News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(April 2, 2024) 

Save the dates for Carrboro Open Streets, Freight Train Blues Concert Series and Carrboro Day. Carrboro has announced the new Town Manager. Read the Council Update. Learn more about several upcoming programs, informational events and input sessions. All this and more in Carrboro This Week!

Town Manager Announced for Town of Carrboro

 Following a national search for town manager, the Town Council has selected Patrice Toney, an assistant city manager for the City of Winston-Salem.  

“The Carrboro Town Council is pleased to announce the hiring of Patrice Toney as the next Town Manager,” said Mayor Barbara Foushee. “Ms. Toney brings over 25 years of local government experience, having served as an assistant city manager and interim city manager.  She has also served as the director of the budget and evaluation office and has overseen multiple departments including community development, human relations/DEI and the fire and police departments. 

“We look forward to her leadership and welcome her to the community.”

Toney has worked since 2016 for the City of Winston-Salem, where she serves as assistant city manager providing oversight to police, fire, human relations/diversity equity and inclusion, emergency management, neighborhood services, and housing development. She has also served Winston-Salem as an interim city manager and budget and evaluation director, where she managed a $500 million annual operating budget and six-year capital improvement plan. 

"Accepting the role as Town Manager of Carrboro is truly an honor, and I look forward to providing leadership in carrying out the progressive policies and program directives of the Mayor and Town Council, while being responsive to the needs of the residents of Carrboro," Toney said.  

Read more here.

Spring Events in Carrboro

Maybe it's because we're coming out from a cold winter, but spring definitely brings out the weird and wonderful in us. Which means it's prime time for you to experience only-in-Carrboro festivals and events. Join us in spring as we play in our public spaces, celebrate Elizabeth Cotten, and feel that small town pride. Who’s ready to play Giant Jenga?

Open Streets – 12 noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 2024  

Weaver Street in Carrboro, NC 

The Town of Carrboro closes east and west Weaver Street to vehicles and reopens this public space for recreation!  Come out to dance, do yoga, ride their bikes, climb a rock wall, make smoothies on a bike blender, and generally ‘re-create the street’! 

More info about Carrboro Open Streets.

Freight Train Blues Concert Series – Friday night outdoor concerts from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. from May 3 to June 21, 2024 

Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510

This is a free concert series. Food and beer will be available for purchase. 

Freight Train Blues celebrates the life and legacy of Piedmont blues legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, born in 1893 in Carrboro, NC.  

Sponsored by Town of Carrboro, Carrboro Tourism and Development Authority, Music Maker Foundation, and WUNC 91.5FM. 

More info about Freight Train Blues Concert Series.

Carrboro Day – 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 5, 2024

Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510 

This free event is about meeting neighbors, learning about the Town, and celebrating Carrboro. It features live music, poetry, art, history, kids’ activities, a walking tour and more. Games such as Giant Jenga and Giant Connect 4. 

More info about Carrboro Day.

For a full list of our events, be sure to check our our Community Events Calendar.

Carrboro Town Council Update

Meeting agendas and updates are issued from the Town Clerk’s Office. To receive these by email or text, sign up for Carrboro Town News.

Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views, and questions at Council@carrboronc.gov

Coming Up

The Carrboro Town Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9. The agenda will be available here.

The Town Council meets at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream YouTube.com/CarrboroNC  OR at on Legistar.

Recap of Past Meetings  

The Council met on Thursday, March 28, and took the following actions on the agenda posted here.

Authorized Mayor Barbara Foushee to execute an employment contract with Patrice Toney for the position of Town Manager.

Watch the livestream of the meeting on YouTube.

The Council met on Tuesday, March 19, and took the following actions on the agenda posted here.

• Made various reappointments and appointments to the Planning Board, Stormwater Advisory Commission, Climate Action Team, Affordable Housing Advisory Commission, Economic Sustainability Commission and Arts Committee.
• Set a public hearing for April 23 on text amendments to the Land Use Ordinance relating to Cafes and Residential Density in Certain Zoning Districts.
• Received an update on the status of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
• Received an update on the Crisis Diversion Facility in Orange County. This facility would allow for warm handoff transfers from law enforcement to crisis counselors and medical professionals.
• Approved a request for an extension for a Special Use Permit-A for Veridia Architecturally Integrated Subdivision at 810 Old Fayetteville Road.

Watch the livestream of the meeting on YouTube.

Council Meeting Schedule 

 View the 2024 Council Calendar.

Town Council 

The Town Council, which is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, comprises Mayor Barbara Foushee, Mayor Pro Tempore Danny Nowell, Council Member Catherine Fray, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Jason Merrill, and Council Member Eliazar Posada. More information is available on the Council webpage.

April Update: Exploration of Affordable Housing on Town-Owned Land

Crews from Summit Design and Engineering are currently working on an environmental assessment of Town-owned property on Pathway Drive and Crest Street. This work will continue through spring.  

During the week of Monday, April 1, nearby residents can expect to see a team inspecting the properties, which may include taking soil samples and identifying and marking vegetation and trees.

Assessment activities involve geotechnical investigations, environmental investigations, and site walks to observe on-site and off-site drainage patterns. Geotechnical work includes some clearing to make room for equipment. 

The Town Council has not approved a development plan on either the Crest Street or the Pathway Drive parcels but is exploring the feasibility.

Learn more here.

Questions? Contact Housing and Community Services Director Anne-Marie Vanaman at amvanaman@carrboronc.gov

Green Neighborhoods Grant Program 

As part of its Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) implementation, the Town of Carrboro announces a call for applications for the 2024 Green Neighborhoods Grant Program!

Residents can receive up to $2,500 to complete a project that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance ecosystem resiliency, or contribute to climate action awareness or engagement.

The Carrboro Town Council accepted the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) in 2017 to expand the Town’s existing climate action efforts and emphasize measures that community members can implement to help achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The plan’s goal is to raise the community’s awareness and involvement in climate action and the enhancement of ecosystem resilience. In 2020, the Town updated the CCAP goals to recommend an 80% reduction of 2010 emissions levels by 2030. To achieve this goal, widespread community participation in every aspect of the plan is essential. 

The Green Neighborhoods Grant Program seeks to benefit low-income households and residents of color by bringing neighbors together to pursue projects which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create natural areas that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change, ultimately benefiting the entire community.  

The maximum grant award is $2,500. Applications are due by May 1, 2024 at 3:00 pm. Visit the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program webpage for more information.

For questions, contact Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Laura Janway at ljanway@carrboronc.gov or (919) 918-7326. 

To all who are celebrating...

The Town of Carrboro recognizes our diverse community and the many observances meaningful to our residents this week.

Carrboro Celebrates Farmers’ Market Week

Mayor Barbara Foushee has proclaimed April 1-7 to be Farmers’ Market Week in Carrboro.

The proclamation was received by Maggie Funkhouser, market manager of the Carrboro Farmers' Market. 

Founded in 1979, the Carrboro Farmers’ Market celebrates its 45th anniversary this year.

The mission of the Market is to create and sustain a vibrant and innovative Market that supports local farmers and artisans, while extending the benefits of local food to the greater community.

“Locally Grown, Nationally Known,” the Market is one of the oldest and most well-established producers-only farmers markets in North Carolina, with everything grown and produced by the Market’s farmers and artisans.

The Market operates year-round and begins its Main Season in April with extended hours on Saturday mornings and a mid-week market on Wednesday afternoons.

Learn more about Famers' Market Week in Carrboro.

Photo caption: Maggie Funkhouser, market manager of the Carrboro Farmers' Market, received the Farmers’ Market Week in Carrboro Proclamation from Mayor Barbara Foushee. 

Doing Business with the Town of Carrboro - Public Input Session

A public input session is set for this April for people doing business or wanting to do business with the Town of Carrboro. All are invited to provide input on their experiences with the Town of Carrboro.

The input session is scheduled as follows via Zoom:

• Wednesday, April 10 – from 6 to 7 p.m.  Join this zoom meeting here.

The public input session is a part of the engagement process to be incorporated in a Disparity Study of the Town’s contracting and procurement practices. The Town of Carrboro is working with Griffin & Strong P.C., a nationally recognized law and public policy consulting firm, to conduct the study.

The study aims to provide insights into the Town's utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses compared to its availability to identify any potential disparities. The study's findings will inform the Town's decision-making process and enable it to develop policies and strategies to promote equitable access to contracting opportunities.

The Disparity Study is a critical step forward in advancing the Town's racial equity goals.

For more information, contact carrborostudy@gspclaw.com or visit carrborodisparitystudy.com.

Carrboro Mayor Proclaims April as

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

 Mayor Barbara Foushee has proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the Town of Carrboro.

The proclamation was received by Rachel Valentine, executive director of the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. 

Over half of women and almost one-third of men in the United States have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact in their lifetimes. Women and racial and ethnic minority groups, trans and gender-nonconforming people, people with disabilities, and children experience a higher burden of sexual violence.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a national campaign aimed at raising awareness about sexual abuse, harassment and assault. The campaign seeks to educate communities about the realities of sexual violence, offer support to survivors, and encourage communities to take action to prevent sexual violence.

Find additional resources and information here.

Photo caption - Rachel Valentine, executive director of the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, receives Sexual Assault Awareness Month Proclamation from Mayor Barbara Foushee.

Bolin Creek Restoration Project 

The public is invited to an educational event from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N Greensboro St.

Come learn about recent and current efforts to better manage stormwater runoff at a neighborhood and community scale. The team that worked to bring a new Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance project to fruition in the Bolin Forest neighborhood will share information about the project. In addition, Mike Dupree from Urban Sustainability Solutions will share information about current grant-supported efforts. 

This is your chance to see how neighborhoods, including yours, can make a difference in watershed protection!

More information on this 319 Grant project is available here. 

Carrboro’s Community Survey Underway

Consultants working on behalf of the Town of Carrboro are currently reaching out to local residents, selected at random, to solicit their opinions on how well Carrboro’s government works for them. If you have received a survey, please take time to express your views! 

Residents have options to complete the survey in paper or online, and consultants will conduct follow-up outreach by phone. Residents will be asked to spend about 20 minutes answering 40 questions for the scientific survey, which will be conducted through April. Topics will include safety, service, communications, transportation, and recreation.

A second survey is being conducted of residents who live in the town’s Qualified Census Tracts. These tracts have 50 percent of households with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI) or have a poverty rate of 25 percent or more. Respondents will be provided interpretation services upon request to answer the survey in their preferred language.  

  “The Town of Carrboro performs this survey every two years so that we can continually gauge how our residents feel about what we are doing, and what is important to them. Your feedback is essential. The survey helps us understand your experience with Carrboro's services and what matters most to you. This valuable information guides our decisions and shapes how we move forward as a community,” said Interim Town Manager Marie Parker. “I hope people will take the time to participate to consider the quality of services they receive in their day-to-day lives as town residents."

Read more about this year's community survey.

Save the Date: CD & Record Show

The 34th Biannual Carrboro CD and Record Show will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 21  in the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. in downtown Carrboro. Admission is free. 

The event will feature dozens tables of new and used CDs, vinyl records, and music memorabilia. Although vinyl records will be the majority of the items for sale, there will also be quite a large number of CDs, cassettes, and 45 RPM records.

Save the date to stop by and browse through what the vendors have to offer.  You never know what you may find!   

Greene Tract Design Workshop set for April 14

The public is invited to an interactive design workshop for the Greene Tract from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 14 at Morris Grove Elementary School at 215 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill. 

This community workshop is titled "Designing our Shared Vision for Development." 

The Greene Tract is a parcel of land jointly owned by Orange County and the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill. The three entities are creating a long-range plan to guide development and preservation activities on this site. 

Language interpretive services are available upon request.  All are welcome!

More information:

• Register for the April 14 Workshop.
• Learn More about the Greene Tract.

2024 Carrboro Music Festival

Performer Application Now Open

The Town of Carrboro is now accepting online applications for the 2024 Carrboro Music Festival. The application deadline for submissions is May 31, 2024. 

The Carrboro Music Festival is a celebration of local musicians throughout Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County.  The festival also includes performers from surrounding counties located between the Triangle and Triad regions of the state. 

For more information, visit: www.carrboromusicfestival.com

Apply now: https://www.carrboronc.gov/321/Application---Performers

Public parking available in downtown Carrboro

It’s easy to find free two-hour public parking in Carrboro, where you can access convenient parking at 10 public lots all over town.

Please remember that the Carr Mill Mall parking area is for mall customers and is not a public parking lot. Leaving the mall premises after parking risks towing. When in doubt, always park in public lots, and enjoy a hassle-free and relaxed shopping and dining experience.

Find more information including an interactive parking map on our Downtown Parking webpage.