Manager reports federal funding for Austin Ridge Greenway, DMV talks, bond issuance progress and long-term water planning

Town Manager Adam Mitchell updated the Board of Commissioners on operational and capital items at the July 14 meeting, including federal funding for a greenway project, preliminary conversations about a possible DMV relocation, progress toward issuing the remaining portion of approved local transportation bonds, and the town’s long-running interbasin transfer permitting process.

Mitchell said the Federal Highway Administration has authorized construction of the Austin Ridge Greenway, a project of about 2,000 linear feet that will connect Austin Ridge Park to Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs; construction is currently scheduled to begin in October and is expected to take 12–18 months. He said the town submitted its annual POW (Powell?) bill certification on July 1 and added 7.3 miles of town-maintained streets last fiscal year, bringing the town-maintained total to 183.75 miles.

On potential interagency facility changes, Mitchell reported early-stage discussions among town staff, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles and the Wake County Public School System about a possible DMV location in Fuquay Varina. He said the DMV is considering larger facilities in high-volume areas and that one option discussed involved use of a former school building on a local site; Mitchell emphasized these are early conversations, no decisions have been made, and any relocation would require agreements among the DMV, the school system and the town.

Mitchell also told the board that town staff and finance representatives have made progress toward issuing the remaining $10 million of a previously approved $20 million transportation bond authorization. He credited town staff for meeting with the Local Government Commission and said the town is ready to move forward with the second issuance; no final sale date was given in the meeting record.

On long-term water supply planning, Mitchell said the town continues work on an interbasin transfer (IBT) certificate that would be necessary for planned future water purchases. He said the IBT process typically takes 8–10 years and that the town expects to complete the permitting steps in the 2027–28 timeframe.

Mitchell’s update also included recruitment and staffing notes for public safety: three offers were accepted for noncertified firefighter recruits who will attend Central Carolina Community College’s fire academy, with a graduation date reported as February (year not specified in the presentation), and the fire department has received more than 85 applications for certified firefighter vacancies with agility and written tests scheduled in coming weeks and anticipated hires starting Sept. 8.

All items were provided as information to the board; the meeting record shows no formal board votes tied to these status updates.