At the dedication of the murals at Harper Park with the artist, Sarahlaine Calva. October 24, 2022
The Town of Knightdale is partnering with the United Arts Council to transform its public spaces through a comprehensive Public Art Plan. Assistant Parks and Recreation Director
Andrew Wilkins presented the plan concepts and received feedback at the January Town Council work session. The initiative aims to activate parks and greenways, support
economic development and tourism, and establish policies for art funding and management.
Council Member Ben McDonald expressed his excitement about the plan saying, “Our job as a town is to improve the lives of our
citizens, and being able to experience beauty and art definitely improves all of our lives.”
Funding and Incentives
The plan introduces a dual approach to funding: public sources, including a “Percent for Art” ordinance that allocates 1% of hard construction costs from major municipal projects, and private development incentives encouraging voluntary contributions for public art. Projects exceeding $5 million in new construction or $2 million in renovations will be eligible, with private developers incentivized to integrate art into public gathering spaces.
Oversight and Selection
A new seven-member Public Art Advisory Board, comprised of arts professionals, enthusiasts, and community volunteers, will oversee the program. The board’s
Tripp Earns ICMA Credential
Assistant Town Manager, Dustin Tripp has earned the prestigious Credentialed Manager (CM) designation from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). An honor held by just over 1,300 local government professionals worldwide.
January 11, 2026 - Issue 2
Wake County EMS is preparing to launch a major overhaul of its countywide emergency response system; a shift Wake EMS officials say is aimed at improving safety by reducing unnecessary lights‑and‑sirens traffic and getting the “right resource to the right patient in the right amount of time.”
Knightdale Town Council received a detailed briefing on the changes during its Jan. 5 work session, where Fire Chief Loren Cone outlined how the new model will reshape dispatch priorities, response times, and the role of first responders.
A System Under Strain
Wake County EMS is responsible for all medical calls, while firefighters are trained EMTs and are often dispatched to medical calls they can reach first as part of the countywide first responder program. Firefighters can provide lifesaving care while an ambulance is enroute.As Wake EMS resources have been stretched in recent years, their response times are getting longer. Fire units often wait extended periods on scene for an ambulance to relieve them, leaving them unavailable for fire emergencies.
Proposed Changes
Under the proposed model, EMS calls will be sorted into four categories (E1 down to E4) with different response targets. The highest priority calls (E1) are expected to be 20% of the total calls and these are the only calls
where EMS would use lights and sirens (down from about 80%).
Wake EMS hopes to divert more of their less urgent (E4), calls to their Nurse Navigation Line. Reducing the number of EMS trips by increasing usage of the Nurse Navigation Line from 4% of calls to 18%.
Impact on Knightdale Fire Department
First responders will continue to be dispatched to calls “where minutes matter,” including all Priority 1 incidents and medical issues within the EMT scope of practice such as allergic reactions, overdoses, and