Electric Vehicle (EV) Rodeo Comes to Carrboro

CARRBORO, N.C.  –  Saddle up, cowhands! The EV Rodeo is coming to Carrboro! 

Explore various electric vehicles, test ride EV bikes, and bring the kids out for veggie-mobile races from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St. 

The event is sponsored by Climate Reality Orange County (CROCC), the Triad Electric Vehicle Association (TEVA) of North Carolina, and the Town of Carrboro. 

The public is invited to explore multiple electric vehicles including the Chevy Volt and Bolt, Kia EV6, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius Prime, Teslas and more. Owners of these electric vehicles will share mileage ranges, charging options, costs, and will answer questions about EVs. 

Learn the difference between hybrid plug-ins and all electric vehicles. Diverse types of EVs including e-bikes and e-motorcycles will also be available.  

Help your kids build their own veggie-mobiles and participate in races. 

For more information, contact Margie Muenzer at mmuenzerpt@gmail.com. 

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South Greensboro parking lot closed beginning Oct. 17

Beginning Monday, Oct. 17, the parking lot located at 203 S. Greensboro St. will be closed to the public as crews prepare for construction of The 203 Project.  

Alternative public parking lots are located around town and a parking map can be viewed here: http://townofcarrboro.org/parking .

Signs are posted onsite with the closure notification and a QR code link to a parking map.  Additionally, wayfinding signs are coming soon to direct people to alternative parking options. 

If you would like to learn more about The 203 Project, please visit our website here: http://townofcarrboro.org/1151/The-203-Project .

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Storm cleanup in progress around town

Town of Carrboro Public Works crews will be busy around town early this week, working hard to remove storm debris left behind by Hurricane Ian.  

Be alert when driving through town as the crews will be running the street sweeper to remove debris from the bike lanes along the roadway. They will also be out clearing bike paths and sidewalks of leaves and other yard waste.

Many residents are doing similar clean-up activity on their own properties. Please see these helpful tips on how to dispose of your storm debris. 

Yard Waste Collection 

While typically yard waste is collected on Mondays, residents can expect crews to be collecting debris throughout the week on their scheduled collection weeks until storm cleanup is completed. Residents from Hillsborough Road, Greensboro Street, Hanna Street, and points south have yard waste collection on 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.  All points north of Hillsborough Road, Greensboro Street, and Hanna Street have yard waste collection on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. 

•  Do not place yard waste/leaves in drainage ditch, bike lane, street, or on sidewalk. 
• Piles should be long and narrow and placed as close to the curb as possible (within 10 feet).
•  Limbs must not exceed 3 feet long and 4 inches in diameter.
•  Yard waste or loose-leaf piles must be free of all other debris (no dirt, sod, rock, concrete, etc.)
• No paper or plastic bags are allowed.

For additional information about collection guidelines please use these links:

Yard Waste   | Carrboro, NC - Official Website (townofcarrboro.org)

Loose Leaves | Carrboro, NC - Official Website (townofcarrboro.org)

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Traffic Calming Improvements Underway

Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources October 2022 Monthly Newsletter and Calendar

The Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department publishes a newsletter highlighting events and courses featured for the month ahead.  

Follow this link to see the October Newsletter: https://www.townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/1913/Monthly-Events-Newsletter?bidId

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Carrboro to feature 17th Annual West End Poetry Festival: Music In Poetry

CARRBORO, N.C. -- The 17th Annual West End Poetry Festival returns in person, Oct. 14-15, 2022. This year will provide all in-person events on Friday and Saturday at both Carrboro Town Hall and the Century Center. All events are free and open to the public.

 Friday, Oct. 14 – Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. 

• Poetry Prompt Workshop – 7 – 8:30 p.m.
• Led by award winning poets Jessica Jacobs and Nickole Brown, this workshop is based on "Write It! 100 Poetry Prompts to Inspire".
• The workshop starts at 7 p.m., but plan to arrive 30 minutes early to enjoy some informal social time before the program.

Saturday, Oct. 16 – Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. 

• Greeting and Opening Remarks - 1 p.m.
• Poetry Readings – 1:30 p.m.
• Recent book poets, Joan Barasovska, Cedric Tillman, Jacinta White, and Alanda Dagenhart will take the stage to read excerpts from their recent works.
• Poetry in the Round – 2:30 – 4:15 p.m.
• This event will be led by Gary Phillips and Susan Spalt. Everyone is invited to come and ready their poetry.
• Community Poem Reading – 4:15 – 4:45 p.m.
• The Community Poem, a complication edited by Abigail Browning and Liza Wolff- Francis from lines contributed by voices in our community, will be read. The prompt for the 2022 Community Poem was “Music in Poetry.”
• Featured Poets’ Readings – 5 – 7 p.m.
• Alan, Shapiro, Fred Joiner, Jessica Jacbos, Nicole Brown, and our new Carrboro Poet Laureate (to be named later) will share their poetry.
• Carrboro Town Hall is located at 301 West Main St. in Carrboro. The Century Center is located at 100 North Greensboro St. in Carrboro.

For more information on the events and poets please visit the West End Poetry website: westendpoetryfestival.org

The West End Poetry Festival is funded by the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority and planned by the Carrboro Poets Council (Gideon Young, Liza Wolfe-Francis, Susan Spalt, Jay Bryan, Carrboro Poet Laureate Fred Joiner, Davis Lensch, Alexander Benedict and Paul Jones), with the assistance of Jackie Helvey and the staff of the Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department of the Town of Carrboro.

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Town Council Update 

Meeting agendas and updates are issued from the Town Clerk’s Office. To receive these by email or text, sign up for Carrboro Town News at carrboronc.gov/signup

Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views, and questions at Council@carrboronc.gov

Coming Up
The Town Council will meet next at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, to consider an agenda that will be posted at carrboro.legistar.com This week's meeting was canceled in observance of Yom Kippur. 

This in-person meeting will be held at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream at carrboro.legistar.com OR YouTube.com/CarrboroNC OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro). 

To submit a comment on this agenda, please contact publiccomment@carrboronc.gov to reach the Town Clerk.  

Past Meeting 
The Carrboro Town Council met Tuesday, Sept. 20, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3SdrC3g  

• Authorized implementation of a compensation and classification study designed to increase town employees’ pay to more competitive levels.  A study showed that the town’s pay rates were 7.5% below similar governmental entities, contributing to vacancies across departments.  The plan will provide all employees with a 2% across-the-board pay adjustment, increase starting salaries, and make internal pay adjustments. Read the news release at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2262
• Authorized the Town Manager to accept two Community Climate Action Grant awards from Orange County and to enter into agreements with Orange County for grant administration.  The Town has been awarded two grants from Orange County through the Community Climate Action Grant Program in the amount of $44,300, for the installation of a green roof and a PV solar array on the west roof of the 203 S. Greensboro Project and for a part-time employee to monitor food waste collection at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market for one year.
• Received an update on traffic calming measures, identified as an installation of a speed table and a new stop sign, for Starlite Drive.
• Reviewed draft policies for the expenditure of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARP/CSLFRF).
• Held a work session to consider a proposed allocation list on the use of ARP/CSLFRF and provide feedback.  The proposed allocation and expenditure list is based on the work of the Town's ARPA Work Group, comprised of department directors and other staff members who reviewed the ARP/CSLFRF allowable activities and sought to align them with identified needs gained from interviews with nonprofits, BIPOC roundtables, community engagements, surveys and other means. More information available at https://bit.ly/3R7j110

The previous Town Council Update from the Sept. 13 meeting is available at https://www.carrboronc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2249 

About the Town Council
The Town Council, which is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, comprises Mayor Damon Seils, Mayor Pro Tempore Susan Romaine, Council Member Barbara Foushee, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Danny Nowell, Council Member Eliazar Posada, and Council Member Sammy Slade. More information is available at http://carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council 

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Carrboro considers plan for use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds

The Carrboro Town Council is considering a plan to spend its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. 

The American Rescue Plan Act 2021 signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021, provides $350 billion to state, local, and Tribal governments across the country to support their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

These funds may be used to:

• Fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with its public health and economic impacts,
• Maintain vital public services, even amid declines in revenue, and
• Build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity.

Town of Carrboro will receive $6.7 million as part of this allocation.  

Learn more at https://www.carrboronc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2279 

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Carrboro observes Community Planning Month

The American Planning Association has designated the month of October 2022 as National Community Planning Month, and the Town of Carrboro is on board! Mayor Damon Seils has proclaimed the observance locally.

“I encourage all residents to celebrate the contributions made by the professional planners of Carrboro and our neighboring communities; and to recognize the dedication of the members of our numerous advisory boards and commissions and other community members who regularly contribute their time and talents to the improvement of Carrboro,” Mayor Seils said. “Furthermore, I encourage residents to become advocates for and participants in the implementation of our award-winning Carrboro Connects comprehensive plan.”

• Read the proclamation to learn more about the activities, efforts and successes of the Town of Carrboro’s planning staff at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions
• Watch our video celebrating the award for the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan! https://youtu.be/Yv9_PqtVN3Q 

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Chag Sameach to all who are observing Yom Kippur!