CARY - Town government heads 140 miles to the coast this weekend for a two-day planning retreat. Seven Cary Town Council members and 21 town staffers, mostly department heads, will brainstorm, eat and sleep on the town's bill at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside.

Cary is hosting the annual retreat outside town for the first time since 2007, when it went to Wilmington. Staff expects the event to cost about $14,500, matching the budget for last year's retreat at the Umstead Hotel in Cary. Unlike recent retreats, this event includes town-sponsored lodging.

The council decided to send the retreat out of town this year to foster better discussion, according to Councilman Don Frantz. He pushed in years past for in-town retreats, but "that didn't work out too well," he said. "People could get phone calls, 'I need to pick up the kids,' somebody takes off," he said. "We were just having a hard time keeping people together."

The conference is a survey of the coming years and months, and a chance for the council to give staff general objectives. Topics of discussion this year include spending for capital projects, such as roads and infrastructure; the town's interactions with residents and businesses; Cary's land-use plan; and the town's relationships with other governments.

Town council members are to arrive in Wilmington on Thursday night, staff will follow the next day and the meeting concludes Saturday afternoon. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation, though town policy allows compensation for miles driven.

Holly Springs will hold its retreat in Southern Pines this year, while Apex, Morrisville and Fuquay-Varina are staying in town for theirs.