County
Commissioners delve into
priorities:
• "Regionalization" of water &
sewer services
• Land Use Plan with
focus on farm
preservation
• More office spaces
for expanding
departments
Those
issues weren't the only
ones confronted during
last week's two-day
Strategic Planning Retreat
held at Campbell
University. But they were
the issues at the top of
the commissioners' list of
concerns.
Among other ideas brought
forth during lengthy
discussions:
• A countywide
fire-protection tax
covering all of Johnston's
unincorporated areas.
• A recreation bond issue
that could be put before
voters in 2024.
• A redrawing of residency
districts for election of
county commissioners.
Meanwhile, the county's
administrative team said
its top concerns are
employee recruiting and
retention along with
better facilities not only
for present-day workers
but also for new employees
to be added because of the
county's growth.
WATER
& SEWER
"REGIONALIZATION"
was No. 1 on the
list of topics to be
discussed in detail by
commissioners. The term is
associated with a
statewide movement to
consolidate local water
and sewer utilities into
larger, more economical
systems. For Johnston,
that could mean one
countywide system, or
several covering separate
territories, or even a
single operation that
extends beyond county
lines.
County Commissioner Fred
Smith got the conversation
going by suggesting the
county look "to buy the
small-town systems" and
thereby create "a unified
system" administered by
either County Government
or a separate Water and
Sewer Authority.
Presently, nine of
Johnston's 11
municipalities operate
water and sewer utilities
(Archer Lodge and Wilson's
Mills are served by the
county's systems).
A big reason for a
regional system or systems
is the long-term cost of
keeping up with Johnston's
unprecedented residential
growth.
Chandra Farmer, the
county's director of
public utilities, said her
staff is looking at
building a second
water-treatment plant at
an abandoned rock quarry
north of Princeton which
the county purchased in
2008. She mentioned $500
million as the cost of
that project, which would
draw water from the Neuse
River at Richardson's
Bridge (the county's
present plant is located
on the river at Wilson's
Mills).
But even that may not be
enough, warned
Commissioners' Chairman
Butch Lawter, so the
county may have to look
beyond its borders for
other sources of water
(the county already has an
agreement with Harnett
County to draw from the
Cape Fear River in an
emergency). "If something
happens on the Neuse
River, where do we turn?"
asked Commissioner Dickie
Braswell.
THE
NEW COMPREHENSIVE LAND
USE PLAN
moving toward adoption by
the board later this year
was next on the list for
discussion. Commissioners
appeared to agree that
property owners should be
free to choose what's to
be done with their land,
but they also talked about
incentives to keep farmers
farming.
Growth will continue to
come into Johnston County
because "the market is
bigger and more powerful
than we are," declared
Commissioner Smith. The
best way to preserve
farmland is to make
farming profitable, he
said, and that may require
new cash incentives or
subsidies from the county
"in some way." (Presently,
Johnston's farmland owners
get "Present Use Value"
breaks on their county
property taxes – so long
as they keep their lands
in agriculture.)
Commissioner April
Stephens, a real-estate
agent, also endorsed
"incentives to protect
some of our farmland."
Commissioners have
previously expressed
support for policies
coming from the new Land
Use Plan that would steer
high-density residential
growth toward Johnston's
municipalities rather than
its rural farm
communities.
Chairman Lawter decried
what he termed "virtual
towns" – unincorporated
areas of Johnston that
require municipal-like
services underwritten by
all the county's taxpayers
who benefit
disproportionately.
EXPANDED
WORKPLACE FACILITIES
came up next on the list.
Again, it was Commissioner
Smith who spoke up first,
advocating a completely
new administrative campus
"where citizens can take
care of all their needs
with one trip... and not
have to drive all over
town." Commissioner
Patrick Harris also said
he likes the idea of a
"one-stop shop."
Commissioner Ted Godwin
favored a different
approach: to "re-purpose"
space currently occupied
by the Department of
Social Services once that
agency is relocated to a
larger new home in place
of present cramped
quarters inside a one-time
county hospital, the
former Agricultural
Building, and others.
"I'm a little bit in Ted's
camp," said Commissioner
Tony Braswell.
Earlier
this month the county
approved an option to buy
47 acres straddling
Yelverton Grove Road east
of Smithfield. County
Manager Rick Hester said
part of the "due
diligence" preceding the
purchase will look at
whether that site has
adequate space for Social
Services as well as a
separate office building
for other departments of
County Government.
HOW
LARGE SHOULD THE
COUNTY'S FUND BALANCE
BE?
That question was
addressed on Day One of
the retreat, and it hung
over discussions that came
up later about how to pay
for the new facilities
that may be built in the
near future.
The General Fund Balance
at the end of the 2021-22
fiscal year last June 30
amounted to $182,297,742,
according to the county's
annual audit report.
Finance Director Chad
McLamb told commissioners
at the retreat he
estimates another $35
million will be added by
the end of this fiscal
year.
That pushes the county's
General Fund Balance well
over 60% of its annual
operating budget, and
commissioners agreed
that's too much. What,
then, should that
percentage be to keep a
comfortable reserve for
emergencies and also
maintain the county's
quest toward a higher bond
rating?
Kyle Laux of Davenport
& Company, the
county's financial
advisor, agreed the Fund
Balance could be reduced
but declined to recommend
a certain percentage,
advising commissioners to
bring it down gradually
over the next three to
five years.
"Let's look toward
45-50%," concluded
Chairman Lawter.
And where will the extra
money from a Fund Balance
draw-down be spent? A new
home for Social Services
is likely at the top of
the prospect list. Another
option might be a
reduction in the county's
property-tax rate. And
there are lots of needs on
the school system's
capital-projects list that
won't be addressed by
upcoming bond issues.
Last week's retreat was
live-streamed – and is
archived – on the county's
YouTube page. Wednesday's
session went on for more
than seven hours
(including breaks),
Thursday's session for
more than six hours. Here's the
link>
Johnston
County illustrated?
In
a scene that dramatizes
the awkward co-existence
of old farms and new
residential developments
in many parts of Johnston
County, cows graze and
sunbathe in a pasture
beside Smithfield's new
East River subdivision
between Buffalo Road and
the Neuse on the north
side of town.
Commissioners
get revisions to draft
of Land Use Plan
Johnston's
County Commissioners made
short work of their
regularly scheduled
third-Monday-of-the month
meeting this week that
included a presentation
from consultants on the
latest draft of a new
Comprehensive Land Use
Plan. Revisions shown
Monday were based on
feedback from each of the
commissioners over the
past month or so about
particular elements,
especially the wording of
some of the stated goals.
For instance, several text
changes add the word
"promote" to paragraphs
addressing high-density
mixed-use development in
unincorporated communities
like McGee's Crossroads
near I-40. That's part of
a strategy to steer more
suburban growth to
preferred "activity nodes"
rather than viable
agricultural properties.
A
significant addition to
the draft plan would
"establish a system of
priority investment tiers"
for new water and sewer
utilities. The
accompanying map is a
sample of what's in the
plan. The darker shades
show where higher
priorities would be given
to infrastructure
projects: mostly in the
Clayton, Archer Lodge, and
Cleveland Township areas
and within the
jurisdictions of towns
along I-95 as well as
Princeton to the east.
A final public hearing on
the Land Use Plan is
expected in the near
future, with adoption by
the Board of Commissioners
to follow not long after
that.
Official
information about the
proposed plan is posted
on the county's
website>
VIEW the
clerk's summary of all
matters before the board
at Monday's meeting>
LOVE
THE SPACE YOU'RE IN!And
to make sure that's
the way it is in your
home...
<Call
PERNELL today.
Or visit
callpernell.com>
Johnston's
economy fared better
than most in COVID
During
their Strategic Planning
Retreat last week, the
County Commissioners got a
report on how Johnston's
economy weathered the
coronavirus pandemic.
Denise Canada, director of
fiscal and policy research
for the N.C. Association
of County Commissioners,
said COVID had "no effect
on long-term job growth"
here.
And while Johnston County
saw a 2% decline in
government jobs after the
pandemic's arrival three
years ago (less than a
statewide drop of 4%),
Johnston has registered a
12% gain in private-sector
employment since February
2029, she noted.
Furthermore, "local
government pays better
than the average wage in
Johnston County," she
added.
Another positive for
Johnston, she reported:
The number of business
establishments here has
gone up 21% since the
first quarter of 2020 –
better than a statewide
gain of 18% and a
nationwide increase of
12%.
"You're doing something
right," Ms. Canada told
commissioners.
Johnston's
jobless rate climbed to
3.3% in January
Johnston
County's unemployment rate
rose from 2.8% in December
to 3.3% in January even
though the number of
Johnstonians employed rose
from 103,824 to 104,564.
At the same time, the
number looking for work
went from 2,983 in
December to 3,621 in
January, according to the
latest monthly report from
the N.C. Department of
Commerce. The
statewide rate for January
was 3.7% – above the
nationwide rate of 3.4%.
Retail
sales were up 6.6% in
fourth quarter of 2022
Johnston
County's retail sales
continued to show healthy
growth at the end of the
calendar year, rising
almost $50.5 million, or
6.6%, above the total for
the fourth quarter of 2021
to $816,844,699 during
October, November, and
December of 2022. Even so,
that's a "cooling off"
from a quarterly gain of
23% a year ago as the
economy was recovering
from the coronavirus
pandemic.
Registered
nurses Brittney Langdon
(left), clinical
coordinator, and Brittany
Thomson with Dr. Diab Omer
on the third floor of the
Smithfield hospital. (UNC
Health photo)
Hospitals
earn third straight
Patient Safety Award
Story
& photo from UNC
Health Johnston
For
the third year in a row,
Healthgrades is
recognizing UNC Health
Johnston as a Patient
Safety Excellence Award
recipient. This latest
distinction places
Johnston among the top 5%
of all short-term
acute-care hospitals
evaluated by Healthgrades.
During the 2019-21 study
period, 164,592
potentially preventable
events occurred among
Medicare patients in U.S.
hospitals. Healthgrades
found that four indicators
accounted for 74% of all
patient-safety events. The
analysis revealed that
patients treated in
hospitals receiving the
Healthgrades 2023 Patient
Safety Excellence Award
were, on average:
• 61.6% less likely to
experience an in-hospital
fall resulting in hip
fracture.
• 52.7% less likely to
experience a collapsed
lung resulting from a
procedure or surgery in or
around the chest.
• 66.1% less likely to
experience pressure sores
or bed sores.
• 67.3% less likely to
experience
catheter-related
bloodstream infections.
To enhance patient safety,
Johnston is investing in
new hospital beds that
signal nurses when a
patient at-risk for falls
tries to get out of bed. A
voice alert tells the
patient "please don’t get
up" and "your care team
has been notified."
The new beds complement
the hospital’s continuous
visual-monitor attendants,
who watch patients on a
video screen and alert the
care team when assistance
is needed. Also,
early-mobility technicians
get patients up and moving
as quickly as possible
following surgery or
illness. And on all
floors, nurses follow a
process to remove
catheters as soon as
possible to prevent
infection.
UNC Health Johnston
operates the hospitals
at Smithfield and
Clayton.
WEST
SMITHFIELD LAND FOR
SALE
2.4-acre
vacant lot at 1558 W.
Market Street, US 70
Business. Mostly level
ground with 323-foot road
frontage. It's less than 3
miles from Johnston
Regional Airport and about
5 miles from I-95:
$525,000
(MLS#2447472)
SUSAN
LASSITER, Broker •
FONVILLE MORISEY
REALTY • 919-669-9235
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
Neuse
Charter girls' soccer
team picks up two wins
The
Cougar girls' soccer team
is 3-2 after last Friday's
1-0 win over Vance Charter
at home and Tuesday's
Carolina 1-A Conference
win at North Duplin by a
score of 6-2.
The boys' baseball team is
1-5 after Tuesday's 14-0
loss at North Duplin.
Smithfield-Selma teams share a week
without wins
The
boys' baseball Spartans
lost to Wilson Fike 16-1
last Friday and 10-0 at
West Johnston on Tuesday,
putting their season's
record at 2-3 overall, 0-3
in Quad County 3-A
Conference play.
The SSS girls' softball
team is 0-11 after last
Thursday's 19-3 loss vs.
Rosewood, Friday's 29-13
loss vs. Wilson Fike,
Monday's double-header
defeats at Northern Nash
by scores of 25-2 and
17-1, and a 16-0 loss at
West Johnston on Tuesday.
The Spartan girls' soccer
team is 3-5 overall, 1-2
in conference play after
Friday's loss to Wilson
Fike 9-0 and Tuesday's 9-1
defeat at West Johnston.
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Town
Council will begin
budget work at 6:30 p.m.
today
The
Smithfield Town Council
has scheduled a special
session at Town Hall this
evening to begin work on
town's budget for fiscal
2023-24, which begins July
1. Town Manager Mike Scott
has not yet prepared his
recommended budget,
pending feedback from the
council starting with this
evening's session.
Greenway
cleanup starts at boat
ramp at 9 a.m. Saturday
Kaitlyn
Tarley, chair of the Town
of Smithfield's Appearance
Commission, will host a
cleanup along the town's
greenway from 9 a.m. till
noon this Saturday. The
work will begin at the
Town Commons boat ramp on
North Front Street. All
supplies will be provided.
As part of a master's
degree project, Mr. Tarley
is installing an
educational element on the
greenway with
environmental information
related to Smithfield.
Skyfest
returns Saturday to
Johnston Regional
Airport
Billed
as a "Special Ops Edition"
featuring military, SWAT,
and rescue personnel, this
year's event will continue
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with
aerial demonstrations,
musical entertainment,
static displays, kids'
zones, and food trucks.
Admission is being
charged, but tickets are
limited. Check ticket
availability online>
Wreath-laying
at Courthouse on Vietnam
Veterans Day
The
Smith-Bryan Chapter,
National Society of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution, will host a
wreath-laying ceremony in
honor of National Vietnam
Veterans Day at 3 p.m. next
Wednesday at the war
memorial in front of the
Courthouse on Market Street.
Vietnam veterans will be
honored at a private
reception to follow.
Entries
Sought for a 2nd
Literary and Historical
Journal
The
Johnston County Heritage
Center is looking for
writers to contribute to
the second edition of its
Literary and
Historical Journal,
scheduled for publication
in the summer. "We are
looking for short stories,
essays, and poems with a
Johnston County
connection,” said Todd
Johnson, the Heritage
Center’s executive
director. "We would
especially encourage
recent immigrants and
other newcomers to submit
entries that reflect
impressions of their life
before and after coming to
Johnston County.”
Submissions will be
accepted electronically
through April in both
Adult and Junior
divisions. For more
information, call Mr.
Johnson at 919-938-4708 or
e-mail todd.johnson@johnstonnc.com.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
WAYNE
LINWOOD BAREFOOT, 75
– died March 20
LARRY
PATRICK SMITH, 84 –
died March 19
EDWARD JOHN
(BUD) FILICKY, 93 –
died March 18
ROWLAND
NARRON, 77 – died
March 18
MARY YORK
CALVERT, 85 – died
March 17
LINDA MARIE
ENGLEHART, 72 – died
March 17
EDWARD
LAWRENCE LONDINO, 72
– died March 16
HARVEY
PEARCE, 83 – died
March 15
JAMES BRYAN
KOONCE JR., 37 –
died March 14
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
How
do we measure up on
public-school funding?
The
Public School Forum of
North Carolina – an
"indispensable and
nonpartisan champion of
better schools" since 1985
– has released its annual
Local School Finance
Study. It shows Johnston
County ranks 44th among
the state's 100 counties
in "Base Local
Appropriations" this year,
although we did rank get a
ranking of No. 10 when it
comes to local "Funding
Effort."
During last week's
Strategic Planning Retreat
for Johnston's county
commissioners, Board
Chairman Butch Lawter said
he'd like to see us move
into the Top 25 in local
school funding. There was
no discussion following
that suggestion.
But actions speak louder
than words, the saying
goes.
The commissioners have
taken some big steps over
the past couple of years
to meet the needs of
Johnston County Public
Schools. Two years ago,
for the first time in
anyone's memory, they
fully funded the school
board's request for county
taxpayers' assistance.
This past year they
appropriated an extra $9.6
million for school safety
projects, including
installation of weapon
detection systems at all
campuses.
Looking to the future, the
County Commissioners
backed a $177-million bond
issue approved by
Johnston's voters last
November for new school
construction and indicated
support for successive
bond issues in 2024 and
2026 to keep up with the
county's unprecedented
residential growth.
Recently commissioners
approved purchases of
separate sites for a new
high school and a new
elementary school in
fast-growing suburban
areas northwest of
Smithfield.
What's to be done during
the upcoming annual budget
process remains to be
seen, but the momentum for
better schools appears to
be in place going forward.
That will be crucial as
Johnston's school system –
as most others across the
state and the nation – is
struggling with
recruitment and retention
of teachers, bus drivers,
custodians, cafeteria
workers, and others during
this time of economic
uncertainty.
School-system rankings are
worthy of our attention.
What's more important will
be subsequent reports on
how our students are
performing in the
classroom.
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