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Council debates open‑space role, small‑parcel funding and greenbelt rollback tax options
Summary
COSAC presented program history, mapping and application scoring; council requested policy guidance on three tiers of county involvement (funding partner vs. perpetual easement holder), municipal co‑matching for small urban parcels, and possible uses for HB 237 greenbelt rollback taxes while directing the Ordinance and Policy Committee to vet greenbelt tax proposals.
At the June 9 COSAC workshop (materials included in the June 23 packet), COSAC Chair Chris Sands summarized the open space program launched after a citizen‑approved bond in November 2022. Sands said over ~30 months the committee processed more than 20 potential projects representing over 2,000 acres and described a two‑round application and scoring process for conservation and trail projects.
Seneca Francis demonstrated a new GIS Story Map and analytical dashboard that archives at least 17,000 acres of conservation easements and tracks score sheets, approval dates, packet details and funds spent. Committee members and county staff discussed whether the county should act only as a funding partner, actively facilitate stalled projects, or become a perpetual easement holder responsible for monitoring and legal defense (three tiers). Council asked COSAC to outreach to local municipalities about co‑matching small urban parcel projects and referred HB 237 greenbelt rollback tax questions to the Ordinance and Policy Committee for legal and policy vetting.
Sands and county staff also discussed the financial efficacy of easements versus fee‑title purchases and potential liquidation or restrictive easement strategies to replenish bond funds. The council recommended adding municipal engagement as an explicit scoring metric for Round Two evaluations and to continue developing policy options for small parcels and rollback tax use.
