Johnston County
Board
of Commissioners report from Oct. 5 sessions |
 |
The setting for
Tuesday's sessions was the spacious Superior
Courtroom inside the original section of the
Johnston County Courthouse that was built in 1921.
(Photo of live-streaming archived on the county's Facebook page)
Commissioners
present:
Chairman Ted Godwin, Tony Braswell, Jeff Carver,
Patrick Harris,
Butch Lawter, Chad Stewart, and Larry Wood
Board votes 5-2 to end
county's garbage
decal system, but not before July 1, 2023
They've been talking about doing it for two years now,
and they still haven't settled on how access to the
county's garbage "convenience centers" will be handled
once it's done. Even so, the County Commissioners voted
5-2 on Monday to set a deadline of July 1, 2023 for
eliminating the current decal system for controlling the
public's access to the collection sites.
Over the past two decades, Johnston County residents
have been required to purchase a decal posted on
windshields for admittance to the county's garbage and
trash dumpsters. Currently, the annual fee for a decal
is $100.
Commissioners' Chairman Ted Godwin has been an advocate
of doing away with all restrictions on who may use the
service. He says Johnston is the only county in the
region restricting access with a decal system.
Other commissioners have shown reluctance to embrace
that position.
Commissioner Tony Braswell made the motion to phase out
the decal system, leaving it up to a three-member
"working group" of commissioners to come up with an
alternative plan for financing the county's
garbage-disposal operations. Commissioner Chad Stewart
amended that motion to add the 2023 deadline and include
"an independent engineering consultant" in the
discussions.
The motion also requires a report from the working group
to be brought back to the full board this January.
The motion's approval came with dissenting votes from
Commissioners Jeff Carver and Larry Wood. "You're
putting a target up there, not describing in no way how
you're going to get there, how it's going to be paid
for," Mr. Wood said before the vote. "Are we going to go
up on the taxes? Or we going to go down on the taxes?
Are we going to eliminate some services? Or we going to
add some services?"
Earlier during the discussion, Commissioner Bruce Lawter
said "it's critical" the county's garbage-collection
service remains as an "enterprise fund" covered by fees
"so we don't make transfers from the General Fund"
dependent on taxes.
Commissioner Chad Stewart said
he wants "hassle-free, unrestricted access" for anyone
who chooses to use the collection stations.
Mr. Braswell said "counties surrounding us" have systems
in place that are "fair and equitable to everyone"
without the decals. He did not elaborate.
COUNTY TO UNDERWRITE
SSS-BASED "CUBE SAT" TEAM
The
board approved a county contribution up to
$15,000 to pay for a trip to the Kennedy
Space Center in Florida later this month by
members of the robotics team based at
Smithfield-Selma High School that's vying to
be the first North Carolina group to launch
a NASA "miniaturized satellite" called a
"Cube Sat." The team, which includes members
from other Johnston County schools, hopes to
have its project approved by NASA and ready
for launch within the next 18 months to
three years, commissioners were told.
Commissioner Jeff Carver said the Nan Ogburn
Cullman memorial endowment at SSS may be
able to provide $10,000 of the trip's
expense, leaving the county responsible for
the remaining $5,000. Commissioner Tony
Braswell said the county's contribution is
not without precedent, as the board approved
$8,500 last year for a group of Innovation
Academy students to attend an international
conference in Rome.
EAST TRIANGLE YMCA
COMING TO FLOWERS PLANTATION
Reid
Stephenson, CEO of the sprawling Flowers
Plantation residential development east of
Clayton, reported that landowner Rebecca
Flowers is donating the Pineville Club
recreational center to the region's YMCA. It
will be the home base of the East Triangle
YMCA, Mr. Stephenson said. Also in the
works, he said, is a donation of land for a
new campus of Thales Academy, a network of
private, non-sectarian schools already
operating in the region. He said sales of
residential building lots and houses at
Flowers Plantation are on pace to surpass
last year's total of 402, with 300 recorded
so far in 2020 and another 155 pending.
COUNTY CONTRIBUTES
$27,490 TO INTERNET PROJECT
The
board agreed to contribute 10%, or $27,490,
of matching funds required for a Century
Link project to upgrade Internet service to
505 residences in an area north of Benson.
Derek Kelly, Century Link's N.C. government
affairs director, said a state grant program
recently expanded for counties like Johnston
will cover 70% of the project's total cost
of $916,334. Mr. Kelly emphasized that the
upgrade in service is sorely needed to serve
rural public-school students dependent on
virtual learning at home during the
coronavirus pandemic. Commissioners voiced
their hope that similar projects can be
funded elsewhere in the county.
ANIMAL-SHELTER
FEES MODIFIED,
WITH INCREASES
The board
removed the
Animal
Services Fee
Schedule from
its ordinances
and re-adopted
it as other
county fees,
which allows
more
flexibility
when making
changes,
advised County
Attorney
Jennifer
Slusser. In
doing so, the
board approved
an increase in
the adoption
fee from $65
to $125 "to
encourage
participation
in the
spay/neuter
program," Ms.
Slusser noted.
The old fee
included a $50
voucher to pay
for that
service; the
new fee
includes a
$100 voucher.
Also added is
a $50
multiple-offender
reclaim fee,
which Ms.
Slusser said
is "to
discourage
repeat
violations" of
the county's
animal-control
rules.
DISCARDED
SHERIFF CARS,
AMBULANCES TO
BE SOLD
The board
authorized the
sale of 19
Dodge Chargers
and Ford Crown
Victoria
sedans, model
years 2010-15,
that have been
taken out of
service by the
Sheriff's
Department
with mileages
ranging from
120,000 to
180,000. The
board also
approved the
sale of
ambulances
discarded by
Emergency
Services, and
the donation
of one of the
ambulances to
Johnston
Community
College for
its EMS
education
program. An
auction is
scheduled for
10 a.m.
Saturday, Nov.
17 for both
the Sheriff
and EMS
vehicles.
The board approved a merger of the Archer Lodge and Thanksgiving fire departments requested by their chiefs following community meetings that drew no opposition to the change. The merger will allow 24-hour staffing at both stations, which will retain their present identities, commissioners were told. Both departments get property-tax revenues from fire districts that currently have identical tax rates of 9 cents per $100 valuation of real estate. Those districts will be combined as one, with the tax rate unchanged. "You're going to see an increase in service without an increase in tax," said Commissioner Patrick Harris, a former Smithfield fire chief.
NEW SOCIAL SERVICES SOFTWARE TO CUT COSTS
The board approved a $345,000 expenditure for new software requested by the county's Department of Social Services that's expected to save money by "going paperless" in administration of its Child Welfare and Adult Services divisions, according to Director Scott Sabatino. Northwoods of Dublin, Ohio is the vendor that will be paid $154,000 for its Traverse software subscription and $195,000 for professional services under a five-year contract. Mr. Sabatino said 43 of North Carolina's 100 counties are currently using this particular service.
TWO MORE BIG-TICKET PURCHASES FOR LANDFILL
The board approved the purchase of two pieces of heavy machinery at the Johnston County Landfill: a John Deere crawler dozer for $364,258.76 from James River Equipment; and a Mack container roll-off truck for $165,068 from TranSource, Inc. under a state-awarded contract. Both items fall within in the current budget of the county's Solid Waste Department, noted its director, Rick Proctor.
LOAN APPROVED FOR NEW FIRE TRUCK AT MEADOW
The board approved tax-exempt status for a $300,000 loan to the Meadow Fire Department for a new Peterbilt 348 tandem-axle truck. Both United Community Bank and First Citizens Bank submitted identical low bids for the loan, offering an interest rate of 2.15% over 10 years. Finance Director Chad McLamb recommended awarding the loan to United Community Bank because it is already doing business with the Meadow department.
APPOINTMENTS INCLUDE TOURISM AUTHORITY VOTE
Having received applications from five persons seeking appointment to four available seats on the Johnston County Tourism Authority, the commissioners voted by paper ballot to reappoint Rick Childrey of Smithfield and Michael Paul Boucher of Benson and add new members W.E. (Bud) Andrews of Smithfield and Jeff Jennings of Clayton.
All applicants for positions on other boards and commissions were approved unanimously by commissioners as follows:
• Alcoholic Beverage Control Board --- Stephen (Steve) Richard Upton (reappointed).
• Fire Protection District Commissions --- Boon Hill: Donald Wayne Worley; Oakland: Bryant Worley (reappointed); Nahunta: H. Edward Croom (reappointed); Banner: O. Hampton Whittington, Troy Byrd, and Braston Newton (all reappointed); Corinth-Holder: David A. Brewer and William Ross Carroll Jr. (reappointed).
• Firefighters Relief Fund Board of Trustees --- David T. Pace of Archer Lodge, Michael E. Atkinson of Beulah, Norwood Randall Jones of Boon Hill, Allan Daughtry of Brogden, Sherwood P. Creech of Corinth-Holder, Timmy W. Stanley of Elevation, William F. Jordan III of McLemore, Joey Creech of Micro, Sammy Jay Price of O'Neals (only one newly appointed), Dennis Max Johnson of Strickland's Crossroads, and Jimmy W. Barbour of Thanksgiving.
• Johnston County Heritage Commission --- Pam Lipscomb Baumgartner, Matt Dean, Raymond (Frank) Knott Jr., Suzanne Benton Cook, Warren Grimes, William Royce Lambert Jr., Mary Nell Lee Ferguson, Mary Blandy Stephens, and John M. Booker (all reappointed).
• Local Emergency Planning Commission --- Beth Stewart (reappointed).
• Moccasin Creek Service District Board --- Rodney Cabe and John T. Stallings (reappointed).
• Nursing Home/Adult Care Home Community Advisory Board --- James Parker and George Smith (reappointed).
• Pleasant Grove Community Building Board of Trustees --- Timothy Callihan.
TAX ADMINISTRATOR ANDREWS EARNS CERTIFICATION
Having completed the state's requirements for Certification of County Assessor in August, Tax Administrator Jocelyn Andrews is no longer serving in an "acting capacity" as a result of the board's appointing her Monday to a four-year term. Ms. Andrews has been serving as Johnston' tax administrator since August 2018.
REZONING DENIED FOR LARGE TOWNHOUSE PROJECT
Concerned about the size of the project, commissioners voted unanimously Monday evening to deny rezoning of almost 104 acres in Cleveland Township that would have allowed a Planned Unit Development consisting of 476 townhouses near the end of New Bethel Church Road west of Cornwallis Road. Both the county's Planning Board and staff had recommended denial of the request, ruling that the proposed development would be "inconsistent with adjacent land uses," which include traditional residential subdivisions with fewer dwellings per acre. Planning Director Braston Newton said the project would add significant traffic to already congested Cornwallis Road, and he cited emergency-response issues associated with New Bethel Church Road as the only access to the land in question. "It is a tremendous amount of density," he said of the proposed townhouse development.
The commissioners gave unanimous approval to two other requests following public hearings that drew no public opposition:
• Rezoning of an acre of land at 13515 Cleveland Road from Agricultural-Residential to General Business to allow Mark Bailey to open an office for his real-estate firm at his homeplace there.
• Rezoning of 51 acres at 11832 Cleveland Road from Agricultural-Residential to Industrial 1 Special-Use District to allow Piedmont Natural Gas to erect a regulator facility as part of pipeline relocation to be required by the widening of nearby NC 42.
PROCLAMATIONS FOR NATIONAL 4-H WEEK AND MORE
Commissioners adopted a resolution proclaiming October 4-10 as National 4-H Week. It was requested by Johnston County's Chloe Allen, who is currently serving as state 4-H president. The resolution notes that Johnston's 4-H program "numbers more than 5,400 members and more than 649 volunteers." The state's 4-H program is affiliated with the Cooperative Extension System of N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University.
Other local observances approved by commissioners Monday:
• Employee Appreciation Week --- October 19-23, requested by the county's staff.
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month --- October, requested by Harbor Inc.
• Alzheimer's Disease Awareness and Caregivers Month --- November, requested by Register of Deeds Craig Olive.