February 21, 2019 - 7:00 PM - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes (Special)

10 627 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners February 21 , 2019 7 00 pm The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in special session Thursday , February 21 , 2019 at 7 00 pm in the Auditorium of the Cleveland High School located at 1892 Polenta Road , Clayton , North Carolina The following members were present Present Chairman Ted G Godwin , Vice Chairman Chad M Stewart , Jeffrey P Carver , Larry Wood , Tony Braswell , Patrick E Harris , and RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr Absent None Also Present County Manager Rick J Hester , Clerk to the Board Paula G Woodard , Finance Officer and Assistant County Manager J Chad McLamb , and Paralegal Deputy Clerk to the Board Dana Cuddington Chairman Ted G Godwin called the meeting to order at 7 00 pm and thanked the Cleveland High School Administration for the use of their facilities Chairman Godwin explained that the Commissioners were approached by a group of citizens within the Cleveland area who asked the Board to consider creating a recreation tax district that would follow the same boundary as the McLemore fire tax district Chairman Godwin stated when the group initially approached the Commissioners , the Board stated then that their desire was to have a referendum allowing for a vote by the citizens that reside in the proposed district ; however , the Commissioners later learned that a referendum would not be an option at that time Chairman Godwin continued that the Cleveland area group then asked the Board of Commissioners to form a service district , which would function much like the fire department tax districts , where the Board of Commissioners would set a tax rate for the district Chairman Godwin stated the Board of Commissioners can form this district , but first wanted to have a couple of community meetings in the Cleveland area to listen to the community , especially those that own property in the proposed district and would be subject to the tax Chairman Godwin noted that the Board would not be making any decisions at the two community meetings , but instead would be listening to the citizens that would be affected regarding this proposal Bethany Reeves , 91 Outwater Ridge Drive , Garner , spoke in support of having more parks and recreational opportunities within a closer distance to the area Ms Reeves stated she has two special needs children that cannot travel in cars for long periods , and it would be more beneficial to them having spaces to visit that are closer to where they live Catie Bradshaw , 316 Carrington Drive , Garner , expressed many concerns regarding the building of park facilities on a proposed 4 cent tax rate Ms Bradshaw expressed her concerns as it relates to a tax district going into debt to acquire land and develop it ; a tax rate being doubled or tripled in order to accommodate developing the park into a reality ; safety and having enough law enforcement to properly patrol the area ; and having adequate emergency medical services to respond when needed Ms Bradshaw questioned the feasibility of the proposed plan and stated at this time she is not in support of a tax district Ms Bradshaw also expressed concerns regarding the proposed location of the park and how advisory board members would be selected for the tax district Jennifer Konkol , 113 Alice Drive , Garner , stated she would like to echo the concerns regarding law enforcement and having enough resources to patrol the park area Ms Konkol expressed concerns that if the tax district is allowed to go forward , then it could set a precedent with other areas then requesting to create their own districts Nicole Kennedy , 3946 South Shiloh Road , Garner , echoed the comments made by Catie Bradshaw and also questioned the 30,000 Downtown Revitalization Grant allocated for the Cleveland community by the General Assembly in 2017 and why a plan has not yet been created to spend those funds Tracy Johnson , 223 Southgate Drive , Garner , stated she is not in support of more taxes and there are facilities available at the area schools that can be used for recreational purposes Marian Keen , 205 Annandale Drive , Clayton , stated she has children that participate in the Greater Cleveland Athletic Association and she spoke in support of the district Ms Keen provided the Board with information on statistics relating to childhood obesity and its long - term impacts to health , stating more parks and recreational opportunities are needed Page628 February 21 , 2019 – 7 00 pm Continued Donte Honomichl , 245 Lassiter Farms Lane , Clayton , asked what would happen to the animals and wildlife that would be displaced when the park is built Kayla Honomichl , 245 Lassiter Farms Lane , Clayton , stated she is happy to travel to existing parks in other areas and does not want to see any more of the community destroyed Phillip Honomichl , 245 Lassiter Farms Lane , Clayton , spoke in opposition and stated he purchased his home in the area because it was not a town and there were not as many taxes Mr Honomichl expressed concerns that citizens have no say in the plans or where the park would be located th Laney Voorhees , 155 Caledonia Lane , Clayton , stated she is in the 6 grade and the park is very important to her She stated it would be beneficial for everyone and would provide a place for more opportunities to play Chris Boyd , 404 Boone Trail , Garner , stated he has lived in the area for 47 years and he pays enough taxes as it is Mr Boyd stated if a park is needed , then a town should be formed and a department created Mr Boyd asked who would control the district and if the Board of Commissioners is really prepared to raise the taxes Joe Zhou , 199 Fieldtrial Circle , Garner , spoke in support stating he has been a resident for five years and there is a need for easier access to parks and more recreational opportunities Colleen Roby , 270 Lancashire Run , Smithfield , stated she is a local business owner and has a child in the Cleveland Elementary School who plays sports with the Greater Cleveland Athletic Association Ms Roby spoke in support of parks and recreation for the Cleveland community stating it allows for a better quality of life that the people deserve She spoke on the health , economic , and social benefits of having a park system Jennifer Honomichl , 245 Lassiter Farms Lane , Clayton , spoke on her concerns of having a tax increase for a park that they have not asked for She also expressed concerns regarding the lack of law enforcement in the area and asked how additional parks could be kept safe when the current law enforcement does not have the proper resources Steve Randolph , 303 Broadmoor Way , Clayton , stated he would like to have the right to vote on whether or not a tax district is created Mr Randolph asked several questions regarding the revaluation schedule and how the new schedules were determined in the current revaluation Kaleb Bledsoe , 93 Sommerset Drive , Clayton , asked if the district is created , could there be a guarantee that the proposed tax rate would not increase Mr Bledsoe suggested other methods for funding the proposal such as private sector funding or crowdfunding Jim Anglin , 104 Lockfield Drive , Clayton , stated he has lived in the area for 19 years and he spoke on the growth in the Cleveland area Mr Anglin encouraged the Board to consider curbing the housing developments until more parks and schools can be built to keep up with the growth Mr Anglin stated he is in favor of a park and although he hates paying taxes , he does not mind paying a few extra dollars to see the park built Mr Anglin stated he thinks there are many people who are misinformed regarding the proposal and he encouraged the Board to allow for more explanations of what the district and park would include Scott Klimp , 131 Caledonia Lane , Clayton , asked the Board to put the matter to the citizens for them vote on Mr Caledonia spoke in support stating he thinks the area strongly needs access to parks and recreational facilities Teri Petree , 321 Cameron Drive , Cleveland Community , spoke in support of the district , stating that change can be difficult , but the first step is to create the district and then secure the land for the park Ms Petree stated she thinks the area will keep growing with or without parks , but everyone needs to take the information and look at ways to make the area as good as it can be Jonathan Quick , 23 Wishbone Circle , Clayton , stated he is representing 181 signers of a petition who object to the proposal Mr Quick stated one of the biggest concerns is the lack of details available as to how the money from the tax district would be spent Mr Quick reported there are 10 public parks less than 10 miles away and it is not a big deal for him to get in his car and drive to a park Mr Quick spoke on his concerns as to how revaluation would factor in to the tax rate and how it could lead to a future effort to incorporate which manyPage629 February 21 , 2019 – 7 00 pm Continued people are passionately against Mr Quick also stated he is concerned that the tax district’s appointed board may also have the power to take on new debt on behalf of the Cleveland residents Cindy Elsheimer , 110 Caledonia Lane , Clayton , spoke in opposition to the proposal stating she has lived in the area most of her life and she does not want to pay any more taxes Ms Elsheimer expressed her concerns with the proposed park plan and stated it would take more than a 4 cent tax rate , which she does not want to pay Ms Elsheimer stated there are still people living in the area on fixed incomes Becky Williams , 1066 McLemore Road , Clayton , stated she lives across the street from where the proposed park is planned and stated while she thinks a park is an excellent idea , she is concerned about living across the street and dealing with lights and noise from park activities Ms Williams asked how the neighbors would be considered in the plan Carson Kelly , 6366 Cleveland Road , Clayton , encouraged the Board to allow the citizens to vote on whether or not a district is established Bob Turner , 204 Elam Court , Garner , stated he left Maryland because of taxes Mr Turner stated while he would be willing to pay a little more in taxes , he is concerned about the open - endedness of the proposal Mr Turner asked for more information as to how much the park facilities would cost and stated it has been very hard to get information and that people need to be better informed Mr Turner encouraged more transparency and the ability to have a referendum Dre Honomichl , 245 Lassiter Farms Lane , Clayton , stated he has lived in the area for over a decade and he has had no problems finding a park He spoke on the facilities that the Greater Cleveland Athletic Association already has and stated that he does not see a need to increase taxes Deb O’Neill , 607 Hocutt Farm Drive , Clayton , stated she is a coach with the Greater Cleveland Athletic Association and she spoke in support stating the proposal would provide more opportunities for the kids Ms O’Neill stated there is not enough support in the schools for all the children to play recreational sports Andrew Ruth , 6467 Cleveland Road , stated as he understands , the ability to have a referendum was stopped at the legislative level Mr Ruth spoke in support of the proposal stating it will not solve all the area’s problems , but it is a step in the right direction Kristina Kennedy , 134 Tayside Street , Clayton , spoke in favor of the proposal stating the area needs more parks to encourage more physical activity John Cunningham stated he moved to the area from Raleigh one year ago and that as he understands , the district board would be appointed and not elected which is a concern to him Mr Hanley asked if a trust could be established for a park instead of creating a tax district Kelly Norman , 48 Falling Oak Court , Clayton , spoke in support and asked the Board of Commissioners to establish the tax district Jack Hanley , 440 Plantation Drive , Clayton , stated he would like to have more information regarding the plans for the park Mr Hanley expressed concerns over the proposed location of the park stating the roads at the site are not safe Mr Hanley stated the citizens cannot make an informed decision if they want the district or not until they have all the information Christina Brown , 350 Annandale Drive , Clayton , stated they have lived in the area for 13 years and she spoke on the growth in the area stating it will continue unless someone stops it Ms Brown stated she believes there is more planning to be done Ms Brown challenged everyone to give their input and do more than just show up to one meeting Sarah Elliott , 2405 Sterling Drive , Clayton , spoke in support of a parks and a recreational center Bruce Elsheimer , 110 Caledonia Lane , Clayton , stated one alternative he would ask the Board to consider is coming up with a comprehensive 20 year plan for parks and recreation for the entire County and then utilize a countywide bond referendum for funding David Story , 431 Black Angus Drive , Garner , asked how many of the current Commissioners live in the Cleveland community Mr Story stated the citizens should have the opportunity to vote on the matter Page630 February 21 , 2019 – 7 00 pm Continued Commissioner Patrick Harris stated that although he lives in Smithfield , he represents the Cleveland area Commissioner Harris stated Board did not initiate the park plan , but was approached by a group of people from the community who proposed the park plan and because of that , the Board of Commissioners wanted to hear from the citizens at the community meetings Commissioner Harris noted the Board does have plans to discuss countywide parks and recreation at an upcoming annual work session Commissioner Harris also noted that even though the Board may not have responded to all the e - mails received , he can assure everyone that they were all read Commissioners Chad M Stewart and Tony Braswell agreed with Commissioner Harris that the purpose of the community meetings are to listen to the citizens and nothing has been decided There being no further business , the meeting was adjourned at 8 35 pm Ted G Godwin , Chairman Paula G Woodard , Clerk to the BoardPage