SMITHFIELD – The Town of Smithfield and the County of Johnston have resolved a dispute over sewer allocation to the Town.
Following a special-called meeting Wednesday night, Town Manager Mike Scott announced a settlement had been reached.
“We are pleased to announce the Town of Smithfield and Johnston County have reached an agreement on the bulk wastewater inter-local agreement. The Town was able to identify its concerns, assisting Johnston County in creating solutions and working quickly together to bring this matter to a mutually beneficial resolution keeping Smithfield and Johnston County’s economic development initiatives moving forward while ensuring a long-term approach to the treatment of wastewater and a clean and healthy environment,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. “For that, we thank them. Smithfield and Johnston County have worked well together since the original wastewater contract was enacted and we look forward to continuing this relationship in order to meet the utility demands of all of our current and future economic and residential partners. We all grow best when we grow together.
The Town previously claimed the County was withholding sewer allocation needed to construct a new Home2Suites hotel until the Town signed a new sewer-allocation agreement that was not beneficial to Smithfield.
The County has now agreed to provide sewer allocation needed for the new Home2Suites project.
Johnston County operates a wastewater treatment plant that treats wastewater from Smithfield and allocates how much capacity Smithfield and other municipalities can have.
