June 13, 2022 - 6:00 pm - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes

10 837 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners June 13 , 2022 Special Meeting The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in special session Monday , June 13 , 2022 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 participating remotely , Richard D Braswell , and April Stephens Absent None Also Present County Manager Rick J Hester , Finance Officer and Deputy County Manager J Chad McLamb , County Attorney Jennifer J Slusser , and Executive Assistant Deputy Clerk to the Board Dana Cuddington Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr called the meeting to order at 6 00 pm and announced the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 - 2023 County budget and related matters Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris opened the meeting with a prayer Commissioner Tony Braswell led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag Chairman Lawter noted that Commissioner Fred J Smith , Jr was participating remotely Chairman Lawter recognized Clayton Town Councilman Michael Sims in the audience and welcomed him to the meeting 1 Special Recognition of Solid Waste Services Director Rick Proctor County Manager Rick J Hester recognized Solid Waste Services Director Rick Proctor who is retiring at the end of June Mr Hester thanked Mr Proctor for all his work and dedication to the County , stating he has done a fantastic job and would be missed Mr Proctor stated he has worked for the County for almost 30 years and it has been an honor to serve the citizens as well as work with his coworkers The Commissioners each expressed their appreciation to Mr Proctor , spoke on how he has advanced the Solid Waste Services Program , and wished him well in his retirement 2 Johnston Community College Johnston Community College Interim President Dr Kenneth Boham addressed the Board Dr Boham stated in follow up to their budget request to the County , he is asking for an investment in the College for the future of the children Dr Boham noted that the College has requested 250,000 as part of their total budget request which would be used as tuition expense for 300 Johnston County students Dr Boham stated it is their desire to offer training and serve the citizens of Johnston County that want to further their education and careers Dr Boham asked the Board to consider their current request and stated they appreciate all the support in the past Dr Boham noted that he has also requested 725 million through Senator Brent Jackson’s Office as well as 500,000 from Golden Leaf to advance their mission In response to Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , Dr Boham stated the 98,000 for engineering start - up costs is for non - recurring one - time costs necessary to get the engineering building up and running He stated it is not related to the capital cost of that facility 2 Public Library of Johnston County & Smithfield Johnnie Pippin , Director for the Public Library of Johnston County & Smithfield , addressed the Board and introduced the Vice Chair of the Library Board of Trustees , Terri Lee and her son John Taylor Ms Lee addressed the Board not only as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees , but also as the mother of two children Ms Lee spoke on her children’s love for the Library and how it has positively influenced their lives Ms Lee stated in order to continue the support of the Library for children like her son and others , it is important to invest in the human and physical resources to ensure a strong Library is available for the citizens She spoke on the growth of the County and the necessity of making sure the Library is well equipped to meet the demands of that growth Ms Lee also spoke on the importance of retaining the employees at the Library as they are vital to thePage838 June 13 , 2022 – Special Meeting - 6 00 pm Continued programs She asked for the Board to consider approving their increased request for funding for the Library in the Fiscal Year 2022 - 2023 budget Mr Pippin presented the following information to the Board of Commissioners and requested the Board to consider allocating 843,000 in the budget for the Library Page839 June 13 , 2022 – Special Meeting - 6 00 pm Continued Mr Pippin thanked the Board for considering their funding request and offered to answer any questions Upon a question by Commissioner Tony Braswell , Mr Pippin stated they have not heard anything from the Town of Smithfield as it relates to their funding request from the Town Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris stated the Library is a great program and it serves the people well He spoke on the amount of time his own daughter has spent in the Library and how it benefitted her 3 Partnership for Children of Johnston County Mr Chris Key , speaking on behalf of the Partnership for Children of Johnston County , addressed the Board to request funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 - 2023 budget Mr Key thanked the Board for their past support and partnership He stated with their literacy program , their goal is to change the conversation of the citizens of Johnston County about learning and literacy Mr Key stated they have been working with pediatricians , churches , the Department of Social Services , Johnston County Schools and others to spread the word about the importance of literacy and making reading a priority in families He stated 70 of the County’s children under the age of five are now receiving free books every month in the mail Mr Key spoke on all the activities they are working on to promote the literacy program and how they would like to implement these activities on a countywide basis He asked the Board to consider funding in the amount of 100,000 so they can continue to promote the literacy program in the schools and the community Mr Key stated their goal is to also request funds from the municipalities to match an appropriation from the County The Board thanked Mr Key for his comments Page840 June 13 , 2022 – Special Meeting - 6 00 pm Continued 4 Beaver Management Assistance Program Beaver Management Assistance Program BMAP District Supervisor Chris Willis addressed the Board Mr Willis submitted a copy of the BMAP’s policies and procedures for the Board to review Mr Willis stated their funding request is already in the County Manager’s proposed budget and he noted that Johnston County has chosen to go above the baseline funding in an effort to help keep the costs the same for landowners Mr Willis provided the Board with a background on how the program works and offered to answer any questions for the Commissioners At the inquiry of Commissioner Ted G Godwin , Mr Willis stated the quickest way for citizens to contact his office is to get in touch with the Johnston County Soil & Water Conservation Office who can help make the connection with the citizens Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr stated this type of work is very difficult and he thanked Mr Willis and his team for their efforts 5 Harbor Executive Director Kay Johnson addressed the Board and introduced Harbor Board of Directors Chairperson Ruth Anderson , Treasurer Angie Poole , and Board Member Michael Sims Ms Johnson stated for 38 years , Harbor has provided comprehensive services to victims and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence She stated Harbor has strived to assess the needs of the community in order to develop and implement programs and services , and meeting the needs of the citizens of Johnston County has always been and continues to be one of Harbor’s top priorities Ms Johnson stated for the past six years , she has been privileged to work for Harbor , but it has not been without challenges both internally and externally ; however , during those times Harbor has remained steadfast in assuring service delivery occurred uninterrupted Ms Johnson spoke on the lives that are touched by Harbor and how they work diligently to provide them with assistance She noted that Harbor also receives calls from the homeless and those seeking help for substance abuse on a daily basis and while they do not offer those services , they do make every effort to make referrals on behalf of those calls Ms Johnson continued her remarks by stating they are a temporary shelter for those in imminent danger , a court advocacy program for those needing assistance with filing a domestic violence protective order , a sexual assault advocacy program for those as young as 14 , and a legal advocacy for victims and survivors who cannot afford legal representation She stated Harbor is viable because of their partnerships with the Department of Social Services , the Johnston County Health Department , the District Attorney’s Office , the Sheriff’s Office , and the local police departments , as well as a new collaborative through the Health Department , the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services , and the Wise Woman Project Ms Johnson continued to speak on their services offered stating they are an extension of the County’s services Ms Johnson stated in addition to their past annual allocation of 75,000 Harbor is requesting an additional 250,000 to help offset the reduction in their grant funding as well as their decreased fundraising efforts over the last two years due to the pandemic At the inquiry of Commissioner Tony Braswell , Ms Johnson stated the number of citizens seeking services continues to increase and as the County continues to grow they do not expect that to change Ms Johnson stated it is their hopes in the future to not only provide intervention , but also prevention services Commissioner T Braswell spoke on Ms Johnson’s work and dedication and commended her for her work in the County Upon a question by Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris , Ms Johnson stated she would like to see the 250,000 be a recurring allocation along with the normal 75,000 ; however , Harbor is very appreciative for the 75,000 annual allocation Ms Johnson stated they are striving to sustain their services for the citizens Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr noted the Board received a letter from Sheriff Steve Bizzell on the importance of Harbor and how they assist the Sheriff’s Office At the inquiry of Commissioner April Stephens , Ms Johnson stated they do have a bilingual advocate and she spoke on their collaboration with the Magistrate’s Office Vice Chairman Harris stated he is thankful for Ms Johnson and her team PagePage pageNumber5841 June 13 , 2022 – Special Meeting - 6 00 pm Continued Ms Anderson commended Ms Johnson and spoke on how Ms Johnson has modified their services in order to continue helping citizens during the pandemic Ms Anderson stated she appreciates the support of the Board of Commissioners for Harbor 6 Johnston County Association of Teacher Assistants Ms Melanie Autry , President of the Johnston County Association of Teacher Assistants , addressed the Board Ms Autry stated she realizes that budgeting for the County is a tremendous challenge ; however , the school budget is one that should be of major importance Ms Autry stated she wants the Board to hear from citizens that work in the school system as instructional assistants who are sometimes disrespected and overlooked Ms Autry spoke on the challenges of filling many roles within the school system including substitute teachers , bus drivers , cafeteria workers , as well as their regular duties as instructional assistants She further spoke on the number of positions that are unfilled which increases the workload on those that work in the schools Ms Autry expressed concerns regarding the pay rate for instructional assistants stating it is below what poverty is considered Ms Autry provided the Board with a booklet of information regarding salary schedules and continued to speak on low morale and the lack of professional development available to them At the inquiry of Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , Ms Autry stated they would like to see a pay raise in the school’s budget for instructional assistants Commissioner Tony Braswell stated he thought that there was a push last year by Johnston County Public Schools to hire strictly bus drivers and he asked if those duties are still being shared with instructional assistants Ms Autry confirmed that in most situations it is still a dual employment situation , though she is aware they are trying to hire 30 bus drivers and eventually hire drivers only to try to eliminate dual employment Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris stated he appreciates Ms Autry’s passion for what she does and he asked if she had taken this same presentation to the Board of Education Ms Autry stated she plans to present this information to the Board of Education tomorrow night Vice Chairman Harris stated the Board of Commissioners has no control over the salary schedule for Johnston County Schools ; however , for Fiscal Year 2021 - 2022 , the County funded at 100 everything the Board of Education asked for and if they did not apply that money towards the problem areas then that is a conversation for the Board of Education Ms Autry stated they did receive a minor raise ; however , it was not enough Ms Autry stated she realizes the Board of Commissioners cannot control what the Board of Education does with their funding , but she wants to ask for the budget request of Johnston County Schools to be funded so the funds will be available Mr Chris Brown addressed the Board and also spoke on the low pay for instructional assistants and how they cannot support their own families without having to work other part - time jobs He asked for the Board of Commissioners to approve funds as requested by Johnston County Schools Vice Chairman Harris thanked Ms Autry and Mr Brown for their remarks ; however , he pointed out that the Board of Commissioners provided the funds that were requested by the Board of Education for Fiscal Year 2021 - 2022 and it is his understanding that all of those funds were not spent Vice Chairman Harris stated this is a conversation that Ms Autry and Mr Brown need to have with the Board of Education 7 Smithfield Rescue Mission Executive Director Ben Olsen provided the Board with an update on the Smithfield Rescue Mission’s operations He introduced staff members Kayte Reed and Bobby Hughes with the Rescue Mission Mr Olsen stated with the ongoing pandemic , this has been yet another trying year , but they have worked hard to maintain their services Mr Olsen stated they are back to full capacity at 21 beds in the men’s facility and seven beds in the women and children’s facility Mr Olsen requested the Board to consider allocating 28,000 for Fiscal Year 2022 - 2023 which is needed to assist with increased security measures in the women and children’s facility asPagePage pageNumber6842 June 13 , 2022 – Special Meeting - 6 00 pm Continued well as the two replacements of HVAC units Mr Olsen thanked the Board for their past support and offered to answer any questions Upon a question by Commissioner Tony Braswell , Mr Olsen stated they have a good relationship with Harbor ; however , they are not always able to help them due to space constraints Mr Olsen stated they hope to expand their space in the future so they can provide more assistance to Harbor Vice Chairman Patrick E Harris thanked Mr Olsen and his family for all their work and support to the community over the years He stated it is a legacy of service to the County and he is thankful for their dedication 8 Moccasin Creek Service District Board Moccasin Creek Service District Board Chairman Rodney Cabe addressed the Board to request approval of a tax rate increase for the district from 0015 cents to 003 per 100 valuation Mr Cabe stated their recent accepted bid for the annual maintenance within the district came in at 33,000 for calendar year 2023 and 35,000 for calendar year 2024 He continued that under the current tax rate , the revenue collected for the district is 27,68472 which does not offset the cost of the annual maintenance contract Mr Cabe also stated that due to the increased runoff generated by development of commercial , industrial , and residential property , maintaining a stable channel for Moccasin Creek is becoming increasingly difficult Mr Cabe asked the Board to consider the increase in the tax rate to offset the increased maintenance costs Mr Cabe stated the District Board discussed this recommendation at their March 17 , 2022 meeting and he offered to answer any questions Upon questions by Commissioners Ted G Godwin and Richard D Braswell , Mr Cabe stated the annual maintenance contract is just to keep the grass cut on the creek from NC Hwy 39 down to Holt’s Pond Mr Cabe stated they are in need of additional funding in order to leverage grant funds to complete necessary projects within the district He stated they are in the process of assessing the canal with the results of that coming back soon so they can work on a plan of action to stabilize the creek Commissioner Tony Braswell thanked Mr Cabe for his service on the Moccasin Creek Service District Board noting that those members are volunteers 9 Reentry Ms Julie Hopkins , Acting Executive Director for Reentry Family Services , stated she is speaking on behalf of Dot Ehlers with Reentry who is currently on medical leave Ms Hopkins requested the Board to consider allocating 50,000 for Reentry in the Fiscal Year 2022 - 2023 budget She provided the Board with a background on their services stating they offer intervention programming for men convicted of domestic violence , parenting classes for parents involved with Social Services , and interpersonal skills groups for youth that are justice involved Ms Hopkins stated if they cannot continue to do what they do , then groups like Harbor will have to increase their services Ms Hopkins stated they are the only approved batterers treatment program in Johnston County , which is mandated by law for those convicted of a domestic violence offense , yet there is no funding offered by the State She stated they rely solely on grants and the kindness of others to fund their program Ms Hopkins reported that since 2019 they have lost over 110,000 a year in grant funding She asked the Board to support their agency so they can continue their operations The Board thanked Ms Hopkins for her remarks 10 Final Comments Chairman RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr stated the Board also received a request from the Special Olympics of Johnston County for 15,000 Commissioner Ted G Godwin acknowledged an email received from a citizen who recommended the Board have more communication with staff on the budget prior to the proposed budget being prepared Commissioner Godwin stated upon giving that email some thought , with that kind of approach he feels that it puts staff in an awkward position of having to be very subjective of making a decision on whether requests come to the Board or not Commissioner Godwin stated although he appreciates the email from the citizen , he feels that the current budget process is appropriate PagePage pageNumber7843 June 13 , 2022 – Special Meeting - 6 00 pm Continued Chairman Lawter stated the Board would consider adoption of the budget at the June 20 , 2022 6 00 pm meeting 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 57 pm RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , Chairman Paula G Woodard , Clerk to the BoardPage