keeping the Town Seal, attesting all Town documents, updating the Town
Code, keeping records of appointments and terms of the various Boards and
Commissions, and handling the sale of lots at Hillcrest Cemetery. The Town Clerk is appointed by and reports
directly to the Town Council. The Town
Clerk Division also includes one full-time Deputy Town Clerk and one full-time Administrative
Secretary II.
3. Legal Division - The Office of the
Town Attorney provides legal advice and representation to the Mayor, Town
Council, and other Town officials and employees on a broad range of
issues. The Town Attorney represents the
Town in litigation filed by or against it, and provides legal opinions to the
Town Council. All ordinances are drafted
or reviewed by the Legal Division. The
Legal Division drafts or reviews all contracts, leases, deeds, franchises,
bonds, and other legal documents to which the Town is a party. The Town Attorney is also involved in the
selection and management of outside counsel who represent the Town, its
officials, and employees on Town-related matters.
The Town Attorney is appointed by and
reports to the Town Council. The Legal
Department also includes one full-time Assistant Town Attorney and one
full-time Legal Assistant.
The Legal Department only represents the
Town of
The
Administration Department includes the Town Manager’s Office, the Public
Information Office
and the Budget Office.
1.
The Town Manager’s Office includes the Town
Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Assistant
to the Town Manager and Administrative Assistant and is responsible for
implementing the Council’s policy decisions.
The Town Manager is appointed by the Town Council and is responsible for
the performance of all Town departments, as well as responding to citizen
requests and concerns.
2.
The Public Information Office develops and
executes a comprehensive communication program consistent with the
organization’s mission and goals and is designed to increase citizen awareness and
involvement in their local government.
Responsibilities include overseeing the Town’s government access channel
(CARY TV), the utility bill insert (BUD), web site content (www.townofcary.org),
media relations, advertising, and research.
The office also oversees negotiation of the cable television franchise
agreement and service regulation.
3.
The Budget Office is responsible for the
planning, development, execution, and evaluation of the Operating and Capital
Improvements Budgets and the Capital Improvements Plan. Other responsibilities include long-term
financial planning, preparing material for the Council/Staff Retreat,
publishing budget documents, and handling special projects. Special projects include the statewide Performance
Measurement Project, internal performance measurement/benchmarking projects,
operational analyses, and policy research and recommendations.
FINANCE
DEPARTMENT
The Finance Department is composed of three divisions: Accounting, Purchasing, and Utility Customer
Accounting.
1.
The purpose of the Accounting Division is to
administer the financial affairs of the Town.
This encompasses cash management, debt management, grants management, maintaining
accounting and financial records, invoicing all non-utility billed revenues,
managing delinquent collections, bi-weekly payroll management, accounts
payable, preparing the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, assessment of
internal control systems and performing special projects in financial analysis
such as monthly statistical reporting, cash flow projections, etc.
2.
The Purchasing and Warehouse Operations Division
provides centralized purchasing services for all the
departments of Town government. It is
located at the Town's
3. The Utility Customer Accounting Division
is responsible for reading water meters, turning water meters on and off,
billing over 48,000 customers per month for water, sewer, solid waste and other
miscellaneous Town services, receiving and posting of payments for utility
bills, Wake County Taxes and other miscellaneous revenues, and providing
customer service. This function is
accounted for in the Utility Fund.
The Technology Services Department (TS)
consists of the Technology Services function, the Geographic Information
Services function, and the telephone and radio systems function. TS provides installation and support for
three AS/400 minicomputers, a microcomputer network, geographic information
services, emergency radio system, phone system, paging system, voice mail,
electronic mail and the Town’s site on the World Wide Web
(www.townofcary.org). In addition, TS
provides training for all technology-related areas and develops strategic plans
to ensure that current technology is provided to Town Council, staff and
citizens.
The Human Resources Department ensures that
the Town is staffed with capable and motivated employees who can provide the
highest level of service to the citizens of
The mission of the Cary Police Department is
to protect life and property through community partnerships and the provision
of the highest level of quality professional services. The police department exists to ensure the
safety and well being of the community, its citizens, and visitors. The department accomplishes its mission by
focusing on education, prevention, investigation, and enforcement. Major components of the department include
Field Operations, Investigations, Support Services, and Professional
Standards. The department also provides
animal control, school resource, and emergency communications service for the
town and its citizens. The police
department’s community oriented problem solving philosophy is enhanced by
innovative methods, processes, and personnel. The Cary Police Department has
been internationally accredited since 1992 and contributes greatly to
The primary mission of the Fire Department
is to protect
The Engineering Department provides or
coordinates design, project management and construction administration services
for a majority of the Town’s capital improvements projects, including streets,
sidewalks, traffic signals, water distribution system projects, sanitary sewer
collection system projects, treatment plants, parking lots, buildings and
parks. Engineering also conducts studies
to address community issues related to public infrastructure problems such as
flooding, sight distance, traffic signal studies, and roadway safety, as well
as managing the new fiber optic traffic system.
Engineering is also involved in development activities including
planning for water, sanitary sewer, transportation, and stormwater
systems.
The Planning
Department handles a wide variety of long-range and day-to-day land use
planning and development functions.
Examples of long-range policy activities include preparation and
maintenance of the comprehensive plan related to land use, transportation,
affordable housing, and open space issues; managing affordable housing and
transit programs; maintaining statistics and maps; and coordinating with other
departments, agencies, and units of government.
Current planning responsibilities include processing of rezoning and
planned development district (PDD) applications; coordination of variance,
appeal, and interpretation cases; reviewing subdivision plans and site plans
for conformance with Town regulations; and maintaining, administering, and
enforcing the zoning code. The Planning
department also provides staff support to the Board of Adjustment, the Planning
and Zoning Board, and special citizen committees.
The Inspections and Permits Department is
responsible for the enforcement of State and local laws related to the
construction of buildings and other structures; the installation of such
facilities as plumbing systems, electrical systems, heating systems,
refrigeration systems, and air conditioning systems; the maintenance of buildings
and other structures in a safe, sanitary, and healthy condition; street
addressing, and other related matters specified by the Town Council.
Duties of the department include processing
applications for permits, collecting development related fees, conducting
inspections, issuing certificates of compliance, issuing orders to correct
violations, bringing judicial action against actual or threatened violations, and any other actions required
to adequately enforce State and local laws.
The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Department (PRCR) consists of four divisions. The
primary mission of the department is to serve, educate and enhance the quality
of life for
1.
The Administration Division is responsible
for the acquisition of land and the design and development of a system of
parks, greenways, recreation facilities, and open space areas. In addition, the division is responsible for
public information and marketing, national accreditation, customer service and
staff training, grant writing, volunteer development and recognition,
coordination of citizen boards and committees, program evaluation and analysis,
and other support functions.
2.
The Recreation Programs Division provides a wide
range of recreational programs for adults, children, and senior adults
including dance, exercise, adventure, trips, confidence building, social
interaction, camps, as well as programs in ecology, environmental stewardship,
preservation, and nature appreciation for adults and youth. In addition, the division provides Town
citizens with the opportunity to rent facilities for group functions, such as
picnics, meetings, and other social occasions.
Programs and rentals are offered at Bond Park, Hemlock Bluffs Nature
Preserve,
3.
The Cultural Resources Division offers a
wide-ranging schedule of classes in dance, visual arts, music, theatre,
history, architecture, film and videography and
international cuisine to enrich the lives of Town citizens. Division staff also provides communication,
coordination, and support for Town cultural groups. In addition, special events such as Lazy Daze
and Spring Daze, the Holiday Tree Lighting, Fourth of July celebration, and
events at the Sertoma Amphitheatre are managed by
this division to provide an opportunity for Town citizens to come together as a
community to experience artistic excellence.
Applause! Cary Youth Theatre provides opportunities for area youth to
participate in two theatrical productions each year. The Town public art program is administered
through the division as well as coordination of Town exhibitions. The division also has responsibilities in
administering the Town’s Public Art Master Plan. The division oversees the operation of the
Page-Walker Arts and
4.
The Athletics Division is responsible for
planning, implementing and supervising diverse youth and adult programs and
special events. Programs and camps are
offered in basketball, softball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, cross
country and golf. The division is also
host to various special events such as the Cary Road Race as well as local,
state and national level soccer, tennis, baseball and softball
tournaments. The Town manages several
signature parks including the Cary Tennis Park (a 30-court full service tennis
facility providing instruction, camps, clinics, tournaments and league play),
SAS Soccer Park (a 150 acre
facility which includes a nationally recognized cross country
course, 6 multi-purpose soccer fields and a 7,000 seat stadium home to the Carolina
Railhawks, a United Soccer League expansion team). The
USA Baseball National Training Facility at Thomas Brooks Park opened in June
2007. It includes 4 full size baseball
fields including a stadium field to complement the current 4 field
softball/baseball complex at the park.
The Public Works and Utilities Department is
divided into two major components that are funded through the General and
Utility funds. The General Fund portion
of the Public Works and Utilities Department is composed of six divisions with
the responsibilities listed below:
1.
The Administration Division provides
telephone customer service information for all departmental functions that
directly impact
2.
The Facilities Management Division provides
building maintenance for all Town facilities; landscape installations and
maintenance of Town parks, facilities, and medians; and landscaping, litter
control, and street sweeping along Town thoroughfares. Other responsibilities include leaf and
Christmas tree removal, code enforcement for safety issues along sidewalks and
intersections, oversight of
3.
The Operations Division is responsible for
wastewater collection systems and maintenance, which includes sewer line
cleaning, easement maintenance, and technical support. In addition, the division is responsible for
water distribution systems including installing, replacing and maintaining
water-metering devices, performing preventive and ongoing maintenance of water
hydrants, and detecting line leaks in the water lines. The division locates water, sewer and
reclaimed water system lines and appurtenances as well. They are also responsible for general
maintenance and repair of Town-maintained streets and associated storm drainage
structures, traffic signals, snow and ice removal, and inclement weather debris
removal.
4.
The Solid Waste Management Division provides
curbside household garbage collection services on a weekly basis to households
and small businesses. The division is
also responsible for the collection of recyclables, yard waste, used large
appliances and dead animals; chipping limbs; emptying downtown litter
containers; the processing and disposal of debris resulting from inclement
weather; and, the operation of the
5.
The Fleet Management Division is responsible
for the repair and maintenance of all Town vehicles and equipment.
Additionally, the division coordinates planned preventive maintenance of all vehicles,
provides vehicle and equipment replacement planning for Town departments, and
provides fuel for Town vehicles and equipment.
The division is accounted for in a separate internal service fund, and
services, parts, and fuel are charged back to user departments.
UTILITY FUND PORTION OF PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
The Utility Fund portion of the Public Works and
Utilities Department includes the following functions:
1.
The Water Conservation Division is
responsible for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating water conservation
programs focused on peak reduction.
Programs also include citizen involvement activities and educational
efforts to reduce per-capita water consumption.
2.
The Pretreatment Division is responsible for
implementing the Town’s industrial pretreatment program, user fee program for
industrial and commercial users of the sewer system, and the Fats, Oils, and
Grease (FOG) program that helps prevent blockages and
overflows in the sanitary collection system.
The Pretreatment Division is the primary contact for the regulatory
agencies that assess the Town’s overall regulation and control of what is
discharged into the sanitary sewer collection system.
3.
The Utility Systems Maintenance Division
provides maintenance for the water and wastewater pumping facilities, and is
also responsible for elevated water storage, odor control, instrumentation
assistance, industrial wastewater flow data, water system flow data, and
inflow/infiltration functions.
4.
The North and
5.
The Cary/Apex Water Treatment Plant’s
mission is to provide adequate clean water to the Towns of Apex and Cary and
those entities the Town contracts with to provide service. The Town of
6.
The Western Wake Water Reclamation Facility’s
mission is to treat wastewater generated by Cary, Morrisville, Apex, and