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8 <br /> <br />Commissioner Jacobs said Theo Letman, Transportation Director, previously talked <br />about an on demand service down the line. He said the public needs to be better informed <br />about Orange County’s transportation plan. <br />Lorenzo Mejia said aging in place is a national challenge. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said he lives in rural SW Orange County, and northern <br />Orange County always comes up in discussion, but it is better to say rural areas in general as <br />that is more accurate and inclusive. <br />Janice Tyler said her department has a grant funded mobility manager position from the <br />MPO, which has a direct phone line to help residents coordinate the best type of transportation <br />for their needs, which is a great resource. <br />Commissioner Rich said she had seen evidence of the benefits of this mobility manager. <br />She agreed with Commissioner Jacobs to make the transportation information more available. <br />Janice Tyler said the mobility manager does travel training with the older adults to help <br />familiarize them with the route. <br /> <br />• Affordable Housing Advisory Board <br />Sherrill Hampton said Chair Cook and Vice Chair Jacobs were unable to attend, but <br />there is a report in the Commissioners’ packet, and she is available to answer any questions. <br />Chair Dorosin suggested adding this report to the May 3 meeting, if possible. <br />Donna Baker said she would follow up. <br /> <br />• Agricultural Preservation Board (APB ): APB Board member Howard McAdams, and <br />Pete Sandbeck <br />Howard McAdams said he is a member of the board, and the Chair had a death in the <br />family and could not attend tonight. He thanked the Board for its ongoing support, and <br />reviewed some of the APB’s accomplishments: (page 36) <br /> <br />• Hosted the second “annual” breakfast program/informational workshop for existing and <br />prospective VAD/EVAD farm owners to encourage new participants and answer <br />questions; 68 people attended this at the Cedar Grove Community Center. <br />• In 2017, reviewed and recommended approval for 15 additional farms as Voluntary <br />Agricultural District and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District farms, adding 1,179 <br />acres to these programs. This amount increased the total enrollment into both <br />programs to 12,554 acres on 93 farms throughout Orange County and increased <br />acreage in all of the seven Agricultural Districts. <br /> <br /> Howard McAdams shared some of the concerns or emerging issues facing the APB: <br />• The average age of our farmers continues to increase, causing concerns about <br />retirement and farm succession planning. This is an ongoing issue despite the rising <br />numbers of young people taking up farming. Our “senior” farmers control and farm a <br />large percentage of the County’s prime open farmland, thus creating the potential for a <br />significant decline in active farm acreage over the next decade. New farmers tend to <br />grow market crops intensively, on very small farms. <br />• Explore ways to educate farmers and prospective farmers about the many new <br />agritourism opportunities that could be used to enhance and diversify farm income and <br />bring visitors to farms <br />• The APB plans to collaborate with the newly-formed Food Council on a range of <br />initiatives to enhance local markets for farm products. <br />• There is an ongoing need to educate landowners about all available farm programs, <br />including VAD/EVAD and the Present Use Valuation program.