2005 Year In Review

The Town of Wake Forest enjoyed many successes in 2005. From the development of the town's new website and the widening of South Main Street to the creation of the Community Response Team and the purchase of new park land - 2005 was certainly a year to remember.

Here is a look at some of the Town's major accomplishments during 2005.

Police Tip Line Wake Forest's police investigators set up a dedicated phone line to help prevent and solve crime. The tip line (554-6162) is manned only a portion of the week, though tipsters may leave information on the department's answering machine. Those who have witnessed criminal activity or have information about crimes are often afraid to get involved. The confidential tip line offers protection to informants, while allowing police to use the leads to help build cases against the guilty. All information received is confidential. Callers can leave their names and phone numbers on the machine so investigators can contact them if they have further questions, or they can call back and speak to a detective. The tip line gives residents the opportunity to play a part in keeping their neighborhood and town safe.


Flaherty Park Wake County Human Services presented an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the town to be used at Flaherty Park. The machine, which costs between $3,000 and $5,000, is to be used in the event someone suffers a heart attack or stroke while they are at Flaherty Park. With only minimal training, the defibrillator allows park employees or emergency workers to help a person who has been the victim of cardiac arrest.


Parking Lot Paving Projects The WF Parks and Recreation Department paved what had been gravel parking lots at four area parks: Flaherty Park baseball and softball fields, Smith Creek Soccer Center, Tyler Run, and Ailey Young. The paving project resulted in an upgrade of 450 parking spaces.

Bond Referendum Voters overwhelmingly approved municipal bonds worth $16.5 million on Tuesday, May 3. The $9.5 million road bond passed 363-68 and the $7 million parks bond won by a 332-101. The following breakdown shows how the road bond funds are expected to be spent:

• Construct a portion of the northern loop, connecting North Main Street and North White Street. Cost: $3.3 million.
• Improve South Franklin Street, as called for in the Renaissance Plan. Cost: $2.4 million.
• Widen Stadium Drive from Capital Boulevard to Rock Springs Road. Cost: $2.2 million.
• Widen South Main Street from Rogers Road to Forbes Road. Cost: $1 million.
• Extend sidewalks along North White Street to Flaherty Park. Cost: $600,000.

Here is how the parks bonds spending will look:

• Construct Phase I of Joyner Park. Cost: $3.5 million.
• Build a new park adjacent to the proposed site for Heritage High School. Cost: $2.3 million.
• Complete Flaherty Park. Cost: $700,000.
• Construct greenways. Cost: $500,000.

Achievement of Excellence For the 15th consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded the “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting” to the Town of Wake Forest for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by the Town and its management. The CAFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.


New Town Hall Wake Forest chose Little Diversified Architecture from Durham to develop plans for a new town hall. Based on preliminary meetings, the architects have determined that the town could use a municipal building with about 30,000 square feet. The current town hall is only 8,000 square feet. Currently, the top two potential locations for the new town hall are a site that fronts Brooks Street between Elm Street and Owen Avenue and the corner of South White Street and Elm Avenue, where DAB International is located.


H.O.P.E. Program Wake Forest unveiled the H.O.P.E. program in June. Helping Others by Providing Electricity was created to help financially disadvantaged electric customers reconcile their utility bill. Funded by the donations of area residential and commercial utility customers, the program is administered through a partnership between the Town and ChurchNet, a local non-profit organization assisting people in need.


Water & Wastewater Systems The Town of Wake Forest and the City of Raleigh merged their water and sewer systems July 1. In accordance with the regional utility plan, the City of Raleigh assumed sole responsibility for operating, maintaining, improving and expanding the water and wastewater collection system that formerly served the Town of Wake Forest. The Town retained authority concerning when and where new water and sewer services can be extended to support growth and development within its planning and zoning jurisdiction, subject to conditions in the inter-local agreement. Preliminary projections suggest customers can expect reduced water and sewer rates over the next 7-10 years.


New Website The Town of Wake Forest launched a new website at www.wakeforestnc.gov on July 1. The new site projects a positive image for the town while also providing comprehensive information on numerous topics of interest. Among the site’s offerings are overviews about each Town department, a calendar of events, the Town Manager’s Weblog, E-News, and several additional pages of information dedicated to Wake Forest residents, businesses, and visitors. In early 2006, residents also will be able to log in and pay their utility bills online.

Street Sweeper Wake Forest added a street sweeper to its fleet of equipment dedicated to keeping local streets clean. The Street Division devised a schedule that ensures street sweeping operations will be performed on a regular basis and will concentrate on primary roads.


Parks and Recreation Grants Wake Forest was awarded a $250,000 grant by the Land and Water Conservation Fund and $500,000 from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for development of the first phase of Joyner Park. Phase I development includes the construction of an amphitheater and walking trails, as well as the restoration of several farm buildings and the pecan grove.


New Recycling Schedule Republic Waste Services, the town’s new recycling vendor, began collecting recycling on a weekly basis September 1. The Town of Wake Forest and Toter, Inc. delivered new rollout recycling carts and rollout trash carts to customers during the last two weeks in August. The receptacles included a flyer explaining the new recycling schedule and emphasizing that the new carts would be serviced beginning September 1.


New Section of Franklin Street Several Wake Forest residents joined local dignitaries and NC Department of Transportation officials on September 2 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony near the intersection of Franklin Street and East Holding Avenue to mark the opening of a new section of Franklin Street. Situated between the NC 98 bypass and Holding Avenue, the new half-mile section was the first constructive phase of the Renaissance Plan and is considered the newest gateway to downtown Wake Forest.


Employee of the Year The Town of Wake Forest recognized Senior Code Enforcement Officer J.J. Carr as its “2005 Employee of the Year.” Town Manager Mark Williams presented the award to Carr on September 10 during the luncheon portion of the Town’s first-ever “Family Fun Day.”


Human Resources The Human Resources Department implemented “Treats from the Town” - a monthly Employee Appreciation Program designed to reward all Town employees for their hard work and dedication. The department also planned and orchestrated the first-ever “Family Fun Day” and hosted a successful Health Fair where over 90 employees received free flu vaccinations. The “Talk of the Town” newsletter received a face lift and is now printed in color.


United Way Contributions from Town employees to the 2005 United Way fundraising campaign totaled $5,486.


Miller Park Trails The town’s Streets Department re-paved the trails at Miller Park after bids from private contractors came in much higher than anticipated. The new trails are wider (they now adhere to ADA guidelines), and having the work performed “in-house” saved the town close to $25,000.


Park Site Purchase The Town of Wake Forest Board of Commissioners agreed in September to commit $1.1 million towards the purchase of 80 acres of park land and open space. The Board’s action came after Wake County commissioners pledged matching funds for the site that sits along Smith Creek and is adjacent to the future site of Heritage High School. Town officials say they expect the area to one day be a part of a seven-mile greenway running along the town’s reservoir to the Neuse River. Wake Forest will begin the development of Joyner Park in late 2006. The first phase of the park will include hiking trails, an amphitheater, and picnic shelters. The $3.5 million project will also involve restoring the site’s farm buildings and pecan grove. Officials said the purchase of the Smith Creek land should be completed late this year. Construction of the Smith Creek greenway will determine when the 80 acres are opened to the public.


Planning Award In October, the Town of Wake Forest received the "2005 Marvin Collins Outstanding Planning Award" from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association. The town received the award for its "Renaissance Plan for the Heart of Wake Forest” during the chapter’s annual conference in Fayetteville. Mayor Vivian Jones, Planning Director Chip Russell, and Planner Agnes Wanman were on hand to accept the award.


South Main Street Widening The Town widened South Main Street (US1-A) from three lanes to five lanes extending from Capital Boulevard to Rogers Road. The NCDOT will overlay the section with asphalt in the spring. Design for the widening of South Main Street from Rogers Road to Forbes Road is also underway as the Town expects to award a contract for this next phase of widening in the summer of 2006.


Richland Creek Wake Forest is currently acquiring conservation easements from property owners along the banks of Richland Creek from Stadium Drive north to the Franklin County line. The engineering and surveying portions of this acquisition are being funded through a grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF). The Town is in the process of applying to CWMTF for an additional grant to pay for a contract to rehabilitate the eroding banks of Richland Creek along the same stretches of the stream as those for which conservation easements have been acquired.


Community Response Team The Wake Forest Community Response Team was activated for the first time in September. If an emergency, such as a fire, train wreck or damaging storm, occurs in our area, the team is designed to mobilize and respond quickly. Wake Forest Police Chief Greg Harrington and Major Jeff Leonard first presented the idea of a response team more than a year ago, but after witnessing the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the two were moved to assemble and dispatch a team from their department to assist with the cleanup. Team members included police officers Leonard, Richard Brown, David Richards and Jason Graham, firefighter Don Griesedieck and Wake Weekly publisher Greg Allen. The group spent four days in Mississippi clearing debris and trees from roads, yards and homes. Prior to the trip, the team collected donations and with help from the town and police department, purchased chain saws, generators, tarps, first aid kits, shovels and various hand tools.

A second Community Response Team left Wake Forest on November 17 and returned to Gulf Port, Mississippi. This group concentrated on assisting families of the town’s police officers. In addition to helping with cleanup efforts, team members, including police officers Leonard, Harrington, Jeremy Morris, Richard Brown, Jason Graham, and Kim Warren, accompanied 32 children of Gulf Port police officers to the local Wal-Mart and gave them $150 to spend however they wished. The crew returned to Wake Forest on November 23.


Election Frank Drake and Margaret Jones Stinnett won seats on the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners, upending incumbents Chris Malone and Rob Bridges. Mayor Vivian Jones was re-elected in her uncontested bid for mayor.


Shop With A Cop The Wake Forest Police Department sponsored its 6th annual “Shop with a Cop” holiday shopping spree December 20 at the Wake Forest Wal Mart. Sprint officials helped kick off this year's event by visiting with the children at the Wake Forest Police Department and distributing toys that local employees collected during a recent toy drive. The 28 area children and their police officer “partners” then hopped aboard a school bus and traveled to Wal Mart, where each child was given $175 to spend. Each child was required to buy a winter coat during the shopping spree but once the coat was purchased the children were allowed to spend the rest of their money on other store items. Shop with a Cop was created to help less fortunate children in the Wake Forest area experience a joyous Christmas. Since its inception in 1999, Shop with a Cop has helped well over 100 local kids.


Adopt A Family For over 10 years the Town of Wake Forest has demonstrated the holiday “spirit of giving” by adopting a local family at Christmas. This year was no exception as the town embraced a family who settled in Wake Forest after being displaced from their New Orleans home following Hurricane Katrina. Prior to settling in Wake Forest, the family – including five children and two parents – had been housed temporarily in five other cities and towns. Altogether, over 20 Town employees contributed money, clothes, shoes, toys, and other items throughout the month of December to this family in need.