Awards and Milestones
The Town of Garner government and the community continue to enjoy a steady stream of accolades , awards and accomplishments . Here is a list of notable milestones from fall 2016 through fall 2017 :
2016
OCTOBER Town of Garner elected officials , staff and dignitaries broke ground on the Garner Recreation Center , to be located at the corner of Main and Montague streets in historic downtown Garner . Due to be completed by summer 2018 , the nearly 40,000-square-foot facility will include a gymnasium with three regulation-size high school basketball courts , an indoor exercise / walking track , aerobics / fitness , art and multipurpose rooms and administrative offices for Parks , Recreation and Cultural Resources staff . Outdoor features will include a multipurpose field , open gathering and play spaces , reading and seating areas and multiuse paths for walking , jogging and biking .
The Garner Technology Center was designated AT & T Fiber Ready . It was the second economic development site in the town to receive the designation , which helps economic development leaders to more effectively position their communities for site selection by emphasizing the availability of high-speed , fiber-based services . With almost 100 acres adjacent to Interstate 40 , the Garner Technology Center is the premier industrial site in Wake County .
The Town Council adopted a new strategic plan , designed to be a multiyear representation of the Town ’ s mission . The document aims to serve as a roadmap for staff and the Town Council over a three- to five-year period , with tasks established annually to enable staff to complete initiatives identified in the strategic plan .
NOVEMBER Garner Volunteer Fire-Rescue , Inc ., which provides fire and first-responder service to Garner , improved its current insurance ( ISO ) rating from a class 4 in the Town of Garner to a class 2 and its Wake County area rating from a class 6 to class 4 . The class 2 rating for in-town service put Garner Fire- Rescue in the top 1.6 percent of fire departments in the country .
2017
MARCH The Garner Police Department earned its eighth accreditation award from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies ( CALEA ), receiving the CALEA Certificate of Advanced Meritorious Accreditation for having been accredited for 15 or more continuous years . The department comes up for reaccreditation on three-year cycles . It is one of only a small percentage of law enforcement agencies nationwide to have CALEA accreditation .
The Town of Garner ’ s budget team earned the Government Finance Officers Association ’ s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fourth consecutive year and 19th time overall .
The Town of Garner ’ s Engineering Department and PEG Media Partners won the N . C . Source Water Protection Award of Excellence for stormwater education public service announcement videos that focused on pet waste , illicit discharges and pollution prevention tips for homeowners .
The new corporate headquarters for STOCK America , Inc .— a leading producer of sterilization equipment for the food and pharmaceutical industries — opened in Garner ’ s Greenfield Park North . The 17,000-square-foot headquarters brought $ 2.2 million in new investment as well as 15 jobs to Garner .
APRIL Moody ’ s Investors Service upgraded the rating on the Town ’ s $ 29.3 million in outstanding general obligation bonds from Aa2 to Aa1 . The upgrade is expected to help the Town obtain better interest rates and terms for future borrowings and bond issuances . Moody ’ s noted the Town ’ s consistently strong financial position bolstered by conservative fiscal policies , a growing tax base benefitting from its proximity to the City of Raleigh and manageable debt and pension burdens .
The Town of Garner won three Excellence in Communications Awards from North Carolina City & County Communicators ( NC3C ) in an annual statewide competition that featured a record 133 entries . The Town received two awards in connection with the Garner Forward outreach campaign , which sought to educate residents about , and receive their input on , updates to Garner ’ s comprehensive and transportation plans . The Town also collected a firstplace award for the best general use of social media .
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