Johnston County
Board
of Commissioners report from Oct. 4 sessions |
 |
Commissioners present: Chairman Chad Stewart, Tony Braswell, Ted Godwin, Patrick Harris, Butch Lawter, Fred Smith, Larry Wood
SPLIT VOTE ON
BUYING LAND NEXT TO NEW JAIL
The board voted 5-2 to spend $5,000 for an option to
purchase about six acres next to the county's new
Detention and Public Safety centers on US 70 Business
East for $450,000.
Commissioner Godwin, who voted against the action along
with Commissioner Wood, objected to the price that works
out to about $77,000 per acre, noting that the county
paid $20,000 an acre for property bought for the
facilities under construction next door. "I must stand
on my conservative values," Mr. Godwin said.
Commissioner Smith defended the $450,000 pending
purchase from Larry E. Cox doing business as C&S
Properties, pointing out that an appraisal based on
projected lost income put its value at $545,000. That
income currently is from rent paid by occupants of
mobile homes on the site.
Mr. Smith and Commissioner Harris said the Cox property
could house warehousing for county agencies, especially
Emergency Services, that presently lease space for
storing equipment at considerable expense. Mr. Smith
said purchasing the Cox property "makes great business
sense for our county."
Even so, Mr. Godwin insisted "we can buy land for less
than $77,000 an acre" elsewhere.
PRINCETON GETS PART OF
DRAINAGE AID REQUEST
Commissioners approved county aid up to $395,000 for
the first phase of a $715,000 Town of Princeton project
to improve drainage in an area prone to flooding. That
unanimous decision came after the board favorably
received a list of recommendations from county staff on
how to allocate such aid to Johnston's municipalities
going forward. Proposed is an appropriation of $5.5
million in next year's county budget that would be
available to Johnston's 11 incorporated towns for
infrastructure projects including water, sewer, and
drainage needs. Princeton will be eligible to apply for
additional aid for its project under the new guidelines.
9-1-1 PAGING PLAN
FOR KENLY AREA APPROVED
The board approved a $64,793 contract with Communications International of Goldsboro to set up 9-1-1 paging service for northeastern Johnston, the only area of the county without that service. Brett Renfrow, the county's director of emergency services, said the Kenly Fire Department will be providing space inside its headquarters plus use of its telecommunications tower at no cost to the county.
APPOINTMENTS INCLUDE HERITAGE COMMISSION
Commissioners approved the following appointments:
• Firefighters Relief Fund Board of Trustees --- reappointed were Wayne Langston for the Bentonville Fire Department, Dennis Elton Evans for the Brogden department, Carol Woodard for Corinth-Holders, Jerry T. Allen for Elevation, Vann Sauls for 50-210, David Rudolph Wells Sr. for McLemore, Jimmy Colin Batten for Shoehill, Ben Youngblood for Wilson's Mills, and Clarence Junior Allen for Wynn.
• Johnston County Heritage Commission --- Catherine Rusher Gutierrez and Rich Nixon newly appointed; Lettie Inez Best, Pearl Blackmon, Charles W. Creech, Carolyn G. Ennis, Vicky Temple-Rains, and Ashley Webster reappointed.
• Local Emergency Planning Commission --- Robert Harding and Tim Shipman reappointed.
• Moccasin Creek Service District Board --- Richard D. Braswell reappointed.
4-H WEEK; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
The board adopted resolutions designating October 3-9 as National 4-H Week in Johnston County and October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The resolutions note that 4-H has 5,528 members and more than 40 volunteers here and that Harbor Incorporated serves approximately 3,000 direct victims of domestic violence annually.
PARCELS IN FOUR
TOWNSHIPS REZONED
The board approved four
rezoning requests following public hearings during the
evening session:
• A 6.17-acre tract at the intersection of NC 210 and
Lassiter Road in Elevation Township was rezoned from
Agricultural Residential to General Business
Conditional.
• A 3.54-acre tract in the 500 block of Church Road in
Pleasant Grove Township was rezoned from Agricultural
Residential to General Business Conditional.
• A 0.85-acre tract at 4624 US 70 Business West in
Wilson's Mills Township was rezoned from General
Business to Agricultural Residential.
• A 24.46-acre tract in the 500 block of Wise Road in
Clayton Township was rezoned from General Business and
Agricultural Residential to Industrial 1.
Postponed till the board's December 6 meeting was a
request for General Business Conditional zoning for 2.43
acres at 2239 Barber Mill Road in Clayton Township.