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Council accepts farmland‑preservation commission rankings and agrees to appraise top five properties
Summary
The council accepted a five‑property ranking from the Farmland Preservation Commission and authorized appraisals so staff can determine how many easements the $2 million bond can fund; debate focused on appraisal costs and whether to fund top properties first.
The Corrales Village Council voted to accept a ranking of five candidate parcels for farmland‑preservation easements funded by a voter‑approved $2 million bond and to proceed with appraisals to determine how many easements can be purchased.
The Farmland Preservation Commission recommended this priority order: (1) Indigenous Farm Hub (Trillo Fields north parcel), (2) the Homes property noted for historic apple trees, (3) the John Whitney parcel, (4) a Christina Marshall parcel, and (5) a Wildlife Rescue parcel. Michael Cisco (staff) told the council appraisals typically run about $15,000 per parcel for the type of development‑rights valuation the village needs.
Councilors debated whether to pay appraisals for all five parcels immediately or to option the highest‑ranked properties first and appraise those to confirm final costs before committing to additional appraisals. Councilor Murray and others said the village can fund appraisals from bond proceeds; Councilor Berquette urged the body to preserve the rankings’ meaning by prioritizing funding for the highest‑ranked properties.
Several applicants addressed council. Alan Brower of the Indigenous Farm Hub described ongoing educational programming, apprenticeships and a CSA that serves about 200 families weekly and emphasized the site’s community and cultural value. Eric Johnson (public commenter) raised concerns earlier in the meeting about transparency around water‑rights and closed‑door sessions; councilors said appraisal and option steps will follow existing public processes.
Council directed staff to move forward with the appraisal process and return with cost estimates and recommended next steps, including option agreements if appropriate, so council can set the percentage of appraised development‑rights value (a 75% benchmark was discussed) it will acquire.
