East Community Action Coalition of Raleigh, NC (East CAC) Meeting Minutes
January 12, 2026
7:00-7:56 pm
Lions Park Community Center
Streaming online
Mark Turner, Vice Chair
Bryan Ryan, Secretary
6 in attendance on site; 1 in attendance remotely
Guests
Ed Buchan and Shaketha Edwards, Raleigh Water Department
Focus Areas
1. Public Safety
a) Officer Eric Hinton was not available to attend the meeting.
▪ Attendees reported to Chair Mark Turner a number of recent bike thefts, flag thefts, other petty thefts, vandalism at construction sites, homeless people, and solicitors.
2. Public Utilities
a) Ed Buchan and Shaketha Edwards attended from the Raleigh Water Department to explain the new web-based Raleigh Water Self-Service billing portal and answer questions.
b) The implementation of the new portal has resulted in some technical issues that the city and its residents are having to work through. The city recognizes that utilities are evolving into information technology services and will require technical support and customer care to keep up to date.
c) Mr. Buchan and Ms. Edwards are meeting with groups like the East CAC to help address resident questions and concerns. The Raleigh Water Department has also scheduled in-person help sessions over the next several weeks. More information and presentations in both English and Spanish are available at https://raleighnc.gov/water-and-sewer/news/new-way-manage-your-utility-account .
d) Mr. Buchan noted that in addition to the new portal, residents can pay their water bills via bank bill pay, at a walk-up window at the city, through auto pay, and at area Walmarts.
e) Mr. Buchan also reported that additional technology, including smart meters, are on the horizon.
f) In response to attendee questions, the city representatives spoke on leak detection—The difference between metered and pumped water is currently super low (between 5.5-6%, which is down from 12% in the past. This is deemed “allowable leakage.” According to Mr. Buchan, most leaks occur on laterals between the main and individual meters, or in mains and laterals in the winter when there is a large difference between the temperature of water and pipes.
g) He noted that the city is currently assessing the type of pipes feeding many residences (cast iron, galvanized steel, etc.) because this data was often not captured when homes were constructed in the past.
3. Community Building
a) Attendees gave a shout out to the Big Cat Restaurant opening at the corner of Glascock Street and Brookside Drive. Mark suggested having Angela Salamanca, a neighbor and one of the owners, come to a future meeting.
4. Representation
a) Neighbors were reminded of the upcoming North Carolina primary March 3, 2026, and early in-person voting from February 12 to 28.
Next Meeting—Scheduled for March 16, 2026 at 7:00 pm at the Lions Park Community Center and streaming at Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/EastCAC