Rural Land Management Board

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Fayette County Conservation District Board held its meeting on August 27, 2025. The meeting covered 3 agenda items, including discussions on a Soil Health Grant and American Farmland Trust partnership, a primary residence request for Farm 12024, and new PDR (Purchase of Development Rights) applications. The board took 3 votes during the session and heard no public comments. One action item was approved — the primary residence request for Farm 12024 — while the remaining two agenda items were informational in nature.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the August 27, 2025 Board meeting:

• Christine Stanley
• Phil Meyer
• Jim Coleman
• Margaret Graves
• Will Mayer
• Joanna
• Robert James
• Hannah
• Heather
• Olivia
• Council Member Morton
• Tiffany
• Gloria Philhager
• Beth

Absent: Tracy

Late arrival: Mary Quinn

Votes and Decisions

Three motions were brought before the Board during the August 27, 2025 meeting, all of which passed unanimously.

• Approval of July 23rd Minutes 6:08: Phil Meyer moved and Jim Coleman seconded a motion to approve the minutes from the July 23rd meeting, with a correction to Phil Meyer's title. The motion passed unanimously, with votes in favor from Phil Meyer, Jim Coleman, Hannah, and Christine Stanley.

• Approval of Primary Residence Request 25:22: Margaret moved and Jim Coleman seconded a motion to approve a primary residence request. The motion passed unanimously, with votes in favor from Margaret, Jim Coleman, and Robert James. The approval is contingent on the closing of the conservation easement.

• Approval of November 7th PDR Application Deadline 35:07: The Board approved setting November 7th as the deadline for Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) applications, with the condition that staff retains flexibility to adjust the deadline based on federal recommendations. The motion passed unanimously, with votes recorded in favor from Margaret and Phil. No maker of motion or second was recorded for this item.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Board approved two financial disbursements during the meeting.

• A $4,000 grant payment was approved to the Fayette County Conservation District. No resolution identifier was associated with this item in the meeting record.

• A $6,100 contract payment was approved to Charlie Farmer for the completion of 61 inspections, representing a per-inspection rate of $100. No resolution identifier was recorded for this item.

No additional budget resolutions, fund transfers, or financial reports were presented during this portion of the meeting. Resolution numbers were not available for either item in the meeting record.

Soil Health Grant and American Farmland Trust

7:11

Heather Silvanek presented information regarding a $10,000 grant received from the American Farmland Trust and the planned allocation of those funds.

The discussion outlined the following proposed uses of the grant money:

• $4,000 designated for the Fayette County Conservation District's cover crop incentive program
• $3,000 allocated for PDR (Purchase of Development Rights) new farm signs

This item was informational in nature, with no vote or formal action taken by the Board. The remaining grant funds were not detailed in the available summary.

Primary Residence Request for Farm 12024

16:59

The Board discussed a request for a primary residence on farm number 12024. Key speakers on this item were Beth and George Crawford.

The discussion covered details of the planned construction as well as the conditions under which approval would be granted. The Board considered the specifics of the request before reaching a decision.

The request was approved by the Board.

New PDR Applications

27:41

Beth presented an informational update on new Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) applications, focusing on an upcoming application deadline and the potential for federal funding support.

The discussion centered on two key topics:

• Application Deadline: Beth noted that a deadline for PDR applications is approaching, prompting the Board to be aware of the timeline for incoming submissions.
• Federal Funding Opportunity: Beth highlighted the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) as a potential source of federal funding that could support PDR efforts. ACEP is a federal program that provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands through easements.

No specific application details, acreage figures, or landowner names were presented at this time. The item was informational in nature, and no formal action or vote was taken by the Board.