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NEW WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR RURAL ECONOMY -- Agri- business Agri- businesses are becoming an increasingly important component to the survival of our local farming community. In an effort to better accommodate agri- business and other non - traditional forms of agriculture, Planning, Economic Development, and Farm Agency staff have been working together to examine, and where appropriate consider revisions to county regulations regarding farm - related uses. Discussion topics have focused on the following: 1. Streamlining the bonafide farm accessory use process (see brochure in your packet) 2. Evaluating agricultural - related land uses in our existing ordinance (see matrix in your packet) • Combining similar uses into categories to allow for future (unforeseen) uses • Considering changing the name of the existing "agricultural service" floating zone to "agricultural industrial" ■ Creating a new agricultural service category to address services for farmers (veterinarians, farm machinery repair) 3. Identifying uses that are not allowed per our present ordinance but may be appropriate • Considering the needs of smaller operations -5 -20 acres in size • Addressing facilities that process and /or sell agricultural products, which may or may not be produced on site • Allowing operations which are agricultural in character but not true agriculture • Determining where such special agricultural operations and facilities are best suited • Creating permitting procedures based on the intensity of the use, subject to performance standards (thresholds for the number of patrons /employees associated with the business or lot size, hours of operations, traffic generation, time of year, time of operation, intensity of use) Planning staff has prepared a matrix to show permitted land uses linked to agriculture and uses accessory to bonafide farms. The matrix should serve as a starting point to identify gaps. The next step would be to determine how best to fill those gaps within the context of our existing policies and regulations. Planning Staff would like the Board to review the group's progress and provide for direction on ways to facilitate agri- business in the county.