Andria’s Response to the Five Main Concerns of Clayton Residents

Question #1 of 5: What is your position/view on growth in Clayton?

My position/view for growth in Clayton is that growth is inevitable because of our proximity to Raleigh and major highways, so everything possible needs to be done to ensure growth is as high quality and beneficial as possible. When a property owner wants to sell and develop their land, North Carolina laws are on their side. You can try to fight it and I can tell you firsthand about the taste of defeat; if you do an internet search for "Clayton NC denies Tribute property" you can read articles about a development that I voted no on, but the developer sued and won. So our tax dollars were wasted on legal fees to fight this project. I have learned from that and other mistakes and created my own methodical approach to every single development application.

I use data points from concerned citizens, neighborhood meetings, and a network of our community members who understand the development process. I analyze every aspect of an application and my list of touch points is too long to list here, but it covers everything: roads, trees, wastewater, buffers, stormwater catchment, lot sizes, density, etc. I do what the law allows and negotiate as much as I can. I also meet with the property owner (the seller) and the developer to have careful respectful conversations, because sometimes that approach yields additional improvements to an application. In summary, it seems like most people I talk to want to hear me say that I will vote no to all/most growth. I find this unrealistic and legally indefensible so I vote no when I should, and when I can't, I offer a highly technical negotiation-driven approach. I love talking about my process and am happy to tell you how I handle any specific growth/development topic that is important to you.

I know this is a long answer but I hope you have had time to read it and evaluate whether or not I am the candidate for you. Either way, I appreciate your engagement and look forward to any follow up questions or responses you might have (archerfortowncouncil@gmail.com or 919-747-1483).

Question #2 of 5: What is your plan for growth in Clayton?

In addition to my answer to Question #1 (where I talk about how I negotiate) my plan for dealing with growth in Clayton is twofold: update the Town’s Comprehensive Growth Plan AND continue to implement and improve the codes that regulate development.

In 2025, I voted to approve the funding needed to update our growth plan and that process should kick off in 2026. This document is the foundation for how we manage and prepare for development, and I believe my previous planning and Council experience could help improve it. One topic in particular I am interested in exploring in more detail (thank you to the resident who put it on my radar!) is called a “purchase of development rights” (PDR) program. It sets up a way for landowners to voluntarily exclude agricultural property from development through a conservation easement.

In 2024, I voted to adopt Clayton’s new, completely-overhauled development code with higher standards and modernized approaches. It hasn't been in place long enough for you to really see the effects yet and the Council has continued to make updates to it quarterly. I view the code as an evolving document that sets high standards but adapts as different laws, properties, and situations come into play. I was on the steering committee for this new code (it was a long and tedious process!), so combined with my Council and Planning Board experiences, it’s possible that out of any of the candidates in this election I am the most familiar with the code, its strengths, its weaknesses, and where it needs to go in the future to give you the best results.

I look forward to any follow up questions or responses you might have! (archerfortowncouncil@gmail.com or 919-747-1483).

Question #3 of 5: How do you plan to address infrastructure and traffic issues?

This is an easier question to answer in person because what I have found over the years is that “infrastructure” and “traffic” mean different things to different people. But I’m going to assume we’ve all had similar negative experiences in Clayton, such as traffic congestion, poorly maintained roads, and high utility rates. Regarding traffic, in addition to what I said in Question #1 about always negotiating for the most improvements possible, there are two other things I would like to point out:

-The current Council recently adopted Clayton's first “real” comprehensive transportation plan. I wish the plan had been completed sooner; it was a long and involved process and I think the result is worth it. The plan makes recommendations for every street and intersection in Town, with prioritized action steps. It will take time to unfold, and you and I will continue to be frustrated until some of these improvements get underway, but the plan is in place and now we can tackle the issues in a smarter and more organized way. You can find the plan here.

-I encourage residents to pay close attention to the street signs in Clayton so we are clear about which streets the Town owns and which are owned by the State. While the Town works closely with NCDOT and fosters good collaboration, ultimately our most problematic roads are owned by the State and are out of the Town's direct control. I will continue to push hard to make Clayton’s needs heard at the state level.

Regarding other infrastructure, such as our utilities, first let’s clarify: our water/sewer utility and our electric utility are regulated by the State and operate from completely separate budgets and accounts than general Town spending. They are subject to strict laws and State oversight. It’s also important to know that our rates are based on rate “models” (basically predictions) run by people much smarter than I that take many factors into consideration. The rates factor in the cost of repairs, replacements, etc. So the biggest impact to your utility rates at this time is the construction of Clayton's new wastewater treatment plant. The old plant was worn out, there was no cost effective way to keep it limping along, so the new plant was unavoidable, even if no new subdivisions or businesses had been approved.

I have goals for how I would like to address water/sewer rates in the next four years, including looking at more regionalization and hopefully reworking the wastewater capital improvement plan now that the plant is nearly complete and we have a clearer picture about its operational and budget needs. I will push for ways to better spread out costs so that each of us individually is paying less on a monthly basis.

I also want you to know that your current Council, with criticism from the development community, raised Clayton's system development fees for every development to the maximum amount allowed by State statute. So now more costs are being passed on, and if people want even higher fees, that is an issue we would have to take to the North Carolina legislature.

I have tried to touch on the most common traffic and infrastructure concerns but I’ve only covered the tip of the iceberg here.

Question #4 of 5: How do you plan to address school overcrowding?

I will continue to do the only thing I can do (since this is not something the Town has any authority over): make my voice heard with the Johnston County commissioners and school board. As an elected official, I have conversations with those decision makers, ask them tough questions, seek to understand their obstacles, and strongly advocate for Clayton. My children went through the Johnston County public school system, I was a high school science teacher for five years, and I am a strong supporter of our schools, teachers, and students. I plan to continue fostering dialogue with decision makers and make sure that I vote for commission and board members who make the best decisions.

Question #5 of 5: What can you do to promote small business and farmers, not just big retailers?

An ongoing obstacle for all businesses, small and large, is the planning and permitting processes. While we need strong checks and balances to make sure public safety and fairness are never compromised, the Town also needs to continue to modernize and improve its processes. To assist with this, I can use my experience on the Planning Board and Town Council combined with my unique background with Clayton’s small businesses and farmers.

My unique farm and small business background began as a customer of the Clayton Farm and Community Market 15 years ago, and progressed to serving as a market board member or market manager for the past 10 years. I have been directly involved with growing the market, which is truly a farmers market, putting farms first. I have even worked and volunteered on our farms when they needed a hand. In addition, the farmers market is truly local; vendors make or grow the products they are selling. There are holiday markets and other specialty market dates that allow for a broader range of products, but by and large we have truly local people selling their products directly. With me in a leadership role and with a group of amazing and passionate people, we have grown this market from a dozen or so vendors to about 50 regular vendors and nearing 100 total eligible vendors. We have also expanded the season and now host markets every Saturday year-round. We always prioritize our farmers, but it takes a community to make the market successful so we have vendors of all types. Each vendor is a small business unto itself, so I have witnessed and assisted with all the hurdles that go along with running a small business.

In addition to the farmers market, I have been active in Downtown Clayton and an advocate for the Clayton Chamber of Commerce which hosts programs and offers other services to small businesses. In 2019, before Covid, I served as the Last Friday in Clayton ambassador to downtown businesses. I walked up and down Main Street rallying business owners to participate in Last Friday in an effort to bring more awareness and vitality to downtown, and served in a behind-the-scenes role emailing reminders and updating social media. I view downtown as the heart of our town because it is not only quaint and wonderful and successful, it is also a real economic driver. For example, businesses who are looking to bring jobs to Clayton frequently tour downtown as they evaluate whether or not to invest here. I have many goals for downtown that will continue to fan this flame.