June 11, 2018 - 6:00 PM - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes (Special)

10 344 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners June 11 , 2018 6 00 pm The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in special session Monday , June 11 , 2018 at 6 00 pm in the Johnston County Courthouse , Courtroom No 4 , Smithfield , North Carolina The following members were present Present Chairman Jeffrey P Carver , Vice Chairman Ted G Godwin , Cookie Pope , Allen L Mims , Jr , Chad M Stewart , Larry Wood , and Lee Jackson Absent None Also Present County Manager Rick J Hester , Clerk to the Board Paula G Woodard , Finance Officer and Assistant County Manager J Chad McLamb , County Attorney Jennifer J Slusser , and Paralegal Deputy Clerk to the Board Dana Cuddington Chairman Jeffrey P Carver called the meeting to order at 6 00 pm and announced the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 2018 - 2019 County budget and related matters 1 Public Library of Johnston County & Smithfield Jeff Jennings , Chairman of the Public Library of Johnston County & Smithfield Board of Trustees , addressed the Board Mr Jennings stated the Board of Trustees consists of volunteers , half of which are appointed by the Johnston County Board of Commissioners and the other half appointed by the Smithfield Town Council Mr Jennings stated the Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Library and he thanked the County for their past support He also thanked the County for investing in a comprehensive study of the Library facility and noted the study confirmed their suspicions that the building is in need of work Mr Jennings stated they hope to work with the County and the Town over the next couple of years to address some of those needs Mr Jennings took a moment to thank Johnston County Buildings & Grounds Director Daniel Clifton and his staff for their hard work and support to the Library facility Mr Jennings reported so far this year , there have been 243 children’s programs with over 6,000 children attending story time He stated the public utilizes the Library’s meeting space with over 500 uses per year and approximately 5,000 people attending those uses Mr Jennings also reported the Library serves approximately 9,000 patrons who check out over 10,000 items each month Mr Jennings reminded everyone that the Library shares resources with their affiliated libraries and they are a member of the NC Cardinal Program which allows people to check out books from all over the State Mr Jennings introduced six year old Connor Pettit who read from one of his favorite books and shared with the Board who some of his favorite people at the Library are as well as the activities he likes to do Mr Jennings also introduced Ms Jane Shipman who shared with the Board what the Library means to her Ms Shipman stated she is a lifetime reader and one of the things she enjoys most about the Library is that they are constantly adding new items Ms Shipman stated she believes the Library is a very valuable resource to the community Mr Jennings thanked the Board for allowing them to speak and stated they would appreciate the continued support 2 North Carolina Forestry Service Johnston County Ranger Mike Winslow addressed the Board and presented information for their Fiscal Year 2018 - 2019 budget request Mr Winslow provided a brief background to the Board concerning their responsibilities to the citizens in Johnston County Mr Winslow reported they are currently down to two people in the County , but hope to fill one of their vacancies soon He noted one of their staff members was injured in a fire last spring and has been on light duty since that time Mr Winslow also stated they hope to purchase two new radios with this year’s budget Mr Winslow submitted the following information to the Board Page345 June 11 , 2018 – 6 00 pm ContinuedPage346 June 11 , 2018 – 6 00 pm Continued The Board thanked Mr Winslow for the information 3 Boys & Girls Club of Wayne and Johnston Counties Jacqueline Kannan , Development Director for the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne and Johnston Counties , thanked the Board for their past support and stated it is because of that support that they have been able to serve thousands of youths since they opened in 2006 Ms Kannan shared plans to open two new school sites in Johnston County in the 2018 - 2019 school year She reported through conversations with communities in Johnston County as well as Johnston County Schools they have determined one of the sites will be located at South Smithfield Elementary and the other at West Smithfield Elementary Ms Kannan stated they are moving forward with fundraising for these two new sites and are requesting funding in the amount of 25,000 from the County Ms Kannan shared a fact sheet of their services with the Board and introduced students and club members Josue Gonzalez , Diane McAllister , and Destiny McFadgen who all shared with the Board how the Boys & Girls Club in Selma has positively influenced their lives Jennifer Narron - Hardy , 1003 S Vermont Street , Smithfield , also spoke on the importance of the Boys & Girls Club stating this is everyone’s community and we all must do the best we can to support the children Page347 June 11 , 2018 – 6 00 pm Continued 4 Smithfield Rescue Mission Howard Dozier , Chair of the Smithfield Rescue Mission Board of Directors , thanked the Board for their past support and stated they were able to use this year’s funding allocation to reopen the women and children’s home Mr Dozier reported since the home reopened , they have served 18 women and 4 children Mr Dozier spoke on the renovations that were made to the women and children’s home He introduced Mr Ben Olsen to provide information regarding another proposed project by the Rescue Mission Executive Director Ben Olsen reported the Smithfield Rescue Mission had a 75 increase in the number of people they served this past year and noted that increase is partially due to the women and children’s center reopening Mr Olsen stated they served 65 individuals in - house between January and June of 2017 , but have served 113 men , women , and children for the same time period in 2018 Mr Olsen informed the Board of a new project the Smithfield Rescue Mission is hoping to achieve He stated they are proposing to convert a modular building to an educational use space which would create a center for a library , meeting rooms , classrooms , and check - in space Mr Olsen stated the new space would also increase their bed capacity from 21 to 29 Mr Olsen submitted an estimated cost sheet to the Board and requested 21,000 to complete necessary repairs and additions to open the building Mr Olsen stated they would appreciate any support to help with the project 5 Johnston County Schools Johnston County Schools Superintendent Dr Ross Renfrow addressed the Board and recognized Board of Education Member Ronald Johnson in the audience Dr Renfrow stated they have a number of speakers they would like to speak to the Board who work in the schools and offices every day April Lee , Teacher at Benson Middle School and President of the Johnston County Association of Educators , spoke on the need for a 2 supplement increase for restart teachers Ms Lee reported there will be six restart schools in Johnston County next year with Benson Middle being one of those schools Ms Lee stated according to the National Education Association , teachers spend 50 hours each week on just instructional needs and additional time on non - instructional needs She explained that teachers at restart schools have to go beyond that effort because the communities and students of restart schools need and deserve more than average Ms Lee stated a 2 supplement increase for teachers at the restart schools would show staff members that their hard work is recognized and appreciated by the Board of Education and the County Commissioners At the inquiry of Commissioner Cookie Pope , Dr Renfrow reviewed with the Board the factors that determine how schools are designated as restart schools and stated Johnston County Schools must be able to attract the best teachers to these schools Upon a question by Commissioner Chad M Stewart , Dr Renfrow reported for restart schools , the State allows for flexibility with the school calendar and with hiring practices , but they receive no additional funding th Stenson Lee , Teacher at Benson Middle School , stated he teaches middle school English as well as 9 grade English 1 Mr Lee informed the Board that due to a change in legislation , he is not currently compensated for his Master’s Degree Mr Lee stated in teaching language arts , he is able to create a relevant meaningful learning experience for students through information he gained with his advanced degree Mr Lee spoke on what the additional compensation for his Master’s Degree would mean for his family Mr Lee also stated if approved , the additional compensation would be a great recruitment and retention tool for Johnston County Public Schools to assist with their goal of securing high quality teachers Shannon Brock , Teacher Assistant and Bus Driver at Glendale - Kenly Elementary School , stated she was speaking on behalf of the classified employees who drive buses Ms Brock spoke on the need to reimburse classified employees who drive school buses for the extra expense they have to pay to obtain their commercial driver’s license CDL Ms Brock explained that per County school guidelines all teacher assistants , custodians , clerical staff , and cafeteria workers are required to drive a bus either having a permanent route or be a substitute She continued that in order to complete the requirement those employees must obtain their CDL within one year of employment or face termination Ms Brock stated the special license must also be renewed every three years at a cost of approximately 100 and beginning this year they are required to have DOT physicals which could create an additional expense Ms Brock spoke on the hardship the extra cost places on employees and stated because these employees are required to drive a bus to maintain their employment statusPagePage pageNumber5348 June 11 , 2018 – 6 00 pm Continued the expense should be covered by the employer Ms Brock also stated having the fees reimbursed by Johnston County Public Schools would be a great way to boost morale and show the employees they are valued Mike Thompson , Johnston County Schools Behavior Specialist , spoke on his concerns for mental health issues in schools Mr Thompson informed the Board that he is seeing a serious need for mental health services for students , stating it is not so much the numbers but rather the intensity of the need Mr Thompson spoke on the wait times associated with psychiatric facilities and noted often times students who need those types of services cannot get them in a timely manner and end up back in school Mr Thompson spoke on the need to have a plan to support those students with mental health issues Dr Paula Coats , Johnston County Schools Executive Director of Federal Programs , addressed the Board regarding the exceptional children’s program Dr Coats spoke on the increasing enrollment of the exceptional children as well as the extreme level of need for some of those students Dr Coats stated since the start of this school year , Johnston County Schools saw an increase in the exceptional children enrollment that required them to hire 20 new classroom teacher assistants , 2 new resource teacher positions , 1 new self - contained teacher position , and 11 one - to - one teacher assistants She explained that while they apply for every dollar of State funding available to offset the needs , in the cases of a severe need requiring one - to - one staffing , State funding is available for that student only for a period of five years Dr Coats stated after the five year period is over , Johnston County Schools must assume all associated costs for the remainder of the time the student is enrolled in school She noted many of those students are enrolled in school until they are 21 years old Dr Coats also spoke on the associated costs of providing special equipment that may be needed for exceptional children Ashley Radford , Johnston County Schools Director of Exceptional Children’s Programs , also spoke on the increasing enrollment numbers of students with special needs stating the data collected from December 2017 through April 2018 indicated an increase of 124 students Ms Radford stated Johnston County Public Schools presently has 22 school psychologists on staff and currently their primary role is to conduct comprehensive evaluations for students suspected of having learning disabilities , developmental disabilities , autism , or other learning disabling conditions She stated during the 2016 - 2017 school year , school psychologists conducted 1,604 evaluations to assist in determining eligibility and needs for students Ms Radford continued that as of today , initial referrals for this school year totaled 1,222 as well as 816 requests for re - evaluations Ms Radford stated the evaluations consume a large majority of the time and efforts of the school psychologists and the addition of more positions would allow Johnston County Schools to have more time to focus on supporting the increasing individual needs of the students The Commissioners discussed the exceptional children’s program further with Dr Renfrow and how needed services are determined for students as well as how the State provides limited funding for those students Angela Barbour , Teacher at McGee’s Crossroads Middle School , spoke on the need for a 1 supplement increase for teachers , stating the increase is a step in the right direction to prevent Johnston County teachers from leaving to go to other counties for higher pay Ms Barbour informed the Board that as a teacher for 16 years , if she were a teacher in Wake County today , she would be making a little over 17 of her salary whereas in Johnston County she is at 115 Ms Barbour stated teachers work tirelessly and spend their own money to make sure students have the necessary resources needed to maintain a successful learning environment and the 1 supplement increase is greatly needed Shannon Snipes , Teacher and Former Flame for Learning Award Winner , stated she has been an educator with Johnston County Schools for over 13 years and she also spoke on her support for a 1 teacher supplement increase Ms Snipes stated she has been a teacher assistant , bus driver , teacher , and aspires to be a future administrator Ms Snipes spoke on the importance of a teacher supplement to attract and retain quality teachers for Johnston County Schools Upon a question by Commissioner Larry Wood , Dr Renfrow stated all funds received from the State for classroom supplies are distributed directly to the schools , but he noted those funds have been continually decreasing year after year Dr Ben Williams , Principal for North Johnston High School and Vice President of the Johnston County Principals and Assistant Principals Association , spoke on the Association’s support for a 1 assistant principal supplement increase Dr Williams reported currently for Johnston County Public Schools , supplements for assistant principals are 135 for elementary schools , 145 for middle schools , and 155 for high schools Dr Williams also reported in Wake County , the lowest supplement given to assistant principals is currentlyPagePage pageNumber6349 June 11 , 2018 – 6 00 pm Continued 1825 for traditional elementary schools Dr Williams spoke on the responsibilities and duties of the assistant principals in Johnston County as well as the formula for determining how many assistant principals are allotted to each school He stated the 1 supplement increase is needed so Johnston County Public Schools can be more competitive with surrounding counties as well as compensate assistant principals in accordance with their job responsibilities and duties Billy Creech , Johnston County Schools Plumbing Foreman , spoke on the different divisions within the plumbing department of Johnston County Schools noting each division requires employees with different skill sets and certifications Mr Creech shared with the Board the difficulties of hiring and retaining employees due to salary Mr Creech stated in order to remain competitive and with construction increasing for school facilities , they are going to have to offer higher salaries Todd Urban , Johnston County Schools Diesel Mechanic , addressed the Board and spoke on the difficulties of hiring experienced personnel needed for the Transportation Department because of low wages , stating their salaries are behind the industry standard Mr Urban shared salary information with the Board and spoke on how an increase would benefit the families of employees within the department Mr Urban also spoke on the certifications needed for a diesel mechanic and how employees should be compensated for that experience Gary Barnes , Johnston County Schools Technology Technician II , stated he and the other Technology Technicians enjoy working for Johnston County Schools ; however , their pay has become a challenge Mr Barnes spoke on personal sacrifices he and others have had to make due to increases in the cost of living , but not making enough money to support that increase Mr Barnes stated the lower salaries make it difficult to recruit and retain quality technicians Upon a question by Commissioner Stewart , Dr Renfrow reported the trade employees are locally funded positions Caroline Lang , Johnston County Schools Director of Preschool Programs , spoke on the Pre - K Programs within Johnston County Schools stating they serve children between ages three and five who have disabilities Ms Lang explained there are two types of classrooms in the Pre - K Program , one being a blended classroom and the other being a separate classroom Ms Lang explained the differences in the blended and separate classroom environments noting the separate classrooms offer a smaller setting with more structure Ms Lang spoke on the increased enrollment for the Pre - K Programs over the last 10 years stating it has grown at an average rate of 4 annually She stated next year Johnston County Schools will have 40 preschool classrooms and she shared data with the Board demonstrating the program’s success Ms Lang reported although they take advantage of every funding opportunity available , they are not able to fully fund the preschool classrooms Ms Lang stated they are asking for additional funding to cover costs associated with five additional needed classrooms Chase Ferrell , Johnston County Schools Lead Operations Director , spoke on safety stating it is a top priority for Johnston County Public Schools Mr Ferrell stated it is their belief that teachers can teach and students can learn at a higher level if they feel safe and secure in the classrooms and he spoke on the safety upgrades made to date Mr Ferrell also stated they have been working with Johnston County Emergency Services on a number of activities including a recent active school shooter exercise at North Johnston High School Mr Ferrell stated they are also working with Denny Schlindwein who is a former Secret Service Agent and brings quite a bit of experience and knowledge to ensure the students and staff are safe on a daily basis Mr Ferrell asked for continued funding for opportunities to make sure the students and staff are kept safe Denny Schlindwein , Johnston County Schools Consultant for Safety and Security , stated he worked for 25 years in the Secret Service and has been teaching in Johnston County since 2002 Mr Schlindwein stated he has had a number of teachers express to him the desire to become more educated with school safety and ways to be prepared for when something happens Mr Schlindwein spoke on the need to identify problems in as many schools as possible and help improve on those problems He asked for continued support to enhance safety in the schools Commissioner Allen L Mims , Jr asked about safety on school buses stating it is an issue that has not been mentioned Dr Renfrow agreed that safety on school buses is a valid concern and an area needing focus PagePage pageNumber7350 June 11 , 2018 – 6 00 pm Continued There being no further remarks , Chairman Jeffrey P Carver thanked everyone for speaking to the Board stating the Commissioners appreciate the faculty and staff of Johnston County Schools Chairman Carver stated the Board cannot fund all the needs but will do the best it can 6 Additional Citizen Comments Margie Riedel , 182 Ainsley Court , Clayton , addressed the Board regarding teacher salaries Ms Riedel stated she is a fulltime teacher but she also has a second job and uses the money from her second job to purchase supplies and textbooks for her classroom Ms Riedel asked the Board to use any extra funds available to help with the education budget Jennifer Medlin , 105 York Lane , Clayton , stated she is an exceptional children’s teacher and she can personally validate the previous comments regarding needs for the exceptional children’s program Ms Medlin stated the program needs all the support it can get as children are being referred at a rapid rate There being no further business , Commissioner Larry Wood moved the Board adjourn Commissioner Cookie Pope seconded the motion , which carried by unanimous vote The meeting adjourned at 7 40 pm ____________________________ Jeffrey P Carver , Chairman Paula G Woodard , Clerk to the BoardPage