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Drafit 10/8/99 <br />C. <br />Establishment. of an °Open -Space Authority" <br />Closely related to the idea of a County land trust is .the option of <br />creating an Open Space Authority to coordinate the preservation of <br />land. Such an entity would be a special independent authority <br />.under the N.C. General Statutes, as OWASA is. <br />This. approach would also require special legislation from the <br />General. Assembly to set up an Open Space Authority6. Bylaws, a <br />charter, operating guidelines, and method of appointing a ,Board of <br />Directors .would. be needed .for startup of an authority. In other <br />respects, the authority would function much as the local <br />government land trust. would. The Board of Directors could be <br />charged with evaluating, land acquisitions and approval: of the <br />purchase of land within. guidelines .from the elected boards <br />involved. <br />As with the local government land trust, benefits from the open <br />space authority approach might include clarity of purpose :for <br />.acquisitions (preservation), the inclusion of a variety of interests. on <br />a Board of Directors, and the fact that an authority of this nature <br />would serve as an intergovernmental mechanism. <br />The disadvantages. of .this type: of arrangement .would include <br />questions about the ability to achieve the needed special <br />legislation, concerns .over the complexity and role of the authority, <br />the need for consensus among the local governments on the role <br />and activities of the authority, and the ability to ensure that needs <br />and interests are communicated. adequately to the Board of <br />Directors. Funding sources may also be complicated. <br /> <br /> <br />- S ecial le islation needed to create authori OWASA <br />- Potential inter overnmental fundin a ointments and nature <br />- . Char a and mission a reed to b the creatin a ies <br />- Board of Directors a ointed b the arties involved <br />- Staff throu h existin ERCD with assistance as needed <br />- Advanta e: Clari of ac uisition ur ose <br />- Advanta e: Coordinated inter overnmental mechanism <br />- Disadvanta e: Abili to achieves ecial le islation <br />- Disadvanta e: Unwield and com lex nature of arran ement? <br />- Disadvantage: Requires clear consensus among funding parties to <br />conve char a and interests <br />- Disadvanta e: Fundin sources com licated? <br />41 <br />