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maintenance, upgrade, installation and expansion of public water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure,
with encouragement for water reclamation facilities.
4. Burning Permits - Seek legislation eliminating the open burning prohibition exemption that is
currently available under G.S. 113-60.31, and granting local governments the authority to prohibit open
burning without the State's declaration of hazardous forest fire conditions.
S. Funds for Regional Water Resource Management - Support funding for regional councils to develop
and implement multi jurisdictional water resource management planning and programs in every region
through the cooperation of local governments, water users and other stakeholders.
6. Land for Tomorrow - Support legislative appropriations and/or bond funding to protect the state's
land, water, and special places before they are irreversibly lost by increasing funding to the state's existing
conservation trust funds which provide grants for land and water conservation projects in every county.
OTION by Commissioner Robertson to approve the Environment goals with the
exception of #6 (Land for Tomorrow) which should be deleted.
VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0.
Agriculture
I. Compensation for Lost Taxes - Support legislation to require compensation from the
Department of Transportation for lost property taxes when entities of government obtain
any real property interest in previously taxed lands for mitigation in a county other than the
site of the project.
2. Fund Cooperative Extension -Support legislation to increase funding for the extension
function and the research function housed within North Carolina Cooperative Extension Services.
Support Conservation of Working Lands and Farm Land Preservation - Support efforts to
promote and conserve working lands, including 1) legislation that includes horticulture,
forestry and farmland as part of the state recreation and tourism plan, with emphasis on the
protection and support of private working lands, 2) legislation that retains the present use value
tax break for working agricultural, horticultural and forestry lands but does not dilute its status
by expanding the tax break to non-agricultural, non -working lands including nonworking
conservation properties, and 3) legislation to expand funding of the Agricultural Development
and Farm Land Preservation Trust Fund.
Commissioner Johnson said he felt #3 should be deleted. Johnson said supporting the
conservation of working lands and farm land preservation were noble goals, but he questioned
where the money would be found to pay the costs. He said one payment method being studied in
Raleigh was to make a person go back ten years instead of three (if a piece of property is sold
under farm use now, the existing year's difference between farm use and the market price taxation
is used with the owner going back three years to pay.) Johnson said the ten-year arrangement
would be devastating to people with farmland.
Commissioner Williams said every opportunity given to the board to support and retain the
value tax, and to not allow it to be diluted, should be taken.
Commissioner Johnson said the board members needed to review Senate Bill 1907, and
this would explain how #3 would be paid.
Commissioner Williams said he understood that the North Carolina Department of
Revenue would like nothing better than to eliminate farm use altogether, and the board needed to
stand up for it.
OTIO by Commissioner Johnson to endorse #1 and #2 but that the endorsement of
#3 should be withheld for at least the present time.
VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — i (Williams)