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October 30, 2007 (Special Meeting) Page 606 The Board of Commissioners for the County of Cabarrus held a special meeting in Gold Hall II at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center in Concord, North Carolina on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting was to receive information about the Agricultural Development and Farmland Trust Fund. Present - Vice Chairman: Joni D. Juba Commissioners: CoyC. Privette H. Jay White, Sr. Absent - Chairman: Robert W. Carruth Commissioner: Grace Mynatt Also present were John D. Day, County Manager; Mike Downs, Deputy County Manager; Brent Weisner, Tax Administrator; Debbie Bost, County Extension Director and Kay Honeycutt, Clerk to the Board. Approximately, 150 members of the agricultural community were also in attendance. Call to Order Vice Chairman Juba called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. Introductory Comments John D. Day, County Manager, commented on the importance of the agricultural community to the County and the General Assembly's appropriation of funding to encourage counties to become more agriculturally sustainable. - Overview of Agricultural Development and Debbie Bost, Extension Director, presented a PowerPoint presentation entitled, "Sustainable Agriculture in Cabarrus County". Items addressed in the presentation included the following: amount of farmland lost to development between 2003-2006; housing densities (1990 - 2030); the agricultural products produced in Cabarrus County; benefits of agriculture; agricultural stewardship and challenges; the N.C. Farmland Preservation Program; Farmland Preservation funding; North Carolina Agriculture Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (NCADFP); NCADFP Trust Fund Advisory Committee; FY 07-08 appropriation; uses; who is eligible to apply; tools available to preserve North Carolina farms; Farmland Protection Plan; Voluntary Agriculture Districts; conservation easements; agriculture agreements; programs that promote sustainable agriculture; preservation of North Carolina's number one industry; county-wide economic benefits; quality of life issues; the ability to buy locally grown products; FY 07/08 grant timeline; NCADFP Trust fund Fall 2007 workshops; current activities; and why is this important. Remarks on the Importance of Agriculture in Cabarrus County 6 Support for this Process John D. Day, County Manager, commented on the importance of having a balanced and sustainable economy, the effect residential growth on the County's budget, the need to increase the .County's property tax rate to build and operate schools and ongoing efforts to balance residential growth. Ned Hudson, Chairman of the Soil & Water Conservation Board and member of the Trust Fund Advisory Committee, commented on the County's ability to apply for the $8 million in funding in one or all of the following categories: conservation easements, farmland agreements and sustainable agriculture. Mr. Day explained there is no cap on the amount of grant funding the County can apply for, but a 15 percent local match is required. He also commented on the need to develop a competitive program and a food council. Carl Pless, Agricultural Extension Agent, identified beef cattle as the top income producer for the agricultural community. He also commented on the lack of a local processing facility, direct marketing efforts and responded to questions from the audience. Public Comments/Questions The following citizens addressed the Board: