Article II - Agricultural Advisory Board

The following terms are defined for purposes of this Chapter:

1. Board - The Henderson County Agricultural Advisory Board.
2. Board of Commissioners - The Henderson County Board of Commissioners.
3. Chairman - The Chairman of the Agricultural Advisory Board.
4. District - A voluntary agricultural district.

A County Agricultural Advisory Board, to consist of 5 members appointed by the Board of Commissioners, is
hereby established.

1. Each Board member shall be a resident of Henderson County, and shall be selected in accord with N.C. Gen. Stat. §106-739.  
2. 3 of the 5 members should be actively engaged in farming, and they may be selected for appointment by the Board of Commissioners from a list of possible candidates submitted to the Board of Commissioners by the Henderson County Soil and Water Conservation District, Henderson County Cooperative Extension, Farm Service Agency County Committee, and AgriBusiness Henderson County. Appointments should be made with an effort to have the broadest geographical representation possible. 
3. All members are to serve for terms of 4 years, except that the initial Board is to consist of 1 appointee for a term of 2 years; 2 appointees for terms of 3 years and 2 appointees for terms of 4 years. Thereafter, all appointments are to be for terms of 4 years, with reappointments permitted.
4. Any vacancy on the Agricultural Advisory Board is to be filled by the Board of Commissioners for the remainder of the unexpired term.
5. Any member of the Agricultural Advisory Board may be removed with or without cause by the Board of Commissioners.

1. The Board is to elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman each year at its first meeting of the fiscal year. The Chairman shall preside over all regular or special meetings of the Board. The Board shall adopt its own bylaws, and such bylaws or amendments thereto must be approved by the Henderson County Board of Commissioners.
2. The Board will use the County fiscal year as its meeting year. Meetings of the Board shall be publicized and conducted in accordance with provisions of the North Carolina Open Meetings Law. Such meetings shall be held at the call of the Chairman and at such other times as the Board in its rules of procedure may specify.
3. The Board shall keep minutes of the proceedings showing the vote of each member upon each question or, if absent or failing to vote, indicating such fact. The Board shall keep records of its examinations and other official actions, all of which shall be immediately filed in the office of the Board and shall be a public record.
4. The Henderson County Agricultural Advisory Board shall contract with the Soil and Water Conservation District office to serve the Board for recordkeeping, correspondence and application procedures under this Chapter and whatever other services the Board needs to complete its duties.

1. The Agricultural Advisory Board shall:
   
   1. Review and approve applications for qualified farmland and voluntary agricultural districts and make recommendations concerning the establishment and modification of agricultural districts, subject to the appeal of such decisions to the Board of Commissioners pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §106-739(a)(1).
   2. Hold public hearings pursuant to Article VI of this Chapter.
   3. Advise the Board of Commissioners on projects, programs or issues affecting the agricultural economy or activities within the County that will affect agricultural districts.
   4. Execute agreements with landowners necessary for enrollment of land in a voluntary agricultural district.
   5. Perform other related tasks or duties assigned by the Board of Commissioners.
2. Each district shall be assigned to a member of the Board who shall monitor and represent that district in all business conducted by the Board. Individual members will represent those districts closest to them geographically. No member will represent more than 30% of the total number of districts in the County or 30% of the total land area.