July 21, 2025 - 6:00 PM - Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes

10 411 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners July 21 , 2025 6 00 pm The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in regular session Monday , July 21 , 2025 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 , Ted G Godwin , April Stephens , Bill Stovall , Michelle Pace Davis , and Mike Rose Absent None Also Present County Manager Rick J Hester , 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 and the following business was transacted 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 by unanimous vote , the Board approved the agenda as presented 2 Public Comment None 3 Moseley Architects – Final Report of Johnston County Government Center Master Plan Josh Bennett with Moseley Architects presented the final report on the Johnston County Government Center Master Plan to the Board Mr Bennett reviewed the following information with the Board Page412 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Bennett referenced the above identified properties shaded in dark green that were assessed He stated their focus for this study was the property on the eastern side of Yelverton Grove Road to the north of the tree line Mr Bennett stated they identified five overarching plans of how to approach the configuration and best use of the property to ensure there would be sufficient space for the County well into the future Page413 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Bennett stated Moseley used the following diagrams to arrive at the preferred Option 4A Page414 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Bennett reviewed Option 4A with the Board He stated in an effort to continue beyond 20 years , Moseley has included third floor shell options and noted the County would have to apply for special zoning permission with the Town of Smithfield to build the third floor shell options He stated the third floor option would take Johnston County well into the future beyond 20 years Mr Bennett reviewed the following cost estimates with the Board , specifically noting these numbers represent “ all - in ” costs including construction , contingencies , furniture , and other related soft costs PagePage pageNumber5415 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Bennett concluded the presentation by sharing the following graphic designs demonstrating the overall vision He offered to answer any questions Commissioner April Stephens commented that it is amazing to see the vision coming to life Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris agreed and voiced his support for the entire concept At the inquiry of Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , Mr Bennett stated the current access off of Hwy 70 could change over the next several months during the design process He stated a back entrance has not been designed yet , but would most likely be off of one of the planned parking lots Vice Chairman Harris stated he thinks it is important to add the additional space with the third floor options because it is more cost effective to construct this during the initial build process rather than later Commissioner Michelle Pace Davis agreed with earlier comments by Commissioner Stephens that it is exciting to see the vision on paper and it shows the forward - thinking of the Board to plan for the County as far as 50 years into the future Commissioner Davis stated the construction of these new buildings will also allow existing buildings to be repurposed and continue to serve the growing needs of the citizens Commissioner Bill Stovall stated all County Departments as well as the court system needs more space and the Board must now figure out a construction plan that is affordable for the taxpayers He stated this can be done , but it must be managed very carefully Vice Chairman Harris stated the Department of Social Services is currently split up into five different buildings , two of which the County has to lease He spoke on the management and efficiency challenges this creates for citizens who need these services Vice Chairman Harris agreed that this plan will free up existingPagePage pageNumber6416 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued space in the courthouse that can be renovated and dedicated to the judicial system Vice Chairman Harris voiced support for the plan stating it is something that can serve the County for many years to come At the inquiry of Commissioner Ted G Godwin , Mr Bennett confirmed the cost estimate chart offers estimates that are based on the same plan but over time 4 Moseley – Design Proposal for Department of Social Services and Onsite Offsite Infrastructure Josh Bennett with Moseley Architects stated they have submitted a proposal to the County Manager’s Office , as part of their contract for the master planning services , for the first stage of design of the onsite offsite infrastructure improvements as well as the design of the Department of Social Services DSS building He stated the Task 1 items encompass bringing all the utilities to the site , bringing in the main thoroughfares , as well as setting up traffic signalization and turn lanes Mr Bennett stated Task 2 of the proposal is the actual design of the DSS building and would involve updates to the Board at the conclusion of each phase of the project Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr commented that the phased process was also used during the design and construction of the Public Safety Center and the Detention Center He stated this process allowed the Board to be better informed before proceeding with next steps At the inquiry of Chairman Lawter , County Attorney Jennifer Slusser stated the recommendation is to utilize a third - party consultant working on the County’s behalf in conjunction with Buildings & Grounds Director Daniel Clifton to oversee the project , if acceptable by the Board She stated now that the Master Plan has been presented to the Board and there is a consensus to continue , staff will add the proposal from Moseley for the onsite offsite infrastructure and the DSS building design to the August agenda for formal consideration and action Upon a question by Commissioner Stovall , Ms Slusser stated staff will be recommending a prequalification process for design bid build for these projects County Manager Rick Hester stated if the Board chooses to move forward , staff would bring back a reimbursement resolution for consideration so the design fees could be fronted but then later included into a loan if necessary 5 Public Utilities – Update on Water Supply Options Study Consultant JD Solomon presented the following update to the Board on the Water Supply Options Study Mr Solomon stated the object was to look at an intermediate approach to water supply with affordability being the goal PagePage pageNumber7417 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Solomon stated the financial model is still being analyzed and there is another meeting tomorrow with the financial consultants of both the County and the Town of Clayton He noted that Local Government Commission concurrence will take some time once the financial model is completed Mr Solomon stated the recommendation is the same as what he reported in June which is to acquire up to 6 million gallons per day MGD of wholesale capacity from the City of Raleigh which would delay major capital expenditures and create more affordability Mr Solomon reported as they looked at the financial modeling , the major Lower Neuse Water Supply Program project cost estimate has increased from 700 million to 770 million He presented the following water demand projections and noted the Clayton area is driving half of this ; therefore , they are a 50 50 partner PagePage pageNumber8418 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Solomon shared the following maps with the Board stating this indicates that most of the demand is in the western part of the County Mr Solomon stated they have looked at alternatives with the City of Raleigh connection being the most viable at this time He stated the County already purchases capacity from Raleigh which could be expanded and Raleigh’s capacity charges are more favorable than other locations PagePage pageNumber9419 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Solomon noted that options involving the construction of smaller reservoirs have been considered by both the County and the Town of Clayton ; however , reservoirs can take a considerable amount of time for permitting so that option falls outside of a ten year plan Upon a question by Commissioner Michelle Pace Davis , Mr Solomon stated if the County moves forward with the Raleigh option , that purchase would go from 20 MGD currently to up to 60 MGD At the inquiry of Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , Mr Solomon stated as he understands it , the Town of Smithfield does have more capacity that they can sell and deferred to Utilities Director Chandra Farmer for more information Ms Farmer reported the Town of Smithfield may have some additional available capacity to sell , but she thinks the Town is focusing more on their long - term plans Ms Farmer stated the County’s existing agreement with Smithfield has another ten years remaining She noted that some of the Smithfield capacity belongs to the County permanently , while some does have a buy - back option by the Town Upon questions by Commissioner Ted G Godwin , Mr Solomon indicated that the Neuse River is at capacity from a water and wastewater standpoint , and it is more affordable and cleaner to look towards the Cape Fear Mr Solomon stated for short - term affordability the County should look at the Raleigh and Wilson purchase options , but in looking at long - term regionalization efforts , the County should look to Harnett County Page0420 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr asked about the capital cost associated with the 4 MGD purchase from Raleigh Mr Solomon stated the capital cost to extend the line would be approximately 55 million to 57 million and the County would own the line He stated currently the County does not have a big line to get excess water and this would allow for a 36 ” line on the Raleigh side with a booster station He stated this line could be opened up to bring in enough water during an emergency that could serve the entire western part of the County Mr Solomon stated the ability to get a large amount of water in an emergency would be a significant advantage for the County ; however , the disadvantage is the County would pay annual capacity charges Mr Solomon stated they would like to model this in with the financial analysis for the Board Mr Solomon continued the presentation with the following financial information He stated a meeting was held last week with all the partners and consulting firms to look at the financial model He noted another meeting will be taking place tomorrow to continue the discussions with the solutions coming back to the Board as soon as possible Mr Solomon stated once Local Government Commission concurrence is obtained , it will be important for the Commissioners to sit down with the Clayton Town Council to discuss and agree on the responsibilities of each entity Mr Solomon shared the net impacts of recommendation , as follows Page1421 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Solomon stated the goal is to be more resilient during stressful times , having backup or intermediate capacity that allows for more time on the 770 million lower Neuse project , and getting a better handle on affordability He offered to answer any questions Chairman Lawter commented that he has not heard Mr Solomon or anyone else say the 770 million lower Neuse project is not needed in the long - term plan and he thinks the Board’s concern is how to make that project as affordable as possible as well as consider the intermediate alternatives that would address the need through 2040 Mr Solomon stated 2040 is also where Clayton is focusing their thought process in the hopes they can get their population growing and get a better handle on their demands Mr Solomon stated Clayton’s demands have not happened quite at the rate they had anticipated five years ago so there is a concern about proceeding with a plan that is not affordable Mr Solomon stated Clayton is also trying to negotiate for their own needs and the County needs to participate in that process Mr Solomon stated the alternatives outlined in the presentation help the County in the short - term until the lower Neuse project can be afforded Commissioner Mike Rose asked about rate information based on the short - term alternatives Ms Farmer stated the System Development Fee Analysis is based on a 20 - year planning period She stated staff looks at all of the projects over that 20 - year planning period and then how much water capacity is available at the end of that period She stated the current analysis does not include the short - term capacity from Raleigh because at the end of the planning period , that capacity is not available based on the current negotiations and conversations She stated this can be revised if something changes Ms Farmer continued that she would like to follow up on a question from the Chairman at the morning meeting as it relates to System Development Fees She stated the Chairman had asked what would happen if the County does not go to the full recommended rate , but rather steps into the rate based on the current recommended plan She stated if the County does not go to the full recommended rate , for this fiscal year , based on the growth projections , instead of collecting about 15 million in System Development Fees , the County would collect about 10 million She stated next fiscal year there would be an estimated 3 million shortage Mr Solomon stated as it relates to System Development Fees , those fees are for people that are redeveloping their land so when the County has to expand the system , those fees help to pay for the expansions He stated by decreasing the System Development Fees , it gives the enterprise fund less cash on hand ; therefore , the County must then borrow the funds needed to complete the expansions which in turn raises the rates for everyone Mr Solomon stated this is important for the public to understand in that the Board is trying to find a balance for all parties The Board thanked Mr Solomon for the presentation 6 Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update Planning Director Braston Newton introduced Will Letchworth with McAdams Company to provide an update to the Board on the Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update Mr Newton stated staff will be requesting some feedback at this meeting in the hopes of completing a full draft for presentation to the Board very soon Mr Letchworth reported that a rough draft of the plan has been delivered to the Planning Department staff and they are now in the final phases of the process Mr Letchworth reviewed the following information with the Board Page2422 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Letchworth stated it can be difficult at times to get people engaged in something like a countywide planning effort , particularly a transportation planning effort He stated people tend to get more engaged when there is an actual project , specifically a project in their area Mr Letchworth continued that he was very happy with the amount of participation , specifically the online participation , because it has contributed in a very meaningful way to the plan He stated the plan itself covers six modes including vehicles , pedestrians , cyclists , transit , aviation , and rail and there are recommendations for each mode Mr Letchworth stated he hopes the plan will set the County up in a meaningful way to pursue each of the modes Mr Letchworth stated there is a lot of desire from the public for multimodal facilities and this is reflected in the plan He stated the plan offers very targeted recommendations on how to improve operational and safety issues Page3423 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Letchworth stated the Envision Johnston Land Use Plan was a key component they looked at for the transportation plan update He stated they also wanted to make sure to be consistent with plans from the Department of Transportation and groups like the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization He stated the plan is significantly less highway focused simply because a lot of the highway projects have been completed since the last transportation plan eleven years ago He stated this plan is more focused on moving people within the County while still containing recommendations that connect Johnston County to the region Mr Letchworth stated one thing that he believes will be a benefit to the County on a daily basis is that the plan will include a digital map of the recommendations with linked dimensional cross sections He stated a developer or member of the public will be able to go to a site of interest and if there is a recommendation for that area they will be able to click on that specific recommendation and see the cross section which will be a big advancement on the County’s website Mr Letchworth discussed some of the ordinance recommendations as follows , that will be included in the plan Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr commented on the importance of having a comprehensive transportation plan because it is the beginning point necessary for counties to get on the Department of Transportation’s list for project funding Mr Letchworth noted that the online mapping component with the updated plan will allow future updates to be easier since adjustments will be needed from time to time Mr Letchworth stated the proposed th timeline calls for having the official presentation at the Board’s August 18 meeting followed by a presentation th nd to the Planning Board on August 19 and the public hearing to be held on September 2 He asked for the Board’s feedback on the proposed schedule Chairman Lawter asked if there would be time for the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization CAMPO and the Upper Coastal Plains Rural Planning Organization RPO to look at the plan for consistency Mr Newton stated staff can contact CAMPO and the RPO and the schedule could be adjusted accordingly Mr Newton stated this would allow both organizations a little over a month to look at the plan prior nd to the public hearing on September 2 Commissioner Ted G Godwin stated he thinks the proposed timeline is realistic Mr Newton stated McAdams Company has done an excellent job ensuring coordination with CAMPO and the RPO so that data is included in the plan Chairman Lawter stated he also agrees with the proposed timeline Chairman Lawter asked if there were any highlights that could be shared as it relates to rail and aviation Mr Letchworth stated the aviation component is primarily the integration of the Johnston Regional Airport’s Master Plan into the transportation plan and working with them to make sure the roadway recommendations in the vicinity of the airport are in keeping with what their vision is for the future He stated as it relates to rail , the plan does include a new recommendation for a passenger rail station east of Clayton between Clayton and Selma He stated this is also something Clayton has included in their transportation plan Mr Letchworth stated this will give some direction to future studies that will help bring some specificity as to where that passenger rail station might be best located He stated there are various transit recommendations included that were developed in partnership with JCATS Page4424 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Chairman Lawter thanked Mr Letchworth for the information and for all the coordination with the various other agencies and citizens He also thanked the public that provided their input on the plan Mr Letchworth stated it has been a pleasure working with the County staff on this project as they have done a wonderful job 7 Unified Development Ordinance Update Planning Director Braston Newton presented the following update to the Board on the Unified Development Ordinance UDO revisions He noted the consultant will be at the Board’s first meeting in August for a formal presentation Mr Newton referenced the above chart stating this represents the chapters and articles of the ordinance that staff and the consultant are working through He stated staff anticipates receiving sections of the ordinance related to the yellow portions of the chart later this week and they will begin a review of those sections for consistency with the Envision Johnston Land Use Plan as well as general statutes He stated staff is now in the second and in some cases third review of various articles and sections within the chapters and is nearing a full draft for an initial review by the Board and the public next month Mr Newton stated this project has taken a tremendous amount of work and coordination by staff and the consultant and the process has gone very well Mr Newton recapped the community meetings and stated there was better participation at some locations versus others He noted there is still time for citizens to provide feedback through the website Page5425 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Newton stated the consultant , Kimley - Horn , will be at the Board’s August meeting for a more detailed update to the Board Mr Newton called to the Board’s attention the new “ Paper ” Districts reference stating there is legislation that has been ratified by the General Assembly that prohibits a zoning that is not initiated by the owner of the property which means it prohibits government - initiated downzoning of properties He stated the “ Paper ” Districts will be created but will not be noted on a map at this time until there is resolution with regards to that legislation Mr Newton offered to answer any questions The Board thanked Mr Newton for the update 8 Manager Reports and Comments County Manager Rick Hester informed the Board of a Golden Leaf Foundation Project that involves Community Based Grants He stated County Managers can submit up to four projects for 2 million and Golden Leaf could grant funds for up to three projects and no more than 15 million total for each county Mr Hester noted there is no guarantee of funding He stated a workshop was recently held in Rocky Mount on the program with local groups from Johnston County attending and are now interested in this program Mr Hester stated th counties have until August 4 to submit projects for an informal review to see if they meet the program’s criteria th He stated September 8 is the date to submit final projects Mr Hester stated he will be looking into the program further and will update the Board as he learns more information and request feedback 9 Board Reports and Comments Commissioner Michelle Pace Davis thanked the Johnston Soil & Water Conservation Office for hosting the Board for lunch today Commissioner Davis stated it was great to learn about all the efforts by Soil & Water as it relates to farmland preservation and conserving the County’s natural resources She stated it was an eye - opening presentation and she appreciated the information Commissioner April Stephens stated she has had a very eventful week and has had to utilize several services from 911 to the Hospice House Commissioner Stephens stated she wanted to take a minute to brag onPage6426 July 21 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued these services because the people working with these agencies and departments have gone above and beyond in their efforts She stated everyone from the 911 telecommunicators , the Emergency Medical Services staff , the Fire Department personnel , the hospital staff , and now the Hospice House have worked diligently and they are all outstanding people working for the citizens Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr stated the comments by Commissioner Stephens go back to the words “ Compassionate and Responsive ” Chairman Lawter extended the Board’s prayers to Commissioner Stephens and her family Chairman Lawter noted the Board talked a lot about the County employees and departments at the morning meeting , specifically what they bring to the citizens of Johnston County every day He stated the employees show up every day and can be described as “ Empowering , Compassionate , Responsive , and Visionary ” Chairman Lawter expressed his appreciation to the County employees for everything they do every day 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 36 pm RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , Chairman Dana G Cuddington , Clerk to the BoardPage