Home > Recap of Board of Commissioners April 20 meeting

Recap of Board of Commissioners April 20 meeting

The Johnston County Board of Commissioners on April 20:

Heard from the Triangle Land Conservancy, which said it would seek $1.6 million in the year ahead for land preservation. The money would help preserve 870 acres, including five family farms, critical wildlife habitat, Civil War trenches, and archaeological resources dating back more than 8,000 years.
Gave Public Utilities permission to begin designing a second County water plant on the Neuse River. Without a second plant, Johnstonians will face water restrictions by the early 2030s, staff told Commissioners earlier this month.
Heard from Josh Bennett of Moseley Designs, the architecture firm designing a new home for the Johnston County Department of Social Services. He said Commissioners must soon decide how to approach the build. The traditional approach is to complete design, seek bids from contractors and then hire a builder, usually the lowest bidder. A newer approach is to hire a contractor midway through the design process. That approach offers some advantages, including real-world input on costs, materials and constructability. Commissioners said they wanted to see the pros and cons of both approaches before deciding.
Agreed to maintain pedestrian paths that the N.C. Department of Transportation plans to build along sections of Cleveland Road and N.C. 210. The DOT will build the paths but only if the County agrees to maintain them. Adrian O’Neal, head of Parks and Open Space, said the cost of annual maintenance would be low — just mowing grass and picking up litter. Work on widening N.C. 210 from N.C. 50 to Raleigh Road is scheduled to begin in 2030. A wider Cleveland Road from I-40 to Barber Mill Road will get underway in 2035. Paths along Cleveland Road and N.C. 210 are in the County’s recently adopted trails and greenways plan.
Heard a funding request from Zane Campbell, director of the Veterans Treatment Court. The court serves military veterans with mental health or substance abuse disorders who find themselves in the court system. It focuses on rehabilitation and recovery rather than punishment. With a low rate of repeat offenders, Campbell called the court a success. He asked Commissioners for $150,000 annually to keep the court going. The grants that have long funded the court have become increasingly competitive, making them a less certain source of money, Campbell explained.
Asked the N.C. Department of Transportation to add the following streets to its maintenance list: Wynd Crest Lane in Wynd Crest subdivision, Elevation Township; Magnolia Run Way and Hydrangea Lane in Stony Fork subdivision, Elevation Township; Spilona Way, Bristow Court, Olivia Crossing Court and Citizens Court in Chamlee subdivision, Elevation Township; Star Valley Drive in Star Valley subdivision, Pleasant Grove Township; Touchdown Way and Kickoff Circle in Harris Pointe subdivision, Pleasant Grove Township; and Lowery Lane and Bodacious Lane in Lowery Meadows subdivision, Elevation Township.
Heard a proposed plan to lease the former Tucker Furniture building at 501 E. Market St. in downtown Smithfield. Public Utilities needs additional space for its construction and engineering divisions. Technology Services would relocate there as well. County Manager Rick Hester said he would bring a proposed lease agreement to Commissioners in May.
Agreed to issue $67 million in general obligation bonds. Voters approved the borrowing in 2022 and 2024 for the public schools and Johnston Community College. Of the $67 million, $50 million will go to reimburse the County money it had already fronted the schools for building projects.
Agreed to refinance $12.25 million in 2015 borrowing if the new rate is low enough to justify the expense that comes with refinancing.
Approved the 2026-27 Jail Health Plan. The proposed plan requires trained correctional officers to perform initial health screenings and then use a structured triage system overseen by a medical director to ensure inmates receive appropriate care. Also, the plan calls for specialized treatment regimens for chronic, terminal and pregnant inmates, while using standard procedures to manage infection control, medication distribution and emergency medical transports. Under the plan, inmates would have access to a formal grievance process. Partners in the plan are the Johnston County Jail, Health Department and IMS Correctional Healthcare and Institutional Medical Services, a physician practice.
Gave Emergency Services permission to seek a $25,000 Duke Energy Storm Preparedness Grant. The money would purchase 250 preparedness kits for the County’s more vulnerable residents. Each kit would contain a NOAA weather radio, a fan for relief from heat, a cooler for storing medications, a fire- and water-resistant folder to protect important documents, and a thumb drive to hold backups of important documents and photos.
Gave the Register of Deeds Office permission to take part in the veterans resource fair on May 2 at Johnston Community College. During the fair, the Deeds Office will offer to record military discharge papers, Form DD-214, for safekeeping.
Added $2,668 in Sheriff’s Office revenue. The money is from the tax on controlled substances.
Proclaimed May 3-9 as Public Service Recognition Week. The proclamation salutes federal, state, County and town government employees for their contributions to health care, public safety, education, infrastructure and social services.
Appointed Matt Bishop to the Benson Planning Board. He would represent the area outside the town limits but within Benson’s planning jurisdiction.
Took no action after a closed session on legal and land matters.

Page last updated on: April 22, 2026