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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPB minutes 011911January 19, 2011 Minutes 1 AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION BOARD - MEETING SUMMARY January 19, 2011 MEMBERS PRESENT: Roland Walters, Elizabeth Walters, Howard McAdams and Spence Dickinson, Patrick McGarry, Joe Thompson and Allan Green. MEMBERS ABSENT/EXCUSED: Louise Tate, James and Patricia Wynn, GUESTS: STAFF: David Stancil, Director Gail Hughes, Soil and Water Conservation District Tina Moon, Natural and Cultural Division Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER Chair Roland Walters called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. ITEM #2: CHAIR COMMENTS (none) ITEM #3: CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA Staff reported that Brad Broadwell resigned as the director of the Economic Development Department. ITEM #4: APPROVAL OF MINUTES November 17, 2010 and December 15, 2010 Meeting Summary Members read through the minutes and requested minor revisions to the November meeting minutes. Elizabeth Walters motioned to approve the November minutes as corrected. McAdams seconded the motion. The APB voted unanimously to approve the November 17, 2010 minutes as corrected. Dickinson motioned to approve the December meeting summary. McAdams seconded the motion. The APB voted unanimously to approve the December 15, 2010 meeting summary. ITEM #5: ITEMS FOR DECISION a. 2011 Meeting Calendar Staff explained that every year each advisory board formally approves its meeting calendar for the upcoming year. Once approved, the calendars can be shared with the public. The APB discussed the 2011 meeting calendar at its December meeting, but was unable to formally vote on the schedule due to the lack of a quorum. One of the suggestions that surfaced during the December meeting was the idea of meeting every other month instead of every month. The APB picked up the discussion from where it left off—considering meeting every other. Green expressed concern that meeting less often would translate into the APB accomplishing less, and if anything the APB should be doing more. Members reflected on the typical year and typical number of canceled meetings due to one thing or another. The APB decided to try the every other month meeting schedule as a pilot—to see if the board could still accomplish its work plan. The chair could still call special meetings as necessary to fulfill specific timelines such as reviewing Voluntary Agricultural District applications McAdams motioned to adopt the every other month meeting calendar for 2011 on a trial basis. E. Walters seconded the motion. The APB voted unanimous to meet every other month starting with the meeting on January 2011. ITEM #6: ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION a. Meeting with Animal Services Advisory Board Staff reported that it had just come from the joint meeting with the chairs of the APB and the Animal Services Advisory Board. The meeting was scheduled in response to concerns that certain provisions of the Animal Control Ordinance have the potential to be unfriendly toward local farmers. Those present felt it was January 19, 2011 Minutes 2 a good first step toward developing a better relationship between the two boards and two departments. The first main takeaway was to update the Animal Services Department’s livestock list. Animal Services maintains a list of property owners who own animals with their address. When a call comes in about a loose animal, Animal Services uses the list to try to identify and contact the owner prior to pursuing any type citation. Staff will forward the list to APB members for updating. Both groups expressed interest in meeting again and building a stronger and mutually beneficial relationship. b. Work Plan for 2011 Staff included a meeting schedule chart in the packets to help the APB organize its time for the year. Members reviewed the APB work plan that was submitted to the BOCC and began scheduling the various tasks for specific meetings. Hopefully this approach will help the APB stay on track and continue to work on individual assignments during the off meeting months. c. Updates & Information Sharing 1. Ag Summit 2011—March 21, 2010 Moon provided a brief summary of the Agricultural Summit Planning Committee’s efforts to date. Staff will update the APB as the planning process continues. This year the Summit with held in collaboration with NC A & T as part of their farmer of the year award. The Summit will be held in the Cedar Grove Ruritan Club on Efland-Cedar Grove Road. 2. Unified Development Ordinance Work on the Unified Development Ordinance continues, with public outreach meetings leading the formal public hearing. Staff encouraged APB members to follow the Planning Departments website for more timely updates and to participate as their schedule permits. ITEM# 7: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS a. Handouts at the meeting ITEM #8: ADJOURNMENT Thompson made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Green seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m. Next meeting scheduled for March 16, 2011, in the small Conference Room in the Environment and Agriculture Center.