All commissioners present:
Chairman Chad Stewart, Tony Braswell, Ted Godwin, Patrick Harris,
Butch Lawter, Fred Smith, Larry Wood

BOARD TO APPOINT LAND-USE PLAN UPDATE COMMITTEE
WITH GUARANTEED REPRESENTATION FROM DISTRICTS

After some discussion near the end of Monday evening's relatively short meeting, the board voted 5-2 to allow each commissioner to appoint one citizen from his district to serve on the county's Land-Use Plan Update Steering Committee, with the other members to be chosen by all commissioners voting with ballots at the board's April 5 meeting.

Commissioner Smith initially proposed that plan, then reconsidered and voted against it alongside Commissioner Lawter, who said all the appointments should be made by all commissioners as the board does with other committees.

Mr. Lawter also pointed out that the pool of applicants for the committee does not include a representative from one of the seven commissioner districts (he did not disclose which one).

The other board members stuck with the idea of guaranteed district representation on the committee, even though one area without an applicant won't have a member. (Chairman Stewart noted that the deadline for applications has passed).

The committee to be appointed April 5 will guide the process for reviewing the county's land-use regulations over the next several months. Commissioners have expressed time and again at recent meetings their desire to encourage more residential development in and around Johnston's municipalities that are better equipped for growth with infrastructure and other services than outlying unincorporated areas.

EAST COAST GREENWAY'S STATUS IN JOHNSTON

Sarah Sanford, North Carolina-Virginia coordinator with the East Coast Greenway Alliance, gave the board an update on the trail's status through Johnston County. Presently, sections of the Neuse River Trail and its spurs in the Clayton area and Smithfield's Buffalo Creek Greenway (a.k.a. Neuse Riverwalk) are parts of the East Coast project, connected by highways that eventually could be replaced by free-standing trails like the proposed Neuse River connection from Clayton to Smithfield. Ms. Sanford said pending legislation in the N.C. General Assembly would make the East Coast Greenway "an official state trail" --- a move that would open up more funding opportunities. She said Johnston's Representative Donna White is a "lead sponsor" of that bill, with Representative Larry Strickland a co-sponsor.


BUDGET AMENDED FOR RECEIPT OF COVID-RELIEF FUNDS

The board approved an amendment to the 2019-20 county budget to account for $501,920 allocated by the state from the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancements Act --- one of several coronavirus-relief measures adopted by Congress this past year. Those funds are directed in Johnston to cover Health Department expenditures for vaccination planning and implementation. On a related matter, Commissioner Ted Godwin reported that a statewide Zoom meeting of county officials held Monday did not provide numbers on local funding to be allocated from federal COVID-19 relief legislation enacted last week.


TAX-EXEMPT RE-FINANCING FOR THANKSGIVING FIRE DEPT.

The board approved re-financing of tax-exempt loans for five vehicles already purchased by the Thanksgiving Fire Department. Those loans are being consolidated into a single $700,000 package offered by KS Bank at 1.95% interest over 84 months (seven years).

SUGGESTIONS FOR THIRD-MONDAY SESSIONS

Commissioner Lawter, who initiated the scheduling of an additional third-Monday monthly session of the board, offered suggestions for future meetings in light of this week's meeting that lasted less than an hour. He recommended monthly updates on current major studies regarding transportation and commuter rail as well as parks, water and sewer, and other items "we often don't get to talk about at length" at the board's sessions on the first Monday of each month.