City Seeking Your Comments On Greenway Extension

The City of Sanford staff will hold a public meeting and comment session on the City's intention to apply for PARTF funds to develop the Medical Mile Greenway Extension, which will be Phase 2 of the Endor Iron Trail.

When & Where

The meeting will be on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 at 5pm in the auditorium of Lee County Library's main branch at 107 Hawkins Avenue in Sanford.

The City's Goal

If funds are granted, the City will extend the Endor Iron Trail from Kiwanis Family Park to Central Carolina Hospital -- which will add more than quarter mile of paved walking and bike path, as well as site furnishings, exercise equipment, and environmental/healthy living interpretive signs.

Want To Comment?

Citizens wishing to share their thoughts are encouraged to attend. Written comments must be submitted prior to the meeting and should be addressed to David Montgomery at 226 Carthage Street, Sanford NC 27330.

You may also submit your comments via email to david.montgomery@sanfordnc.net.

City To Host Meeting for Homeless Service Providers

Local agencies and organizations invited to share challenges and needs.

Sanford is fortunate to have many active agencies working to eradicate homelessness in our community. To better understand the challenges these organizations face, the City of Sanford is hosting an information session that will bring everyone to one table.

First Step: Information Sharing

The Sanford/Lee County Community Development Department invites all agencies and organizations providing services to the homeless to meet at the Sanford Municipal Center on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 11am. The meeting's goal will be to identify all the current services in place and to determine what needs aren't being met.

With the knowledge gleaned at this information meeting, the participating agencies and the City of Sanford will be able to better pinpoint potential funding for projects devoted to the homeless population. Each agency will also be more aware of overlapping or complimentary services for their homeless clients.

Please note that this meeting will not be a general forum on homelessness. The meeting’s goal is for agencies to share their successes and challenges, and for the City to have a greater understanding of local challenges.

To Attend

The meeting will be hosted by Karen Kennedy, Community Development Manager for the City. She can be reached at 919-777-1113 or karen.kennedy@sanfordnc.net to confirm your attendance, ask questions, or to submit your organization’s information in advance of the meeting.

The City of Sanford looks forward to working with Sanford and Lee County’s homeless advocates to improve the quality of life for all citizens of Sanford and Lee County.

Highlights

What: Homeless Service Providers Meeting
When: Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 11am
Where: West End Conference Room at the Sanford Municipal Center, located at 225 E. Weatherspoon Street in Sanford
Who: Agencies actively working with the homeless population
RSVP: 919-777-1113 or karen.kennedy@sanfordnc.net

City Saves $145K Thanks To Donated Generator

Local business helps the City turn tragedy into a triumph for taxpayers.

The tornado that ripped through Sanford in April 2011 left a trail of destruction in its wake – but the City and Lowe’s Home Improvement worked together to find some good in all the bad.

The EF3 tornado demolished Lowe’s store on Horner Blvd, requiring a completely new building. While the original building’s 350kw Caterpillar generator was still in great shape, it wasn't compatible with the new building’s system, says store manager Mike Hollowell.

Tragedy Into Triumph

Not wanting such a valuable asset to go to waste, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. offered the original generator to Mayor Cornelia Olive for use at the City of Sanford.

“It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Olive recounts. “I knew our Public Works department would find a good use for it and the Lowe’s team clearly wanted to do something nice for the city. It was a great fit,” she says.

“Giving this generator to the City was a pleasure for Lowe’s,” says Hollowell. “We were glad to help out any way we could,” he adds.

City Manager Hal Hegwer and Public Works Director Victor Czar quickly found a home for the generator, which was appraised at $100,000 and in perfect working order, at the raw water station on Highway 42 in Sanford.

A Self-Reliant City

“The addition of the generator gave us the redundancy necessary for the Water Treatment Plant to go ‘off the grid’ should there be another disaster,” says Scott Christiansen, plant superintendent.

Even better, the donation also saved the City more than $145,000, considering the cost of a brand new generator plus installation, Christiansen estimates.

“The City is thankful to Lowe’s for giving us this opportunity to make our city more self-reliant so that its water supply will be protected during any disaster,” Hegwer says. “We are proud to work with our local businesses to bolster Sanford’s resources and better prepare the city for future emergencies.”

Questions?

For more information about the generator or the Water Treatment Plant, call 919-777-1800 or visit our website.

SPD Offers Virtual Access To Reports

New website gives citizens quick access to accident and incident reports and arrests.

Citizens looking for accident reports, incident reports, or arrests can now find information in seconds thanks to P2CSanfordNC.net, a brand new website just launched by the Sanford Police Department (SPD).

This new initiative is designed to make it easier for people to track reports in real-time, explains Police Chief Ronnie Yarborough. The site will also enable police representatives to work and communicate more efficiently, Yarborough says.

P2CSanfordNC gives the public the ability to search and print reports for “events” – accidents, incidents, or arrests – by location, name, or date. The public can also browse through a daily bulletin of all events or scroll through all recent arrests. Reports dating back to January 2011 are available.

Our Goal: Ease & Transparency

“The City of Sanford is taking full advantage of the internet to make our citizens’ lives easier, especially after an accident or incident when quick access to reports could help speed along insurance or other claims,” says Hal Hegwer, City Manager. “The site will also help everyone stay informed about any criminal activity in the neighborhoods where they live and work.”

“Making this information easily accessible will enable the public to better protect themselves, their families, and their property,” Yarborough notes. “P2CSanfordNC is a great way for citizens to join in the effort to make our neighborhoods and communities even safer,” he says.

Start Using P2C Now

The P2C website is currently online and open to the public. To quickly retrieve specific reports, visitors can enter the case number assigned to them when they filed their report. New reports are usually added within 48 hours of being filed.

For more information about P2CSanfordNC or to report problems, contact Bonnie Cummings at bonnie.cummings@sanfordnc.net.

New App Puts Service Requests in Residents' Hands

Want to report a pothole or street light outage? The City of Sanford now has an app for that – and it’s free.

Launched this month, City residents can download the YourGOV mobile app to their Apple iPhones or Android-enabled smartphones for no charge. The app maps users’ locations and allows them to submit non-emergency issues and service requests any time of the day.

Non-emergency issues include drainage issues, vandalism, hydrant issues, illegal dumping, manhole issues, potholes, and street light outages. For all emergency issues, dial 911.

YourGov offers a “Miscellaneous” category for issues that don’t fit the other options. For instance, a person reporting an overgrown lot would choose the Miscellaneous category. Code Enforcement would then be alerted to the problem.

The City is excited to offer yet another communication option for residents. “YourGov puts the power to influence and improve our city right into residents’ hands,” explains City Manager Hal Hegwer.

“We will have 30,000 sets of eyes out there helping us spot problems and get them fixed. We hope this cutting-edge, modern technology will encourage even more citizens to join us in making the City of Sanford a great place to live,” Hegwer says.

Powerful But User Friendly

Despite its powerful capabilities, YourGOV is simple to use. The submission process requires users to complete only three steps. The app asks users to input the location, issue description, and any available photos. As soon as users submit their concern, a service request is generated at the Public Works Service Center.

The app isn’t limited to City residents. Anyone using YourGOV can report issues in the Lee County area. Once submitted, the app’s GPS technology helps Public Works direct the issue to the appropriate local organization.

Questions or Concerns?

You can report any problems with the YourGov app to the Public Works Service Center at 919-775-8247 or leave a comment below.

Sanford Is Becoming Even More Playful

If you've driven near the corner of Maple Avenue and Fourth Street recently, you've likely wondered about the flurry of activity and construction.

Wonder no further. Thanks to a Community Development Block Grant, this corner is soon to be the home of a brand new pocket park. You don't have long to wait, either.

Important dates: Completion of the park is anticipated for early February of this year, depending on weather. Once the park is complete, the City will plan a ribbon cutting celebration and grand opening.

The Park In Progress

To give you an idea of the work involved in installing the new park, stroll with us down memory lane. This is what the corner of Maple Avenue and Fourth Street looked like before the project got underway:

The City's first hurdle was to clear away the two mobile homes sitting on the property. We then had to clear the trees and underbrush and grade the land.

Today, much of the equipment is up and the installers are working diligently to have the park finished and ready by February.

When the park is completed, it will feature side walks and improved drainage, thanks to funds from the same grant.

The Big Reveal

And this is what the corner will look like once the park installation is complete in February:

Of course, we aren't doing it alone. Carolina Parks & Play of Cary and Landscape Structures, Inc have been vital partners in the project.

Stay tuned for more photos of our progress and for the announcement of the park's grand opening. Even better than building a brand new park will be seeing so many smiling children playing at it!

SPD Offers Pill Drop Box

Prescription drug abuse is one of the largest drug problems in the United States, far outpacing abuse of marijuana, cocaine, and other traditional drugs. But don’t think prescription drug abusers are turning to street dealers for their fix.

More than half of prescription drug addicts reported they got medications from their friends or relatives, a recent survey says. Among those who weren't given prescriptions, a third confessed to turning to crime to feed their habit – breaking into homes or cars to find items to sell, or to raid medicine cabinets.

Keeping unnecessary prescription pills in your home could put a target on your back. Rather than flushing your medications, the Sanford Police Department (SPD) offers a pill drop box that’s accessible around the clock.

Watch this informative PSA for more information:

Drop Box Details

The pill drop box is located in the department's entrance way, right after the first set of doors, at 225 E. Weatherspoon Street. Drop offs are completely anonymous. The SPD will dispose of the medications using EPA-approved methods.

Do this: Before you drop off your medication, make sure you put it in a container of some type, whether it’s a plastic bag, envelope, or pill bottle. If the bottle has your prescription on it, you are welcome to black out any identifying information.

Stay Safe & Responsible

You can store medications safely in your home. However, there's no reason to hold onto expired and unused medications.

The last thing you need is to become the target of a break-in or theft simply because you have medication in your home. Take advantage of our new drop box and help keep medication in responsible hands.