Carbon County farmland owner says state payment was lost in transit; board pledges follow-up

A farmland owner told the Carbon County Farmland Preservation Board that a scheduled state payment under his farmland-preservation agreement did not arrive on time and that the state now says the check is lost in transit.

The landowner, identified in the meeting as Mr. Bohn, told the board during public comment that he elected a multi-payment arrangement and has been waiting for a March 1 installment. He said the state’s controller office showed a first check had been cut after settlement and that a later payment request was recorded but the second check could not be located. “To my knowledge, they tell me it's lost. They think it's in Mifflinburg,” Mr. Bohn said.

Why it matters: the preservation agreement in this case accrues simple interest at 2 percent, according to the commenter. If a payment is late or lost, the difference can amount to “about $40 a day,” Mr. Bohn said, a sum he described as material. Board members and staff discussed whether the county or the state bears responsibility for timely mailing and whether any…