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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 23, 2005 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. to - b <br />SUBJECT: Resolution Expressing Orange County's Position on One Legislative Item <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager <br />County Attorney <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Resolution with Exhibits <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />John Link, ext. 2300 <br />Geof Gledhill, County Attorney, 732 -2196 <br />Tony Kleese, Carolina Farm Stewardship <br />Association, (919) 542 -2402 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough <br />Chapel Hill <br />Durham <br />Mebane <br />732 -8181 <br />968 -4501 <br />688 -7331 <br />336- 227 -2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider approval of a resolution expressing Orange County's position on one <br />legislative item, <br />BACKGROUND: The BOCC held a public hearing on March 1, 2005 on potential items for <br />inclusion in Orange County's legislative agenda package for the 2005 North Carolina General <br />Assembly Session. After the public hearing, the Board reviewed and approved three <br />resolutions (with associated materials) that requested Orange County's legislative delegation <br />introduce certain bills and that expressed Orange County's positions on various legislative <br />issues. It was noted at that time that the work of the Legislative Issues Task Force had been <br />based on the current information available and that new issues may arise in the ensuing months <br />necessitating additional BOCC review, The Board subsequently took action by resolution on <br />two additional items in April 2005, and, in May, the Board authorized the Chair to send a letter <br />to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners regarding a forestry- related bill. <br />On May 17, 2005, Tony Kleese, Executive Director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship <br />Association, addressed the BOCC under "Matters Not on the Printed Agenda" and asked that <br />the Board consider taking a position on House Bill 671 and Senate Bill 631, As introduced, <br />these bills sought to preempt local government regulation of plants and plant pests by giving <br />sole regulatory authority to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. No action has <br />occurred on Senate Bill 631, However, House Bill 671 has since been amended to only include <br />plants and has been approved by the House, It is awaiting discussion in the Senate Agriculture, <br />Environment, and Natural Resources Committee. As currently written, the bill would still <br />