Recap for October 20, 2025 Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 20 approved the installation of a water-monitoring station on the Neuse River near Richardson Bridge Road.
The county plans a second water plant nearby, and flow data from the station will help Public Utilities decide when to draw water from the river or a nearby reservoir.
The state also wants access to the data as it considers Johnston’s request to build a second water plant on the Neuse River.
Commissioners agreed to exercise their option to purchase roughly 51.5 acres on Johnson Estate Road near UNC Health Johnston’s Clayton hospital. The land could one day become home to a Johnston Community College medical campus.
The County has until month’s end to close on the roughly $6.4 million purchase. So far, due diligence, including an environmental assessment, has uncovered no problems with the land.
The Board gave the Veterans Service Office permission to seek a $20,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Among many things, the office could use the one-time grant to:
- Help veterans pay overdue utility bills.
- Transport veterans to VA medical appointments.
- Build handicapped-accessible ramps.
- Provide legal support for estate planning.
- Purchase technology to help veterans attend virtual medical appointments.
Commissioners amended the construction contract for Johnston Regional Park to reflect the addition of $850,000 in open space dollars, allowing the project to move forward.
“We have an official start date of Nov. 3,” said Adrian O’Neal, head of the county’s Parks and Open Space Department. A formal groundbreaking is likely on Dec. 5 or 12.
“The anticipated completion date of the project will be September 2025, so a little bit ahead of schedule,” O’Neal said.
When completed, the park’s first phase will offer Johnstonians four pickleball courts, two outdoor basketball courts, a picnic shelter and a stocked fishing pond with an ADA-compliant pier.
The Board endorsed an N.C. Department of Transportation petition to accept maintenance of the following subdivision streets:
- Sexton Lane, Dot Drive and Issac Lane in Godwin Chase East in Wilders Township.
- Sandcastle Lane, Flip Flop Court and Salt Life Place in Ruth Harbor in Elevation Township.
- Thumper Way in Kyli Knolls in Clayton Township.
Commissioners adopted a “statement of consistency” reflecting their decision earlier in the month to rezone 12.56 acres on Pierce Road near Cleveland Road for heavy industrial use. With the developer’s support, the board has barred a number of uses, including trucking terminals, chemical manufacturing, asphalt production and meat processing.
The Board appointed Wayne Langston to a two-year term on the Bentonville Firefighters Relief Fund Board.
Finally, commissioners accepted $5,703.44 in revenue into the Sheriff’s Office budget. The money comes from an insurance recovery and the state’s controlled-substance tax.
Page last updated on: October 24, 2025