Welcome to our weekly e-newsletter - What's Up in Wake Forest. Here you'll find information about Town programs, services, activities, projects, special events and more! If you haven't already, tell your friends and neighbors to visit our E-Notifier page to learn about our full array of free email offerings.

The Wake Forest Human Relations Council (HRC) is celebrating Black History Month in 2021 by offering town residents the chance to recognize local African Americans who have made a difference enhancing and improving the quality of life in their community, family, church, business or other group.

From now through Saturday, Jan. 23, the HRC is soliciting nominations in several categories, including educator, actor, healthcare worker, business owner, frontline worker, musician and politician – just to name a few. The online nomination form is available at http://bit.ly/WFBHMHonorRoll.

Wake Forest residents, former residents, and business and community stakeholders are eligible. Nomination narratives describing the individual’s contributions should be 400 words or less. Nominees should demonstrate leadership and integrity and be respected by their peers. In addition, potential nominees may, for example, help neighbors and fellow Wake Forest citizens in some way, demonstrate hospitality and concern for others, support local businesses and charities, promote a sense of community in their neighborhood and beyond, or serve the community through their school, church, business or community organization.

The HRC will review the nominations and select different Wake Forest African Americans to honor throughout February. Honorees will be recognized on the Town of Wake Forest Facebook page and Town website.

The Town of Wake Forest has extended the deadline for anyone wishing to apply to serve on the Board of Adjustment (BOA), Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), Public Art Commission (PAC) and Urban Forestry Board (UFB). Residents of Wake Forest and its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) now have until midnight Sunday, Jan. 31, to submit a completed application.

The Town extended the application deadline for these advisory boards after failing to receive a sufficient number of applications for their current vacancies.

Apply by completing and submitting the online online advisory board application. Anyone without access to a computer is invited to complete the application by using a computer kiosk in the lobby of Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Hard copies are available upon request by contacting Cathi Pope at 919-435-9467. 
 
Town Manager Kip Padgett is pleased to announce that Assistant Public Works Director Allison Snyder has been promoted to Assistant Town Manager. She was chosen from a pool of over 145 applicants and underwent an extensive interview process.

As Assistant Town Manager, Snyder will assist Padgett with a variety of town priorities, organizational initiatives and special projects. She will also oversee the following departments: Economic Development, Inspections/Public Facilities, Planning, Public Works, and Wake Forest Power.
 
Wake Forest Town Manager Kip Padgett is pleased to announce that Downtown Development Manager Lisa Hayes has transitioned into the new role of Strategic Performance Manager within the Administration Department. In addition, Downtown Development Specialist Jennifer Herbert has been appointed Acting Downtown Development Manager. Both changes took effect on Monday, Jan. 4.

As Strategic Performance Manager, Hayes will be responsible for the Town’s implementation and adherence to the Strategic Plan, while also managing the Strategic Plan update scheduled to begin in late 2021 or early 2022. She will also manage the Town’s citizen transparency portal, explore citizen engagement opportunities, serve as a liaison to the development community, partner with the IT Department on Smart Cities initiatives and coordinate special projects.

Provided below are announcements about projects that will impact Wake Forest motorists over the next several weeks. Please use the information to help plan your route and move safely through the affected areas. 

Saturday, Jan. 9
On Saturday, Jan. 9, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Wake Forest Police will close the portion of North White Street from East Spring Street to East Juniper Avenue to assist a funeral procession that will end at the Wake Forest Cemetery, 400 N. White St. The procession is for a Raleigh firefighter who died earlier this week.

Police officers will be in place to safely direct traffic around the road closure. Delays are expected, so motorists are urged to avoid the area if possible and take an alternate route.


Saturday, Jan. 9
Raleigh Water will close the portion of South Main Street/US 1A from East Holding Avenue to Elm Avenue Saturday, Jan. 9, beginning at 7 a.m. The closure is necessary to install a manhole along the 600 block of South Main. Water and sewer service in the area will not be affected.
Once the installation is complete, crews will repave the area with new asphalt. As a result, South Main may be closed until late Saturday or early Sunday morning, Jan. 10.

Detour signage will be in place to manage traffic flow and safely direct motorists around the work area. Delays are expected, so motorists are encouraged to avoid the area if possible and take an alternate route.


Monday, Jan. 11, & Wednesday, Jan. 13
On Monday, Jan. 11, and Wednesday, Jan. 13, from 8 a.m.-noon each day, the Town of Wake Forest will temporarily reduce to one lane with intermittent two-way traffic a portion of the 300 block of East Juniper Avenue. The temporary lane closure, in the vicinity of Olive Branch Baptist Church, is necessary to allow crews to remove and replace the sidewalk.

Signage and flaggers will be in place to safely direct motorists through the work areas. Delays are expected, so drivers are encouraged to take an alternate route if possible. 


Now through March 2021
From now through March, Fred Smith Company, a contractor working on behalf of Wegmans, will periodically reduce to one lane portions of Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 from Galaxy Way to Siena Drive. The temporary lane closures are necessary to allow crews to widen the roadway and install turn lanes for the future Wegman’s. The store will be situated on the south side of Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass between US 1/Capital Boulevard and Siena Drive, just west of Ligon Mill Road.

Effective January 1, the Town of Wake Forest changed how it charges residents for solid waste service and introduced several improvements to its yard waste and bulk waste collection programs.

Since 2008 Wake Forest property owners have paid for solid waste service as part of their annual property tax bill. Prior to that, residents paid a monthly user fee of $14.60 as part of their monthly utility bill.

Effective January 1, solid waste service is no longer be covered by annual tax revenues, but instead by a $21 monthly solid waste fee included on residents’ Raleigh Water bill. The fee includes weekly trash, recycling and yard waste collection, along with seasonal and on-demand collections for loose leaves, Christmas trees, bulk waste pickup and large brush collection.

The following improvements to the Town's yard waste collection programs also began January 1:

  • The weekly bag limit of yard waste doubled from 10 bags to 20 bags.
  • The limit of large brush doubled from four to eight cubic yards (approximately two pickup truck loads).
  • Large brush collections must be scheduled in advance via an online form on the Town’s website similar to the one used for scheduling bulk waste collections. Generally, “large brush” is any yard waste, including limbs over four feet in length, that does not fit into bags or yard waste containers.

The Town of Wake Forest will host a public hearing on the proposed 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Update during the Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Chambers, 301 S. Brooks St.
Wake Forest residents are invited to attend and provide input in this important process. The public can view a copy of the proposed CIP Update on the Town website or in the Town Clerk’s office, located in town hall, from now until Tuesday, Jan. 19.

The CIP Update is the revised CIP and covers the five fiscal years 2021-22 through 2025-26. The CIP Update document contains capital expenditure requests from each of the Town’s departments/divisions for items over $25,000 that typically have a useful life of five years or more. 

February is Black History Month, and the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre is celebrating by offering “Art That Reflects,” a series of virtual performances that pay tribute to the diversity and artistry of African American culture. Offering an outstanding lineup that includes storytelling and theater, as well as vocal, music and dance, the series will be available for free streaming on the Renaissance Centre website, Facebook and YouTube pages.

Several local churches and community organizations will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a virtual livestream program on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 6:30 p.m. Area residents are invited to watch the livestream on the Friendship Chapel Baptist Church Facebook page

The evening’s theme will center around one of Dr. King’s messages: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In the spirit of the event theme, the Wake Forest MLK Committee is offering creative performance, writing and art competitions for students in Wake Forest and Rolesville-area schools. Complete contest rules and information, along with the online contest entry form, are now available. 

The competition winners will be recognized during the January 21 program. Due to COVID-19, only the contest winners and their parents will be permitted to attend. For more information, contact Margo Grant at 919-435-7101. 
NC continues Modified Stay at Home Order

On Wednesday, Jan. 6, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina will continue a Modified Stay at Home Order through at least January 29.

The Order requires people to stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. It also requires restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, personal care businesses and more to close at 10 pm. Travel to and from work; to obtain food, medical care, fuel or social services; or to take care of a family member is exempted.


COVID-19 Vaccine web page now available
Wake County has launched a new webpage about the COVID-19 vaccine.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Wake County, a safe and effective vaccine will help defend us against the virus. Everyone who wants a vaccine will eventually get one. But, that process is going to take months.

Right now, the supply of the vaccine is low, and the need is high. That’s why Wake County will offer the vaccine in phases and in strict accordance with guidance from the CDC and the NC Department of Health and Human Services.

The phases begin with the people who are at highest risk, as well as those who are vital to the COVID-19 response. Good examples are healthcare workers who face possible exposure to the virus every day or seniors in assisted living facilities who would develop serious health impacts if they contracted COVID-19.

Overall, their numbers are relatively small, which is intentional, because so is our supply of the vaccine.

From January to June 2021, the vaccine supply will grow. With more doses, we can vaccinate more people. But, realistically, most healthy middle-aged adults won’t get vaccinated until late spring or early summer of next year.

NCDHHS will be updating the vaccine rollout plan on its website, which includes a breakdown of the phases, so you can see where you might fall in the prioritization.
People who live and work near Wake Forest have a convenient way to get tested for COVID-19. Wake County is contracting with clinical laboratory Radeas, located at 907 Gateway Commons Circle, to provide free, drive-thru testing Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (note the new time).

The service is free, and no appointment is necessary. The testing typically takes about seven minutes, and results are usually provided in seven to nine hours – but can take up to 24 hours.
Wake Forest's Beauty is Everyone's Duty

Everyone has an important role to play in keeping Wake Forest beautiful and safe. Let's all "show some love" to our community by properly disposing of trash and pet waste. #KeepWFClean

The Town of Wake Forest is encouraging residents to make recycling a holiday tradition by recycling their Christmas trees. The Town is collecting and recycling live Christmas trees from residential homes according to the normal yard waste collection schedule. The trees will be ground into mulch and made available for free to residents upon request.

All Wake Forest residents whose trash and recycling are collected by the Town may participate in the “Treecycling” program. To recycle your Christmas tree, simply remove all decorations, tinsel, nails, stands and bags from the tree and set it behind the curb for collection. Residents are reminded that artificial trees cannot be recycled.

By recycling Christmas trees, Wake Forest saves valuable space at the landfill.

The collected trees will be ground into mulch and made available for free to residents upon request. Orders for mulch are currently being accepted. For more information about Christmas tree recycling or to request mulch, contact the Public Works Department at 919-435-9570.
Find what you're looking for on Town website

At wakeforestnc.gov, everything you'd ever like to know about Wake Forest, its programs and services, is always at your fingertips. Many of the common resources you're looking for are conveniently located below the search bar on the homepage. For all other questions, just click in the search bar and start to type.
 
The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) regularly implores residents to help reduce motor vehicle break-ins by locking their car doors. A vast majority of the reported car break-ins in Wake Forest involve unlocked vehicles.

Those pleas are taking on an even greater sense of urgency after another rash of break-ins involving unlocked vehicles. Once again, thieves engaged in what is known as “car-hopping” in several Wake Forest subdivisions. Car-hopping occurs when criminals roam neighborhoods at night, pulling on car door handles, hoping to find an open vehicle. Police officials say it’s a numbers game. For every 10 cars a criminal checks, they expect to find at least a couple open, so there is no need to physically break a window or door lock to get in.

Simply put, the best way to avoid becoming a victim is by simply locking your unoccupied vehicles at all times, removing your valuable items and any extra set of keys from the vehicle, and double-checking to make sure your car is locked before going to bed at night. If an item can’t be removed, then it’s best to make sure it is out of sight to potential crooks looking for an easy target.

The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) is urging every resident to “be a good neighbor” by reporting suspicious activity this holiday season and throughout the year.

Police Chief Jeff Leonard says crimes are often prevented when citizens report suspected illegal activity.

“Wake Forest is a growing community, and unfortunately, crime can sometimes be a byproduct of growth,” said Leonard. “But that’s why it’s so important for residents and business owners to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. When you see something that looks suspicious, call the police department. If we investigate and no crime has occurred, that’s okay. But we would rather you call and it turn out to be nothing, than not call. It’s a proven fact that reporting suspicious activity helps prevent crime.”
 
After a 15-year run, the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is discontinuing the mass mailing of its biannual program guide to Town residents in the 27587 zip code. Beginning in February 2021, a limited number of RecConnect copies will be printed and available for pickup at Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., and PRCR facilities, such as Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St., and Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 S. Taylor St.

In anticipation of this change, residents accustomed to receiving the program guide in the mail are encouraged to sign up to receive RecConnect via email. The publication will continue to be available to view/download online.

Although printed editions of RecConnect will no longer arrive in mailboxes, the same high-quality content will continue to be included in each issue. Published twice a year, the program guide provides complete information on parks and recreation-sponsored programs and activities for people of all ages, including youth and adult athletics, cultural programs and classes, and special events. Each edition also includes important news and contact information, along with the names and locations of Wake Forest parks, open spaces, indoor facilities and greenways.

The Town of Wake Forest has partnered with Paymentus to offer Wake Forest Power (WFP) customers faster, easier and more convenient ways to pay their electric bills. WFP customers can now pay their bills and review usage history online via a new and improved customer portal. Customers also have the option of paying via a new automated phone system

The new online platform allows customers to:

  • pay electric bills with credit cards, debit cards, or bank account and routing number;
  • make one-time payments or set up recurring automatic payments;
  • receive email reminders and emailed receipts of payment;
  • view consumption and account information;
  • view and download current and past utility bills;
  • opt out of mailed paper bills; and
  • manage multiple utility accounts with one user profile.

An online Customer Portal Guide offering step-by-step instructions is available.

The Wake Forest Planning Board typically meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m., while the Board of Commissioners typically meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

These meetings can be viewed both live and on demand through the Public Meetings Portal on the Town’s website.

Planning Board and Board of Commissioners meetings are also broadcast live on Wake Forest TV 10—the Town’s government access channel—then re-broadcast daily throughout the next two weeks at 9 a.m., 3 p.m., and 9 p.m.

WFTV 10 is available only to Wake Forest residents and businesses that subscribe to Spectrum Cable TV service. However, WFTV 10 can be viewed online in real-time streaming video by anyone who has internet access. To stream WFTV 10 online, visit wakeforestnc.gov and search “wftv 10.”

The Town of Wake Forest encourages local pet owners to be good neighbors and great pet owners by obeying Wake County’s leash law.

The Town regularly receives complaints from local residents about dogs running at large – particularly at Town parks. Although Wake Forest does not have an ordinance pertaining to dogs, Wake County Animal Control has jurisdiction to enforce animal control laws within the town and its park system.

Wake County Animal Control Ordinance Section 2-3-7 (A) states “It shall be unlawful for any owner to permit an animal to be at large.” Section 2-3-7 (C) further states “It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession, charge, custody or control of any dog to take the dog into or allow the dog to enter any public park without being at all times under the restraint of a leash unless said park is designated as a dog park.”

Any owner permitting an animal to be at large shall pay a civil penalty of $100 for the first violation.

In 2014 the Town of Wake Forest introduced SeeClickFix as a simple, yet effective way for residents to report quality of life, non-emergency issues. Since then, the Town has addressed hundreds of citizens’ concerns, ranging from damaged sidewalks and potholes to storm drain blockages and malfunctioning traffic signals.

SeeClickFix is available on the Town website, while the mobile platform is offered as a function on the Town app.

By utilizing the online or mobile reporting platform, residents can report non-emergency issues through a variety of service request categories. When submitting such issues, residents can provide locational, descriptive and photographic information as they see the issue in real time.

Once the resident submits an issue, the reporter, the Town, and anyone “watching” the area receives an alert. The Town then acknowledges the service request, routes it to the proper department, and updates the request – along with residents following the issue - once it’s been resolved. 

The Wake Forest Fire Department recently introduced a program that provides firefighters with the safe and efficient entry they need into the homes of vulnerable residents during fires or medical emergencies.

The Knox Homebox program involves homeowners buying a steel lock box and firefighters locking their house key in it. Fire crews have a master key that opens the box in the event of a medical emergency, fire or other urgent need.

The initiative saves precious time for first responders and the potential expense of costly repairs for the homeowner due to forced entry.

Whether spending a day meandering through myriad shops, sampling our delicious dining options or stopping in to see your favorite merchant for that one-of-a-kind service, shopping in downtown Wake Forest is always a great idea!

With unique products and personal attention only independents can provide, downtown Wake Forest truly is where quaint meets cool. Shopping locally also contributes to the community in ways that make buying downtown an economically-responsible decision as well!

Wake Forest residents can now go online and use the Town of Wake Forest app to request assistance and report issues related to solid waste service:

  • Request trash and recycling service;
  • Upgrade from a 48-gallon to a 96-gallon recycling cart;
  • Report damaged and/or missing carts;
  • Report a missed trash or recycling collection;
  • Request a bulk pickup;
  • Request a large brush pickup;
  • Sign up for Waste Wizard.

The Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave., offers adults age 55 and older a full schedule of recreational activities. Programming at the center is provided by Resources for Seniors, Inc. The organization serves senior and disabled adults in Wake County by providing home and community-based services and information, thereby allowing them to maximize their choices for independence, comfort, safety, security and well-being.

Check out Jennie's Weekly Jots, the senior center's weekly newsletter, for information on current programming and initiatives.

A mandatory mask requirement is in effect for all of North Carolina. As a result, every North Carolinian in an indoor public space, or in an outside public space when unable to physically distance from others, is required to wear a face covering.

In accordance with Executive Order (EO) 147, all visitors to the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., and other Town facilities must wear a face mask or face covering. For more information, call Town Hall at 919-435-9400.
Recycling Refresher

It's time to take a fresh look at recycling and change how we think about it! It's less important to fill the bin with a mix of things we think MAY be recyclable as it is to put in things we KNOW are recyclable. Click on the video above. It's designed to help you "get the right things in the bin - for the win!"
Waste Wizard makes recycling easier

The Waste Wizard makes it easier than ever for residents to stay informed about Town of Wake Forest trash, recycling and yard waste collection programs. The Waste Wizard also helps residents know which disposable household materials can be recycled and which ones should be thrown away.

Available on the Town’s website, the “Waste Wizard” is an interactive tool that allows users to sign up for waste collection reminders and download collection schedules.

You can also type in key words related to disposable household materials and receive valuable disposal tips. From aluminum cans and phone books to popcorn bags and plastic bags, the search tool helps residents effectively sort their recyclables from their trash.

As a bonus, the Waste Wizard is provided as a function on the Town of Wake Forest app.
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If you have questions or comments about the Town of Wake Forest website or E-News, please contact Bill Crabtree by email or call 919-435-9421.