The Commission shall consist of seven members appointed as follows:
(A)
Five of the members shall be voting members. The voting members shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors and shall be residents of or employed in the County. Each Supervisor shall nominate one person to serve on the Commission. Membership on the Commission shall be open to those who are active in the production of agricultural commodities or a related agricultural industry. Each Supervisor may also nominate one alternate member to serve on the Commission when the regular member appointed by that Supervisor is absent or is unable to vote on an item for any reason. Such alternate member may vote only when the regular member nominated by the same Supervisor is absent.
(B)
The other two members of the Commission are the Director of the County Cooperative Extension and the County Agricultural Commissioner. These individuals shall have seats on the Commission but shall not vote.
(prior code § 3.59.030; Ord. 2521, 1978; Ord. 5290 § 5, 2019; Ord. 5468 § 1, 2025)
Each member shall serve for a term of four years, commencing April 1st of the year in which the member's nominating Supervisor begins a full term.
(prior code § 3.59.040; Ord. 2521, 1978)
(B)
Staff Support.
(1)
The Community Development and Infrastructure Department shall cooperate in providing staff support for the Commission. Such support shall consist of a Secretary to the Commission, coordination with and support to the Agricultural Commissioner related functions, application receipt and processing, agenda preparation and public noticing, staff report preparation, and presentation of appeals of Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission decisions to the Board of Supervisors.
(2)
The Agricultural Commissioner, or their designee, shall provide staff support for the Commission. The Agricultural Commissioner, or their designee, shall prepare minutes of Commission meetings and annual reports from the Commission to the Board of Supervisors in coordination with the Secretary, and receive copies of all minutes, reports and recommendations submitted to the Board of Supervisors by the Commission.
(C)
Compensation. Each member or alternate member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission shall receive as compensation for services a sum as established annually by the Board of Supervisors for each meeting of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission at which the member is in attendance. Compensation for attendance at meetings of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission shall be in addition to expenses or other compensation, which such members may otherwise be entitled by law to receive.
(prior code § 3.59.050; Ord. 2521, 1978; Ord. 2677, 1979; Ord. 5290 § 5, 2019; Ord. 5468 § 2, 2025)
The Commission shall perform the following duties:
(A)
Advise and assist the Board of Supervisors by providing information on the County's agricultural industry and evaluating matters referred to the Commission by the Board;
(B)
Review, in cooperation with the Community Development and Infrastructure Department, proposed development projects having the potential to affect agricultural lands, as designated on the County's Agricultural Resources Map and Commercial Agricultural Zone District. Such review shall consist of buffer setback determinations, agricultural viability determinations, agricultural land use regulation and policy interpretations, recommendations regarding land division proposals in, or adjoining, CA Zone Districts, and recommendations regarding proposed amendments to the agricultural land type designations as shown on the Agricultural Resources Map. The Commission shall also perform the functions specified in Chapters 13.10, 13.14, and 16.50 SCCC.
(C)
Exercise any other responsibilities which may be set forth in the Commission's bylaws approved by the Board of Supervisors.
(prior code § 3.59.020; Ord. 2521, 1978; Ord. 2677, 1979; Ord. 5290 § 5, 2019; Ord. 5468 § 3, 2025)