Motorist Safety Tips
Safety is a shared responsibility. Motorists need to be watchful for pedestrians and bicyclists, drive at slower speeds, avoid distraction, and know the laws regarding when pedestrians or bicyclists have the right-of-way.
- Be prepared to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
- Give a bicyclist at least four feet of space when passing, or you may completely enter the left lane if conditions are safe to do so.
- Never pass a vehicle that is stopped for pedestrians.
- Before making a turn, be sure the path is clear of any pedestrians or bicyclists.
- Slow down in areas where you are likely to find pedestrians, such as near bus stops, schools, and playgrounds.
- Look carefully behind your vehicle for approaching pedestrians before backing-up.
- Keep an eye out for pedestrians at night that may be walking near or across the road.
- Avoid distractions such as food, passengers and using mobile devices. Talking and texting while driving is both dangerous and illegal in many places.
- Learn more at https://www.watchformenc.org/safetyresources/
###
Winter Weather Update
For the most up-to-date weather information, please visit the National Weather Service - Raleigh at https://www.weather.gov/rah/winter
Friday (Jan. 28) Morning UPDATE -- A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for our area.
National Weather Service forecasters predict light rain will mix with and change to snow Friday evening and continue overnight through Saturday morning.
Carrboro Public Works is responding by spraying salt brine on the main roadways and the busiest intersections. Motorists should anticipate slippery road conditions on Saturday morning. Slow down and use caution while traveling.
Please access the following helpful links:
The latest briefing from the National Weather Service -- https://www.weather.gov/media/rah/briefing/NWSRaleighLatestBriefing.pdf
- Stay Informed -- Encourage your neighbors to sign up for OC Alerts at https://member.everbridge.net/453003085611768/login and news/updates from the Town of Carrboro at www.townofcarrboro.org/SIGNUP
- Carrboro Ready -- Access local emergency resources and information at www.townofcarrboro.org/emergency
- Be Winter Weather Ready by making a family communications plan, restocking your emergency supplies kit, and bringing your pets inside. Gather flashlights, batteries, blankets and other supplies. Fuel vehicles. Charge phones and laptops. Learn more at https://www.readync.gov/stay-informed/north-carolina-hazards/winter-weather
- Prevent Frozen Pipes -- When temperatures drop, it’s time to protect your water pipes. Let your faucet drip: Allowing water to trickle slowly during extreme cold weather keeps pipes from freezing. Disconnect and drain outdoor water hoses. Install an insulated cover over outdoor faucets.
- Town of Carrboro Public Works is responsible for responding and reducing winter weather related roadway hazards. Learn more about their winter weather response at https://townofcarrboro.org/1172/Winter-Weather-Response
- The latest road conditions for North Carolina may be found at DriveNC.gov.
Stay safe out there, 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 at townofcarrboro.org/signup
Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views, and questions at council@townofcarrboro.org
Coming Up
The Town Council will meet next virtually at 7p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, to consider an agenda https://bit.ly/3r8OdDe that also will be posted at carrboro.legistar.com
Past Meeting
The Carrboro Town Council met virtually Tuesday, Jan. 18, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/32EOOmL
- Received an update on the Town’s affordable housing activities.
- Received monthly reports from Police, Stormwater and Economic Development
- Received a Second Quarter Budget Status Report
- Received the fourth quarter report, and an annual report for calendar year 2021, for the Town of Carrboro’s Community Development Block Grant - Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) from the NC Department of Commerce.
- Supported an application for Triangle J Council of Government’s FY23 Transportation Demand Management Grant Program, Triangle Transportation Choices, in partnership with Chapel Hill
- Authorized the Town Manager to approve a contract amendment related to professional planning services for the Town-wide comprehensive planning process.
- Approved a market salary adjustment for sworn police officers to address turnover and recruitment issues. In this action, Carrboro joins other law enforcement agencies in the local labor market in taking steps to increase the minimum starting salary for sworn law enforcement officers to at least $46,000 annually.
- Accepted an EPA 319 grant award and adopt an ordinance in support of a collaborative effort to stabilize streams and reduce erosion in an 11-acre drainage area in the Bolin Forest neighborhood.
About the Town Council
The Town Council is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, consisting of the following: Mayor Damon Seils, Mayor Pro Tempore Susan Romaine, Council Member Barbara Foushee, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Danny Nowell and Council Member Sammy Slade. More information is available at http://townofcarrboro.org/248/Town-Council
###
Carrboro to Switch to .Gov
CARRBORO, N.C. -- Starting on Feb. 1, 2022, the Town of Carrboro website and emails will change their domain to .gov from .org.
The new domain will be CarrboroNC.gov. The .org website and emails are still operational and will be until further notice.
“This move further improves overall email security while increasing immediate recognition that the Town is a U.S.-based government entity,” said Andy Vogel, information technology director for the Town of Carrboro.
For more information about the .gov domain, visit dotgov.gov
###
Free N95 Masks Available to the Community Beginning January 31, 2022
Related Note from the Town of Carrboro: Over the past two weeks, Carrboro Housing & Community Services and the Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department have coordinated with various entities to deliver 7,000 KN95 masks to Carrboro residents, prioritizing low income households and communities of color.
News from Orange County Health Department
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. Jan. 27, 2022 ― Starting Monday, Jan. 31, members of the public interested in receiving a free N95 mask provided by NCDHHS can pick them up at two convenient locations in Orange County.
Orange County Health Department will distribute masks at the following locations while supplies last:
- The Orange County Public Library
137 E. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough
Monday - Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Inter-Faith Council for Social Service (IFC)
110 W. Main Street, Carrboro
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You may also get free masks from the NCDHHS at: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/RequestMasks
If community members have questions, they may reach the call center at (919) 913-8088 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Spanish and other languages available.
High Quality Masks
Use the best quality and best-fitting mask you can get, especially in higher risk situations and if you are at increased risk for severe illness. Scenarios that call for better protection can include being in close and prolonged contact with people whose vaccination status is unknown, being in crowded indoor settings, riding on public transportation (especially when you can’t keep distance), and working at a job where you interact with large numbers of people.
The highest quality masks, in order, are:
- N95, KN95 and KF94. These disposable masks are better at filtering the virus and are more widely available now for the public. Replacement depends on amount of wear. These masks can be more expensive. Beware of counterfeits.
- Surgical masks. These disposable masks should be tested to meet a national standard (ASTM 2/3).
- Cloth masks with at least two layers. A disposable mask also can be worn underneath a cloth mask. (Note: N95/KN95 masks should not be layered with other masks.)
- Masks that are loose, with gaps around your face or nose, are not as helpful in protecting you or others. For visuals of these tips, visit the guidance for improved mask use from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- If you see someone without a face covering, assume they have a valid reason for not wearing one and increase your distance from that person.
Related Links
For more information on masks visit the Orange County Health Department face coverings page.
Fitting instructions for the Makrite 9500-N95 masks: https://www.orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18924/Makrite9500-N95-Instructions
Related Graphics
Flyer - How to get a free N95 mask: English https://www.orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18922/free_n95_masks_jan_2022 Spanish https://www.orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18923/free_n95_masks_jan_2022_espanol
###
Celebrating Black America: The Lessons of the Hour
CARRBORO, N.C. -- The Town of Carrboro welcomes the community to join us as we host Celebrating Black America for Black History Month.
On Thursday, Feb. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., the town will host local history scholars and community leaders to view Fred Morsell’s 1994 re-enactment of one of the last great speeches by Frederick Douglass entitled “The Lessons of the Hour.”
Delivered at Jan. 9, 1894, at Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Douglass’ speech addresses topics ranging from racial terror and lynching to colonization and voting rights.
“There are many things in this speech that are extremely relevant today,” said James Williams Jr., an organizer of Celebrating Black America. “For example, Douglass wanted to see the vote expanded, much as we want today. Voting, and the ability to participate in democracy, is a racial justice issue as much as it is a civil rights issue. He makes this point nearly 130 years ago.”
Following the video re-enactment, a panel discussion will be conducted by the following community members:
- James Williams Jr., Chair the NC Commission On Racial And Ethnic Disparities and Retired Public Defender for Orange and Chatham Counties, N.C.
- Dr. William Sturkey, Associate Professor, Department of History, UNC-Chapel Hill
- Barbara Foushee, Town of Carrboro, Town Council Member
- Greear Webb, Morehead-Cain Scholar Student, UNC-Chapel Hill
The program is co-sponsored by the Town of Carrboro, the Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department, and the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition.
The Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition was formed in the fall of 2018. It partners with the Equal Justice Initiative to document and memorialize the victims of racial terror violence in Orange County. Through programming, the coalition educates and engages the community on this history and how its legacy lingers today. OCCRC seeks to foster meaningful dialogue about race and justice as we work to build a society rooted in equal justice. To learn more, please visit https://occrcoalition.org/
This program will also be available via the Town of Carrboro YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/CarrboroNC
For updates on the program, please continue to check the Town of Carrboro’s website at http://townofcarrboro.org/ and via town social media channels.
###
Indoor Recreation Programs and Reservations To Resume January 31st
Following a brief pause in indoor programming and events, the Town of Carrboro Department of Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources will resume indoor programming and reservations effective January 31.
On January 18, prior to Winter/Spring session classes beginning, the town suspended activities to allow for evaluation of current COVID-related protocols and delay the start of new indoor classes in response to a steady increase in positive COVID cases in Orange County.
At this time, the department plans to begin new classes, resume Youth Basketball activities, and allow indoor facility reservations to occur beginning January 31. While some COVID-related protocols may vary from program-to-program, masks are still required in all indoor facilities and participants are encouraged to practice safe social distancing and following current CDC guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Department staff will be communicating all rescheduling-related information to participants. Moving forward, the department will continue to evaluate programs, events, and reservations and modify procedures as necessary.
We thank the community for continuing to help us provide recreation opportunities in a safe environment for all.
###
Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program
Do you need assistance paying your water bill?
The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) can help!
LIHWAP is a temporary emergency program that will help eligible households and families afford water and wastewater services, providing a one-time payment for eligible low-income households paid directly to the utility company. LIHWAP runs through September 2023 or until the funds are exhausted. Learn more at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/energy-assistance/low-income-household-water-assistance-program-lihwap
How do I apply?
- online at https://epass.nc.gov/
- by phone: (919) 245-2800
- in person at the Orange County Department of Social Services:
- Hillsborough: 113 Mayo Street
- Chapel Hill: 2501 Homestead Road
###
Come Work With Us!
We are hiring! The Town of #Carrboro offers competitive salaries and one of the richest benefits packages available in our region.
➡️ https://nc-carrboro.civicplushrms.com/careers/
###
