Rural Land Management Board

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Fayette County Rural Land Management Board convened at 3:02 PM on June 25, 2025, with Gloria presiding. The meeting covered three agenda items focused on land conservation programs and easement management. Two items were informational in nature — an update on the Small Farm Conservation Easement Program and a discussion of PDR Easement Acquisitions and NRCS Funding — while the board also took up and approved an Easement Monitoring Contract for Charlie Farmer. Over the course of the meeting, the board held 3 votes and heard no public comments.

Attendance

Present: Gloria, Hannah, Phil Hager, Phil Meyer, Robert, Mary Quinn, Christine, and Margaret. Note that Margaret arrived late to the meeting.

Absent: Joanna, Stephen, Beth, and Will.

Votes and Decisions

Three votes were taken during the June 25, 2025 Board meeting, all of which passed unanimously with a 7-0-0 vote (7 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions). All seven members — Gloria, Hannah, Phil Hager, Phil Meyer, Robert, Mary Quinn, and Christine — voted in favor on each motion.

• Enter Closed Session: Motioned by Gloria and seconded by Robert, the Board voted to enter closed session to discuss a potential acquisition of a real property interest. The motion passed unanimously. 1:06:16

• Extend Appeals Deadline: Motioned by Phil Meyer and seconded by Christine, the Board voted to extend the deadline for appeals on rankings to July 11th. The motion passed unanimously. 1:10:21

• Adjourn the Meeting: Motioned by Phil Meyer and seconded by Robert, the Board voted to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously. 1:12:10

Budget and Financial Actions

The Board addressed one financial item during the June 25, 2025 meeting.

• Baseline Documentation Reports — $400 (Charlie Farmer): The Board approved a contract with Charlie Farmer in the amount of $400 for baseline documentation reports. No contract identifier or resolution number was associated with this item in the meeting record.

Contested Items

Military Pike Expansion 52:09

A proposed road expansion by the Kentucky Department of Transportation (Kentucky DOT) generated concern among local farm owners at the meeting. The dispute centers on Kentucky DOT's plan to expand onto a farm protected by a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) easement. According to the information presented, the proposed expansion is not permitted under the terms of that easement, creating a conflict between the state transportation agency's infrastructure plans and the legal protections afforded to the farm.

The existence of the PDR easement is at the heart of the disagreement — such easements are specifically designed to restrict certain types of development or land use changes on protected agricultural land, and community members raised concern that the proposed expansion would run counter to those restrictions.

No resolution or final outcome was recorded for this item in the meeting data.

Update on Small Farm Conservation Easement Program

4:36

Gloria presented an update on the Small Farm Conservation Easement Program during the June 25, 2025 Board meeting. The presentation covered the initial rankings associated with the program, and a closed session was planned in connection with this item.

No additional details or updates beyond the initial rankings and the planned closed session were provided at this time. The item was informational in nature, with no action taken or decisions made during the open session portion of the presentation.

PDR Easement Acquisitions and NRCS Funding

4:36

Gloria presented good news regarding the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program, announcing that the agency has received match funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for two additional easement acquisitions, totaling $265,000.

This item was informational in nature, with no action required from the Board. No concerns or debate were noted during the presentation.

Easement Monitoring Contract for Charlie Farmer

45:06

Gloria presented a contract with Charlie Farmer for easement monitoring services. Under the agreement, Farmer would conduct 250 monitoring visits over the course of the next year at a rate of $100 per visit.

The Board approved the contract.