§ 82-9. Application and evaluation procedure.

Each application for a conservation easement shall be processed as follows:

A. 

Application materials to be provided to owner. The application materials provided by the program administrator to an owner shall include, at a minimum, a standard application form, a sample deed of easement and information about the program.

B. 

Application form.

(1) 

Each application shall be submitted on a standard form prepared by the program administrator. The application form shall require, at a minimum, that the owner:

(a) 

Provide the name and address of all owners of the parcel;

(b) 

The acreage of the parcel;

(c) 

The Tax Map and parcel number;

(d) 

The zoning designation of the parcel;

(e) 

Permission for the program administrator to enter the property after reasonable notice to the owner to evaluate the parcel and for the County's Assessor or an independent appraiser to appraise the property;

(f) 

Identification of all lien holders on the parcel, including, without limitation, holders of deed of trust liens and judgment liens; and

(g) 

Identify whether it is his desire to donate or sell an easement.

(2) 

The application form shall also include a space for an owner to indicate whether he volunteers to have his parcel be subject to greater restrictions than those contained in the standard sample deed of easement, and to state those voluntary, additional restrictions.

C. 

Submittal of application. Applications shall be submitted to the office of the program administrator. An application may be submitted at any time. However, applications involving an easement purchase received after June 1 shall be evaluated in the following fiscal year.

D. 

Evaluation by program administrator. The program administrator shall evaluate each complete application received and determine whether the parcel satisfies the eligibility criteria set forth in § 82-6 and shall make recommendations thereon to the Authority.

E. 

Evaluation by Authority. The Authority shall hold a public meeting to review the list of parcels submitted by the program administrator and identify on which parcels, if any, it desires conservation easements.

F. 

Application. An owner of a parcel not selected by the Authority for purchase or acceptance of a conservation easement may reapply in any future year.