Cary, NC — There has been a lot of discussion at the Council table, online and in the papers regarding the proposal for an updated Golf Course Noise ordinance. 

Noise Ordinance Proposal

Because the ordinance language can be a bit confusing, I took the liberty of making a spreadsheet to show what is changing and what is not.

I often do this sort of thing as I’m preparing to vote on a complex issue so that I can make sure that I understand all sides of the issue.

Considerations

First off, my mind is not yet made up here. I have concerns with changing an ordinance that will impact people whose homes and quality of life may be affected. Changing the rules in the middle of the game is not something that I take lightly.

But, at the same time, I look at the bigger issue and problem:

1. There have been very few (no) complaints brought before two of the golf courses in the last few years (some in the last month or so, as this discussion began). Another golf course had a few complaints, but they were amicably settled.
2. Many folks that purchased homes on the golf courses were aware of the potential noise issues when they bought or built their houses.
3. I understand the economic vitality that golf courses bring to our community.
4. Some of the issues with the ordinance are ambiguous and need to be codified more specifically so that everyone understands the rules.

So, having said all of that, here is a chart I put together, along with some explanations, that will guide me at the council table. I hope that it helps you understand the changes, the issues and the impacts. I’d be interested, as always, in your feedback.

The proposed ordinance language is here.

*Golf courses stipulate that “golf course greens” are defined by the USGA as all the grass on the course (i.e. fairways, tee boxes and putting surfaces). Cary has typically enforced the laymen’s interpretation that to “mow the greens” is defined as cutting the grass on the putting surface specifically. Anything outside of that was not allowed by ordinance.

This is one reason to codify the ordinance.

** Typical and routine work includes the mowing, blowing and raking of all of the course’s playing surfaces, using equipment operated with all the manufacturer’s standard mufflers and noise-reducing equipment in use and in proper operating condition.Typical and routine work does not include the use of chainsaws, chippers, shredders or equipment that is used on a sporadic, irregular basis.

Definitions & Explanations

What’s being changed?

1. The proposed changes would allow golf courses to be prepared for play on all playing surfaces beginning at 6 am, 7 days/week April – September. The ordinance already allowed golf courses to mow the “golf course greens,” referring to the putting surfaces. However, the proposed updated language in the ordinance expands that to “all playing surfaces.” The golf course management stakeholders believe that that the “golf course greens” included the other playing surfaces, and they have been maintaining those surfaces in their current practices. As such, golf course management does not believe this is a change from their current practice, although it was not codified in our ordinance till now.
2. The current ordinance specifies “mowing” – the updated ordinance specifies “mowing, blowing, and raking of the sand traps” as permissible activities for the golf courses to perform beginning at 6 am. Also added to this detail is that chain saws, chippers, shredders, etc are specifically NOT exempted by the “typical and routine work”, in the new ordinance. Therefore, that means that in order to use those, they would have to be under 60 decibels if used before 7 am during the week or 9 am on Saturday and Sunday. This matches the current general practice of the golf courses.
3. Measurement of the 60db(A) has to be, and will continue to be, taken at or within the residential property line of the complainant. Added to this ordinance is that the sound measurement shall be averaged over 1 minute, and that it is a violation of the ordinance if it exceeds the average reading of 60db(A), or if any sound exceeds 62db(A) at any time during the measurement period.
4. Also, staff has added a proposal for an additional exception to allow this same activity on the golf courses for the months of October – March. This proposal would allow work to begin at 7 am on Saturday and Sunday. The current ordinance would only allow that work on Saturday and Sunday at 9 am. Keep in mind that anyone across the Town of Cary can mow their lawn at 7 am Monday through Friday. This exception, to start at 7 am on Saturday and Sunday, would only apply to golf courses. We have been informed that this matches the current practice of the golf courses in the area.

What does 60db(A) sound like?

60db is equal to a conversation at three feet.

Anyone can do anything as long as it doesn’t exceed 60db. This is not a change. Note: this is a similar definition that is used by Industrial Noise Control, Inc. A chart by Industrial Noise Control can be found here for their specific wording.

What type of activity is being restricted?

There is no type of activity that is restricted from being performed at any time, rather, it is the level of noise created by that activity that is restricted. Said another way, anyone can cut grass at midnight, so long as they do not exceed 60 decibels at the property line of a person that complains about that midnight mowing. Anyone can do anything as long as it doesn’t exceed 60 db. This is not a change and has been allowed for years.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Photo by Penn State.

Cary, NC — One of the best things about our Cary community is you. Really. I’m not blowing smoke here. Learn how you can start volunteering in Cary right now.

It’s Sign Up Time!

It’s because of our Cary Volunteers that we are such a great community.

I know this to be true. And, during the month of June, we have several opportunities for you and your family to sign up to be an integral part of Cary.

Teen Council

Looking for a way to get your teen involved and off the couch?

Have them sign up for the Cary Teen Council. This award-winning program that has been around for more than 20 years, and it’s just for 6th-12th graders. Over 700 kids have participated the last few years – and all of them have made a big difference for this community.

These teens participate in all kinds of programs across the town, from social and recreational events, volunteering and community awareness/service, educational, leadership/teamwork and fundraising/recruitment. Many of the Cary Teen Council members receive a chance to serve in advisory capacities for various Town boards and commissions; in fact, we have one on the Information Services Advisory Board. Hey, I’m sure it looks good on their college application, too.

Membership Applications are accepted in June of each year only, so have them sign up now.

See – everyone gets in on the volunteer action.

Boards & Commissions

June is also the month for signup for our Town of Cary Boards and Commissions. If you want to learn more about how the Town works, and have more of a say in what happens, this is a great place to start. Our volunteer boards and commissions serve an important role in our democratic local government process. These boards are a great way for us on council to gather constructive citizen input and recommendations from our citizens.

It allows us to tap into your amazing collective intellectual capital and talents as individual citizens, and it can also help you understand our day-to-day local government processes. This is a double-edged sword. Maybe you don’t want to know that much?

By serving on a board, you will not only learn more about the Town of Cary, but you will become a community leader, and, more importantly, you will get the chance to weigh in on your beliefs about our community needs and how they can be addressed and met.

Your input will help influence the important decisions we make regarding government policies. It’s also an amazing way to meet new neighbors, and, of course, to serve. Oh, it’s fun, too!

Each of our boards and commissions are unique in size, meeting schedule, and specific function; however, the overall mission is the same: to make Cary a place in which we can be proud to live, work and play.Citizens who serve on these boards and commissions perform a community service using their skills, interests and initiatives to make the difference.

These volunteers believe that Cary should indeed become “My Cary” for each of us.

Six of our seven boards below and the Economic Development Committee have openings for terms that are completed or vacant, so please review the list, and apply.

Vacancies for Boards and Commissions:

• Environmental Advisory Board: 3
• Historic Preservation Commission: 0
• Information Services Advisory Board: 3
• Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources: 3
• Planning & Zoning: 3
• Public Art: 2
• Zoning Board of Adjustment: 1
• Economic Development Committee: 1

Applications are being accepted through the end of June. All volunteers must live within Cary’s Corporate limits or, where applicable, in Cary’s ETJ.

Review the list of boards and commissions, find one that speaks to you and apply here.

Cary Volunteers Do So Much

There are so many great ways to volunteer – check them out online.

Take a look at our Spruce Program – our volunteer-based program designed to connect citizens to beautification, litter reduction, and environmental service projects, save us significant money and add beauty to our community. In 2014 alone, they collected 27,085 pounds of litter, spread 782 yards of mulch and planted over 1,600 trees, flowers and shrubs.

We also have Cary’s CAP team, the Citizens Assisting Police program. Before volunteering for the CAP Team, volunteers must successfully complete Cary’s Citizens Police Academy.

These volunteers help provide security at public events and assist the Police Department with fingerprinting, child safety seat installation, clerical duties, service center staffing, Community Watch programs and other duties. Last year, the 178 member CAP Team volunteered 5,585 hours, saving our town more than $135,847.00.

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~Gandhi

There are so many opportunities for all citizens to participate and engage with our community.  I hope you will find one that is your calling.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

From the blog of Lori Bush, At-Large Member of Cary Town Council. Pictures are from the Cary Teen Council, Town of Cary Spruce Program and Cary It Green Facebook Page.

Full disclosure: my son is in one of these pictures

Aquastar is the name we use in Cary to refer to the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system for our water. The Aquastar program replaces what WAS the monthly manual reads of your water meter, with a wireless system that collects multiple remote meter reads every day. The technology used is often referred to as part of a Smart Grid infrastructure. The vendor of the system, Sensus (in Raleigh), worked closely with the town to find the right solution, while Johnson Controls developed and managed the project.  (In what the Town Staff refers to as “The Cary Way.”  I like that!)

(Here is the video that the Town used to share the process with all of us.)

Aquastar History

The project started with a proposal in November of 2009, when Cary was manually reading over 57,000 meters per month in Cary and Morrisville. (Yes, Cary is the water utility provider to Morrisville.) That meant that trucks were rolling – and a number field personnel working for the Town were driving to your neighborhood and walking to read your water meter.

With this new system of 63,000 wireless water meters, the system can monitor water usage and report the usage back to Town Hall. That means that the Town will realize the cost savings associated with:

– significantly reduced fuel consumption (over 7,000 gallons a year),
– a lower carbon footprint (71,000 miles of truck usage off the road),
– along with reduced headcount (10 people), and reduced worker’s compensation by reducing job-related injuries.

The total budget of the project is $17.9 million, which was funded through the Town’s utility fund. Originally, Aquastar was projected to save the Town (and taxpayers) $2.4 million dollars. (Which is great!)

However, the finance department has found that THAT number was conservative. A recent cost analysis shows that we will save close to $10.2 million dollars, which is great news for our utility ratepayers!

Saving Water

There are also other huge benefits besides the cost savings. With this system, we can find a leak when it’s much smaller – so that it can be repaired more proactively, and sometimes, finding leaks earlier means a cheaper repair. And, of course, conservation is another key benefit. By giving our citizens actionable information about their water usage, the hope is that it gives us EACH the power to see what we are using, and potentially make changes to reduce our water usage.

Here’s how it works

Annotated picture from Town of Cary

1. All of our commercial and residential water meters have been replaced with Aquastar meters – meters with a wireless capability
2. Each meter will send water usage information to a regional collector 4 times a day.
3. The collector will forward that information to Town Hall.
4. And, starting in March, customers will have access to a Website with detailed information that will provide a graphical view of their water usage.  (This will be available off of your Online Billing page.)

With this capability, the Utility services will have more than 500 million data points per year. This will help narrow down any problems in the system, and also for them to notice any trends that may help improve efficiencies.

The members of the Information Services Advisory Board and members of the Technology Task Force got a sneak peak into the tool recently.  They all gave valuable feedback, and a number of changes have been made based on that feedback.   New enhancements to the tool are also coming, so make sure to give you comments, as well.

What can you learn from all this data?

Well, quite a lot. The Aquastar Webportal will show you a rolling 13 months of data – giving you the ability to compare your most recent month with the same month of the last year. You can drill down into a month, to see the weeks, days, and finally, hourly usage. You can also look at a particular data range, as well. (All of this data can be downloaded for the real geeks to use in a spreadsheet, if you are so inclined. )

For instance, look at this data below.

What can you see? Something very interesting. Look at the “Hourly Water Usage” section line chart. Notice that on December 29th, from 3am to 7am, the water usage does not ever go to ZERO. It just hovers at a few gallons an hour. That’s because there was a leaking toilet in the house.

This homeowner was able to use the data to realize this, (and to realize that the toilet had been leaking for a while before), and to fix it.  (Notice how her graph goes to ZERO after the fix later that day!)

This is a small example – but just think of it. That’s not only wasted water, but you are not only paying for the water, you are paying for the sewer associated with that.

I also heard several stories from staff and homeowners, where Town Staff were able to proactively contact a citizen to let them know that they had a leak. In one case, letting them know helped them identify that their water heater was leaking (sometimes that’s the first step before you water heater dies), and in another case, actually SEEING the system was leaking, and proactively turning off the water before significant damage was done to their house.

How much water are we talking about?

The typical Cary resident uses about 50 gallons of water – per day, per person. That’s for indoor usage, not for irrigation systems. (That number goes up to about 60 gallons per day, per person if you include outdoor uses.)

It’s possible to use less – and many folks do. I have friends, who will remain nameless, who tend NOT to flush their toilet during the day.

Their mantra is – “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”

(I’m not saying you should do that, but be aware that old toilets use about 3 to 5 gallons/flush, newer ones, about 1.3 gallons.)

Want to be proactive?

From Town of Cary

You can even set up alerts in the system for it to proactively alert you on water usage. There’s a good reason for doing that. In Cary, we used a tiered rate structure for our water usage. So, at a particular threshold, any water used over that “line” becomes more expensive. Using just 1,000 gallons? You are charged $3.60. Using 6,000 gallons? You are charged $3.6 for the first 5,000 gallons, and $4.08 for the last 1,000 gallons…. And so on. You might want to be alerted when you jump over a threshold.

Or, maybe you want an alert when you exceed a particular number of gallons in a single day? That’s possible too. All of this gives you more power – more power to know your usage, on a daily basis rather than waiting for your monthly bill, when it’s really to late to make any changes to affect your bottom line.

Coming Soon

Hopefully you will find that this new system is a step in the right direction for Cary. Yes, there are still opportunities to enhance our system. (For instance, I can’t WAIT to NOT get a paper bill. ) And the usability and graphics will improve over time. But the power to see WHAT you use, close to WHEN you use it, is great. I’m looking forward to the new capability as a way to help in my own water conservation efforts.

Thanks for listening! And always feel free to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns.

Featured photo by Stephen A Gregory

We’ve all seen solar panels, but you haven’t seen anything like this before.  Ok, well, I haven’t.

What is it?

Picture from Town of Cary

This solar farm is Wake County’s largest public-private solar energy system, located on a 7 acre plot of land within our South Cary Water Reclamation Facility. FLS Energy, an Asheville, NC company, was selected at the Town’s solar energy partner.  (You may have read about them before, they installed the solar project as SAS, and have several other projects in the area.)

Not only is this our first and largest public-private partnership, it’s the beginning of a number of installations that will not only support our sustainability efforts, but will also make money for the town. Yep, that’s right.  Without any upfront costs or maintenance costs during the life of the lease, the Town will generate lease revenue of $35,000 a year for this part of the project, alone.  (The town’s lease is for 20 years.)  

Solar power, really?

Yes, really.  In 2007 the NC General Assembly mandated that electric utilities meet 12.5 percent of their electric sources through some sort of renewable means (wind, solar, etc.)  At that time, the Town started looking into ways to of installing solar equipment at various locations

The solar photovoltaic collector modules are the main components of the panels and are pressed between glass.  When I got up close to these panels, they were much thinner than I would have ever thought.

Solar energy is made when sunlight hits the semiconducting layer.  Since one is positively charged and the other is negatively charged the free electrons flow towards the positive semi-conducting layer, thereby creating an electric current.  This is direct current, often referred to as DC – but it needs to be converted to alternating current so it can be sent to the grid.  And that’s what this system does – sends the current generated to the grid for all of the community to consume.

Why Solar?

Solar power offers a lot of real benefits.

1. The electrical power generated at this site is returned to the distribution grid as a renewable source of energy. Renewable means that even when we can’t make use of the sun’s power (if it’s cloudy, nighttime or rainy)  we know that the sun will show up the next day, and the sun as a power source will start over.
2. Solar panels are quiet, and emissions free.  We aren’t contributing to global warming by putting any additional pollution into the air with this system.
3. This system is using a piece of property that would have just sat vacant, but is providing REAL value ($$$), back to the town,

How much power?

This location will generate approximately 1.89 megawatts of electricity. That’s 5,918 solar panels generating enough energy to power 174 homes and offset 1,772 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.   As the mayor stated in his remarks – that’s the size of some of our smaller neighborhoods such as Jamieson Park, that isn’t far from the facility.

Other Sustainability efforts

Also making an appearance at the event were the town’s Hybrid Trash truck (it gets about 4+ miles/gallon to the 1+ mile/gallon of the traditional trash truck), the Town’s hybrid car and electric car, and a solar trash can. 

Our one and only solar trash can, a Big Belly, is so cool.  A cool trash can, yes, I said it.  It’s a trash compactor, powered by solar energy, that “phones home” when it’s full.  The town is trying it out, for now, and hopes that the placement of something like this can reduce labor and fuel costs, and vehicle wear-and-tear.  Plus, like I said, it’s cool.

There’s a number of sustainability efforts going on in the town – you can read more about them, here.  (I hope to write up more soon.)  And our Environmental Advisory Board continues to work closely with the town, and our Sustainability Manager to review our programs and efforts along the way.  Thanks to everyone who works so hard to make our Town a leader in being green; leading by example, and getting the word out.

The unveiling

Town staff did a great job setting up the event – there was a big switch in the shape of a sun, and a snow globe that was “turned on” when the switch was “flipped.”  Even hot coffee and cider, along with “sun kissed” cookies.  You gotta love the fun our town staff likes to have.

As always, feel free to contact me with any comment, questions or concerns.  And have a wonderful Holiday Season!

So, in the spirit of open communications – here are my thoughts regarding some of these recent issues.

Chickens aka “Backyard Hens”

Photo from Tour D'Coop

I was a late comer in the “chicken” issue.  It was an issue that came up during the municipal election last year, and has been discussed at the council table in prior years. During the election season, I was cautiously supportive, concerned that Backyard Hens would alter the character of Cary.

But after Councilman Frantz brought it forward to council for consideration, I took the opportunity to do some in-depth research. I visited a number of homes on the Raleigh Tour d’Coop,  spoke to Josh Stein (who had a Chicken Coop in his backyard in Raleigh), and met with and talked to the folks at Cary Chickens.  I spoke with folks at the City of Durham and Raleigh – both municipalities that allow it.  What I heard from them, and from our staff, is that the nuisance complaints are few, and backyard hens have become a bit of an economic engine, in fact.

I also heard from a number of homeowners, with concerns regarding the potential smell, noise, safety and lure of predators. Good insight and feedback, as well.  Most folks that were concerned live in Home Owner Associations (HOAs), that already prohibit “domestic fowl”, as most of the neighborhoods in Cary.  Part of their concern was that the Town Ordinance would trump their HOA, and that is ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.

Photo by Tour D'Coop

So, this “chick” fully crossed the road – and I support the current Chicken Ordinance. Why?

1. The ordinance and its vision supports sustainability. It connects us to our food and nature, and assists many families in providing a healthy, organic food source.
2. It’s about personal responsibility and respect.  I hope that our citizens take care of their domestic animals, if they do not, that’s why we have enforceable ordinances and animal protection. Chickens are smaller and quieter than most dogs. Our proposed code addresses some of the issues of noise, sanitation, and different types of infestation.  We won’t allow roosters or chickens to be roaming all over. I hope that our citizens add coops to their yards do what they can to ensure they respect their neighbors.
3. The manure can (and should) be composted for Fertilizer – and many gardens (including the Cary Pocket Garden) and others are interested in this by product.
4. Why not?  There is an opportunity to try this – try it for a year.  See how it goes?  If there are issues – let’s address them.  The first step is the hardest – but let’s try.

At this point, the vote is postponed – and I’m not sure what will happen.  It is schedule to come up at our next meeting on Aug 23rd, the same day we swear in our new councilmember, Ed Yerha.

Speaking of New Members

I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to serve long with Julie Robison, on council.  As a “fellow At-Large” member, I looked forward to tapping into her wealth of knowledge.  I also respect her “citizen’s first” engagement philosophy, her evidence-based decision making, and her experience.  She was helpful to me as both a citizen, and a new council member.

But, having Ed Yerha on the council will be exciting.  He brings a long set of experiences from volunteering with the town for the last 15 years – and I was privileged to work with him on his campaign many years ago. In my experience, Ed’s a level headed, methodical thinker with great financial knowledge, and always putting himself in the shoes of the citizens.  Plus, I’ll no longer be the “newbie” on council.

Red Light Cameras

Photo by foto footprints

FIrst off, I need to ‘fess up.  Yes, I have been “bitten” by the “red light camera.”  I’m not proud of it, but I paid the ticket, and worked hard to make sure it didn’t happen again.

Having said that, I’m not sad to see the “SafeLight Program” go.  Not because I (or I’m sure, any of you) plan to run red lights. But, because I support what staff, the police department and our engineering departments have done to enhance the safety of our citizens – by making important changes at our intersections.

From flashing yellow arrows, to increasing the timing of the “all reds”, each of these new methods have improved the traffic system.  At the Operations Meeting, I voted with my fellow council members to terminate the program.  I also asked during that meeting what will happen to the actual cameras.  Staff replied that they will probably put out an RFP for removal, and sell (if possible) the equipment.  Anyone want a Red Light Camera?

As you may be aware, the Town is involved with a lawsuit and the cameras, so I think that’s about all I can say about this right now.

The Birds, then the Bees

Beehive photo by Net_Efekt

Yes, the bee ordinance.  It’s come to council a couple of times, and now on its way to the Planning and Zoning board.  I am still unsure why we need the ordinance to specifically manage this activity, but that’s what the Town Attorney advises.

First, I understand the importance that honey bees have to our environment – from being beneficial to our gardens, to supporting all kinds of fruit production, being an economic engine in the state, and providing honey and other by-products.  I have learned SO MUCH about honey bees in the last few months, thanks to local beekeepers and folks that spoke at the public hearings – including the fact that they are the NC state insect.  (Did you know that?)

Let’s be honest – the goal with the beekeeping ordinance is to allow beekeeping in a way that is safe and helpful for the community, planet, and the property owner, without annoying your neighbor.

I look forward to seeing what staff, along with the experts and our citizens on Planning and Zoning board, come up with – when it comes back to council.

Doing the best I can to keeping you all up-to-date, and hearing from you.  As always, please feel to reach out to me at Lori.Bush@TownofCary.org.

My first “ground breaking.”  

Yes, I wore the required construction hat.  Yes, there was dirt.  And yes, it looked like they had already started work.  (Hence, “ground breaking -> “ground broken.” )

Along with Councilmembers Jack Smith, Jennifer Robinson, and Mayor Weinbrecht, we were joined by representatives from Senators’ Richard Burr and Kay Hagan’s office, and Representative David Price’s office, as well as Representative Renee Ellmers.  We were also joined by State Representative Jennifer Weiss and a member of the EPA.

The excitement was evident in the remarks made by so many.

Fire Station 8

Town of Cary Site Plan

Fire Station 8 located at 408 Mills Park Drive will have many firsts associated with it, as well.

–  First town project that will demonstrate multiple environmental mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by our Public Safety departments

– A “green”project that will be built with sustainability in mind.  From utilizing low-emitting building materials, architecture that leverages natural lighting, solar panels on the roof, as well as a number of sustainable practices that will occur at the station, such as recycling, composting, and increased usage of hybrid vehicles

–  Both Fire AND Police will be co-located at this West Cary location that is close to the expanding growth in West Cary, near schools, parks and new developments

Dr. Linda Rimer, the liaison from the EPA, spoke eloquently about the need for a showcase such as this Fire Station; about the leadership that Cary has continually demonstrated, and how the rest of the country will be looking at this building, and the process as a model for many cities and states across the country. The Town received a grant for close to $500,000 for its focus on reducing  greenhouse gas emissions in the fire and police departments.

The goal is to complete construction of the Fire Station next year.

Another first for Cary, and for me. (Thank goodness I didn’t drop my shovel.)

Thanks for reading!

1. How much time does it take? (I haven’t figured that out, yet.)
2. How different is working on council than in the private sector? Now that’s a harder question. 

Normally, my answer is that I’m surprised how much longer things take in the Public Sector.  Not because there aren’t good people – in fact, quite the opposite.  But, if you can imagine doing your whole job, where just about every decision you make is out in the open, that just takes more time.  Also, because you and I and all citizens have the right to ask questions, provide feedback and input, and need to be informed – that can lengthen the process.

My First Request

Progress!

At tonight’s work session, I’m thrilled that we are taking one of the first steps to do what we can to protect Cary citizens’ high quality of life, our environment, and our natural resources for ourselves and our children.

Preserve local interests when developing regulatory framework for shale gas development

Why here? Why now?

You wouldn’t think it would be a big deal here considering that fracking, or horizontal drilling in NC is illegal, today.  But, NC House Bill 242, directs the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) to study fracking.  That’s just the beginning of what many say will be a move to make it legal in NC.

Natural Gas is still an inexpensive energy source, but one with a significant amount of controversy.  Based on research by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API), along with the US Geological Surveys, there is a good possibility of a significant amount of Natural Gas here, in Wake, Chatham, Durham, and Lee Counties.  Those are counties that are part of the 150 mile long Deep River Basin, that runs right along Jordan Lake, our collective drinking water supply.  This gas is about a half-mile below the surface.  It’s not thought to be as large a supply as what is in Pennsylvania, New York, or Texas, but it’s enough to be interesting.  And, close enough to our water supply, to cause me concern.

What can we do?

First, I wanted our town to be prepared to understand the impact to our community, and to be proactive in our position(s) regarding this issue. That’s why Mayor Weinbrecht and I made a motion for our staff, the Cary Environmental Advisory Board,  and the Economic Development Commission to weigh in on the pros and cons of suggested actions the Town of Cary may take on the issue.  That motion passed, and I look forward to their report.

Next, I attended a Fracking Symposium held by the NC League of Municipalities last week. It was a good forum that covered “fracking” from economic and job growth, to environmental and chemical considerations, to land owner’s mineral rights.  It was good to see a number of municipalities attending, and asking their OWN questions regarding the impact of this method.

Key Takeaways

As with any new adventure, I’m finding that the people I meet, and the information I learn is as exciting as I had hoped.  Here are just a few of my takeaways from the symposium.

• 

  Photo by Darth Pedrius

  Each and every municipality that attended (from Chapel Hill, Durham, Creedmoor and others) want to find a way to have some say in what happens in their community.  Some, like Creedmoor, have already passed ordinances.

• Vik Rao, a former VP at Halliburton, now an Executive Director at Research Triangle Energy Consortium, supports fracking, but had a number of cautions.

1. That in drought tolerant areas (like ours) using saline aquifers (NOT FRESH WATER) is key – and that NO fresh water should be used
2. Water should be re-used, not disposed of (more than 6 million gallons of water can be used for a single fracture)

• Fracking can bring a significant number of jobs, but the key will be to understand the amount of gas available, and when those jobs will come.  Also, the infrastructure to support it needs to be built. Many believe that leases that are being bought NOW, will not be used for many years to come.
• Representative Hager is open to protecting sensitive areas (areas around schools, tourist areas, etc.)
• 1. Municipalities need to suggest that other areas should be protected (historic, conservation districts, sensitive agriculture, etc.)
• Mineral Estates and Surface leases are split. This was a surprise to me, but apparently this occurred during the Great Depression, when many families sold their mineral rights to pay for taxes and allow underground coal mining.  Now, it is possible for a “surface land owner” to own the ground on top, but another owner could have the rights to what is underneath, often referred to as a “split estate.”  And, in this case, the Mineral Estate is dominant, meaning that the surface owner has no say in what happens under their property.
• 1. 9000 leases are currently signed in the area
  2. 14 counties are part of the Deep River Basin – Durham Sub Basin impacts Wake, Durham, Chatham counties