All commissioners present:
Tony Braswell, Ted Godwin, Patrick Harris, Butch Lawter, Fred Smith,
Chad Stewart, and Larry Wood

CHAD STEWART IS BOARD'S NEW CHAIRMAN

The Board of Commissioners has a new chairman as well as a new member.

Chad Stewart (right), a member of the board since 2013, was elected chairman by unanimous vote at the start of Monday's morning session. He succeeds Ted Godwin, who voluntarily stepped down after two years holding that position. Larry Wood, just re-elected to his second four-year term on the board, was elected vice chairman, also by unanimous vote.

Former Commissioner Fred Smith began a new four-year term on Monday, having previously served on the board in 2000-2002. He's shown here taking the oath of office from Clerk of Court Michelle Ball during live-streaming of the swearing-in ceremony of four board members that's saved on the county's Facebook page>

FULL-TIME PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TO BE HIRED

The board voted 5-2 to create a new full-time position of Public Information Officer for County Government. Lu Hickey, the county's director of human resources, has been serving in that capacity in addition to her duties as a department head. Commissioner Lawter made the motion to move ahead with seeking applicants for the new position, which he said would be "key" in communicating with the public as the board moves into issues such as this year's wholesale reassessment of the county's land-use regulations. Ms. Hickey gave the board figures projecting the new position's cost for the remaining six months of the current fiscal year at $70,016 including salary and benefits. Commissioners Braswell and Stewart voted against Mr. Lawter's motion.

COMMUTER-RAIL VERDICT AT LEAST A YEAR AWAY

Katharine Eggleston, chief development officer of Go Triangle, gave the board an update on the regional transit agency's study of commuter-rail service that may extend into the Clayton area of Johnston County. Under consideration is the feasibility, especially the cost, of running rush-hour trains through Raleigh and Durham as far east as Selma and as far west as Mebane. She said initial service would likely extend from Durham to Garner, and perhaps to a station near NC 42 on the eastern side Clayton. She said results of the current study are at least a year away, with the start of service a decade away as things now stand. In response to a question from Commissioner Godwin, Chris Johnson --- the county's economic-development director --- said commuter rail would be "a huge win for Johnston County" since it would be a "two-way track" enabling local residents to reach jobs to the west of us while bringing out-of-county residents to work here.

BOARD OF ELECTIONS STAFF COMMENDED

County Attorney Jennifer Slusser appeared before the board to commend Johnston's Board of Elections and staff for doing an "exemplary job" managing this year's General Election, which drew a record turnout of 111,732 Johnston voters, most of whom participated at early-voting sites or by absentee ballots. In response, County Elections Director Leigh Anne Price credited precinct officials, especially, for the county's untarnished election experience in the midst of trying times. "It took a village to put this together," she said. Meanwhile, on Tuesday the board and staff completed a "hand-eye" recount of votes cast in two sample precincts in the close race for Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, which remains undecided pending appeals by both candidates. The county's latest recount found no discrepancies from earlier tallies.

SEARCH FOR NEW LIBRARY DIRECTOR TO BEGIN SOON

Jeff Jennings told the board his naming as interim director of the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield should be short-lived as a search committee this month will begin the quest for a new director to replace Renita Barksdale, whose last day on the job here is this Friday. "We hope to have a quick turnaround," said Mr. Jennings, who has stepped down as chairman of the library's Board of Directors to serve as interim director. After just a year and a half as director here, Ms. Barksdale is returning to her family's home base in Upstate South Carolina to take a job as library director in Laurens County.

BEHAVIORAL-HEALTH AGENCY GETS LETTER OF SUPPORT

The board approved a letter endorsing an application from Alliance Health, the region's behavioral health-care provider, that seeks approval from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services of a "tailored plan" rather than a "standard plan" for delivering services to mental-health clients. The letter says the tailored-plan option "will focus on comprehensive care for people with very complex health-care needs" and "achieve whole-person care for the specialized populations it has long served."