Minutes 09-11-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 APPROVED 10/3/2017 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS QUARTERLY PUBLIC HEARING SEPTEMBER 11, 2017 7:00 P.M. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Quarterly Public Hearing on Monday, September 11, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Mark Dorosin and Commissioners Mia Burroughs, Barry Jacobs, Mark Marcoplos, Earl McKee, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley Deputy County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) Chair Dorosin called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. He asked if there could be a moment of silence in honor of the 16th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. 1. Quarterly Public Hearings No Quarterly Public Hearing Items 2. Agritourism Information Item a. County staff will present information on County authority and limitations regarding the regulation of agritourism activities. Representative Graig Meyer said the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has responsibility for land use planning in Orange County, and the State's agritourism law has put limitations on that which the County can do. Representative Graig Meyer said powerful interests in the State created agritourism, and it was done in order to use North Carolina's agricultural roots for tourism purposes. He said the original legislation was created to be as broad as possible, because the agricultural lobbyists wanted it to be for as many uses as possible. He said no one is seeking to withhold opportunities from these bona fide farms. Representative Graig Meyer said the rub has come from ex-urban communities, like in Orange County, who service people that come to rural areas for tourism activities such as weddings. He said there are other cities in the State that have the same issue. Representative Graig Meyer said the concerns being voiced in Orange County are not being heard in places like Duplin County, and he said those with the most powerful ties to agritourism do not govern communities that are having problems with policies. Representative Graig Meyer said there has been a mild narrowing of the qualification standards for who gets to be an agritourism facility, but this is not enough to prevent the intrusive activities such as those occurring in Orange County. He said an official study committee has been asked to look at agritourism to determine if the policy needs changing in next year's legislative session.