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76 offset the costs of the scrap tire disposal program,-in the County. North Carolina General Statutes require that scrap tire disposal fees at a landfill be set at a level no higher than what is required to match revenues and expenditures-for the scrap tire disposal program, taking into consideration the proceeds of the .1% state tax. An analysis prepared by the LOG staff indicates that a charge of $50 per ton crr 50 cents per tire is appropriate 'to balance projected revenues and expenditures for the scrap tire program in FY 1992-93. The new fee would take effect the day after it has been approved by all three governing boards. ?. MIPIIhtI}M FARM SIZE - VOLUNTARY AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS This item was presented to consider a proposed amendment which would change the minimum farm size required for participation in the voluntary agricultural districts program from 155 acres to 80 acres. When the Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program Ordinance was enacted in March, the minimum size of an agricultural district was set at: 1. At least 155 contiguous acres of certified qualifying farmland;- or 2. At lease two or more certified qualifying farms, contiguous to each other, which will create a district of not less than 155 acres. The rationale for using the 155-acre threshold was that it represented the average farm size in orange County according to the-1987 Census of Agriculture. Since the adoption of the ordinance, 13 applications have been received by the Planning Department. Of these, all may be certified as qualifying farmland, but only three applications contain sufficient acreage (at least 155 acres) to be designated as a voluntary agricultural district. A fourth application may be eligible for designation, but questions exist regarding ownership and size of the farm. A fifth application involves 150.5 acres and is only 4.5 acres short of qualifying for designation. The enabling legislation [(G.S. 106-738 (1)] requires that an ordinance must provide for the creation of districts consisting initially of at least a number of contiguous acres of qualifying farmland or a number of qualifying farms deemed appropriate by the Board of Commissioners. While the 155-acre threshold was adopted, suggestions were made during the public hearing process to set the threshold at a minimum to recognize farm operations such as those which raise specialized produce (squash, green beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, cantaloupe, tomatoes, strawberries, and pumpkin), livestock (sheep, goats, and horses) and flowers. More recently, the use of the "median" (half above/half below) as opposed to the "average" has been recommended by a citizen. Based on 1987 Census data, this would place the median farm size, in terms of number of farms' at approximately 80 acres. If this standard were adopted, this would mean that half of all farms (eight-of 13 applications - 62%) would qualify for district designation. Based on the current threshold of 155 acres, only 30 percent of all farms (four of 13 applications - 31%) could qualify. At its September 2, 1992 meeting, the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board unanimously approved the proposed amendment. 3. @UDGET ORDINANCE _At ENDMEN__#3 This item was presented to approve proposed budget ordinance amendments. 1. On September 8, the Board of Commissioners approved an agreeri-:ent between Wake Opportunities, Inc. Head Start program and Orange County's CAT program for transportation services. The attached budget amendment (block #1, page 2) will budget the driver/lease fees anticipated from this agreement. 2. The Economic Development Commission has received miscellaneous private