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