May 23, 2001 - 6:20 PM - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes (Special)

10 578 May 23 , 2001 6 20 pm - Public Hearing The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in special session in the Emergency Operations Center , Johnston County Courthouse Law Enforcement Center , Smithfield , North Carolina , for the purpose of holding a public hearing The following members were present Present James H Langdon , Jr , Chairman , Cookie Pope , Vice - Chairman , Thomas M Moore , Allen L Mims , Wade M Stewart , Fred Smith and W Ray Woodall Absent None Also Present Rick J Hester , County Manager , Joyce H Ennis , Clerk to the Board , J Mark Payne , County Attorney , and John R Massey , Finance Officer The Chairman called the meeting to order and the following business was transacted 1 Public Hearing Application for a State Clean Water Bond Loan for the Water Treatment Plant Advertised May 11 , 2001 - The Smithfield Herald The Chairman opened the public hearing and invited anyone who wished to address the Board on the proposed State Clean Water Bond Loan for the Water Treatment Plant expansion project Tim Broome stated the County has already submitted an application for this loan money , however , the State requires that a public hearing be held for public comment He outlined the scope of the project , which is estimated at a cost of 2,875,000 This would be a 20 - year loan at the prevailing interest rate There being no further comments , the Chairman closed the public hearing and the special session was adjourned May 23 , 2001 6 30 pm - Special Called Meeting The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in special session in the Emergency Operations Center , Johnston County Courthouse Law Enforcement Center , Smithfield , North Carolina beginning at 6 30 pm with the following members Present James H Langdon , Jr , Chairman , Cookie Pope , Vice - Chairman , Thomas M Moore , Allen L Mims , Jr , Wade M Stewart , Fred Smith and W Ray Woodall Absent None Also Present Rick J Hester , County Manager , Joyce H Ennis , Clerk to the Board , J Mark Payne , County Attorney , and John R Massey , Finance Officer The Chairman called the meeting to order and the following business was transacted 1 Presentations - County Departments & Agencies The following County Departments or Agencies made presentations to the Board A Economic Development Michael de Sherbinin gave a brief history of Economic Development in Johnston County and noted he is only the second director since the office was created in 1983 He spoke of the unstable economy nationwide and compared it to a similar time in 1991when Johnston County experienced a number of plant closings He noted that today we are blessed to have a strong pharmaceutical base who produce life sustaining products that are not as affected by the economy While his office continues to compete with other governmental entities to attract new industry into the County , much of their focus is on encouraging these existing economically stable companies to expand their operations here Page579 Mr deSherbinin spoke highly of the cooperation his office has with other County departments and agencies He noted the GIS Department does a wonderful job creating very professional , specialized maps that would be extremely expensive if we had to get them elsewhere His department does as much promotional material in - house as possible at little cost to the public He showed the Board samples of a number of pamphlets and publications used by his office which were done in - house or in cooperation with others groups in the County In addition , this information is available on our web site , which is linked to the Department of Commerce In response to a questions from Board members , Mr deSherbinin stated the Talton Property on US Hwy 70 has drawn some attention and is under consideration for a proposal at this time As for the Squibb property , he stated in his opinion , the land is the real asset as the building has been so thoroughly stripped of all utilities , wiring , etc that it would be difficult to use for anything other than storage Commissioner Fred Smith asked about the 50,000 transfer to the Airport that is in the Economic Development budget Mr deSherbinin explained it was put in as a contingency to be used for future compliance with stormwater issues in developing the property across Highway 70 It would only be used in the case of a shortfall on the part of the Airport Authority He noted he would have no problem if the Board decided to take this out of the budget In discussion , several Board members indicated they would prefer that it come out of the budget B Department of Social Services DSS Director , Earl Marett , reviewed with the Board the different Adult Welfare , Child Welfare and Work First programs offered by his agency He discussed briefly the Medicaid program and the rising cost , which he attributed to a change in eligibility for the elderly and disabled , and increased cost of pharmaceuticals He spoke of the various challenges he faces , especially in keeping qualified workers Mr Marett discussed with the Board the very complicated funding of DSS programs which include Federal block grants , State money and Local funds Most of the programs are State or Federally funded with the County being responsible for administration costs Local dollars are also used when people need help but do not qualify for specific programs He referenced the situation when the courts place abused or neglected children in the custody of DSS Those children must be cared for , whether they qualify for assistance or not Commissioner Fred Smith asked if Staff could show a break - out of the County’s portion of funding from the State and Federal money so that it will be easier to evaluate how the County’s funding changes from year to year , and how efficient it is being used Commissioner Wade M Stewart agreed and noted he would like to see a comparison over the last 10 to 20 years of both funds expended and people served Chairman Langdon pointed out the major problem , as he sees it , is the County doesn’t have much choice in what they contribute Most of the programs come down from the Federal Government as mandates , and the County has to comply C Board of Elections Teresa Davis , Director of Elections , outlined the duties and responsibilities of her office She noted in addition to conducting all elections held in the County , including municipal and bond elections , her staff maintains the permanent voter registration system Currently there are 72,199 people registered to vote in in the County compared to only 34,000 in 1992 D Planning Department Dave Roesler , Interim Planning Director , presented a brief summary of the responsibilities and activities of the County Planning Department Staff has written a mission statement that is dedicated to providing the highest level of service to the citizens , developing growth management solutions , and cooperative teamwork with other agencies He highlighted the changes in the permitting and land use approvals for the past year Mr Roesler stated that the new Development Ordinance has helped staff in dealing with the many planning and growth issues that occur on a daily basis In addition , the department is working with DOT on the Thoroughfare Plan , looking at the possibility of a NC 210 I - 40 corridor study , alternatives to the USPage580 70 Overlay Zones , proposed boundaries for municipal transition overlay districts , and a way to encourage more planned unit development in the County Future plans include a Comprehensive Growth Strategies Plan , and a better defined zoning enforcement program The major goal is to continue finding better ways to provide the services for the citizens of our County E Public Utilities Engineer Tim Broome and Director of Public Utility Operations , Haywood Phthisic , presented information about their Department Services provided by the agency include water supply , wastewater , stormwater and flood protection , solid waste and construction of the many water and wastewater projects Mr Broome noted the County provides bulk water to eight of the ten municipalities in the County and provides retail service to more than 8,000 customers in the seven water districts that have been fully or at least partially completed In addition to water , the County serves five towns with bulk wastewater service and has approximately 200 retail customers The County’s solid waste operation consists not only of the Subtitle D Landfill that takes in 400 tons of solid waste per day , it also includes 12 collection recycle centers throughout the County A major focus of the Department has been on making improvements in customer service A number of policies have been put into place that will make it easier for the citizens Mr Phthisic introduced key employees who work for the department and thanked them for the excellent job they do He pointed out that most of their services , especially the operation of the water and wastewater plants , are 24 hour , seven day a week responsibilities Mr Broome noted his department has some big challenges for the coming year including the expansion projects for both the Water and Wastewater Plants and the new lined cell at the landfill One of the major problems is obtaining the state permits for these projects He stated it is critical that the County receive the permit for the landfill very soon in order to have the cell ready when needed F Airport Roy Dixon , Airport Manager , gave a brief history of the airport and the number of aircraft currently located at the facility He noted its location , accessibility and quality of services are the reasons why we continue to attract aircraft to Johnston County Mr Dixon noted the airport is self sufficient , except for capital outlay Funding is provided by 90 Federal Grants and 10 County share A total cost of 617,555 is estimated for capital projects for FY 2001 02 , which include a Jet - A fuel truck and a maintenance hangar The Airport Authority has 390,000 from the land sale to apply to these projects and are requesting the 227,555 shortfall from the County In discussion , Commissioner Fred Smith suggested the County consider an interest - free loan to the Airport Authority which would be paid back when they receive funds owed them from the State of North Carolina G Heritage Center Todd Johnson , Director of the Heritage Center , stated the mission of the Center is to preserve the history and material culture of Johnston County for the educational benefit of its citizens and visitors ; and to promote the understanding of and appreciation for its past through interpretive exhibits , programs and publications He noted the County is fortunate to have the wonderful facility in the old First Citizens Bank building In addition to staff , a number of volunteers assist visitors in research and work on special projects Through the efforts of Margaret Lee , who has given many years of service to the Library , the family history and genealogy section is the best in the State Current projects include developing and maintaining an index of death notices from The Smithfield Herald from 1885 to present , exhibit research , and acquiring and indexing photographs Mr Johnson stated he is currently working on a new web portal , NC Echo , which is sponsored by the State Library and links with all museums , libraries and archives that have North Carolina information Page581 2 Call for a Public Hearing on Proposed Amendment to Article 10 of the County Development Ordinance Relating to National Flood Insurance Damage Prevention The Board called for a public hearing for June 11 , 2001 on the proposed amendment to Article 10 of the Development Ordinance , Flood Insurance Damage Prevention The hearing will be held following the rezoning hearings There being no further business , Commissioner Cookie Pope moved the Board adjourn Commissioner Thomas M Moore seconded the motion , which carried by unanimous vote ____________________________ James H Langdon , Jr , Chairman ____________________ Joyce H Ennis , ClerkPage