August 21, 2023 - 6:00 PM - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes

10 728 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners August 21 , 2023 6 00 pm The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in regular session Monday , August 21 , 2023 at 6 00 pm in the Commissioners Meeting Room , Johnston County Courthouse Annex , Smithfield , North Carolina The following members were present Present Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , Tony Braswell , Ted G Godwin , Fred J Smith , Jr , Richard D Braswell , and April Stephens Absent None Also Present Finance Officer and Deputy County Manager J Chad McLamb , County Attorney Jennifer J Slusser , Clerk to the Board Dana G Cuddington , and Executive Assistant Deputy Clerk Susie Reeves Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr called the meeting to order at 6 00 pm Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris opened the meeting with a prayer Commissioner Fred J Smith , Jr led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag Chairman Lawter reminded everyone of the Board’s six priorities including Public Safety , Infrastructure , County Employees , Financial Stewardship , Educational Funding , and Land Use and the Board’s continuing efforts to keep these priorities in mind when working through the agenda 1 Approval Discussion of Agenda Upon a motion by Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , seconded by Commissioner Ted G Godwin , and carried unanimously , the Board approved the agenda 2 Consent Agenda Items Upon a motion by Commissioner Ted G Godwin , seconded by Commissioner Richard D Braswell , and carried by unanimous vote , the Board approved the consent agenda items as follows A Department of Transportation – Additions to System The Board concurred with the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s recommendation to add the following roads to the State Maintained System Marago Way , Albereto Drive , Capanne Court , Mazzini Court , W Ravano Drive , San Periro Drive SR 3565 and Pascoli Court – San Marino – Wilders Township Stagwood Drive and Trigger Court – Nolan Park Commons – Micro Township N Nolan Park Drive , Bufflehead Drive , Surf Scoter Drive , Choctaw Trail , Elderberry Street , Cinnamon Teal Drive and S Nolan Park Drive – Nolan Park – Micro Township B Budget Revisions , approved as follows Library REQUESTED CHANGE FUND BUDGET CODE LINE ITEM CLASSIFICATION EXPENDITURE INCREASE DECREASE 18 44503324 LSTA Grant 68,74600 TOTAL NET EXPENDITURES 68,74600 REQUESTED CHANGE FUND BUDGET CODE LINE ITEM CLASSIFICATION REVENUE INCREASE DECREASE 18 445033990 Fund Balance Appropriated 68,74600 TOTAL NET REVENUE 68,74600 Health REQUESTED CHANGE FUND BUDGET CODE LINE ITEM CLASSIFICATION EXPENDITURE INCREASE DECREASE Page729 August 21 , 2023 – 6 00 pm Continued 10 59157820 1,058,31300 ARPA Covid - 19 School Health Team Workforce TOTAL NET EXPENDITURES 1,058,31300 REQUESTED CHANGE FUND BUDGET CODE LINE ITEM CLASSIFICATION REVENUE INCREASE DECREASE 10 591534155 State Grant 1,058,31300 TOTAL NET REVENUE 1,058,31300 3 Public Comments A Parks , Greenways , and Open Space Department – Grant Award Johnston County Parks , Greenways , and Open Space Director Adrian O’Neal updated the Board regarding grant opportunities that staff has been working on Mr O’Neal stated Grants Coordinator Austin Cross has played a large part in Johnston County receiving an award of 500,000 in grant funds for the development of Johnston Countys first regional park in the Cleveland area Mr O’Neal reported this was one of the first grants the County was able to apply for and there were over fifty applicants , with Johnston County coming in third Mr O’Neal stated this grant is a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant which is the premiere grant in North Carolina for parks He stated staff is targeting this money towards the first phase of development of the regional park and are applying for other grants as well Mr O’Neal stated staff plans to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant which could bring in another 500,000 as well as an Accessibility Grant which could total as much as 250,000 or more Mr O’Neal noted there are other reimbursements still outstanding that can be used and the first phase of development is going to be approximately 19 million Mr O’Neal stated there are two more budget cycles to go through and staff is hopeful to raise a majority of the necessary funds through grants and reimbursements Mr O’Neal reported that the extension of water , sewer , and electricity to the regional park will be in the first phase of development and staff is very excited to begin the work Commissioner Tony Braswell noted there has been a lot of interest in the development of a shooting range for Johnston County and he asked if this is a recreation need Mr O’Neal stated a shooting range is a recreational component that is offered in other states He explained that in Florida such operations are partially managed by the NRA or similar groups Mr O’Neal stated shooting ranges can be costly to build as well as maintain and locations can be difficult to find because the berms have to be taken down and sifted every so often to remove the lead so it is not a hazard Mr O’Neal stated he understands that there is a lot of shooting type sports in the County and there are conversations about a range In response to Commissioner Tony Braswell , Mr O’Neal agreed that partnerships with Johnston Community College could be explored Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris commended Mr O’Neal and his staff’s work on the grants Vice Chairman Harris stated there has been a push in the last several years for recreational activities , and it is nice to see things are coming together and the County is moving in the right direction Mr O’Neal stated the credit goes to Grants Coordinator Austin Cross who has done an excellent job B 4 - H Member Josiah Wilson Johnston County Cooperative Extension Director Bryant Spivey introduced Kaena Prince and Meredith Wood as Extension Agents with Johnston County Cooperative Extension and noted much their work involves the 4 - H Club Mr Spivey stated Ms Wood would like to introduce one of the 4 - H members to the Board who has recently been elected to a District position within 4 - H Ms Wood introduced Josiah Wilson and stated he has been in the 4 - H program for approximately two years Ms Wood stated Mr Wilson aspires to increase his leadership skills and has attended many of the teen events , including a trip to Congress this past summer Ms Wood spoke very highly of Mr Wilson and stated he will be representing Johnston County at the upcoming North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Conference at the Youth Voice Event Page730 August 21 , 2023 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Wilson provided the Board with a background on how he became involved with 4 - H and spoke on how it has been a great experience Mr Wilson spoke on his trip to Congress this past summer stating he was able to learn many new things He spoke on the friendships he has been able to make through 4 - H and how he is able to connect with other 4 - H club members through attending out - of - county events Mr Wilson stated during his trip to Congress he was also able to participate in State and District officer elections and was elected as the District Officer of Membership Engagement which will allow him to work on getting others interested in joining 4 - H Mr Wilson stated he is excited about future opportunities through 4 - H and promoting its membership Mr Wilson stated he currently attends Clayton High School and has more years ahead of him in 4 - H Ms Wood spoke on Mr Wilson becoming the District Officer of Membership Engagement and how they are excited he will represent Johnston County in the southeastern district Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris stated the Board is proud of Mr Wilson and encouraged him to keep up the great work and accomplishments Commissioner Ted G Godwin stated he has attended past Youth Voice Events at the County Commissioners Conference and has had the opportunity to meet some outstanding young people Commissioner Godwin stated he hopes to see Mr Wilson this weekend at the Conference C Citizen Comments - Gracie Wells Chamblee Gracie Wells Chamblee stated she is a resident of Clayton and lives within Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr ’ s district Ms Chamblee also noted she was a former candidate for County Commissioner in 2018 Ms Chamblee welcomed Commissioner April Stephens to the Board She asked for an update on the redistricting of County Commissioner districts Chairman Lawter noted the Board would be discussing this topic during Board Comments at the end of the meeting 4 Partnership for Children – Read to Grow JoCo – Attendance Awareness Month Proclamation Ms Johnna Falconer addressed the Board stating she serves on the Partnership for Children of Johnston County’s Read to Grow Steering Committee Ms Falconer explained the Read to Grow campaign is a countywide initiative with special priority given to four target schools , which include Benson Elementary , Selma Elementary , South Smithfield Elementary , and West Smithfield Elementary Ms Falconer stated she is speaking on behalf of the Read to Grow Attendance Action Team , which focuses on chronic absentee rates in the targeted elementary schools Ms Falconer shared information with the Board regarding the increased rate of chronic absenteeism for students and indicated that in some cases it has more than doubled in some demographic categories Ms Falconer continued that chronic absenteeism impacts both the education and business communities and it is a hot topic across the nation She stated in support of Attendance Awareness Month , Read to Grow JoCo is sponsoring its second annual poster contest and is calling on all elementary schools and their students in grades K - 5 to create a unique poster highlighting why attendance matters She stated the winning posters will be shared on the Read to Grow social media platforms and printed for display at the artists ’ home schools Ms Falconer stated each winner will receive a gift pack full of goodies to help reinforce attendance and students will receive information on the contest from their art teachers Ms Falconer stated homeschool , charter and private schools that are interested in participating are encouraged to contact the Partnership for Children Office Ms Falconer requested the Board to adopt a proclamation declaring September 2023 as Attendance Awareness Month Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr stated in looking at the numbers , a third of the students have chronic absenteeism issues He commented that this is a high number of students Commissioner Ted G Godwin read aloud the proclamation and moved for its adoption Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris seconded the motion which carried unanimously Proclamation of September 2023 as Attendance Awareness MonthPage731 August 21 , 2023 – 6 00 pm Continued WHEREAS the nation is experiencing a school absenteeism crisis , brought on by the Covid - 19 pandemic and other challenges that have eroded positive conditions for learning at school , including physical and emotional health and safety ; a sense of belonging , connection and support ; academic challenges and engagement ; and adults and peers with social emotional competency , which motivate students and families to show up and engage , WHEREAS reducing chronic absence missing 10 or more of school for any reason requires taking a comprehensive trauma - informed approach that starts with prevention and early intervention , including developing routines and trusting relationships that create a sense of belonging rather than responding with punitive action , which research finds is not particularly effective , WHEREAS improving attendance and engagement takes schools , families , elected leaders and other community partners working together to rebuild regular and trusting communications and to identify and address barriers to being in school , WHEREAS taking attendance daily in a caring , consistent manner is essential to identifying when students begin to miss too much school , and for engaging students and families , as early as possible , with needed support and resources , WHEREAS the Johnston County Board of Commissioners stands with the nation in recognizing September as “ Attendance Awareness Month ” We hereby commit to focusing on reducing absenteeism and addressing the factors that cause students to miss school in order to ensure all children an equitable opportunity to learn , grow and thrive academically , emotionally , and socially We recognize that we must work together to build an engaging school environment that motivates attendance and sends the message that learning can and must continue Specifically , we will 1 Engage students , families , educators and the broader community – including civic and elected leaders , local businesses , clergy members and nonprofit organizations – in working together to identify and remove barriers to getting to school in our community , and develop meaningful solutions that ensure all children and youth keep learning despite today’s many challenges 2 Affirm the importance of showing up and engaging in school , and discuss with students and families what is needed to make showing up to school worthwhile 3 Work with schools and districts and use an expanded set of data , including analyzing attendance and participation in in - person and remote learning , digital access , availability of working contact information and relationships to school staff , to monitor outcomes for different groups of students , raise public awareness , establish goals , allocate resources , track progress , and assure accountability for an equal opportunity to learn NOW , THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED , the Johnston County Board of Commissioners , do hereby proclaim September 2023 as Attendance Awareness Month in Johnston County , North Carolina , and do command this observance to all of our citizens st Adopted this the 21 day of August , 2023 5 Public Utilities – Central Johnston County Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility CJCRWWTF Preliminary Treatment Facility Improvements Project – Contractor Prequalification On behalf of Utilities Director Chandra Farmer , County Attorney Jennifer Slusser addressed the Board Ms Slusser explained that the Department of Utilities has routinely prequalified bidders for larger construction projects at the water treatment plant , wastewater treatment plant and other critical utility facilities She stated in 2015 , the Board of Commissioners adopted a “ Prequalification Policy ” compliant with NCGS 143 - 1358 in order to establish a prequalification process for applicable construction or repair projects ; however , the statute also requires the governing board to “ adopt the assessment tool and criteria for the specific project , which must include the prequalification scoring values and minimum required score for prequalification on that project ” Ms Slusser stated the Department of Utilities would like to prequalify contractors for the upcoming Central Johnston County Regional Wastewater Preliminary Treatment Facility CJCRWWTF PreliminaryPagePage pageNumber5732 August 21 , 2023 – 6 00 pm Continued Treatment Facility Improvements project due to the critical nature of the construction and necessity of the continuity of operations at the existing facility The proposed project includes the following • Removal and replacement of two fine screens in an existing structure , new screenings conveyor , new screenings compactor and replacement of existing slide gates in the screenings wetwell , • New grit removal facility with classifier , and • Relocation of electrical and process piping in the vicinity of the new grit removal facility Ms Slusser stated the package includes the necessary criteria in order to comply with the “ County of Johnston Prequalification Policy ” and the applicable statute She stated staff respectfully requests approval of the prequalification package for the Central Johnston County Regional Wastewater Preliminary Treatment Facility Improvements project Upon a motion by Commissioner Richard D Braswell , seconded by Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris and carried by unanimous vote , the Board approved the prequalification package for the Central Johnston County Regional Wastewater Preliminary Treatment Facility Improvements CJCRWWTF project 6 Appointments – Hospital Authority Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr stated at the August 7 , 2023 meeting , William W Massengill , Jr , Jeff Parlier and Patricia Chisholm - Jones were nominated for the three positions on the Hospital Authority He stated the Hospital Authority met on August 15 , 2023 and concurred with the nominations Chairman Lawter appointed William W Massengill , Jr , Jeff Parlier and Patricia Chisholm - Jones to the Hospital Authority for three year terms to expire on September 30 , 2026 7 Manager Reports and Comments Finance Director and Deputy County Manager Chad McLamb stated he would be providing the report in the absence of County Manager Rick Hester Mr McLamb reported staff learned earlier this week that S & P Global and Moody’s Investors Services announced upgrades of the County’s General Obligation bond ratings to AAA and Aaa , respectively , which are the highest ratings that can be achieved Mr McLamb stated Johnston County is only one of a handful of counties in North Carolina that have received the highest ratings and staff is very proud of this accomplishment Mr McLamb continued that this effort has been 20 years in the making and S & P Global and Moody’s indicated the reasons why the County received the highest ratings are because of the growing population with local and regional economic expansion , strong financial position , and strong management that includes the Board of Commissioners , among other things Mr McLamb thanked the current Board of Commissioners as well as past Boards for their support Mr McLamb stated every time bonds are sold , the County must have its credit rating reviewed He thanked Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr and Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris for their presence at the most recent meeting with the rating agencies and commended them for their assistance Mr McLamb also commended the Johnston County Finance Staff which includes Debt Manager Martha Lasater who attended the meeting Mr McLamb thanked County Manager Rick Hester along with Economic Development Director Chris Johnson for their attendance and participation Mr McLamb spoke on the importance of having a high credit rating and how it has saved the taxpayers upwards of 40 million over the years Commissioner Tony Braswell agreed with Mr McLamb that this has been in the making for 20 years and he can recall the many meetings and visits to New York in an effort to convince the rating agencies that Johnston County deserved the highest ratings Commissioner T Braswell thanked Mr McLamb and all the staff for their work He noted Johnston County is # 11 out of 100 counties in North Carolina to have the highest ratings and the taxpayers do benefit from this accomplishment Commissioner Ted G Godwin stated this achievement has been a team effort and as Mr McLamb mentioned this involved many components Commissioner Godwin thanked Economic Development Director Chris Johnson for his work in Economic Development that contributed to this rating increase He further commended the Finance Department and stated they do an outstanding job Commissioner Richard D Braswell agreed that this was a consolidated effort that was made possible through teamwork Commissioner Fred J Smith , Jr commended the late and former County Commissioner Chairman James H Langdon , Jr stating he was a great leader in Johnston County and under that leadership the County began toPagePage pageNumber6733 August 21 , 2023 – 6 00 pm Continued finance and build schools Commissioner Smith stated that leadership was followed by the late and former County Commissioner Chairman Wade M Stewart who was a giant of a man that did a lot for Johnston County Commissioner Smith stated each of these gentlemen deserve a lot of credit for starting this journey that so many have participated in and he wanted to make sure they are remembered for their work Commissioner Tony Braswell commented it is important to remember that the County began this process many years ago at a time when there was a housing and economic downfall and the fund balance was 13 He noted at that time the County’s financial policy stipulated that the fund balance must be 15 and the County had to do what was necessary to bring that fund balance into compliance Commissioner T Braswell stated when looking at the benchmarks , he believes they indicate that no matter who is serving on the Board or who is a part of the staff , these situations can be managed when they arise Mr McLamb stated part of what goes into having a strong financial position is how the money is spent and the County’s departments also deserve a lot of credit for serving the citizens in the most efficient manner possible Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris commended Mr McLamb for his steadfast leadership throughout the process Vice Chairman Harris stated Mr McLamb is the chief financial person for the County and both he and his staff do an extraordinary job Vice Chairman Harris stated this has been a large group effort and he applauds everyone over the last 20 years that has worked diligently to get the County to this point He stated the County is fortunate to be able to achieve the highest credit ratings while lowering the tax rate four cents and this sends a strong message to the citizens that Johnston County is in good shape Vice Chairman Harris stated the County is making the right decisions to move everyone forward , be good stewards , and save the taxpayers money He noted that County Manager Rick Hester is conservative with the budget which is a good thing and is appreciated Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr echoed the previous comments stating although this began 20 years ago and has been a slow process , by sticking to the plan , the County has finally achieved the highest ratings possible He noted the work must now continue to remain in that position Chairman Lawter stated he is assured that as the citizens of Johnston County see the County is moving forward with various projects , they will appreciate the fact that the County is saving tax dollars and spending them wisely 8 Board Reports and Comments Commissioner Richard D Braswell stated he was surprised to learn that agriculture in North Carolina is the number one industry in this State and 20 of the population is employed in agriculture with a 100 billion a year industry He stated everyone should stop and thank all the farmers in our State Commissioner Ted G Godwin mentioned the informal meetings regarding the renaming of NC 42 between Clayton and the County line He noted that he received a call from someone suggesting the name change to Veterans Way which he thinks is a good suggestion Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr asked County Attorney Jennifer Slusser to share information about the redistricting that was mentioned in the Public Comments section of the meeting County Attorney Jennifer Slusser explained the County is made up of seven County Commissioners who are elected from seven residency districts She stated residency districts mean that each Commissioner must reside in his or her district , but all the voters of the County vote for each of those seven seats She stated this is different than what is seen in many other places that have electoral districts in which only the voters of that district are allowed to vote for that one candidate Ms Slusser stated Johnston County has residency districts and counties with residency districts are not allowed to redistrict every ten years like counties who have the electoral districts can Ms Slusser continued that a local bill was introduced by Senator Benton Sawrey to give Johnston County the authority to redistrict , and this Board adopted a resolution in support on April 17 , 2023 Ms Slusser stated the North Carolina General Assembly passed that local bill on June 1 , 2023 which granted legal authority to allow Johnston County to redistrict the residency districts Ms Slusser stated under the rules the redistricting , if the Board chooses to implement this for the 2024 General Election , would need to be completed by October 7 , th 2023 She used the example of candidate filing for the 2024 election beginning on Monday , December 4 and th th ending at noon on Friday , December 15 She stated if the work is complete by October 7 , then that gives candidates two months to figure out what they want to do Ms Slusser stated the only thing that would change is the district lines She stated the ballots will not look any different , the precincts will not be any different , and everything else will remain the same PagePage pageNumber7734 August 21 , 2023 – 6 00 pm Continued Ms Slusser reported that since the passage of the local act , she along with other staff , including the GIS Director Tish Jones , with the assistance of Attorney Caroline Mackey who is experienced with local government redistricting , have been working actively to attempt to put together a plan to assist the Board in redefining residency districts to more evenly distribute the population within those seven residency districts She stated the guiding principles that staff has worked from are things that have been discussed amongst one another and that the Board has discussed as a group Ms Slusser stated there are three things the Board is looking at through this process ; 1 the Board would want to redefine the residency districts to distribute the population more evenly among the seven residency districts , 2 the Board would want to use the existing boundaries as a starting point for making any changes to the residency districts and will want to make sure existing board members reside within the district for which they were elected , except for those who have announced that they do not intend to seek re - election ; and 3 the Board would want the district boundaries to make sense and to follow major geographic features Ms Slusser noted that the rules do not allow for the redistricting out of a sitting Commissioner She shared with the Board a copy of the existing districts as they are now with estimated populations Ms Slusser further shared a document that indicates how in District 1 there is an estimated population of 53,688 people , but in District 2 there is an estimated population of 19,070 stating it is clear that with the growth that has been seen over the years , the more inequitable the residency districts have become Ms Slusser stated the goal is to equalize the population of those residency districts with this redistricting because of the significant population growth that exists in Johnston County She stated the concept would be to take the population , divide it by seven , and attempt to equalize the districts to look at the demographic information as sole population She noted the number of registered voters within a district is not considered , and it is solely looking at population to balance out the districts Ms Slusser presented the following proposed timeline Redistricting Timeline • Staff prepares map options and finalizes map options during the first two weeks of September • The proposed plans will be presented to and considered by the Board of Commissioners on September 18 , 2023 • Public comment period begins September 18 , 2023 Citizens will have the opportunity to provide public comment both electronically and in person • A drop - in session will be held for citizens to view the maps and submit public comments on September 20 , 2023 in the Johnston County Board of Commissioners meeting room from 5 - 7 pm • The Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed plans on October 2 , 2023 • The Board will select a final plan and adopt a resolution implementing that plan on October 2 , 2023 • Adopted map is transmitted to the Board of Elections on October 3 , 2023 Commissioner Tony Braswell stated it appears that Districts 1 , 4 , 5 , and 7 are the overpopulated districts , so the Board would need to reduce those areas and add to others Ms Slusser agreed that there would be some shifting that would need to take place She stated for example , District 1 needs to be smaller and District 2 needs to be larger Commissioner Ted G Godwin stated he is hopeful the process will not be more difficult than it needs to be Ms Slusser stated staff has taken the instruction from the Board to not make this process more complicated than it needs to be She stated staff’s approach is by using simple math in taking the population and dividing it by seven using the census data and following the major geographic boundaries Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr stated in looking at some of the districts and what different areas are included using natural boundaries , land features , and highways , this would seem to be an improvement He stated that his district District 7 would not be getting any bigger , so it may get smaller Chairman Lawter recommended the Board proceed with the timeline that has been presented PagePage pageNumber8735 August 21 , 2023 – 6 00 pm Continued Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris stated there is a lot of disparity between the districts Vice Chairman Harris stated he believes in fairness to the citizens and the people who are thinking about running for office and this is the time to resolve this issue He stated there is a possibility in another few years a re - evaluation will need to occur Vice Chairman Harris spoke in support of moving forward with the plan noting the staff’s proposed timeline seems to work It was the consensus of the Board to proceed with the redistricting timeline as presented by staff 9 Closed Session – NCGS 14331811 a 3 – Attorney Client Privilege , NCGS 14331811 a 5 – Acquisition of Property and NCGS 14331811 a 6 – Personnel Upon a motion by Commissioner Fred J Smith , Jr , seconded by Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , and carried by unanimous vote , the Board recessed regular session to sit in closed session for the purposes of consulting with an attorney employed by the Board in order to preserve the attorney - client privilege pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143 - 31811 a 3 including but not limited to Kellie Ashley vs Johnston County Manager’s Office , 23 CV 004593 - 500 ; to establish or instruct staff concerning the negotiation of the price and terms of a contract concerning the acquisition of real property pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143 - 31811 a 5 ; and for the purposes of personnel pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 14331811 a 6 Action was taken by the Board in open session Commissioner Tony Braswell moved the Board adjourn closed session and resume regular session Commissioner Ted G Godwin seconded the motion , which carried by unanimous vote Interim DSS Director Position Upon a motion by Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , seconded by Commissioner Richard D Braswell , and carried unanimously , per a recommendation by the Social Services Board , the Board approved a temporary interim DSS Director position at a salary of 10,31333 per month Approval to Retain Poyner Spruill Upon a motion by Commissioner Fred J Smith , Jr , seconded by Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , and carried unanimously , the Board voted to retain Poyner Spruill to defend the claim entitled Kellie Ashley vs Johnston County Manager’s Office , et al 23 CV 004593 - 500 on behalf of all defendants There being no further business , Commissioner Ted G Godwin moved the Board adjourn Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris seconded the motion , which carried by unanimous vote The meeting adjourned at 7 32 pm RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , Chairman Dana G Cuddington , Clerk to the BoardPage