ADOPTED - OCTOBER 13, 2009

Agenda Item No. 20

Introduced by the County Services Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION APPROVING THE RANKING OF THE 2009 PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS APPLICATION CYCLE AND A RECOMMENDATION TO PURCHASE PERMANENT CONSERVATION EASEMENT DEEDS ON THE TOP FIVE RANKED FARMS

RESOLUTION #09-328

WHEREAS, Ingham County desires to provide for the effective long-term protection and preservation of farmland in Ingham County from the pressure of increasing residential and commercial development; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners adopted the Ingham County Farmland Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance in July 2004; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Farmland Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance authorized the establishment of the Ingham County Agricultural Preservation Board to oversee the Farmland Preservation Program; and

WHEREAS, in the course of implementing the Ingham County Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance, the Ingham County Agricultural Preservation Board has established Selection Criteria for ranking landowner applications to the Ingham County Farmland Preservation Program; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance requires that the Ranking of Applications be approved by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Agricultural Preservation Board now has funding in place to begin implementing the Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance in 2009; and

WHERAS, the Ingham County Agricultural Preservation Board has scored and ranked all applications received for the 2009 cycle and wishes to proceed with negotiations on the top five ranked farms.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners approves the attached 2009 Application Ranking as set forth in the Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance passed July 27, 2004.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners authorizes the Ingham County Agricultural Preservation Board to proceed with negotiations on the top five ranked farms.

COUNTY SERVICES:  Yeas:  Celentino, Koenig, Holman, Copedge, Grebner, Vickers

 Nays:  None          Absent:  None           Approved 10/6/09