August 4, 2025 - 6:00 PM - Board of Commisioners

10 457 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners August 4 , 2025 6 00 pm The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in regular session Monday , August 4 , 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 Appointments Announcement Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr stated the Board utilized written ballots at the 10 00 am meeting for appointments to the Board of Adjustments , Board of Equalization and Review , Johnston - Lee - Harnett Community Action Board , and the Johnston Community College Board of Trustees Chairman Lawter stated the votes have been tallied and he announced the following appointments were made Board of Adjustments – Flint Benson was reappointed and Jon McConnell and Alan Piepenburg were appointed for three year terms to expire on August 31 , 2028 Board of Equalization and Review – Robert Richie was appointed to fill an unexpired term ending June 30 , 2028 Johnston - Lee - Harnett Community Action Board – James Gathers , Jr was appointed for a two year term to expire on August 31 , 2027 Page458 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Johnston Community College Board of Trustees – Laura Link was appointed to fill an unexpired term ending June 30 , 2028 2 Approval Discussion of Agenda Upon a motion by Commissioner Ted G Godwin , seconded by Commissioner April Stephens , and carried by unanimous vote , the Board approved the agenda as presented 3 Public Comment None 4 Johnston County Cooperative Extension Update Johnston County Cooperative Extension Agent Meredith Wood addressed the Board and introduced West Smithfield Elementary Assistant Principal Carmen Barnes accompanying her to the meeting Ms Wood and Ms Barnes shared a presentation with the Board on a project between Cooperative Extension and West Smithfield Elementary Ms Wood explained that she worked with Ms Barnes to apply for grant funding to transform an existing garden space at the school to teach the students about gardens and where their food comes from Ms Wood noted that Extension Agents Nicole Youngblood and Marshall Warren partnered with her on the project as well as many other volunteers She presented the following information to the Board Ms Wood shared the following photos of the existing garden space before the transformation project as well as work in progress photos She noted that this project involved some of the Master Gardener volunteers helping to transform the space Page459 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Ms Wood reported that through Extension Agent Nicole Youngblood they were able to partner with students from the West Johnston High School shop class on the design and construction of benches for the garden She stated it was great to be able to pull other youth from the community to work on the project She shared the following after photos of the project with the Board Page460 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Ms Wood stated they grew lettuce , radishes , and carrots and had a salad party with the students from the harvest Ms Wood shared the following photo stating this project is about working with the students and helping them learn how to garden , make observation journals , and reflect back on what they learned She stated it is all about getting the students to learn as well as smile Ms Wood spoke on the success of the project stating they are excited to extend it into the fall and continue working with the students She stated Ms Barnes as well as the Principal Darrick McNeill have been great to work with on this project Ms Barnes stated they cannot thank the Cooperative Extension Office enough for their time and resources towards this project Ms Barnes stated West Smithfield Elementary School has been around for 20 years but does not belong to a specific town or community and they are trying to build community partners She stated this project has been one of the best partnerships and she spoke on how projects like this can be lifechanging for students Ms Barnes stated they welcome future partnerships At the inquiry of Commissioner April Stephens , Ms Barnes spoke on possible ways citizens or businesses can partner with the school on addressing school needs stating people can contact her for more information PagePage pageNumber5461 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Commissioner Stephens asked how this type of project could be offered to the rest of the schools Ms Wood explained that projects like the garden transformation requires funding and volunteers to be successful She stated the Cooperative Extension staff is open to helping wherever they can find volunteers that wish to contribute their time The Board commended everyone for their work on this project Cooperative Extension Director Bryant Spivey thanked the Board for allowing them to highlight some of the things they are doing which demonstrates the partnerships between agriculture , 4H , the Master Gardener volunteers , and staff Mr Spivey reported they have approximately 150 Master Gardener volunteers and Johnston County is one of the top ten counties in North Carolina for having the most Master Gardener volunteers He stated last year their volunteers donated approximately 90,000 worth of labor costs just on the Clayton Community Garden in addition to all their other projects 5 Johnston Soil & Water Conservation District Update Johnston Soil & Water Conservation District Director Greg Walker presented the following update to the st Board stating this is a continuation of information he provided to the Board back on July 21 Mr Walker stated he plans to focus on projects related to the Moccasin Creek Service District and conservation easements Mr Walker stated as the Board is aware , the Moccasin Creek Service District is the result of a partnership from the 1960s between Johnston County and USDA He stated the district was established to provide relief from chronic flooding and poor drainage in the Selma and Pine Level areas Mr Walker stated the County is responsible for maintaining the channel through the Moccasin Creek Service District Board which receives administrative support from the Soil & Water Conservation Office Mr Walker reported they are now in round two of the Stream Flow Rehabilitation Funding cycle which totals 800,000 Mr Walker shared the following map of the service district with the Board stating there are 224 miles of main and lateral channels within the 7,400 acre watershed district He explained that over time the district has experienced damage through urbanization as well as hurricanes and now there are serious issues that need addressing Mr Walker referenced the map stating the pink section is in good condition , the orange sections were considered critical and were addressed through the round one funding cycle , and the blue section is the area to be addressed next PagePage pageNumber6462 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Walker shared the following before and after photos of projects in the district PagePage pageNumber7463 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Walker shared information with the Board on the above Agricultural Growth Zones map stating the office is trying to use County matching funds in the amount of 600,000 as leverage to get more grant funding to be used towards conservation easements within the priority zones He stated it is going to be a difficult budget year with the State , but they are hopeful they will be successful in obtaining more grant funding He shared the following information with the Board as it relates to ongoing conservation easement projects Mr Walker noted that some of the projects have been delayed due to staffing issues at USDA PagePage pageNumber8464 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Mr Walker presented the following chart noting that all of these projects are dependent on funding He stated the projects in yellow already have signed contacts for conservation easements He stated the projects in white are anxious to sign contracts , but funding is too far out at this time to pursue those contracts Mr Walker stated the purpose of this information is to show that there is interest from landowners that want to pursue conservation easements Mr Walker offered to answer any questions by the Board Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr noted there is more interest from landowners today than a few years ago when the initiative first began and he asked what has generated this level of interest Mr Walker responded that the topic of conservation easements has become more common among farmers and landowners and more people are requesting information He stated the Soil & Water Conservation Office is trying to better educate the public about conservation easements and the benefits they can offer property owners Mr Walker stated he would keep the Board updated as more information on funding becomes available At the request of Chairman Lawter , Mr Walker stated in addition to conservation easements and the Moccasin Creek District , they offer programs and services related to soil health , beaver management , and swinePagePage pageNumber9465 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued and dairy assistance He noted that during Covid , five swine producers in the County did not get contracts and the office was able to get grant funding to help close those lagoons Mr Walker also spoke on the beaver management program stating the staff member in charge of that service is Mr Nick Ryan and he stays busy throughout the year He stated they also manage the Voluntary Agricultural District Program which is part of the conservation district program The Board thanked Mr Walker for the information Chairman Lawter stated the Soil & Water Conservation Office has been a great partner as the Board has looked at issues related to land use and farmland preservation Chairman Lawter stated he is hopeful for future federal funding so their work can continue Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris stated he was able to attend a recent informational meeting hosted by Soil & Water on farmland preservation and it was well attended by about 40 people Vice Chairman Harris agreed that there is a lot of interest by citizens and there were some good conversations that came from that informational meeting 6 North Carolina C - Pace Program Introduction and Discussion County Attorney Jennifer Slusser addressed the Board regarding the North Carolina C - Pace Program Ms Slusser stated as everyone is aware , commercial and industrial development in Johnston County is important for the tax base and assisting the County with being able to provide necessary services She stated the C - Pace Program is another tool to assist with commercial and industrial development Ms Slusser presented the following information to the Board Ms Slusser explained that the C - Pace Program was established by the General Assembly in 2024 and it stands for Commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure Program She stated this program provides an additional financing mechanism for property owners to use private funds to finance improvements for eligible properties with the intent of driving economic development She stated this program allows property owners of qualifying commercial property , to obtain long - term financing Ms Slusser reported these types of programs are available in over 36 states Ms Slusser stated as she understands from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina , there is about 7 billion in private investment for thousands of properties Ms Slusser stated qualifying commercial property is considered property that is privately owned and is commercial , industrial , or agricultural real property , and it can also include privately owned residential property of five or more dwelling units which is considered multi - family She stated it can also include non - profit , charitable , and religious organizations so it is available to anyone that wishes to make a qualifying improvement Ms Slusser explained that qualifying improvements include the construction or renovation of energy efficient orPage0466 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued resiliency measures such as flood and stormwater management , indoor air quality measures , and water conservation measures among others Ms Slusser stated the most important part of the C - Pace Program is 1 it does not expose the County to any financial obligation as this is private money ; and 2 it does not expose the County to any legal liability Ms Slusser shared the following benefits of the program with the Board Ms Slusser stated from an economic development standpoint , the C - Pace Program makes it more affordable for property owners to make improvements to their buildings , thereby enhancing the local building stock which in turn drives job creation She stated the upgrades can assist with attracting new businesses by lowering utility costs She stated the program is structured so that little or no administrative support from the government is required since the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina administers the program She explained that the program offers private financing and is a voluntary senior lien on the property which spreads over a 20 - 30 year period She noted it is a junior lien to tax liens ; therefore , the tax liens will always take priority Ms Slusser stated it is important to mention that the County is not responsible for collecting any of these liens and the private capital provider would hold that responsibility She stated no taxpayer money is used for this financing and any administrative costs would be reimbursed by the program Ms Slusser stated one of the biggest barriers that the County’s Economic Development Department hears from projects considering Johnston County is the ability to convert potential projects into completed projects with these upfront costs and this program can assist with those upfront costs She stated another benefit to the property owner is this financing is transferable upon the sale of the property to the next property owner Page1467 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Ms Slusser stated as it pertains to the existing mortgage holders , the C - Pace Program enhances the property value , reduces expenses , and increases net operating costs She stated the program makes improvements more affordable which is a growth catalyst for building professionals Ms Slusser spoke on the next steps involved if the Board wishes to pursue this program as well as the responsibilities of all parties Ms Slusser stated it is important to note that towns can participate in the C - Pace Program , but only with the concurrence of the respective County Board of Commissioners Ms Slusser reiterated that the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina would handle all the administration of the program through the North Carolina Department of Commerce Ms Slusser stated the associated program fees are paid by the property owner , typically as part of the financing Ms Slusser reiterated that the County is not legally or financially responsible for the program and no taxpayer money is used in the projects Page2468 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Ms Slusser stated staff is asking for the Board to take the information under advisement at this time She stated while it is a complex program , it could be a tool for economic development She offered to answer any questions by the Board Commissioner Ted G Godwin stated this appears to be “ Banking 101 ” and he questioned the advantages of the program Page3469 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued Ms Slusser stated the advantages include long term financing options through private providers Ms Slusser stated as she understands , one advantage is that the financing is spread out over a period of time and the financings can be cheaper to open up capital Commissioner Godwin stated he is sure there is some good intent but he does not see where something is being provided that the private market does not already provide Ms Slusser stated this is also private market and is an additional tool that the General Assembly has recently made available in which staff wanted to make sure the Board was kept informed At the inquiry of Commissioner Michelle Pace Davis , Ms Slusser stated New Hanover County was the first county in North Carolina that adopted this program and as she understands , there have been several other counties that have since adopted the program with several more currently taking it under consideration Commissioner April Stephens stated she can see where a company might want to take advantage of this program if they wanted to pursue energy efficient upgrades at their site Upon a question by Commissioner Bill Stovall , Ms Slusser stated the government’s role is that the liens are considered assessments from the government , but the collection of those assessments is delegated to the capital providers Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris asked if New Hanover County has seen a lot of benefits or activity from the program He also asked if this type of financing is easier to get than traditional financing Ms Slusser responded that staff can contact New Hanover County and provide that information to the Board Ms Slusser stated she has spoken with a commercial and industrial developer in Johnston County who informed her that it is easier to get this type of private capital financing than traditional financing Vice Chairman Harris stated if this is an easier process then he can see where this program would be widely used otherwise , he could agree with Commissioner Godwin that he does not see the benefit Ms Slusser asked the Board to keep in mind this is a new program for North Carolina and staff wanted to inform the Board so they could take the information under advisement and come back with questions Ms Slusser stated this is not something the County has to do , but rather it is a tool that could be used if the Board chooses to move forward Ms Slusser also offered to have a representative from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina attend a future meeting if appropriate Ms Slusser stated there is more information available that she will email to the Board for their review 7 Manager Reports and Comments None 8 Board Reports and Comments Commissioner April Stephens stated tomorrow night is National Night Out and this is a great opportunity for communities to get together and recognize local emergency responders , law enforcement , fire departments and emergency services personnel Commissioner Ted G Godwin commented that when he was President of the Kenly Chamber of Commerce , National Night Out was a good time for communities to get together Commissioner Michelle Pace Davis reported she was able to visit the site of the Johnston County 4H and West Smithfield Elementary Garden Project presented earlier in the meeting Commissioner Davis stated it was great to see the space in person and get an idea for all the hard work that went into the project by the Cooperative Extension staff , the Master Gardener volunteers , the students , and the school staff Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr noted that Cooperative Extension and the Master Gardeners also did a fantastic job with the Clayton Community Park garden project Page4470 August 4 , 2025 – 6 00 pm Continued 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 00 pm RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , Chairman Dana G Cuddington , Clerk to the BoardPage