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I- <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 1, 2000 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 9 - g <br />SUBJECT: <br />sions to the Voluntary Farmland Preservation Pro <br />Ordinance <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Conservation <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Revised VFPP Ordinance <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Dave Stancil, 245-2590 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough. 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider revisions to the County's Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program <br />Ordinance to address a name change and expansion of the Board's makeup and scope. <br />BACKGROUND: On June 1, the Board of Commissioners considered revisions to this <br />ordinance submitted by the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board (ADAB). The proposed <br />revisions centered around changing the name of the ADAB to the Agricultural Preservation <br />Board (APB), to reflect a broader mission and charge to the group consistent with the BOCC <br />goal, and the Ag Board's relationship with the County ERCD and the Federal Natural Resource <br />Conservation Serums. At that time, the Board of Commissioners suggested additional changes <br />be addressed, to broaden the makeup of the Board to include members in non-traditional <br />farming and a representative of farmer's markets. <br />The revised ordinance submitted by the ADAB would expand the membership of the <br />Agricultural Preservation Board from seven to 11, including at least one member from non- <br />traditional farming activities such as organic farming and horticulture and one representative of <br />a farmer's market. The maximum number of Voluntary Agricultural District owners on the Board <br />would be set at one,-third, rather than assuring one seat to each district. This recognizes that it <br />will not be practical to guarantee a seat to each district in the program, with the Voluntary <br />Agricultural District program continuing to grow. All other revisions are name changes <br />consistent with the previous version reviewed on June 1. <br />At their meetings on August 18 and October 20, the ADAB unanimously agreed to recommend <br />these revisions to the Board for adoption. On December 15, the ADAB further revised the draft <br />by removing a proI vision that would have new developments within one mile of voluntary <br />agricultural districts subject to review by the Ag Board.