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(a) The Office must create a separate account under the Fund, entitled the BLT Account.
(b) The BLT Account must contain payments made to comply with conditions of approval which the Planning Board has imposed for certain plans, and may also contain funds received through donation, appropriation, bond proceeds, or any other source.
(c) Funds in the BLT Account must be spent only on BLT easements. Funds in the BLT Account may be used in conjunction with other funds to buy BLT easements. (2008 L.M.C., ch. 37, § 1; 2015 L.M.C., ch. 36, § 1; 2016 L.M.C., ch. 8, § 1.)
(a) The County Executive must issue regulations under Method 1 to implement this Chapter.
(b) The regulations must specify the:
(1) method of easement valuation;
(2) method of buying easements;
(3) terms of payment for easements; and
(4) method of ranking offers to purchase easements. (2008 L.M.C., ch. 37, § 1.)
(a) The costs of any agricultural land preservation program, including the purchase of any agricultural easement, may be paid from the Fund and any other appropriated funds.
(b) The Office must issue an annual report that identifies the:
(1) number and types of agricultural easements bought;
(2) number of acres preserved by those easements; and
(3) price of each easement. (2008 L.M.C., ch. 37, § 1; 2015 L.M.C., ch. 36, § 1.)
(a) Any violation of this Chapter or regulations issued under it is a Class A violation. The Department of Permitting Services may issue a citation for any violation of this Chapter or the terms of any agricultural easement.
(b) The Office may take legal action, including seeking injunctive or declaratory relief, to prevent any:
(1) subdivision of land under an agricultural easement that violates this Chapter or an agricultural easement; or
(2) transfer of land, including the transfer of lots to or for the landowner or the landowner’s children, that violates this Chapter or an agricultural easement.
(c) The Office may also take legal action to recover any funds obtained from any subdivision or land transfer that violates this Chapter or an agricultural easement, plus costs and a reasonable attorney’s fee.
(d) If the creation of an easement under this Chapter conflicts directly with any County law regulating economic activity, noise, or environmental controls, the easement created under this Chapter prevails.
(e) If the creation of an easement under any regulation issued under this Chapter conflicts directly with any applicable County regulation on economic activity, noise, or environmental controls, the easement created under this Chapter prevails. (2008 L.M.C., ch. 37, § 1; 2015 L.M.C., ch. 36, § 1.)
(a) Definition. In this Section, “Committee” means the Agricultural Advisory Committee.
(b) Established. The Executive must appoint, subject to confirmation by the Council, an Agricultural Advisory Committee.
(c) Composition; Term.
(1) The Committee has 15 voting members.
(2) The Executive should appoint:
(A) 12 members to a 3-year term who are bona fide farmers who represent the total farm community and reflect a variety of farm sizes, geographical locations and agricultural projects, at least 3 of whom must be owner-operators of commercial farm land earning 50% or more of their income from farming, and including:
(i) 1 farm economist; and
(ii) 1 conservationist; and
(B) 3 members who have no significant direct financial interest in farming, to a 1-year term to represent broad non-farm County interests. These members may be appointed to successive terms.
(3) The Committee may designate ex-officio members as necessary.
(4) If a member is appointed to fill a vacancy before a term expires, the successor serves the rest of the unexpired term.
(d) Officers, meetings, and compensation.
(1) The Committee must elect a chair and vice-chair from among its members.
(2) The Committee meets at the call of the Chair. The Committee must meet as often as necessary to perform its duties, but not less than 10 times each year.
(3) A member serves without compensation. However, a member may request reimbursement for mileage and dependent care costs at rates established by the County.
(e) Duties.
(1) The Committee must:
(A) after conferring with the Office of Agriculture, advise the Executive and Council on all matters affecting agriculture in the County;
(B) bring matters of particular importance to the attention of the Executive and Council; and
(C) comment on matters referred to it by the Executive and Council.
(f) Annual Report. By January 30 of each year, the Committee must submit to the Executive and Council an annual report that:
(1) outlines the activities undertaken the previous calendar year;
(2) identifies problems affecting agriculture in the County; and
(3) make recommendations for government programs that may be necessary to maintain a healthy agricultural economy in the County.
(g) Advocacy. The Committee must not engage in any advocacy activity at the State or federal levels unless that activity is approved by the Office fo Intergovernmental Relations.
(h) Staff. The Chief Administrative Officer must provide appropriate staff to the Committee. (2009 L.M.C., ch. 26, § 1; 2010 L.M.C., ch. 49, § 1; 2015 L.M.C., ch. 36, § 1.)
Editor’s note—2009 L.M.C., ch. 26, § 2, states: Transition. Section 2B-21, as added by Sec. 1 of this Act, establishes an Agricultural Advisory Committee. This Committee continues the Agricultural Advisory Committee created under Council Resolution 7-1138 and restructured under Council Resolution 8-705. The County Executive may reappoint, subject to Council confirmation, the members of the Agricultural Advisory Committee. The Executive should continue to stagger the terms of the members of the Agricultural Advisory Committee so that approximately one-third of the terms continue to expire each year.