FEB
2001




In This
 Issue:

Council Adds New Tier to Water Rates

 

Audio Added to Town Website

 

Care Advised in Hazardous Waste Disposal

 

Council Meeting Time Changed

 

Hemlock Bluffs Workday Scheduled

 

Dispose of Ashes Safely

 

Stencil Storm Drains

 

Check Out Conservation Corner

 




Bud is a Monthly
Publication of the Town of Cary.



Past Issues

Council Adds New Tier to Water Rate Structure

On January 11, the Town Council approved adding another tier to the utility rates to discourage excessive water use. Residential customers will pay $9.90 per 1,000 gallons for usage over 23,000 gallons per month. For residential irrigation meters, a second tier will start at $9.90 per 1,000 gallons for usage over 15,000 gallons in a month. The average usage by Cary's residential customers is 7,000 gallons per month. The new rate will penalize excessive water use. Non residential customers will also have new rates based on site-specific water budgets. The new rates will become effective March 1, 2000, and will be billed beginning in April.

EXTRA! EXTRA! HEAR ALL ABOUT IT

Cary has added unedited audio recordings of Town Council meetings to its award-winning website.  Along with complete agendas, and summary minutes of regular Town Council, Planning & Development, and Operations Committee meetings, cyber citizens can listen in on the actual discussions that took place at a time and in a place that’s convenient for them. The Town’s goal is to have the audio recordings of these meetings online within two business days of the meetings’ taping. Links to the Real Media audio files are located along with each meeting’s agenda and minutes links as well as under WHAT’S NEW.

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal

Household Hazardous Wastes (HHW) are those produced in our homes that may be corrosive, reactive, toxic, and or ignitable.
  • Corrosive: products that cause skin burns. Common examples are oven cleaners, bleach, and auto batteries.
  • Reactive: products that give off toxic gases. A common household reactive is chlorine.
  • Toxic: products such as pesticides, herbicides, and antifreeze.
  • Ignitable: common items include gasoline, turpentine, motor oil, and other flammable materials.

Such consumer waste products SHOULD NOT be disposed of with ordinary trash. They may damage the protective liners in landfills that ensure waste does not get into our ground and water supplies. They may also cause health problems in our solid waste employees. If carelessly managed, HHW can, and frequently does, create environmental and public health hazards.

The best method of managing HHW is to prevent its generation in the first place. This involves selecting the least toxic item to do the job and buying only the minimum amounts necessary. Buying in large quantities is not a bargain if half of it has to be discarded. An example of a less toxic product for cleaning includes making paste from baking soda and water for cleaning ovens.

For hazardous waste such as motor oil and computers and computer monitors, if you are eligible for regular curbside recycling, call the Public Works and Utilities Department at 469-4090 to arrange a free curbside pickup.

If the material you need to dispose of is still useable (i.e. has not been damaged/shelf life expired, etc.) check with friends and neighbors to see if they might be able to use it. Check with community groups such as Little League, Habitat for Humanity, etc. to see if they can use the product. If the material is not usable, it should be taken to one of the four Triangle area's new Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers. If you live in Cary, the closest one is the North Wake Sanitary Landfill at 9004 Deponie Drive. You can drop off HHW on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 7 AM to 4 PM. During the holidays, make sure you call ahead of time to confirm the schedules.

COUNCIL MEETING TIME CHANGE

Council meetings now start at 6:30 PM. You can watch these meetings live on Cable Channel 11. Time Warner Cable customers in and around Apex, Cary, Morrisville, and parts of Holly Springs should be able to see the Cary meetings.

Town Council--live the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of each month at 6:30 PM. Repeated on Friday at 7:30 AM, Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM.

Planning and Zoning Board--live the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 PM. Repeated Tuesday at 7:30 AM and Wednesday at 3:00 PM.

Watch Those Ashes

What could be better than curling up in front of a cozy fire on a cold winter’s night? What could be worse is burning your house down because you did not properly dispose of those ashes. It has happened before in Cary. Follow these safety tips when disposing of your fireplace ashes this winter:

  • DO NOT discard your ashes into any combustible container like a plastic recycling bin, plastic bag, cardboard box or combustible trash can.
  • DO put ashes into a non-combustible metal container with a lid.
  • DO pour water into the container to make sure ashes are cool.
  • DO keep your ash can OUTSIDE the home, away from combustibles.
  • DO teach all family members to be safe with ashes from your fireplace.

For more information, contact the Cary Fire Department at 469-4056.

Trail Improvement Workday at 
Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve 

Looking for a volunteer experience, community service, or a conservation project? Well, look no further! On Saturday, March 31st from 2-4PM, Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve will hold a trail improvement workday. By donating two hours of hard work, you will aid the preserve in its conservation efforts and improve the experience of many future visitors. Participants should bring high spirits as well as gloves, mulch rakes, and wheelbarrows, if you have them. To register yourself or your group for this FREE event, please contact the Stevens Nature Center at 387-5980.

Did you ever want your name etched in stone for all eternity? The Hemlock Bluffs Preservation Society is conducting a fund-raising project to raise additional funds for the final phase of displays to be installed in the exhibit hall at the Stevens Nature Center. Donors are encouraged to purchase the engraving of a paving stone, similar to "buying a brick", where you can have a customized message of up to three lines with 17 letters per line. The cost is $50. Contact the Stevens Nature Center for more information at 387-5980.

Storm Drain Stenciling

Volunteer to label your neighborhood storm drains. Call 469-4038 for more information.

 

CONSERVATION CORNER
Indoor Water Conservation Tip: Kitchen garbage disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Consider starting a compost pile to recycle food waste instead of using a garbage disposal. To learn more about composting, call the Department of Public Works & Utilities at 469-4387, or visit the Bond Park Compost Education Center.

Outdoor Water Conservation Tip: Town Code Section 19-48 requires all Town of Cary utility customers who have an automatic irrigation system to install a rain sensor. If your system does not have one, be sure to add a sensor and set it at 1/4" or less so that your system is in compliance with the ordinance.

Recycling Tip: Thousands of tons of telephone books are distributed in Wake County every year. When these new books are delivered in February, the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division is ready to collect the old ones for recycling. This annual Telephone Book Collection Program is held from February 12 through April 13 at Cary Elementary School located at 100 Dry Ave., Ritter Park located off East Lochmere Drive., as well as other sites around the county. The county collected about 430 tons of telephone books during last years’ collection! The multi-material collection facilities located at the North Wake landfill and the old South Wake landfill will also take phone books year round. Do not place them in your curbside bin or at the North Dixon Citizen Convenience Center for they will not be recycled. Call 469-4090 for more information.

Stormwater Tip: Did you fertilizer your lawn in the fall? Skip the spring feeding. Thinking about applying weed prevention? Don’t throw away that investment in weed killers or fertilizers! Never apply lawn chemicals before heavy rains that would wash those newly applied chemicals into our streams and lakes. Help protect our water resources by always applying lawn chemicals during dry periods or a few days before light rains. Today’s quality lawn care products are “time-release” and will leach into your soil slowly. So, don’t throw your hard-earned cash down the storm drain. To learn more about stormwater, go to www.townofcary.or


For up-to-the-Minute Information on Town Meetings & Events,
Visit our Web Calendar!
Job Opportunities at the Town of Cary , 
Visit  "JOBS" or call 319-4500, ext #283.


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all Town Hall departments and services, please call 319-4500.

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