Rural Land Management Board

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Rural Land Management Board met on April 24, 2019, at 3:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber located at 101 East Vine Street in Lexington, Kentucky. Madam Chair presided over the meeting, which included 11 agenda items covering routine business, committee reports, and specific applications.

The board took five votes during the meeting. Two motions resulted in approvals: the March 20, 2019 minutes were approved, and an amendment to committee appointments was approved. Additionally, the board approved a housing request for Farm 14-2008 Elk Horn Farm, LLC, submitted by Steve Coleman.

The meeting included eight informational presentations and reports. These consisted of the Treasurer's Report, Education & Outreach Committee Report, Applications & Donations Committee Report, Long Range Planning/Ordinance Review Committee Report, Chair's Report, and Staff Report. One public comment was heard during the designated public comment period.

The meeting concluded with a closed session. Overall, the board addressed administrative matters, reviewed committee activities, and made decisions on a specific farm housing application.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on April 24, 2019:

• Healy Bell
• Phil Meyer
• Will Mayer
• Dee Dee Delaney
• Zach Davis
• Gloria
• Mariana
• Maynard Ferguson
• Mary Diane Hanna
• Elizabeth Jensen
• Dennis Anderson
• Jim Duncan
• Bruce Simpson
• Steve Coleman
• Charlie Farmer
• Tracy
• Beth
• Bill Wilson
• Councilmember Plowman

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included five votes, all conducted by voice vote and all passed unanimously.

Approval of Minutes 2:14 The body approved minutes with corrections to KRS 61.810(1)(b) and adjournment time. Healy Bell moved for approval, seconded by Phil Meyer and Will Mayer.

Committee Appointments Amendment 3:21 An amendment to committee appointments passed, deleting John McNamara and adding Marianna to the Applications & Donations committee. Dee Dee Delaney moved for approval, seconded by Zach Davis.

Meeting Date Change 5:05 A motion to reschedule the next meeting from May 22nd to May 29th passed to align with the full council budget meeting. Phil Meyer moved for approval, seconded by Don Robinson.

Bylaws Revision 16:51 The body adopted revised bylaws to reflect council ordinance changes. The revisions included increasing membership to 16, updating quorum and acquisition vote requirements, and deleting the executive committee provision. Phil Meyer moved for approval, seconded by Zach Davis.

Elkhorn Farm, LLC Development Approval 46:54 The body approved a request from Elkhorn Farm, LLC to build a primary residence with conditions. The approval requires removing necessary asphalt to remain under the 2% impervious surface threshold. The approval applies to one of two previously approved sites. The applicant may proceed to apply for a building permit. If the federal government approves, the applicant may install pervious asphalt without returning to the board. Phil Meyer moved for approval, seconded by Zach Davis.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed a grant closeout matter involving the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). A closeout letter from NRCS confirmed the agency's review of expenditures totaling $904,000 from a 2015 grant. This letter documented the completion of the review process for the grant funds that had been expended during the grant period.

Public Comment

26:56

Bruce Simpson presented a request regarding Elkhorn Farm, LLC's proposal to build a primary residence on a PDR-protected farm. Simpson explained that the property had received prior approval for a home in 2012. However, current impervious surface limits have created a barrier to moving forward with construction.

Simpson requested approval of the housing request on the condition that asphalt would be removed from the property to ensure the development stays under the 2% impervious surface threshold.

Appointments

The following personnel changes were made to the Applications & Donations Committee:

• Mariana was appointed to the Applications & Donations Committee
• John McNamara resigned from the Applications & Donations Committee

Contested Items

Elkhorn Farm Housing Request

The board addressed a contentious housing request from Elkhorn Farm that involved disagreement over the interpretation and application of regulatory requirements. The core dispute centered on impervious surface limits and federal approval requirements, with conflicting interpretations of how these rules had been applied historically.

The applicant faced frustration due to inconsistent application of rules over time, suggesting that previous decisions or guidance had not aligned with the standards being applied to this request. This inconsistency created complexity in the review process and made it difficult for the applicant to understand what was required for approval.

Despite the disagreement, the board ultimately approved the request, though the approval came with conditions. The split vote indicated that board members did not unanimously support the decision, reflecting the contentious nature of the matter and the legitimate concerns raised by different parties during the discussion.

Approval of the March 20, 2019 Minutes

The meeting minutes from March 20, 2019 were presented for approval. 0:00

Corrections Made

The minutes were approved with two corrections: - A reference to KRS 61.810(1)(b) - The adjournment time, which was estimated at 6:00 PM

Motion and Vote

Healy Bell made the motion to approve the minutes as corrected. The motion was seconded by both Phil Meyer and Will Mayer. The minutes were subsequently approved.

Amendment to Committee Appointments

3:21

A motion was presented to amend the committee appointments for the Applications & Donations committee. The motion proposed removing John McNamara, who had resigned from the position, and adding Marianna to the committee.

Dee Dee Delaney presented the motion, which was seconded by Zach Davis. The motion received unanimous approval with no concerns raised or debate recorded.

Outcome: The amendment was approved. John McNamara was removed from the Applications & Donations committee due to his resignation, and Marianna was added to fill the vacancy.

Treasurer's Report

Phil Meyer presented the Treasurer's Report on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee 3:54.

Committee Actions

The Budget & Finance Committee recommended rescheduling the next board meeting from May 22nd to May 29th. This change was made to align the board meeting with the full council budget meeting.

Budget Review

The committee reviewed and approved the operating expense budget.

Outcome

This report was presented for informational purposes.

Education & Outreach Committee Report

6:11

Zach presented the Education & Outreach Committee Report, providing updates on recent committee activities and upcoming initiatives.

Committee Meetings and Collaboration

The committee reported on two recent meetings and highlighted ongoing collaboration with city communications staff. A key focus of this partnership has been the development of a new logo and signage for the PDR (Planned Development Review) program.

Communications and Digital Presence

The committee discussed updates to social media and website content as part of broader efforts to enhance public communication and engagement around the committee's work.

Strategic Messaging Initiative

The committee is developing a strategic message theme centered on "redefine and re-educate," which will guide future outreach and communication efforts.

Next Meeting

The Education & Outreach Committee's next meeting is scheduled for the first week of June.

Outcome

This item was presented for informational purposes.

Applications & Donations Committee Report

Will Mayer presented the Applications & Donations Committee Report 8:56.

The committee discussed several issues affecting the organization's operations:

Key Issues Addressed - Delays in processing Permanent Deed Restriction (PDR) applications - Perception issues related to the application process - Challenges involving absentee landowners - Donation solicitation procedures

Committee Actions The committee agreed to take the following steps: - Revise application materials to address identified concerns - Develop a donation-specific application form to streamline the donation process

Next Steps The committee scheduled its next meeting for May 21st.

The report was presented as informational, providing the broader organization with an update on committee activities and planned improvements to application and donation procedures.

Long Range Planning/Ordinance Review Committee Report

13:01

Dee Dee Delaney reported on the Long Range Planning/Ordinance Review Committee's activities and recommendations.

Code Amendments

The committee reported on code amendments that included: - Clarifying payout terms - Updating B-list site language

Bylaw Updates

The committee recommended updating bylaws to reflect recent council ordinance changes. Additionally, the committee recommended removing the executive committee provision from the bylaws.

Next Meeting

The committee's next meeting is scheduled for May 6th.

Chair's Report

Beth presented an update on recent outreach activities and engagement efforts. 18:13

The Chair reported on meetings and interactions with several organizations and groups:

• American Bloom Board
• Bluegrass Trust
• Farm Bureau
• Participation in a diversity fair

Beth highlighted positive engagement with out-of-state visitors who expressed interest in the PDR (Purchase of Development Rights) program. This outreach demonstrated external interest in the organization's work and initiatives.

The report was presented as informational, with no formal debate or concerns raised during this agenda item. The outcome reflected the routine sharing of Chair activities and community engagement efforts.

Staff Report

21:31

Beth presented a staff report covering ongoing outreach activities and program progress.

Outreach Activities

Staff reported on recent meetings with the Ocala Chamber of Commerce and coordination efforts with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Program Progress

The report included discussion of progress toward closing additional farms by June 30th.

Outcome

This item was presented for informational purposes.

Farm 14-2008 Elk Horn Farm, LLC – Steve Coleman, Housing Request

26:56

Bruce Simpson presented a housing request from Steve Coleman of Elkhorn Farm, LLC to construct a primary residence on a property protected under the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program.

Request Details

The proposal involved building a primary residence on the PDR-protected farm. A key requirement of the request was the removal of asphalt to ensure the property remained compliant with impervious surface limitations. GIS analysis confirmed that after the asphalt removal, the property would have 1.88% impervious surface remaining, staying under the 2% threshold.

Conditions and Approvals

The request was contingent on completing the asphalt removal as specified. Additionally, federal government approval was required for the use of pervious asphalt on the property.

Outcome

The request was approved.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one member of the public addressed the board regarding the Elkhorn Farm housing request. 45:17

Bruce Simpson provided the sole public comment received during this portion of the meeting. No other public comments were submitted or presented.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken during the public comment period.

Closed Session

The Board entered closed session pursuant to KRS 61.810(1)(b) at approximately 00:48:03 to discuss potential acquisition of a real property interest. The session was closed to the public because discussion of the matter in open session may affect the value of the property under consideration.

No additional details regarding specific speakers, presentations, debates, or concerns raised during the closed session are available in the meeting record. The outcome of the closed session discussion was not disclosed in the public record.