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AC T Moving From Vision to Reality 54 C A RY, N O RT H C A R O L I N A F Y 2 0 26 2 N D Q U A R T E R R E P O R T 311 C AS E S A N D E N GAG E M E N T S S M S F R O M P I LO T T O P R O G R A M Text messaging is now a fully available and fast-growing way for citizens to contact Cary, with usage increasing nearly 300% over the past year. During the same quarter last year, Cary received 38 text messages. This year, that number rose to about 150 as the town expanded and improved its SMS service channel. Cary initially offered texting in a limited way, allowing residents to contact 311 about only a few service types. Since then, staff have refined and redesigned the channel to better support both residents and 311 staff, using existing technology and without adding new costs. Residents can now text Cary about any town service from any phone at any time. The expanded channel also improves efficiency by allowing a single 311 advocate to manage multiple text conversations at once and sets the stage for future automation. P U B L I C R E C O R D S P O RTA L To support transparency during the town manager transition, Cary launched its first ever public records portal that allows citizens to view public records requests and responsive documents in a centralized, easily accessible location. The portal was intentionally released alongside Cary's Get the Facts webpage, which provides clear, factual context, timelines, and answers to common questions about the transition. Together, these tools serve complementary purposes: the Get the Facts page explains what happened and how Cary is responding, while the records portal provides direct access to underlying documents for those who want more detailed information. In the first two weeks after launch, the portal received over 5,000 views, and it continues to see steady traffic, demonstrating strong public interest and the community's desire for open access to information. LO O S E L E A F C O L L E C T I O N In Q2, Cary received 748 cases related to loose leaves, representing a modest increase compared with the 711 cases in Q2 of last year. However, over a longer-term trend, the data shows significant improvement. In the same quarter of FY 2022, 311 received 1,371 loose-leaf cases, followed by 927 cases in FY 2023, indicating a meaningful and sustained year-over- year decrease. These improvements align with operational and communication changes made in recent years and suggest ongoing progress in managing leaf season impacts to citizens.

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