News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(March 6, 2024) 

Carrboro Celebrates Women's History Month. Read the Town Council Update.  Check out all our events coming up including the Kite Fly, ArtWalk, Creek Week and more. Save the date for the Braxton Foushee Street Dedication.  Apply to perform at the 2024 Carrboro Music Festival. All this and  more in Carrboro This Week!

Carrboro Recognizes International 

Women’s Day and Women’s History Month

The Town of Carrboro recognizes Friday, March 8, 2024 as International Women’s Day and March 2024 as Women’s History Month.

These observances offer an opportunity to celebrate the contributions that women of every race, class, ethnic background and gender identity have made to the social, cultural and economic life of the community.

“The Women’s History Month theme for 2024 is ‘Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,’” Mayor Foushee said. “Women continue to be at the forefront as they work against bias and discrimination to ensure fairer and more equitable outcomes.”

Women are serving in leadership roles throughout the Town of Carrboro organization, including several as department heads; and, since the election of Alderman Mary Riggsbee in 1971 and Mayor Ruth West in 1975, the people of Carrboro have been proudly electing women to local office, including currently serving Mayor Barbara Foushee and Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell.

Read more here.

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 hold a Council Meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 5. Preview the agenda.

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 https://carrboro.legistar.com/ OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro). 

Recap of Past Meeting  

The Council met on Tuesday, March 5, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://ecs.page.link/6gnSF

• Approved a request to authorize the Town Manager to negotiate and execute a contract for professional planning services for the development of a Downtown Area Plan
• Reappointed Lisa Brown and Anahid Vrana to the Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee.
• Reappointed Tilly Pick and Lauren Nyland to the Climate Action Team.
• Received a resolution for a corrective action plan to correct internal control weaknesses for financial reporting and budget violation for FY 2022-2023.
• Adopted a resolution authorizing the Town Manager to enter into an agreement with Orange County for the provision of fire protection and emergency services within the South Orange Fire Service District.
• Adopted a resolution acknowledging the retirement of Police Captain Tony Frye from the Town of Carrboro Police Department and presenting him with his service sidearm.
• Received an update on the status of public parking enforcement and gathered feedback regarding paid parking and wayfinding signage.

Watch the livestream of the meeting on YouTube.

Council Meeting Schedule 
 The Carrboro Town Council has updated its 2024 Meeting Calendar to a schedule of two business meetings per month rather than three. This schedule takes effect in March 2024. The Council will continue holding work sessions in addition to business meetings most months. 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 here.

Join the 2024 Carrboro Kite Fly

Join us at Hank Anderson Park, located at 302 N Carolina Hwy 54 W, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, on Sunday, March 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. for the Annual Town of Carrboro, NC Kite Fly! 

Bring your kite and help fill the sky with beautiful spring colors! No kite? No worries! We will have a limited supply available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

This is a free event for all ages! We hope to see you there!

Join the 2nd Friday Art Walk on March 8

The 2nd Friday Art Walk around downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill returns on Friday, March 8.

Rain or shine, Downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill will showcase The Carrboro-Chapel Hill 2nd Friday Art Walk. 

Explore art galleries, artist studios, shops and restaurants. There will also be live music, performances, spoken word poetry and more. Venues are generally open late afternoon and evening hours. Exhibits at Carrboro Town Hall and Carrboro Century Center are open from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Learn more about participating venues.

Disparity Study - Virtual Public Input Sessions

Public input sessions are set for this March for people doing business with the Town of Carrboro or wanting to do business with the Town. All are invited to provide input on their experiences with the Town of Carrboro.

The input sessions are scheduled as follows via zoom:

• Tuesday, March 5 –  5 to 6 p.m.  Join the March 5 Zoom meeting
• Thursday, March 7 –  1 to 2 p.m. Join the  March 7 Zoom meeting

The public input sessions are 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 PC, 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 carrborodisparitystudy.com or visit carrborodisparitystudy.com 

Countywide Public Safety Hiring Event 

 Join us at the Countywide Public Safety Hiring Event on March 7, 2024, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Durham Technical Community College!

We're actively recruiting dedicated individuals to join our team of heroes! If you're passionate about making a difference and serving your community, this is your chance.

Positions available:

• Police Officers
• Firefighters
• Paramedics
• EMTs
• Telecommunicators
• and More!

Don't miss this opportunity to embark on a rewarding career in public safety. Bring your resume and be prepared for on-site interviews. We look forward to meeting you and building a safer community together!

Come Celebrate Creek Week with Carrboro

Orange County's Annual Creek Week is March 16-23, 2024. Creek Week celebrates the streams, lakes and rivers that connect our human and non-human communities. It's a weeklong series of activities like litter cleanups, community science BioThon, geocaching, hands-on activities, and more. We hope to see you there!

Read more about the week of events here or visit the Carrboro Creek Week Page.

Braxton Foushee Street Dedication Event

The Town of Carrboro is planning an event to celebrate the renaming of Carr Street to Braxton Foushee Street at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 27, with a community gathering outside the Areté Studio, 203 E. Carr Street. 

The street dedication will begin with the unveiling of newly installed street signs, after which we will gather for words from community members, poetry, music and refreshments. 

Find available public parking. Parking lots close to the event site at 203 E. Carr St. include the E. Main Street Lot at 108 E. Main St. (gravel lot across from Armadillo Grill). 

Braxton Foushee is a local civil rights leader, a current Planning Board member, and the first Black member of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen (now the Town Council).  The street renaming in his honor was proposed last fall on Oct. 17, 2023, when the Council heard a request from Dave Mason, president of the Lincoln High School Alumni Association, Pat Mason and Herman Murrell Foushee. The Council voted to approve the street name change on Nov. 29, 2023. The change becomes official on March 27, 2024.

Carr Street is named for Julian Carr, a noted white supremacist. The namesake of Carrboro, he was an active and influential participant in Jim Crow era efforts to create a system of racial segregation. A Truth Plaque at Town Hall reads, in part: “Although the town continues to bear his name, the values and actions of Carr do not represent Carrboro today.”

Learn more about the street dedication and renaming process here.

Carrboro In Motion Recap

from Estes Park Apartments 

The Town of Carrboro held a Carrboro in Motion (CIM) event at Estes Park Apartments on Saturday, March 2, 2024. We enjoyed meeting our neighbors! 

Town departments regularly conducting outreach at the CIM events include Communication & Engagement, which organizes the series; and Public Works, Planning, Fire-Rescue, Police, RPCR, Housing & Community Services, and the Racial Equity Division. 

CIM enjoys steady involvement from Takiri Folclor Latino, Chapel Hill Transit, El Centro Hispano, Red Ridge NC (a nonprofit that offers bike repair on location), NEXT and Orange Literacy. Zumba instructor Oscar Garcia is a favorite at most of our events! Additional partners are from the Orange County Library, the Orange County Department on Aging and the Orange County Department of Social Services (assisting with Medicaid applications).

Please note our schedule for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays for Carrboro in Motion

• April 27, 2024  at Collins Crossing Apartments
• May 18, 2024 at Berkshire 54 Apartments 
• June 8, 2024 at Royal Park Apartments
• Sept. 14, 2024 (TBA) 
• Oct. 12, 2024 (TBA) 

No rain dates for these events. 

Learn more at https://www.carrboronc.gov/2735/Carrboro-In-Motion  

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

Criminal Justice Debt Program

Orange County Residents are eligible for funding to pay court fees/costs in NC or other states, as well as NC DMV hearing and reinstatement fees required to restore a license. 

Funding is available through contributions from the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and the Orange County Bail Bond Justice Project.

Eligibility 

• Applicants must live within Orange County, North Carolina 
• Costs and fees can be from other counties in North Carolina 
• Must meet court indigency standards (low-income) 
• Cannot be currently incarcerated 
• Must have already pursued other avenues for debt relief (e.g., driver’s license restoration program) 
• Must demonstrate that assistance will have an immediate impact on his or her stability or successful reentry into the community 
• Applicants who have received prior funds from CJDP within the last three years are not eligible
• Fines, Restitution, and Vehicle Registration Costs are not eligible

Interested in Applying? Contact:

• Carrboro Residents call Carrboro Program Administrator: 919-918-7397 
• All other Orange County residents call Chapel Hill Police Crisis Unit at 919-968-2806
• Fill out an application today

Carrboro Seeks to Raise

Awareness about Femicide

Mayor Barbara Foushee proclaims Friday, March 8, 2024 as a day to raise awareness about femicide and to call for action to prevent these murders. 

The Town of Carrboro recognizes the urgent need to address the crisis of femicide, a hate crime directed at women - whether assigned as female at birth or self-identified as female - because of their sex or gender.

Receiving the proclamation on behalf of the Carrboro community was Berenice Malagón of El Centro Hispano, pictured with Mayor Foushee. 

The Town of Carrboro encourages all residents to use this day to honor the memory of victims, support survivors and advocate for policies that promote the safety, protection and equity of all women, regardless of age.

Read more here.

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!   

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.