Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Cary council approves keeping yard and food waste at downtown convenience center, appropriates $525,000
Loading...
Summary
At its April 16 work session, Cary Town Council unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to retain yard and food waste service at the downtown Dixon convenience center and to appropriate $525,000 from the general fund to begin design and construction, while removing town items from the North Carolina Railroad right-of-way.
The Cary Town Council voted unanimously April 16 to approve staff’s recommendation to keep yard and food waste services at the town’s downtown convenience center and to appropriate $525,000 from the general fund to a new capital project to carry out the work.
Shelley (staff) told the council the town must remove its materials from the North Carolina Railroad right-of-way to allow a federal CRISI grant project to move forward and that “the cost estimate for that is $175,000.” Staff presented three options: cease public services at the site (only town operations), retain yard and food/organics on the current site with design and construction (staff’s recommended option), or relocate additional services to a new site at an estimated $4–5 million.
Staff said option 2 requires an appropriation of $525,000, which includes the $175,000 right-of-way removal cost and roughly $350,000 in design and construction costs. Jesse Troublefield (staff) said the town expects to continue operating the site during construction and estimated a 120–150 day construction window depending on weather.
Council members pressed staff for operational and budget clarity. One council member asked whether ongoing operations would be funded from the solid waste fee and utility fund; staff replied the costs are covered by the town’s solid waste fee and revenue recovered from that program, and that the $525,000 appropriation would be a midyear FY26 transfer from general fund balance. Interim Manager Russ told the council staff does not believe the appropriation will put the town below its policy threshold, but added they will confirm fund-balance impacts as the budget process continues.
Several council members emphasized resident convenience and the financial trade-offs. “Option 2 seems like the logical compromise that we keep the needed services,” one member said, while another expressed concern about potential compromises to other capital priorities if the fund balance were affected.
Shelley and Jesse also described regional alternatives: Wake County plans to expand a Morrisville supercenter that would offer broader services (construction estimated complete in July 2028) and could absorb some materials Cary currently handles. Staff clarified that some neighboring county sites charge drop-off fees for yard waste, while Cary currently provides drop-off service for town residents as part of regular service.
Council member S8 moved to approve option 2 and appropriate $525,000 from the general fund balance to a new capital project; S9 seconded the motion. The council voted "aye" with no recorded dissents.
The appropriation initiates design and construction planning; staff will return with procurement steps, bids, and more detailed operational cost estimates and timelines as the project advances.
What happens next: staff will begin design and permitting for the yard and food-waste configuration, solicit bids for construction, and confirm exact operational cost impacts and fund-balance analysis before spending proceeds beyond design work.
