The Delaware County Board of Commissioners authorized the county administrator to represent the board and execute documents needed to close on agricultural easements under the Ohio Department of Agriculture Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program and approved a title-services agreement to prepare title work for those easements.

Scott Stevens, administrator with the Soil and Water Conservation District, told commissioners the paperwork for three easements and an additional 2022 carryover is complete on the county's side but remains under review at the state Office of Farmland Preservation. "It's purely a matter of their review down at the department at the Office of Farmland Preservation," Stevens said, adding that he hopes to have the closings completed "by the first of the year," subject to the state's review and staffing transitions.

The board also approved an agreement with Title First Agency Inc. to perform title services for the Agricultural Easement Purchase Program, a step Stevens said is standard when moving an applicant into closing. Stevens said the office typically receives title work in about a month and noted the state received more than 40 applications statewide this year, meaning the county applications are part of a larger batch awaiting review.

Both resolutions (Resolution 25-688 authorizing closing representation and Resolution 25-689 approving the title-services agreement) passed by voice vote with Commissioners Barb Lewis, Gary Merrill and Jeff Benton voting "aye." No new county funding for the easements was authorized at the meeting; staff said the next step is to review closing packets when the state returns them and to schedule the closings once that review is complete.

Stevens also noted the retirement of a long-time state staffer handling closings, which he said has contributed to processing delays at the Ohio Department of Agriculture.