Trail land, Brightspeed update on Monday agenda
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners will meet twice on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
On the 10 a.m. agenda are:
- A request from Parks and Open Space. The County department is seeking permission to use $330,000 in open space funds to help the Triangle Land Conservancy purchase 48 acres near Clayton. Parks and Open Space would use the land for a future segment of the Neuse River Trail. That segment would link the Flowers Plantation area to the Mountains to Sea Trail and the East Coast Greenway. Money in the open space fund comes from a fee developers pay when they opt not to include open space in their subdivisions.
- An update from broadband company Brightspeed, which is using a mix of public and private dollars to bring high-speed internet to thousands of Johnston County homes and businesses.
- Presentation of the County’s second Cypress Legacy Award to retired U.S. Army Col. Rudy Baker, a Johnston County native whose military service took him to Korea, Vietnam and Iran. He later enjoyed an 18-year career in banking.
- A request to proclaim Sept. 12-26 as Fall Litter Sweep time in Johnston County. A draft proclamation calls on all Johnston residents “to take an active role in making their communities cleaner.”
- A request to appoint Patricia Chisholm-Jones, William W. Massengill Jr. and Jeff Parlier to the Hospital Authority Board of Commissioners.
- A request from the Town of Smithfield to appoint Kellie Youngblood to the Smithfield Planning Board. She would represent the Smithfield planning jurisdiction that lies outside the town limits, an area commonly known as the extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ.
- Budget amendments for the Fire District Fund Tax, $46,380 in additional revenue; Health Department, $167,633 from Medicaid; the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, $27,804 from reserves to cover expenses, including office supplies, books for children and marketing; and the Sheriff’s Office, $2,807.13 in insurance proceeds.
- An appointment for a three-year term on the Veterans Services Advisory Board. Larry J. Pittman has applied for reappointment.
- A request to proclaim Sept. 6-12 as Firefighters Week in Johnston County. A draft proclamation notes that “firefighters make sacrifices to protect the lives and financial interests of the citizens of Johnston County,” and it calls on citizens to recognize the “duties and services that firefighters perform.”
- A request to proclaim Sept. 20-26 as Child Passenger Safety Week and Sept. 26 as Seat Check Saturday in Johnston County. A draft proclamation reminds parents and caregivers that “children are best protected when they ride in a restraint appropriate for their age, size and developmental needs.”
- A closed session on personnel and legal matters.
On the 6 p.m. agenda is:
- A request to rezone 51.75 acres at 2959 Cornwallis Road in the Cleveland community for industrial use. Tim Brent plans four buildings there for warehousing and distribution operations.
Page last updated on: September 3, 2026