Agenda - 04-20-2010 - 4d - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 To be eligible for preference for ADFP Trust Fund monies, counties are required to adopt a new countywide farmland protection plan consistent with the 2005 legislation. The Board approved the Orange County Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Plan (FPP) in November of 2009. The APB recommended amending the VFPO to include the new EVAD program in the Agricultural Chapter of the Natural and Cultural Systems Element of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and also in the first year of the implementation schedule of the Orange County FPP, a required section of the plan. Staff also recognized an opportunity to update the ordinance to reflect the County's departmental reorganization and to make other minor changes that would make the VFPO more consistent with the state model. Key revisions to the VFPO (shown as mark-up�boldface underscore in Attachment #2) are as follows: • Add new language from the state model to establish an EVAD program. • Change the minimum farm size to align with the Present Use-Value Taxation program, (20 acres for forestry, 10 acres for agriculture and 5 acres for horticulture). Eligibility to participate in Use-Value is one of the state criteria for participating in VADs and EVADs. • Update language for consistency with the state's 2005 model ordinance. o One item of note is the replacement of the word "district" with the word "region" to reflect the seven areas within Orange County, shown on the map in Exhibit A. This change is intended to prevent confusion from using the word "district" in different applications. • Revise department names to reflect the County's internal reorganization. The voluntary agricultural district program has long been considered a stepping stone toward long-term farmland preservation. Orange County currently has 15 farms with more than 2,800 �, acres enrolled in the VAD program. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with the proposed changes to the Ordinance. Voluntary agricultural districts are non-binding conservation agreements in which no funding is involved; enhanced voluntary agricultural districts are binding ten-year conservation agreements in which no funding is involved. Possible indirect impacts might be resultant increases in program applications, which will have associated staff resource (impact on staff workload) costs, and the cost of signs for each new district (a cost which could be deferred by an application fee) which is currently included in each year's annual operating budget for DEAPR. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the Ordinance revisions.