FY18 Q2 Report FINAL

QUARTERLY SNAPSHOT

October—December 2017

PUBLIC SAFETY Police Fire DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Inspections Engineering Planning Capital Projects COMMUNITY SERVICES Parks & Recreation Public Works IN THIS ISSUE ADMINISTRATION Town Clerk/Town Council Community Relations Public Information Budget & Finance Information Technology Human Resources townofmorrisville.org 100 Town Hall Drive Morrisville, NC 27560 919-463-6200

Top: Council Members and partners participated in a ground breaking ceremony for the Morrisville Healthy Food Hub, additional details about the project are available on page 9 . Clockwise from bottom left: Many residents attended an NCDOT public meeting at Town Hall about the proposed Louis Stephens Drive project; TJ Cawley was sworn in as Mayor; and Fire-Rescue staff visited neighborhoods and gave out candy on Halloween.

PUBLIC SAFETY |

POLICE 2

STAFF NEWS

LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

New Hire Officer Marquise Ross was sworn in as the newest Morrisville Police Officer, right, in October. Ross has completed the required training and has been assigned to a patrol squad. Retirement After 22 years of Law Enforce- ment Service, including more than 15 years in Morrisville, Officer Mark Coyne, bottom, retired on December 1, 2017. Mark was honored by Town Council during the November 28 meeting, with his wife and Mayor Stohlman.

Graduation Ceremony for Senior Officer Godwin and Master Officer Strickland.

Congratulations to Senior Officer Godwin and Master Officer Strick- land on completing and graduating from the West Point Leadership Program. The program integrates leadership in organizations from the perspec- tive of the individual, the group, the leader, and the organization to transform into leadership roles.

NEW POLICE VEHICLE

Introducing the new 2018 Morrisville Police Department Ford Explorer. The vehicle began service in October and features changes to the vehicle color and decals. The decals are ghost graphics that re- flect yellow in the light. This makes them more visible at night, increasing safety for motorists and officers. The new light system automatically adjusts to changing conditions.

PUBLIC SAFETY |

POLICE 3

COMMUNITY EVENTS

TRUNK OR TREAT Trunk or Treat, a safe alternative to trick-or-treating door-to-door, was offered at Morrisville Community Park in conjunction with Trick or Treat the Trail. Hundreds of children wore costumes to walk through the parking lot, stop- ping at cars with decorated trunks and receiving candy. Community organizations and local businesses competed in decorating Police and Fire vehicles. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority was selected as having the most “Tricked Out Trunk!” with their Cookie Monster themed vehicle.

.

COCOA WITH A COP

Morrisville Police Department’s first Cocoa with a Cop event was held in December. The event celebrated the upcoming holidays and facilitated relationships between the Police Department and residents, with a goal of building trust with the community. Dozens of families attended this unique event, sharing cups of hot cocoa, enjoying tours of the Police Department and a special story time with Police Chief Andrews.

PUBLIC SAFETY |

POLICE 4

Crime Data October-December 2017

October– December 2015

October– December 2016

October- December 2017

2016-2017 % Change

Part 1 Property Crimes

3 Year Average

Part 1 Property Crime (includes Burglary, Larceny and Motor Vehi- cle Theft)

101

93

64

145

127%

October- December 2015

October- December 2016

October- December 2017

2016-2017 % Change

Part 1 Violent Crimes

3 Year Average

Part 1 Violent Crime (includes Homicide, Rape, Robbery and Ag-

5

6

7

3

-57%

gravated Assault)

October- December 2015

October- December 2016

October- December 2017

2016-2017 % Change

Part 2 Other Crimes

3 Year Average

Fraud

24 21 30 11

21 20 19

28 21 13

22 21 58 17

-21%

Vandalism

0%

Drugs

346% 113%

Simple Assault

7

8

Alcohol Offenses

8

3

14

7

-50%

Part 1 Property Crimes has increased due to a number of Motor Vehicle break-ins and Larceny Shopliftings. The Investigations Division is diligently working on each case and following up on leads. The department is educating people on ways to prevent theft from a vehicle. Tips are listed in the box below. Part 2 Other Crimes for Drug Offenses has increased due to extra patrol in the Airport Blvd. area and traffic stops,

which resulted in a number of arrests and citations for Drug Offenses. Part 2 Simple Assaults have increased due to domestic circumstances.

PREVENTING THEFT FROM A VEHICLE

Tips: 1. Keep your vehicle locked at all times.

2. When parked, never leave your keys in the car. 3. Never leave your car running and unattended. 4. Avoid leaving valuables inside your vehicle where passersby can see them. 5. Do not leave your vehicle title in the car. Too of- ten a car thief is pulled over and gets away from the police because he or she can produce the auto registration.

PUBLIC SAFETY |

FIRE/RESCUE 5

TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS

Why do we train?

Morrisville Fire/Rescue Depart- ment trains to save lives.

Below: Pumper 3 trained on drafting capabilities on November 1. Drafting is a technique used for fires where there are either no working hydrants or the hydrants provided can not match the required flow for the situation. This truck carries a 2100 gallon drop tank and can pump up to 1500 gallons per minute.

Training allows our team to be at their very best when presented with any type of situation and to help save lives.

Above: Firefighter Cook is sus- pended with a patient while prac- ticing an aerial rescue on Ladder 1 while Captain Todd Lewis, Cap- tain Robert Stanley, Engineer Ben Oswald, and Engineer Chris Salt- er observe for safety and support. This training simulates rescuing someone from an area where ter- rain makes it difficult or impossi- ble to carry a person out by foot.

Above: Firefighter David Tews and Engineer Forrest Wills are shown above suppressing a gas fire with foam at the Wake County Training Facility.

SPECIAL FORCES TRIBUTE

Morrisville Fire/Rescue units, along with units from Cary Fire/Rescue, Apex Fire/Rescue, Holly Springs Fire/Rescue and Cary Area EMS, staged on various bridges along NC 540 to pay tribute and respects to two fallen US Army Special Forces soldiers on Wednesday, October 18.

US Army Staff Sergeants Bryan C. Black and J.W. Johnson were killed in action the week before the tribute in the Republic of Niger in West Africa.

The department participates in tributes like this one when requested (as long as they are not responding to an emergency) to thank those who defend our freedoms and protect our country.

PUBLIC SAFETY |

FIRE/RESCUE 6

NATIONAL ACADEMY TRAINING

CAR SEAT INSTALLATION

We installed 97 car seats for second quarter in FY 2018. Thank you for letting us help you stay safe!

Each Morrisville Fire/Rescue Station is available Monday through Sun- day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to assist citizens with installing a car seat.

Engineer Chris Meeks, Engineer Chris Salter, Lieutenant Steve Edwards and Engineer Ben Oswald are all shown above at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. These officers had a two-day course that covered several types of classes in fire service related to safety and other topics.

Residents only need to come to the pedestrian entrance and ask for as- sistance. We ask that you do not block the vehicle entrance and exits with your vehicle when you visit the station.

If you ring the doorbell and we do not answer, it is because we are not at the station and are most likely on a call. In these situations, we encour- age you to visit us again at another time.

HONORING VETERANS On Friday, November 10, 2017, the Town collab- orated with Preston Pointe Retirement Commu- nity to host a Veteran’s Day recognition where veterans on duty from the Fire Department, the Police Department and veterans from Preston Pointe were honored for their service. The Morrisville Veterans Memorial Foundation Committee shared information about their fundraising efforts for the development of a memorial in Morrisville. Chief Jenkins, Morris- ville Fire/Rescue Department Color guard, Rescue 2 and Ladder 1 were all in attendance to celebrate and honor those who have fought for our country. We have the utmost gratitude and respect for each and every one of our veterans!

The Morrisville Veterans Memorial Foundation is considering two design concepts, one features pillars and the other features a wall, both shown above. The Foundation continues to raise funds for design and construction of a memorial. Additional information is available at www.morrisvilleveteransmemorial.org.

PUBLIC SAFETY |

FIRE/RESCUE 7

TWO OFFICERS RETIRE FROM MORRISVILLE FIRE/RESCUE

New Firefighters

Battalion Chief Robert Boening retired from the Morrisville Fire/ Rescue Department on Decem- ber 29, 2017, after 10 years of service. Chief Boening began his tenure with Morrisville Fire/ Rescue in 2007 as a Battalion Chief under Fire Chief Todd Wright. He has been very active in Morrisville Fire/Rescue’s training program and vehicle apparatus purchase and maintenance .

Tim Ryan comes to us from Spout Springs Emergency Ser- vices in Harnett County where he volunteered part-time. In his spare time, Tim likes to take motorcycle trips across country.

Battalion Chief Robert Boening

Captain Joe Engler retired from Morrisville Fire/Rescue on December 22, 2017. Engler was with the department for 20 years. He started as a part- time firefighter in 1997, pro- moted to a full-time engineer in 1999, a Lieutenant in 2003 and to Captain in 2009. Captain Engler leaves us to seek other avenues of adventure in the fire service.

James Garris was previously an engineer with the Salisbury Fire Department. He’s moved to Morrisville to be closer to loved ones. He is an out- doorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking and rock climb- ing.

Captain Joe Engler

CPR Classes: The most recent CPR class was in October, and had seven attendees. Look to the Parks and Rec Program Guide for future classes, or go to www.townofmorrisville.org/fire and click on the CPR picture.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES |

INSPECTIONS 8

BY THE NUMBERS Q2/FY 2018

Senior Building Inspector J. Ruppe at the Wake Tech Community College jobsite.

Town Hall North is currently in various stages of development with Townhomes.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES |

ENGINEERING 9

NC STATE PARTNERSHIP

Stormwater Wetland Conversion Project

The Town of Morrisville has partnered with North Carolina State University (NCSU) to perform research on stormwater control measures. The study will monitor water quality when dry detention basins are converted to constructed stormwater wetlands. Researchers hope the measure will improve water quality over time.

The big green boxes, shown in the photo on the right, contain equipment to measure wa- ter quality and hydrology as part of the research. NCSU has been monitoring two dry detention basins in Providence Place for the past year. One of the basins was recently converted to a constructed stormwater wetland and will be monitored for another year to determine differences in water quality and hydrology. Results from the study will help determine if this simple retrofit is a cost -effective way of improving water quality here in Morrisville and around the State.

Healthy Food Hub Construction Following a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, December 2, construction work began on the healthy food hub site. The Town’s contractor is working to install the storm drainage system, shown below, in preparation for the concrete plaza and other amenities. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2018.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES |

ENGINEERING 10

PARKING LOT EXPANSION Planning and Design work is continuing for the proposed expansion of the parking lot adjacent to the Historic Chris- tian Church, which is owned by the Town and available for rental. The project will include 46 new parking spaces to support activities at the adjacent church property and the new town center. The project should be complete in the summer of 2018.

NEW EMPLOYEE

T o n y V i c t o r joined the Storm- water division in December as an Env i r onment a l Specialist. Tony has a Bache- lor’s degree from Missouri State

University and a Master’s degree from Indi- ana University of Pennsylvania. His passion for environmental consciousness led Tony to a career in Stormwater Management. Tony has received a certification in Storm- water Best Management Practices (BMPs) Inspection and Maintenance from NC State University. He has more than five years of experience managing more than 370 BMPs. His training and education will be of great benefit to public education, outreach and involvement.

LEADING THROUGH LEARNING

Levi Henry, Engineering Techni- cian, completed the NC Code Offi- cials Building Level I Class, and plans to sit for the state exam to earn his standard certification for Level One Building Code Official in early 2018. This will enhance the coordination between engineering and building inspections related to site compliance, especially require- ments for pedestrian accessibility.

Joshua Baird, Stormwater Engineer, recently completed the NCAFPM Certified Flood- plain Manager (CFM) Pro- gram and may now use the title of CFM. This is a signifi- cant accomplishment for Joshua and the Town, and it will enhance all of our efforts related to flood hazard risk management.

Michael Fowler, Engineering Inspector, graduated from Mount Olive College last month completing a degree in Business Administration. Congratulations Michael on your graduation and your commit- ment to continuing education!

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES |

PLANNING 11

Development Approvals

Special Events Task Force

Current Planning Manager Michele Stegall, is heading up a team to streamline the Town of Morrisville Special Events application process. The team, which consists of members from Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Planning, Fire, Police, Inspections, and Administration will meet and collect data over the next several months with hopes of rolling out a new process by the end of summer 2018.

Sign Code Update The sign code consultant presented a preliminary report to the Planning and Zoning Board and Town Council in November. They are working with Town staff and hope to have first draft of the new code ready for public review in spring 2018.

Small Cell Wireless Telecommunications

Recent state legislation changed local government regulation for small cell wireless communication and collocation infrastructure, which affects how towns can regulate certain aspects of the facilities. As a result, residents may see more dual function light poles in Town right-of-way. The types of facilities on NCDOT roads may differ in appearance.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES |

PLANNING 12

Planning in the Classroom

Employee Highlights

Dylan Bruchhaus joined the Planning Department in October. Dylan works in the Long-range Planning Division as a Transportation Planner I.

Director Courtney Tanner recently visited a 4th grade classroom to discuss the role of a town planner in the community. The students participated in a town planning exercise, in which they learned about the importance of urban planning and collaboration. Fun fact: each of the towns were planned with an incredible park system, but only one had a grocery store.

Prior to joining the Morrisville team, Dylan worked for the New York City Department of Transportation while earning his Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Rutgers University.

Development ServicesRenovation Beginning in November, the Development Services front office underwent renovations to introduce a more open, and welcoming, environment for applicants and the community. Construction was completed in early January 2018.

Transportation Plan Update Town Council and the Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) continued their review and discussion of the September version of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan update, including holding multiple public comment sessions. In December, PZB discussed specific changes to the draft Plan, and directed staff to incorporate those changes into another draft. The next draft is expected to be ready for presentation to PZB in March.

Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Town staff continued contract negotiations with the selected Comprehensive Land Use Plan update consultant. The current expectation is that the project will in begin in early spring 2018. Some of the main plan update goals include in-depth studies of the McCrimmon Parkway extension area and the underdeveloped and vacant land near Wake Tech.

Additional public comment opportunities are anticipated to share the updated draft.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES |

CAPITAL PROJECTS 13

ROADPROJECTS

TOWN CENTER CORE

This quarter the street net- work design was completed for the Town Center Core project. The mixed-use project will be at the intersection of Town Hall Drive and Caroli- na Street, and will include residential and commercial uses as well as a Wake County Public Library.

MCCRIMMON PARKWAY EXTENSION The McCrimmon Parkway Extension contractor installed the potable water main located in the new section of roadway near Sheetz. This installation will finalize the grade and base section for the new roadway in the area, as show above. Morrisville Carpenter Road is being improved between Page Street and Davis Drive. The project will include widening the road to four lanes, adding curb-and-gutter and side- walk and replacing some culverts. The goal of the project is to make the road safer for drivers and pedestrians. This quarter, design work reached 75 percent completion and received review and approval by NCDOT. MORRISVILLE CARPENTER ROAD

The 8,500 square foot library entered the design phase this quarter. Construction is anticipated to start in the fall of 2018 with a planned open date in the fall of 2019. Street construction is scheduled to start this spring. Next steps in- clude Town Council selecting a preferred developer for the public/ private partnership, executing a Memorandum of Understanding and ultimately a development agreement.

CRABTREE HATCHER-CREEK GREENWAY

Top: During the second quarter, all boardwalks were installed. Bottom Left: The paved section and new fencing were completed at Cedar Fork Park. Bottom Right: The greenway sec- tion facing Davis Drive behind Walmart Foods was also completed this quarter.

CAROLINA STREET EXTENSION

Design work for the Carolina Street Extension is complete and in review. The project, which will construct a roundabout on Town Hall Drive, will connect Carolina Street and extend Foxglove Drive, and is estimated to go out to bid in February.

COMMUNITY SERVICES |

PARKS & RECREATION 14

MORRISVILLE AQUATICS & FITNESS CENTER

SILVER SNEAKERS

Morrisville Aquatics and Fitness Center (MAFC) has been a Silver Sneakers Facility for nearly three years. The program has allowed MAFC to offer many different health and wellness options for seniors. There are about 215 Silver Sneaker members at MAFC. The Town celebrated the 25th Anniver- sary of the Silver Sneakers program October 23-27 by giving raffle tickets to members who attended Silver Sneakers classes. Prizes were then given out via raffle at a special Silver Sneakers Pot- luck at the end of the week.

Members Go the Distance

Starting September 11, MAFC challenged members to complete a full or half Ironman Triathlon over the course of five weeks. The challenge ended on October 14, the same date as the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. More than 50 people participated. To help members reach their goal, staff broke the distances down into manageable inter- vals for different skill levels. Many members increased their daily run, bike and swim mile- age to complete this goal.

Members who completed the Go the Distance challenge received a MAFC travel mug. The program was very popular with 30 participants successful- ly completing the challenge.

MAFC Silver Sneakers members enjoyed a potluck to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Silver Sneakers program.

HA HA Program The Holiday Activity Healthy Accountability (HA HA) Program encouraged residents to join MAFC for the first time and provided both current and new members with healthy habit support through the holidays. Program highlights included:  Maintain Don’t Gain Challenge (40 participants tracked percentage of bodyweight lost over the Holiday season)

 Planksgiving (10 days of core strengthening exercises)

Left: Sr. Flex and Balance Instructor Mari- anne Crafts-Brandner was one of several staff Elf Bloggers.

Weekly sElf Help Blog



 12 Days of Fitness (Just like the song, an exercise was added each day)

Right: Ruth was the Planksgiving Winner

During the promotional period 54 people joined MAFC.

COMMUNITY SERVICES |

PARKS & RECREATION 15

FALL ATHLETICS

TEEN FIT CLASS

The fall sports season ended in October. Here is a look at the season by the numbers.

58 Teams This Season

14 Recertified Coaches

23 Newly Trained Coaches

2,088 Volunteer Hours

629 Participants Enrolled

The Servers were the 10-12 year old Volleyball Champions for the fall session. More than 70 youth played on the Town’s 6 teams this season.

373 Soccer

144 Baseball

112 Volleyball

The Teen Fit program at Morris- ville Aquatics and Fitness Center celebrated the end of a success- ful year with an hour of jumping time at Defy Gravity. The group met twice a week throughout 2017 and is already meeting again for 2018. Teen Fit helps young adults develop healthy habits and improve their understanding of fitness. MORRISVILLE ON THE GO: DUKE SOCCER Youth athletic participants had several opportunities to attend inter-collegiate sporting events this quarter, including a Duke University men’s soccer match (right). These are important op- portunities for young or aspiring athletes as they develop life and athletic goals.

Soccer is the most popular fall sport offered by Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources.

COMMUNITY SERVICES |

PARKS & RECREATION 16

SPECIAL EVENTS

TRICK OR TREAT THE TRAIL On Saturday, October 28, Morrisville Community Park was transformed into a place for families to safely trick-or- treat and show off their Halloween costumes. The Parks and Recreation Department held the annual Trick or Treat the Trail event along the Hatcher Creek Greenway. Staff and volunteers from the Morrisville Youth Leadership Council handed out candy to an estimated 5,000 visitors at 10 treat stations.

The same evening the Police and Fire Department’s Trunk or Treat program offered food trucks, a photo booth, craft stations, and inflatable bounce houses in the parking lot.

The combined events made for an unforgettable, fun and safe evening for families.

Families waited briefly to Trick or Treat the trail.

Hundreds of people enjoyed dinner from food trucks.

Annual Tree Lighting

SWIMWITH SANTA

The Annual Tree Lighting took place on Friday, De- cember 1 at Indian Creek Trailhead. Hundreds of people came out to enjoy the wonder of lighting the tree and lights on Town Hall Drive. In addition, the event included:

A visit and pictures with Santa



Cookies and cocoa

  

Arts and crafts

Dance school perfor- mances

Trackless train rides

Kids shared their wish lists with Santa in the pool, and enjoyed a snack and crafts after swimming at the Aquatics and Fitness Center during the Decem- ber Swim with Santa event.



Save the Date: Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March 24, 2018 at Morrisville Community Park www.townofmorrisville.com/events

COMMUNITY SERVICES |

PARKS & RECREATION 17

CEDAR FORK COMMUNITY CENTER

Programming Changes

Open Gym Open gym sessions were sched- uled between athletic seasons, and were a popular addition to the Cedar Fork offerings. Teen Nights Teen Nights were added this fall with the aim of giving teens a place to come and play basket- ball, watch movies, enjoy crafts, or play video and board games with friends. This program is offered on the third Saturday of each month Dominoes This quarter Dominoes Night was moved from 6 to 8 p.m. on the last Monday of each month to 1 to 3 p.m. The new time allows more seniors to attend, and attendance has almost doubled. There is always room for more people to join Dominoes Day! No registration is required.

Senior Christmas Luncheon

More than 50 people attended the Senior Christmas Luncheon. The event is always very popular, and includes a performance by the pre- school students and a white elephant gift exchange.

Contracted Classes

The Town works with private vendors to keep a fresh variety of course offerings. This quarter several new contracted classes start- ed, including Tinkergarten, Little Rembrandts and Blue Monarch Art Center.

The Baking Academy Class at Cedar Fork Community Center is well attended. December projects had a holiday theme!

Youth Programs Youth programs continue to be very popular with many, including Early Arrivals and Preschool, being at capacity or having a waiting list .

Youth Program Counselors participated in a holiday ugly sweater contest.

COMMUNITY SERVICES |

PARKS & RECREATION 18

GREENWAY CLEANUP

Volunteers from the World Mission Society Church of God cleaned up trash and debris along the Shiloh Greenway and Indian Creek Greenways in early December. The event was part of their 4,413 th Worldwide Mother’s Street Cleanup Campaign. Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources and Public Works staff coordinated the activity and provided supplies for about 40 volunteers. The group cleaned more than three miles of greenways, sidewalks and surrounding parklands, ensuring that Morrisville residents have safe and clean paths to walk and exercise outdoors.

MORRISVILLE YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (MYLC) This fall was a busy time for the Morrisville Youth Leadership Council (MYLC). Enrollment grew to more than 80 members, many of whom volunteered at Town special events, a car wash fundraiser and with other activities.

For more information about MYLC, visit www.morrisvilleyouth.weebly.com.

Volunteering at the Car Wash

A few of the many Halloween event volunteers

COMMUNITY SERVICES |

PUBLIC WORKS 19

ACCREDITATION

Morrisville’s Public Works Department received written confirmation of Full Accreditation by the American Public Works Association (APWA) on December 22, 2017. Morrisville joins the Town of Garner as one of two accredited Public Works agencies in North Carolina, and one of only 136 in the country. Out of 337 identified practices, 334 received a full com- pliance designation, while the remaining four received substantial compliance. To maintain accreditation, the department will engage in reaccreditation every four years with a formal “check in” every two years.

Staff with the Accreditation Team

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES LOBBY RENNOVATION

The lobby of the Public Safety Municipal Services Building, primarily used to access the Development Services departments of Planning, Inspections and Engineering, was renovated this quarter. The changes were made to improve functionality and public interaction. The old lobby (left) included a wall and a low counter. The recon- figured space (below) includes a lower ceiling and open counter. The color scheme was changed significantly with paint, flooring, trim, and lighting to create a more welcoming environment.

After

Electronics Recycling

COMMUNITY SERVICES |

PUBLIC WORKS 20

FALL GREEN DAY

The 2017 Fall Green Day consisted of a litter sweep, a shredding event, electronics recy- cling and used cooking oil recycling. There were 283 vehicles that dropped off materials.

Paper Shredded 12,750 pounds

This is the largest amount to date in a single collection at either the fall or spring Green Day events!

Electronics Recycled 6,828 pounds

Cooking Oil Recycled 42 gallons

ADMINISTRATION |

TOWN CLERK/TOWN COUNCIL 21

COUNCIL, STAFF & LOCAL YOUTH TAKE OVER CHARLOTTE!

National League of Cities City Summit Conference held at Charlotte Convention Center November 15-18, 2017

YOUTH DELEGATES

A unique opportunity provided by the NLC is its Youth Program. They offer a specific agenda and activities for youth aged 13-18, currently engaged in a youth council/advisory board or other civic activity. Morrisville’s Town Council is ever

seeking ways to en- gage local youth and took this opportunity to offer the NLC City Summit experience to four members of the Morrisville Youth Lead- ership Council’s (MYLC) Executive Board: Aneesha Chak- ka, Novidha Lenin, Yashmitha Lenin, and Aparna Sudhakar.

Over four days in November, several Council Members, staff and youth delegates traveled from Morrisville to Char- lotte to participate in the National League of Cities (NLC) Annual City Summit. The NLC’s annual conference attracts thousands of attendees from across the United States to participate in workshops, seminars, and other engagement opportunities with elected officials and municipal leaders. Approximately 4,000 attended this year’s conference in Charlotte.

SPECIAL TOPICS, SPECIAL GUESTS

The Youth Program presented fantastic sessions for the youngest attendees to participate in, confer with other youth delegates and take back what they learned to their respective locations. The MYLC youth delegates will make a presentation to Town Council at its January 23rd meeting, showcasing their experience at the City Summit.

Specific topics discussed at this year’s City Summit includ- ed economic development, climate change, transportation, and leadership development.

Youth Delegates enjoyed a social outing sponsored by Carowinds where they were able to relax and get to know youth from all over the country.!

Guest speakers included retired American Astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain Mark Kelly, former state legislator and U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

COMING NEXT ISSUE … Town Council Retreat! Each year the Town Council holds a multi- day retreat to discuss major topic items, many times related to the upcoming year’s budget. Occasionally, Town Council will travel for retreat and this year’s selected location is Kannapolis, N.C. Council will tour local development/redevelopment projects and discss long-range strategic priorities for the Town’s fu- ture growth. Look for highlights in the next Quarterly Report.

ADMINISTRATION |

TOWN COUNCIL/PIO 22

SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

Newly Elected Officials were sworn in at Town Council’s Organizational Meeting Tuesday, December 12, 2017, in front of a packed audience. Newly elected officials include Coun- cil Members Steve Rao and Vicki Scroggins-Johnson as well as Jerry Windle, who will be serving his first term. Council Member TJ Cawley was

sworn in as Mayor (right) and Scroggins-Johnson was selected as Mayor Pro Tem. Outgoing Mayor Mark Stohlman was recognized for his service to the Town of Morrisville.

RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER DISPLAY CASE

New Year, New Website Staff has been working on the Website Redesign project, which launched in the summer of 2017. The new site is expected to go live in February.

The Town of Morrisville now has a display case at the Raleigh C o n v e n t i o n Center. All Wake C o u n t y mun i c i pa l i t i es were given the opportunity to

set up a display case at the Convention Center for visitors to see for the next 1 -2 years. The goal of this project is to show how far Wake County municipalities have come, and give visitors an idea of what each town has to offer. Morrisville’s display case includes information about our history and diversity, along with features that make us unique, like cricket and table tennis.

In the fall of 2017, a Citizen Survey was issued to get feedback on our programs and services. Stay tuned for the results which will be available early 2018!

ADMINISTRATION |

COMMUNITY RELATIONS 23

SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT The Town’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts made a combined 1.6 million impressions this quarter, an increase of 10.7% from last quarter.

INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform, and the fastest growing account for the Town. In the second quarter of FY18, the @TownOfMorrisvilleNC account had a 16.9% increase in followers. A portion of this boost came from the Morr Fall Fun promotion that wrapped up at the end of October. An early morning photo of the Perimeter 5 building that INC Research will be moving into, shown right, was the most popular post this quarter. The most popular video was a demonstration of the new Police Department vehicle with all the lights flashing.

FACEBOOK

The four Facebook accounts each engaged thousands of residents this quarter. Across all accounts, the most popular post was from the Police Department, show-

Pictures Hub groundbreaking and Coffee with a Cop were also very popular this quarter. The Food Hub groundbreaking is featured on the cover of this report. from the Food

ing K9 Arko riding the baggage claim at the airport on Thanksgiving weekend. This video reached more than 77,000 people. Other top posts included promotion of the Trunk or Treat event and Smart Asset naming Morrisville the third best place to raise a family in North Carolina.

MORR FALL FUN Our first contest run exclusively on Instagram, Morr Fall Fun, was a great success, with more than 60 entries. All of the winners provided high- resolution versions of each of the winning photos for Town use, and will be incorporated into the new website.

Partnerships provided a significant boost to the reach of Town generated content on Twitter this quarter.

Staff plan to develop similar photo contests in the future based on the success of this promotion.

TWITTER

The top post, about the Town participat- ing in ABC 11’s Operation Save A Life fire safety project, reached more than 250,800 people. The second highest reaching post, about Wake Transit, was shared across the region, encouraging people to attend public input sessions in Cary.

Other top Tweets included messages about the Louis Stephens Drive public meeting hosted by NCDOT at Town Hall, Fire Safety Day, and swim lessons.

ADMINISTRATION |

COMMUNITY RELATIONS/PIO 24

STRATEGIC PLANNING

The Town embarked on a formal Strategic Planning process this quarter to help identify the most critical issues and guide the Town for the next five years. The theme “Connect Morrisville,” was selected for the plan, that will recognize a collec- tive vision for the communi- ty and align resources for the future.

Statistically valid resident input was gathered, and additional surveys were used to gather input from staff, advisory committee members and the business community. Council members participated by way of study and analysis interviews. Initial survey findings were present- ed to Council in November, as well as a preliminary draft of a revised mission statement, vision statement, and goals that aligned with the feed-

The Town’s new brand, “Live Connected. Live Well.” celebrated its first birthday in December. Staff continue to receive positive feedback on the brand and tag line.

back that had been received.

Community Workshops will be offered in person and online in Janu- ary 2018. The entire Strategic Planning process is expected to take about 10 months. After the Plan is com- plete, staff will spend several addi- tional months developing depart- mental work plans that align with the Strategic Plan.

TOP PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY

Smart Asset named Morrisville the third best place in North Carolina to raise a family, behind nearby Holly Springs and Apex. The rankings took ten factors into consideration, including median home values, violent and prop- erty crime rates, unemployment rates, housing costs, percent of families in poverty, high school graduation rate, percent of residents under the age of 20, median household income and 5-year change in home values. Morrisville received especially high marks for average household income and unemployment. Evaluators stated, “Economic prospects are good here.”

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BUDGET/FINANCE/IT 25

BUDGET & FINANCE

ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT

On October 24, Town Council accepted the presentation of the Certified Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for FY2017. The Town received an unqualified (clean) opinion from Cherry Bekaert that the financial statements present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position of the activities for the Town of Morrisville. As of the close of the current fiscal year, the Town of Morrisville’s governmental funds reported a combined ending fund balance of $41,282,874, an increase of $11,275,171 over the prior year. The Town maintained its AAA bond rating with Standards and Poor’s and Fitch and its Aaa rating by Moody’s

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

IT Security Assessment

Mobile Computing Improvements The mobile computing environment in the Town’s fire trucks was reconfigured this quarter. Changes included updated data communications, extended wire- less capabilities and new laptops in all of the firetrucks. The laptops can be undocked from the keyboard to serve as a tablet for field related work. This is a new design for the department that will allow for addi- tional functionality.

In September of 2017, the Town offered Information Technology (IT) Security Training for all em- ployees to help build IT security awareness. As a follow-up to the training and in light of the ongoing security threats, the IT Department enlist- ed the services of SeNet Interna- tional Corporation, to perform a comprehensive IT system configu- ration and security assessment of critical infrastructure. SeNet has started reviewing the Town’s security practices and policies and will be offering sug- gestions based on Morrisville’s specific needs and industry best practices. The goal of the partner- ship is to better protect the Town computing resources.

Enterprise System Project Town Manager, Martha Paige (left), signed the Tyler Technologies contract in Novem- ber to officially start the Enterprise System Update Project. Project leaders from the Town and Tyler Technologies started work on a project strategic plan, which includes communica- tions, planning, training and project Implementation. Senior IT Analyst, Chuck Bryan, will serve as the Town’s Project Manager. Kick-off meetings for the community module (EnerGov) and the financial module (Munis) are scheduled for the third quarter of FY18.

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HUMAN RESOURCES 26

ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS

ANNUAL 5K

The Morrisville Police Department conducted two sessions on Active Shooter Training for Town staff.

The training provided the latest guidance as to how to best prepare and respond if confronted with an active shooter situation.

YEARS OF SERVICE RECOGNITION Employees were recognized for their 5, 10 and 15 Years of Service at the annual Thanksgiving Potluck and Recogni- tion Luncheon on Tuesday, November 14. The event provided a nice, relaxed start to the holiday season. This years’ event also included brief recognitions of staff who received awards during the Celebration of Service event in July.

Town Employees participated in the semi-annual Employee 5K on December 6. Employees are encouraged to maintain, or begin, an exercise program ahead of the 5K so they are prepared to participate.

FLU VACCINATIONS

The Town provides on -site flu v a c c i n a - tions to employees. The annual clinic was

held in October, and many em- ployees took advantage of the op- portunity to receive a vaccine without an appointment.