Travis County Commissioners Court

April 24, 2012 - Item 37
Agenda

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Thirty-seven, and my note here says that stan needs to give us open court briefing.
Thirty-seven, take appropriate action and provide direction to county staff with regard to potential options for costs sharing and federal grant funding opportunities in acquiring conservation easements as part of the 2011 bond program in precinct 1, consultation with attorney and real property exceptions to the open meetings act and I will announce 38 and 38 after we complete the open court discussion on 37.

>> thank you, judge.
there were a couple of policy issues I want to make you aware of before we adjourn to talk about the confidential real estate matters.
this is a an opportunity that came up recently to acquire large conservation easement and the issues are it could very easily exhaust the 2011 bond moneys for conservation easements and there is a question of, if we were to follow through and spend the money in that fashion, it means all of the funds that were approved in the bond referendum will have been spent in one precinct.
it may or may not be an issue for you but it's the way it would pan out.

>> are you talking about $8 million?

>> yes, sir.
there is also the fact we don't have adopted guidelines yet and we processed two of these easements without that and it went okay but it's being a pretty huge deal.
you may want to wait to do that.
the urgency here, though, is that we were advised by the nrcs representative for this area that he has a very limited amount of time to commit funds that he currently has available and that could be up to 4 and a half million dollars of federal money coming to us looking for a 50% local match, and we can extend that even further -- extend the leverages even further if we can get participation from the property owner in a land trust.
and those are the big issues that I thought you needed to hear about before we went into the executive session.

>> thank you for letting us know in open session.

>> we heard at length this morning, language to the effect that the county would only be asking for 10%.

>> no.
I mean, that's probably the minimum that's in -- that was in -- considered in the bond referendum, but we -- in the other two that we have done already, we have put up more than that.
I think we put up 25% on the first one and maybe as high as 50% on the second one that we acquired.
but I think that's the minimum goal, is to have a 10% funds coming from other sources -- or us putting up 10% minimum to be matched with other sources.

>> but the project you just mentioned is asking us for 50%?

>> 50 percent local match is called to use these funds, 4 and a half million dollars.

>> we have 8 million and they are asking us to use half of that?

>> well, it could turn out that way, but we also also have the ability to reduce our cost share by asking the property owner to reduce the sale of his property which is what we did at previous easements.

>> or giving land trust.

>> or give a land trust to participate which is what we did on the first easement we acquired.

After returning from Executive Session the Commissioners Court took the following action on ITem 37.

37 is the possible acquisition of conservation easement.
Commissioner Davis, I think on that one we asked staff to contact -- powers that be at the state.

>> yeah, let me just make a motion to the fact that I would like the staff to draft a letter and to the -- to the nrcs, natural resource conservation services, to let them know that we have interest in this particular conservation easement within precinct 1.
and that you, judge, be authorized to sign this letter and this item be placed back on the agenda next week for consideration.

>> okay.

>> seconded by Commissioner Gomez.
discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.

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