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22 <br /> <br />The Board received the tax collector’s annual settlement on current and delinquent <br />taxes, consider approving by resolution the accounting thereof, upon acceptance of the reports, <br />issue the Order to Collect for Fiscal Year 2018-2019, and authorize the Chair to sign. <br />Commissioner Price asked if Orange County has always collected from real and <br />personal property taxes from Mebane City. <br />Bonnie Hammersley said this is the second year, which is outlined on page two of the <br />abstract. <br /> <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to <br />approve the tax collector’s annual settlement on current and delinquent taxes, consider <br />approving by resolution the accounting thereof, upon acceptance of the reports, issue the Order <br />to Collect for Fiscal Year 2018-2019, and authorize the Chair to sign. <br /> <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> <br />8-g- Ratification – Conservation Easement for Tunnel’s End Horse Farm <br />The Board considered ratifying the County Manager’s decision to accept an agricultural <br />conservation easement for Tunnel’s End Horse Farm. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said whenever someone is generous enough to make a <br />conservation easement, he urged the Board to put it on regular agenda to recognize them, <br />unless they prefer to go unrecognized. <br />Kim Livingston, DEAPR, reviewed the following information: <br /> <br />Ratification Request <br />Tunnel’s End Horse Farm Conservation Easement <br />Orange County Lands Legacy Program <br />The purpose of this agenda item is to consider ratifying the acceptance of the County Manger’s <br />decision to accept an agricultural conservation easement for Tunnel’s End Horse Farm. <br /> <br />Ms. Wegner contacted the County just before the Board of County Commissioners’ summer <br />break and expressed her wishes to donate to the County a conservation easement on her 16- <br />acre horse farm in an expedited fashion due to health reasons. Tunnel’s End Horse Farm is <br />located on Walnut Grove Church Road (Cedar Grove Township) just south of the Underwood <br />property, which is under an Orange County conservation easement. Given the extenuating <br />circumstances, the County Manager, after consulting with the Chair and Vice-Chair, accepted <br />this conservation easement, which closed on August 15, 2018. <br /> <br />Tunnel End Horse Farm <br />• 16-acre horse farm <br />• 200-feet South Fork Little River frontage <br />• Little River Protected Watershed <br />• 500-feet upstream of two Natural Heritage areas: South Fork Little River Marsh and Little <br />River Aquatic Habitat <br /> <br />This property has significant conservation values. It is within a priority watershed for acquiring <br />agricultural easements in a dual effort to protect prime farmland and drinking water quality <br />Ms. Wegner donated a permanent conservation easement that restricts future development to <br />protect prime farmland and streams, as well as scenic views of the farmland from Walnut Grove <br />Church Road. There is one existing residence on the property. The easement prohibits future <br />subdivision of the property and protects forested stream buffers located on the farm. Future