Commissioners show support for Ag easements

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The Fayette County Commissioners recently showed official support of nominations of local applicants to the Ohio Department of Agriculture Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program.

According to www. , “the Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) provides funding to farmland owners for placing an agricultural easement on their property. Monies are issued for up to 75 percent of the appraised value of a farm’s development rights. A payment cap has been set at $2,000 per acre, with a maximum of $500,000 per farm. All easement transactions are recorded on the property deed and transfer with the land to successive owners.

“Funds from the purchase of these easements are invested in the local economy by the landowners who use them by expanding their farming operations, purchasing new equipment, reducing debt, adding conservation practices, planning for retirement, sending their children to college or for other purposes. When the state purchases a farmland easement, the proceeds are plowed into Ohio’s economy.”

The commissioners’ support was shown by a resolution. According to minutes from the meeting and the resolution, on March 14, the commissioners received a request from the Fayette Soil & Water Conservation District for support of their application to the State of Ohio for purchase of agricultural easements of county properties.

Those properties include the following land owners and locations:

—Michael Bentley, Jefferson Township, 191.19 acres, 15360 Pleasant View Road NW

—Spahr Farms LLC – 1100, Jefferson Township, 94.52 acres, Pleasant View Road NW

—Carson Trust – North, Marion Township, 107.05 acres, 5674 Washington Waterloo Road

—Spahr Farms LLC – 1900, Jefferson Township, 28.09 acres, 14870 Pleasant View Road NW

—Carson Trust – 102, Marion Township, 180.84 acres, Hess Road

—Carson Trust – West, Marion Township, 383.39 acres, 5674 Washington Waterloo Road

—Carson Trust – East, Marion Township, 385.26 acres, 5674 Washington Waterloo Road

According to minutes of the meeting, “the Fayette County Board of Commissioners has reviewed this request and has determined that the nomination of the property for the purchase of agricultural easements is compatible with the long-range goals regarding farmland preservation of the county area.”

Only one local sponsor can co-hold the easement with Ohio Department of Agriculture. Fayette Soil & Water Conservation District will be this co-holder.

In other news from the commissioners’ office, two bids were received for the Fayette County Raised Pavement Marking project:

—A & A Safety Inc. out of Amelia for $85,533.25

—Eaton Construction out of Circleville for $89,002.84

The engineer’s estimate for the project was $78,833. The bid from A & A Safety Inc. for $85,533.25 was accepted.

Bids for a different project, the reconstruction of the parallel taxiway — Phase 2 — at the Fayette County Airport, will be received on April 4 at 3 p.m. in the commissioners’ office. The approximate estimate for this project is $3,071,000.

A contract was entered into with Cox Paving LLC for the 2022 Fayette County Paving Program in the amount of $1,064,505.24, including Alternates A, B, C and D.

Information in this article was provided by the Fayette County Commissioners’ Office. Stay with the Record-Herald weekly for more updates. The Fayette County Commissioners’ Office is located at 133 S. Main St., suite 401 in Washington Court House, and their office hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can be reached at 740-335-0720. Condensed minutes from the meetings are available on the county website.

Reach journalist Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355.

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By Jennifer Woods

[email protected]

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