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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources May 25 20101 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Natural Resources Committee May 25, 2010 CALL TO ORDER Committee Chair Carl Weimer called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. ROLL CALL (9:29:20 AM) Present: Carl Weimer, Bill Knutzen and L. Ward Nelson. Absent: None. Also Present: Kathy Kershner, Sam Crawford and Ken Mann. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL 1. RESOLUTION AFFIRMING THE PDR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RANKING AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND PDR ADMINISTRATOR TO PROCEED WITH THE ACQUISITION PROCESS FOR ROUND 8 APPLICATIONS (AB2010 -215) Samya Lutz, Planning and Development Services Department, submitted and read from a presentation (on file). John Gillies, Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Oversight Committee Member, read the presentation on the agriculture program context and tools. Mark Harding, PDR Oversight Committee Member, read the presentation on the PDR Oversight Committee recommendations. Discussion included the difference between PDR target areas and rural study areas; the purpose of the map; other land restrictions because of the agricultural protection overlay (APO); whether the rural study areas are all in the APO; paying administrative costs from the conservation futures fund; coordinating this program with the transfer of development rights (TRD) program to resolve water rights issues; whether any other PDR programs work without using county dollars; finding other sources of funding for the County's contribution; the cost of the rights in the current applications; how the voters approved of the conservation futures fund; whether the voters knew that the conservation futures funds could be used for agricultural protection programs; the Council's commitment to spend a portion of the conservation futures fund on agricultural programs; how clustering would work on the Funk property; creating balance and fairness in the APO, and; also protecting forestry practices. The following people spoke or answered questions: • Dean Martin, Planning and Development Services, answered questions. • Henry Bierlink, Farm Friends, answered questions. • Bob Wiesen, 3314 Douglas Road, stated have the landowners make a proposal rather than going through the appraisal process. Natural Resources Committee, 5/25/2010, Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1 i 2 2 2 z 2 26 27 28 Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council. The motion carried by the following vote: Ayes: Weimer, Knutzen and Nelson (3) Nays: None (0) OTHER BUSINESS There was no other business. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 10:17 a.m. Please contact the Council Office to obtain an official, signed copy: 360- 676 -6690 or council &o.w hatcom .wa.us Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk Carl Weimer, Committee Chair Natural Resources Committee, 5/25/2010, Page 2