August 4, 2008 - 5:00 PM - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes (Special)

10 19 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners August 4 , 2008 Special Meeting The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in special session on Monday , August 4 , 2008 at 5 00 pm in the Commissioners Meeting Room , Johnston County Courthouse Annex , Smithfield , North Carolina The following members were present Present Cookie Pope , Chairman , Wade M Stewart , Vice Chairman , Allen L Mims , Jr , Jeffrey P Carver , W Ray Woodall , DeVan Barbour and Tony Braswell Absent None Also Present Rick J Hester , County Manager , Paula G Woodard , Clerk to the Board , J Mark Payne , County Attorney , and Melissa A Daughtry , Paralegal Interim Deputy Clerk The Chairman called the meeting to order at 5 00 pm and announced the purpose of the meeting was to receive an update from Clarion Associates on the ongoing development of the Johnston County Comprehensive Plan 1 Update from Clarion Associates Roger Waldon , Principal with Clarion Associates , informed the Board that Clarion is still on schedule to hold a public hearing in October for the purposes of possibly adopting the Comprehensive Plan Mr Waldon reported Clarion has been in the process of gathering and reviewing plans , policies , and other documents related to land use planning in Johnston County in an effort to build on what the County already has in place He noted Clarion is also receiving information from the municipalities Mr Waldon stated information regarding population trends , agricultural information , economic trends , and school capacities will be at the forefront of the document Mr Waldon presented and reviewed the following points with the Board • Why this plan is important ie , what are the County’s interests 1 Growth o Strong Growth Trend o Impacts on Traffic , Schools 2 Community Character o Looking Back - - Legacy , Culture o Looking Ahead - - Balance 3 Fiscal Concerns o Short - term Impacts on County Budgets o Long - term trends 4 Environmental Concerns o Floodplains , Water Resources Mr Waldon presented several maps to the Board reviewing land use patterns and zoning in Johnston County as well as the surrounding areas • Managing New Development 1 Geography o Where you want it to occur , where you want it minimized 2 Uses o What mix of land uses is most desirable as land develops o Balance of residential , non - residential o Criteria for what uses are best where 3 Design o Site design , compatibility , visual character , landscaping 4 Fiscal Impacts o What services are affected What revenues generated Mr Waldon pointed out that Johnston County has very clear land use patterns that are dictated by transportation infrastructure He noted the corridors along US Hwy 70 have been a backbone for growth and development along with Interstate 95 Mr Waldon also noted the growth occurring in the I - 40 NC 42 area andPage20 August 4 , 2008 - 5 00 pm Continued stated he anticipates more development to come near the other intersections on Interstate 40 Mr Waldon informed the Board that the Comprehensive Plan needs to account for future growth along the interstate corridors that are presently experiencing slower growth than others Mr Waldon reviewed the following bullets related to impacts of new development 1 Transportation Traffic o Needed Improvements ; Impact on Land Use o Impacts of Rising Fuel Costs 2 Water - Sewer o Short - term and Long - term Capacities o Impacts on Location of Public Facilities 3 Schools o Capacity , Funding Issues 4 Environment Stormwater Management o What Areas Need Additional Protection Mr Waldon stated the County does have good relationships with the municipalities and noted the coordination on the ETJ areas will need to continue He suggested a mechanism for ongoing communications with the Towns should be established Chairman Cookie Pope pointed out the County already has quarterly meetings with the municipalities Chairman Pope inquired if Clarion had contacted the local Chambers of Commerce Mr Waldon confirmed Clarion would touch base with the local Chambers of Commerce to get their input Commissioner Tony Braswell asked if Clarion had utilized the Western Johnston County Comprehensive Transportation Plan and inquired if a plan was also needed for the eastern area Commissioner Braswell stated he felt it was important to look at the eastern area of the County regarding transportation needs Mr Waldon reported he would look further into a possible transportation plan for the eastern area of the County Mr Waldon reviewed with the Board the following draft goals and possible action strategies which he hopes to cover more extensively in September • Draft Goals for Plan o Manage and Direct Growth o Protect Environmental , Cultural Sites o Provide Infrastructure to Serve Development o Preserve Enhance Mobility o Diversify Expand Tax Base o Protect Designated Agricultural Lands o Coordinate Planning with Towns • Possible Action Strategies for Plan o Designate Urban Services Annexation Areas o Upgrade Design Standards o Requirements to Mitigate Impacts of Development o Develop Master Plans around Interchanges o Pursue Additional Farmland Protection Techniques o Coordinate School Planning and County Planning o Pursue Industrial Commercial Development o Formal Communications with Towns re Planning At the request of Commissioner Braswell , Mr Waldon confirmed that he has briefly spoken with Leslie Moorman , Urban Forestry Program Coordinator with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources , regarding her presentation on green infrastructure in Johnston County and would be getting more details Commissioner Jeffrey P Carver inquired if the Planning Board was being kept in the discussions on the plan , indicating the Planning Board can offer a wealth of information regarding land use and zoning Page21 August 4 , 2008 - 5 00 pm Continued Mr Waldon reported he has not appeared before the Planning Board yet , but would schedule a meeting with them Commissioner Allen L Mims , Jr recognized Planning Board Chairman Jim Jenkins and Vice Chairman Brad Schultz and stated the Planning Board reviews all the proposed subdivisions and would be able to provide more information regarding subdivision planning and review Commissioner Mims noted the growth issues that the I - 40 NC 42 area has experienced and commented on the importance of proper transportation planning in the other corridors of the County before growth becomes an issue Commissioner Mims stressed that transportation planning for future growth needed to be at the forefront of the plan Commissioner Carver requested Clarion to e - mail future presentations or documents ahead of time to allow the Board time to review and prepare questions in advance of the meetings At the request of Commissioner Mims , Planning Board Chairman Jim Jenkins indicated he has not heard any discussions regarding the Clayton Bypass and noted he anticipates a significant amount of growth occurring along the Bypass interchanges Mr Waldon agreed that the Clayton Bypass would be an important component to consider in the plan Mr Waldon presented the following points regarding implementation and the next steps • Focus on Implementation o How Best to Make this Happen Specific Action Recommendations Who Should Do What o Agree on Priorities Timing - - Immediate , Short Term , Medium Long Term Resources - - Financial , Staff • Next Steps o Full Draft Set of Goals , Objectives o Draft Land Use Plan o Draft Action Strategies o Public Information Meeting o Public Hearing Mr Waldon stated he would like to appear before the Board again in September and present a sizeable document for the Board to review in preparation of the adoption of the actual plan at the public hearing in October Mr Waldon also recommended the Board schedule an informational meeting towards the end of September to allow citizens a chance to come in and receive information on the draft plan as well as ask questions or provide feedback in advance of the public hearing Chairman Pope suggested the citizen informational meeting needed to occur in the Agricultural Building and instructed the County Manager to look at some potential dates Special Meeting Scheduled – September 4 , 2008 at 6 00 pm It was the unanimous consensus of the Board to schedule a special meeting on September 4 , 2008 at 6 00 pm for the purposes of reviewing draft working documents in the plan The meeting will be held in the Commissioners meeting room Planning Board Vice Chairman Brad Shultz stated it would be helpful for the Public Utilities Department to provide maps to Clarion demonstrating where the present water systems are as well as what is proposed along with the quality of soils in the western part of the County versus the eastern part Mr Shultz stated he believed water and the quality of soils is an important factor to consider when looking at future growth After further discussion , it was the unanimous consensus of the Board to adjourn at 5 45 pm Cookie Pope , Chairman Paula G Woodard , Clerk to the BoardPage