News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC (January 24, 2023) 

Watch our Year in Review Video and learn more about events coming up in Carrboro including Coffee with a Cop, a free poetry event this Saturday, Black History Month, the Town Council Update, and more! 

2022 Year in Review

Coffee with a Cop at Gray Squirrel Coffee Co. This Month

Carrboro Police were at Gray Squirrel Coffee Co. located at 360 E. Main Street on Tuesday, Jan. 24 hosting this year’s first Coffee with a Cop. 

The simple act of having a cup of coffee with community members can be the first step in increasing trust and cooperation between police and the people they serve. These events are unscripted and unstructured. Officers were present to talk to community members about whatever they want to talk about.

Community members came with questions, for casual conversation, or to simply enjoy some of Gray Squirrel's delicious coffee on us! 

Coffee with a Cop is a national program that promotes creating and building relationships with community members "one cup of coffee at a time". The Carrboro Police Department hosts a Coffee with a Cop event at our local coffee shops once a month. 

To schedule a Coffee with a Cop event at your business, contact our Community Services Division at 919-918-7402

Click here to learn more about the Coffee with a Cop program.

Poets’ Party: An Evening of Community Poetry 

Come dig deeper into poetry and connect with your community! All are invited to come celebrate Carrboro's rich arts history and meet community members at this free and open event. 

Poets’ Party: An Evening of Community Poetry is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. The Town of Carrboro and the Poets' Council will recognize the longstanding Carrboro Poet Laureate program with former poet laureates reading as well as a few guest poets; a special thanks to Fred Joiner, Carrboro's outgoing poet laureate; and a welcome to Liza Wolff-Francis, Carrboro's newest poet laureate.

Calling All Youth Artists!

We are inviting you to submit original artwork that expresses what "Black History Month" means to you for our Virtual Youth Art Exhibit. Select artwork will be displayed on Carrboro Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department's website through the month of February.

For information on how to submit your artwork, contact Dana Hughes at dhughes@carrboronc.gov

Artwork must be submitted by January 25, 2023. There is no submission fee.

Carrboro Town Council Passes a Resolution in Support of Medicaid Expansion

 On January 10, the Carrboro Town Council passed a resolution in support of closing North Carolina’s health insurance coverage gap through Medicaid expansion.

Closing the health insurance coverage gap through expansion of Medicaid would extend affordable health insurance coverage to 7,254 people in Orange County and more than 600,000 people across the state who cannot access the health care they need.

Healthy people and access to affordable healthcare are key to the Orange County and Carrboro economy.  Closing the health insurance coverage gap would create 629 new jobs in Orange County, drive $141,300,000 in new business activity in Orange County, and generate $3,724,200 in new county revenue, according to an analysis by the Cone Health Foundation, the Milken Institute School of Public Health, and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.

Read the full resolution of the Carrboro Town Council here. 

National Mentoring Month in Carrboro

The Carrboro Town Council passed a resolution on Tuesday, Jan. 10, recognizing National Mentoring Month in Carrboro and encouraging residents to encourage and celebrate mentoring throughout the community.

Mentoring programs like the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program, Volunteers for Youth, Musical Empowerment, the Reintegration Support Network, Triangle Bikeworks, and the Refugee Community Partnership, and capacity-building agencies like the Youth Mentoring Collaborative make our communities and our state stronger by driving impactful relationships that increase social capital for young people and provide invaluable support networks.

The Town honors volunteer mentors who support young people by showing up for them every day and demonstrating their commitment to helping them thrive.

View more information including local mentoring resources and opportunities here.

Carrboro Seeks Volunteers to Serve Community

Consider applying for a Town of Carrboro Advisory Board or Commission. We need your voice at the table!

Please especially consider volunteering if you represent any of the following underrepresented groups: Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, and Subcontinent Asian Americans, Senior Residents, Ages 20-34, Differently Abled, LGBTQ+ , and Families of Incomes of $50,000 or Less.

Learn more and apply: https://www.carrboronc.gov/228/Advisory-Boards-Commissions

New Uproar Festival of Public Art to Feature 60 Large-Scale Works in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough

Together with its community partners, the Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) announces a new arts festival coming summer 2023. From July 14 to Aug. 12, Uproar Festival of Public Art will showcase 60 large-scale, bold works of art throughout the downtown areas of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough. Cash prizes will be awarded to Southeastern artists chosen by both the public and a jury panel of experts.

“Uproar will allow our community to serve as the backdrop for fantastic, awe-inspiring works of art while lauding, supporting, and welcoming the participating artists,” says Katie Murray, OCAC director.

Find more information about this exciting new festival here.

Black History Month in Carrboro

Black History Month in Carrboro is coming up in February, and a series of events are being organized by the Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department. 

From music and dramatic performances to history lectures, there will be an array of programs. There’s something of interest to all, so everyone can get involved in learning about and celebrating the lives, history and contributions of Black people. 

View the event schedule at https://www.carrboronc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2338 

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 https://www.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 at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30,  2023, for a special meeting to consider a grant proposal.

The next regularly scheduled Town Council Meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday Feb 7, 2023, to consider the agenda that will be posted at https://carrboro.legistar.com/

Both in-person meetings 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 https://carrboro.legistar.com/   OR YouTube.com/CarrboroNC OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro).

To submit a comment on the February 7^th agenda, please contact publiccomment@carrboronc.gov to reach the Town Clerk.

To download a copy of the full meeting calendar click here.

Past Meeting 

The Carrboro Town Council met Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3QMNfIa  We apologize for the technical difficulties with the audio for this meeting. The issue has been resolved and the full recording is available to replay on our YouTube channel at  https://youtu.be/3yZUVSndcd0 and at https://carrboro.legistar.com/ .

• Adopted the 2023 Town Council Meeting Calendar. View calendar events here https://www.carrboronc.gov/calendar.aspx
• Appointed Chief Chris Atack to the Orange County Schools Safety Task Force
• Received an update on Town Race and Equity Initiatives. View additional information and updates on our Race and Equity Initiatives here https://www.carrboronc.gov/2535/Race-and-Equity

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 https://www.carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council 

Stormwater Rolls Out New Residential Assessment Pilot Project

The Stormwater Division is rolling out a new Residential Assessment Pilot Project to perform assessments and provide technical advice to homeowners regarding possible solutions to flooding, drainage, erosion, and other stormwater and stream related concerns. Applications from homeowners are now being accepted and will be screened and scheduled for assessments as they are received and as capacity allows. 

You can apply online at http://townofcarrboro.org/FormCenter/Public-Works-Department-23/Application-for-Stormwater-Residential-A-214, obtain an application from Town Hall or contact Stormwater Staff at stormwater@carrboronc.gov or 919-913-2999.

For more information on the pilot project visit www.carrboronc.gov/2752/Residential-Assessment or contact Stormwater staff at stormwater@carrbornc.gov or 919-913-2999.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Friday is Holocaust Remembrance Day when we remember the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the countless lives that were changed forever by it. 

Antisemitism, and all forms of oppression, persist today and have no place in this world. 

Learn more at the U.S. Holocaust Museum at https://ecs.page.link/uLw27