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9 <br /> 1 Commissioner Bedford asked if the state determines the OPEB number. <br /> 2 April Adams said that the OPEB number is based on each employee or past employee <br /> 3 that is eligible for those OPEB. She said the number of employees is provided to the actuary <br /> 4 and then the actuary provides the dollar amount. She explained that auditors make sure the <br /> 5 information supplied to the actuary is accurate. <br /> 6 Chair Price congratulated Gary Donaldson and his team for the clean audit. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to <br /> 9 approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Local Government Commission Amended Audit <br /> 10 Contract. <br /> 11 <br /> 12 Roll call ensued <br /> 13 <br /> 14 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 15 <br /> 16 5. Public Hearings <br /> 17 None. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 6. Regular Agenda <br /> 20 a. Resolution of Approval — Conservation Easement on Draper-Savage Memorial <br /> 21 Foundation (Moorefields) and Approval of Budget Amendment#7-A <br /> 22 The Board considered approving a resolution to approve the purchase of and acceptance by <br /> 23 Orange County of conservation easement(s) and trail easement for Draper Savage Memorial <br /> 24 Foundation (Moorefields) property, and approve Budget Amendment#7-A. <br /> 25 <br /> 26 BACKGROUND: The acquisition of conservation easements to protect highly important natural <br /> 27 and cultural resource lands in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of <br /> 28 Commissioners, and is a priority of the Lands Legacy Program. Since 2001, the County has <br /> 29 partnered with landowners and other entities to protect 2,850 acres of significant natural areas <br /> 30 and prime farmland with permanent conservation easements, leveraging well over $3 million in <br /> 31 outside funding and grants toward these easements. <br /> 32 <br /> 33 Over the past several years, DEAPR has worked with Moorefields Foundation, the group <br /> 34 deeded to manage and caretaker of the grounds, on a project to conserve approximately <br /> 35 seventy-two acres of Draper-Savage Memorial Foundation lands located on Moorefields Road <br /> 36 in the Cheeks Township. <br /> 37 <br /> 38 The farm property is located in the Upper Eno Critical Watershed, a priority watershed for <br /> 39 acquiring agricultural easements in a dual effort to protect prime farmland and drinking water <br /> 40 quality. The farm has over 1,900 linear feet of stream frontage on a tributary to and of Rocky <br /> 41 Run, a major tributary of the Eno River, which supplies drinking water for the Town of <br /> 42 Hillsborough and City of Raleigh. In addition, with the presence of Natural Heritage sites, the <br /> 43 historic Moorefields property and other areas of high cultural/archaeological significance, and <br /> 44 the property's adjacency to the County-owned Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, conservation of <br /> 45 this tract is a high priority for the Lands Legacy Program. <br /> 46 <br /> 47 The Moorefields Foundation intends to grant permanent conservation easement(s) that will <br /> 48 restrict future development to protect prime open space and streams, as well as scenic views of <br /> 49 the open space from Moorefields Road and the adjacent County park. The Foundation also <br /> 50 intends to grant a trail easement for the Mountains to Sea Trail, allowing for further extension <br /> 51 from the County owned lands east towards Dimmocks Mill Road. All other non-agricultural and <br />