Johnston's
County Commissioners voted
6-1 on Monday to set $177
million as the amount of a
county school-bond issue
to be put before voters in
this November's General
Election. Johnston's Board
of Education had asked for
$253.5 million.
Commissioner Fred Smith
favored a smaller amount
of $150,000, basing his
dissent on
student-enrollment growth
lagging behind the
county's recent population
gains and a recent report
showing 27 of 43 schools
"not at capacity."
Commissioner Tony Braswell
offered a different
perspective, citing the
current and projected
residential building boom
in Johnston. "If you do
not build schools you're
going to have to bus
students somewhere," he
said, referring to already
overcrowded schools in
Johnston's fast-growing
districts.
Furthermore, he declared,
"every child deserves a
classroom to sit in, not a
mobile unit out there"
(Johnston's schools
currently have 186 in
service).
Mr. Smith cited enrollment
statistics showing
Johnston has added just
1,156 students over the
past four years while the
county's population has
been surging. Meanwhile,
new charter schools are
coming and more parents
are turning to home
schooling which, he said,
is "what's really
exploding." As a result,
"just because homes are
built doesn't mean
students are going to go
to government schools," he
said.
Commissioner April
Stephens, a realtor
appointed to the board
last month to fill a
vacancy, said she recently
learned that Johnston is
one of just three N.C.
counties "that has not
lost students" because of
the coronavirus pandemic.
She said Johnston has been
"playing catch-up"
regarding school
construction and "by
the time we vote on
this... and the schools
get built, with the amount
of lots approved right now
in the county, are we
already going to be
behind?"
Commissioners' Chairman
Butch Lawter said the
$177-million amount for
this year's bond
referendum resulted from
discussions last week with
the N.C. Local Government
Commission, which monitors
counties' borrowing
ability. The amount, he
noted, includes $103
million for a new high
school (in the Wilson's
Mills area), $48 million
for a new elementary
school (in the Swift Creek
area south of Clayton),
$17 million for an
addition to Cooper Academy
(an elementary school in
Clayton), $2 million for
"a facility in Princeton,"
$6 million for "turf
fields," and $1 million to
bring schools into
compliance with the
federal Americans with
Disabilities Act.
Health
Department fees raised
for septic-tank permits
Commissioners
approved as recommended a
revised schedule of fees
charged by the county's
Health Department,
including its
Environmental Health
division. Commenting on a
new fee of $475 (up from
$425) for a new
septic-tank permit,
Commissioner Dickie
Braswell suggested $750
instead to cover the
actual cost of the
county's service. But the
board agreed on $475 after
Commissioner Fred Smith
cited the impact of higher
government fees on prices
paid by today's home
buyers.
Summaries of
all matters considered
by the Board of
Commissioners at
Monday's two sessions
are posted on the
county's website>
Last-minute
fix-ups and grass
cutting were tasks
getting done at the
Neuse River amphitheater
this week in preparation
for Saturday's Ham &
Yam Festival. The
covered wooden stage was
erected in the late
1980s.
Town
awards contract for
amphitheater rebuilding
Smithfield's
Town Council at Tuesday's
monthly meeting awarded a
"design-build" contract
for reconstructing the
amphitheater structure,
seating areas, and access
walks on the Town Commons
below South Front Street
beside the Neuse River.
Balfour Beatty
Construction of Raleigh
won the contract –
unanimously recommended by
town staff after
consideration of two
proposals – at a cost not
to exceed $989,500, the
amount of a state grant
awarded to the town for
the project by last year's
session of the N.C.
General Assembly.
It's the first of four
major Smithfield projects
funded in the 2021-22
state budget. The others
are enlargement of the
troublesome CSX Railroad
culvert in South
Smithfield ($950,000), a
multi-use path and
expanded splash pad at
Smith-Collins Park
($536,300), and sewage
projects for anticipated
real-estate development on
the western, northern, and
eastern edges of town ($3
million).
Here's the town's
conceptual plan for the
amphitheater project:
West
Smithfield subdivision
advances despite road
concerns
The
Town Council on Tuesday
gave preliminary
subdivision approval to a
plan for 698 housing units
across from the Amazon
distribution center, but
voiced objections to an
N.C. Department of
Transportation plan for a
truck turnaround that
would abut the subdivision
beside US 70 Business.
Floyd Landing is to be
built in phases: (1) 48
detached single-family
houses, 47 townhouses, 96
apartments by the end of
2023; (2) 41 houses, 88
townhouses, 144 apartments
in 2024; (3) 85 townhouses
and 120 apartments in
2025.
Council members asked
staff to pursue "some more
conversation" with NCDOT
about the truck turnaround
and the agency's overall
plan for traffic flow
accommodating the Amazon
facility, which is nearing
completion.
Rezoning
will allow house to be
relocated for used-car
lot
The
council by unanimous vote
overrode staff objections
and rezoned business
property off North Bright
Leaf Boulevard at East
Edgerton Street to a
residential category to
allow a small house to be
relocated for expansion of
the property owner's
used-car business.
Planning Director Stephen
Wensman objected to the
change because the house
will be placed beside a
private street in a move
he said would constitute
"spot zoning" since the
property is surrounded by
business uses. The town's
Planning Board voted 5-2
last month in favor of the
rezoning request, which
was made by Roger Stanley,
owner of the car business
named Perfect Ride.
Town
will take over meter
reading when contractor
quits
Grid
One, the contractor that's
been reading electricity
and water meters for the
town in recent years, gave
notice last month that it
will terminate its
services May 13, citing
rising costs. After
considering whether to
find another contractor or
return to having town
employees handle the work,
Utilities Director Ted
Credle recommended the
latter and the council
concurred, although Travis
Scott voted against it.
Mr. Credle said the town's
employment of two meter
readers would cost about
the same as the Grid One
expense has been and much
less than what another
contractor would charge
under present market
circumstances. Mr. Credle
pointed out that meter
readers won't be needed
once the town completes a
project to install digital
meters that can be read
remotely. That should be
finished within the next
three years, he noted.
Janitorial
contract awarded for
several town facilities
The
council awarded a contract
for janitorial services at
Town Hall, the Police
Station, the Public
Utilities Operations
Center, and the Public
Works Garage to Barnes
Cleaning Company of
Clayton at annual cost of
$42,261.
Public Works Director
Lawrence Davis said Barnes
was chosen over another
slightly lower bidder
because of its service
capabilities. The new
contract is about $8,900
higher than what the
current vendor has been
charging, but that's a
reflection of rising costs
affecting all providers,
Mr. Davis noted.
Council
to continue working on a
new budget next Tuesday
The
council recessed its
meeting on Tuesday till
6:30 p.m. next Tuesday
when it will resume
discussions about a new
town budget for fiscal
2022-23, which starts July
1. The session will be
held at Town Hall.
School teachers saluted for outstanding work
Four
Oaks Elementary
third-grade teacher
Jennifer Beninate (left)
was named the 2022
Johnston County
Teacher of the Year at
the annual Flame for
Learning Award banquet
hosted by the Triangle
East Chamber of
Commerce. Finalists
for the award included
Amanda Jackson of
South Smithfield
Elementary School (second
from right) and
Amanda Astoske of
Smithfield-Selma High
(right).
Standing with them is
Superintendent of
Schools Eric Bracy. (JCPS
photo)
West
Smithfield Elementary
teacher assistant is
year's best
Chellie
Cherry was named 2022
Teacher Assistant of
the Year at the recent
annual banquet of the
Johnston County
Association of Teacher
Assistants. First
runner-up was Joe
Gilmore of Cleveland
High School. Among
nine nominees for this
year's award was
Michelle Ranson of
Wilson's Mills
Elementary.
Another
month with
less-than-normal
rainfall
April
turned out to be the third
relatively dry month in a
row, with just 2.55 inches
of rainfall recorded by
Cornell Cox at his
Backyard Weather Station
in South Smithfield. That
brings the 2022
year-to-date total to
11.33 inches – below the
four-month average of
14.55 inches, according to
U.S. Climate Data.
Meanwhile, the weather
forecast for Saturday's
Ham & Yam Festival
here predicts a high of 78
degrees with a 40% chance
of scattered
thunderstorms.
New
county salaries: some
got raises, others
didn't
Based
on a survey of salaries
paid by other county
governments in North
Carolina, Johnston's
County Commissioners last
month approved upward
adjustments for a number
of our county's employees,
effective this month. It
was a move to keep
Johnston competitive in a
volatile labor market, and
commissioners ordered pay
comparisons for all county
positions to be done every
other year from now on.
The revised schedule
(provided by the county's
Human Resources
Department) raises
compensation for a number
of department leaders,
including Animal Services
Director (from $71,019 to
$86,231),
Building/Facilities
Director ($92,032 to
$107,991), County Engineer
($132,645 to $147,236),
County Social Services
Director ($122,168 to
$137,171), Finance
Director ($143,836 to
$157,199), Elections
Director ($83,194 to
$94,550), Emergency
Services Director
($116,301 to $133,222),
Human Resources Director
($123,288 to $133,200),
Library Director ($72,828
to $95,040), Planning
Director ($99,454 to
$106,018), Public
Information Director
($78,269 to $90,111),
Register of Deeds
($107,100 to $114,682),
Solid Waste Director
($111,903 to $115,540),
Tax Administrator
($128,577 to $130,017),
and Technology Services
Director ($114,737 to
$138,430).
High-ranking officials not
getting pay adjustments
this month include
Physician Director
($268,118), County Manager
($229,020), County
Attorney ($176,375),
Sheriff ($167,280), Code
Enforcement Director
($118,270), Economic
Development Director
($116,309), Director of
Tourism ($112,582), and
Communications
Director/911 ($104,257).
With this month's raises,
the County of Johnston now
has 32 employees making
more than $100,000
annually.
County commissioners also
got raises, with the board
chairman's annual
compensation raised from
$17,653 to $20,294, the
others from $16,048 to
$17,242.
Salaries of county
employees are likely to be
adjusted again as soon as
July 1 with adoption of a
new county budget for
fiscal 2022-23.
VIEW the
complete list of County
of Johnston salaries by
position>
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Ham & Yam Festival's return is
this Saturday
It's billed as the
"36th-ish" annual event
because it should have
happened in 2020 but had
to be postponed the past
two years because of the
coronavirus pandemic (the
first Ham & Yam
Festival took place in
1985).
Here's the latest rundown
of Saturday's activities
posted on the
official festival
website>
School
board's monthly meeting
coming up Tuesday
The
Johnston County Board of
Education's regular
monthly meeting begins at
4 p.m. next Tuesday (May
10) in the Evander Simpson
Building on US 70 Business
east of Smithfield. The agenda
should be posted here by
the end of this week>
Land
Use Plan Committee's
final meeting Wednesday
It's
billed as the Final
Comprehensive Land Use
Plan Steering Committee
Meeting in an ongoing
process toward revising
the County of Johnston's
rules for real-estate
development in
unincorporated areas. It's
scheduled for 6 p.m.
Wednesday (May 11) at the
Agricultural Center off NC
210 west of Smithfield.
More information is
available on the Johnston
County Planning
Department's website>
SSS
band's Percussion
Theater 2022 set for May
12-14
Percussion
Theater 2022 will be
staged in the
Smithfield-Selma High
School auditorium next
Thursday (May 12) at 3
p.m., Friday at 6:30 p.m.,
and Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for
Thursday's performance and
$10 for Friday and
Saturday, and they "sell
out quickly," the school
advises. Payment can be
made online through the
SSS band website>
"Trusted
by families since
1977"
840 S. Bright Leaf
Blvd. • 919-934-7164
• www.carrollpharmacy.com
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
JORDAN IVEY
ALLEN, 29 – died May
3
MARY ANN
CHRISTIANSON, 66 –
died May 2
TONY MARTIN
MEDLIN, 84 – died
May 1
JEFFREY
MARTIN ROSE, 56 –
died May 1
FELIPE
LANDIVAR, 59 – died
April 26
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
How
do you get to know
political candidates?
Leading
up to the May 17 Primary
Election, which includes
Smithfield's delayed
municipal election, no
organization has held or
scheduled a public forum
for candidates in Johnston
County as we've seen in
the past.
Instead, we've had to
endure shrewdly crafted
propaganda in the form of
mass mailings and
television ads, mostly
from candidates in
regional races for
Congress.
Once again, the Triangle
East Chamber of Commerce
launched a noble effort
inviting candidates in all
our local races to submit
short videos addressing a
handful of questions
related to the offices
they're seeking. But the
candidates' overall
response to that has been
underwhelming:
• Just five of the 13
candidates for the 13th
District seat in the U.S.
House of Representatives
have taken part. Missing
are the apparent
front-runners in the hotly
contested Republican
Primary, a couple of
Johnstonians among them.
• Only seven of 13
candidates for the
Johnston County Board of
Education bothered to
submit responses.
• And only two of four
candidates in contested
races for the Smithfield
Town Council have taken
part.
If you want to hear what
all those who did
participate have to say,
here's the link to the
Triangle East Chamber's Candidates
Connection>
The only other "in person"
means to meet candidates
just now is Saturday's Ham
& Yam Festival.
Downtown Smithfield's
Sarah Edwards said this
morning (Thursday) that
six candidates for various
offices have reserved
booth spaces (see the
announcement below about
one of those), in
addition to booths hosted
by the two political
parties and two "advocacy
groups."
A number of the candidates
have websites you can
visit. I'll encourage you
seek those out on your
own.
It's likely some of you
have already made up your
minds and are voting early
– an option available that
continues through the end
of next week at the First
Baptist Church Ministry
Center (and at three other
sites in Johnston) 8 a.m.
to 7:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 3
p.m. Saturday.
Sample ballots are posted
on the Johnston County
Board of Elections
website. Because of
various electoral
districts for federal,
state, and municipal
offices, the ballots are
tailored for individual
precincts, so you'll have
to click on a particular
link to view your ballot.
Our four precincts are
numbered PR 26 (East
Smithfield), PR27a (North
Smithfield 1), PR27b
(North Smithfield 2), and
PR28 (South Smithfield).
VISIT the
Board of Elections
website for the
sample-ballot links>
If you're not sure which
precinct is yours, find
your spot on the State
Board of Elections Polling
Place Locator>
Town
Council candidates will
share a festival booth
Incumbent
Councilman David Barbour
and Council candidate
Sloan Stevens will share
a booth during
Saturday's Ham & Yam
Festival to "meet and
greet" voters, "look
over all the new
building
plans currently
happening" here, and
"answer
questions about any
area of
Smithfield." Dr.
Barbour is seeking
re-election to a second
term as West
Smithfield's
representative; Mr.
Stevens is seeking
election for the first
time for the council
seat currently held by
David Stevens, his
uncle.
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