After a lengthy discussion, the Howell Township Council has decided to allocate money for the reappraisal of Howell properties dedicated to farmland preservation.
Officials considered the prospect of reappraising the parcels, which would cost the township between $12,000 to $15,000 for four to five properties, at a Nov. 24 council meeting following a discussion about potential money available in Howell’s open space fund and the need to actively pursue farmland preservation.
“We have not put money into farmland preservation in a while, and that is so important on all levels,” Councilwoman Pauline Smith said.
According to Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Filiatreault, the current balance in the open space fund is just over $1 million. However, with the addition of grant money from the state and Monmouth County, the fund is expected to grow to $2.4 million during 2010.
“Right now I’m trying to give us a general feel of where we’re at, what we have to pay for already, where we would like to go and how we would like to go about it,” Mayor Robert Walsh explained in regard to using open space funds for farm preservation.
However, the council members found there is little that can be done at the present time, short of pursuing preservation entirely within the municipality’s limited funds.
This is due to obstacles on the state and county levels that have appeared to stall preservation progress, according to Preservation Task Force member Frank Kryskowiak and Chairman John Costigan, who were on hand to examine the issue.
Costigan said land acquired through the county Planning Incentive Grant program (PIG) usually takes a heavy burden off municipalities by requiring the state and county to help purchase farmland, pitching in 60 percent and 24 percent of the cost, respectively. The township is then only expected to contribute 16 percent of the property cost.
“But that may change,” he said. “The criteria has changed — it’s more stringent now. We don’t know what the state is going to pay us, or even if they will.”
Costigan explained that the criteria and application process for PIG has become more difficult because the state now has “finite” funds for land preservation and is looking to cut down on the number of potential farms to be purchased.
“If we don’t do it just right, the state will pull out,” he informed the council.
If the state does fail to provide funding, Howell may have the opportunity to share the costs with Monmouth County, with the township paying much more than 16 percent of the purchase price, he said.
However, if the handful of farms the preservation committee has been eyeing pass PIG criteria, according to Costigan, the township would be reimbursed.
In addition to potential state funding impediments, officials are not clear how much money Howell will receive from the recently authorized state referendum for $400 million in bonds for open space.
“We are going to have to wait for the state to tell us what they are going to allocate,” Costigan said. “We can make an educated guess, but we’re ultimately not sure.”
Municipal officials were wary about the possibility of spending what could be all of Howell’s open space funding without certainty that the account would be replenished with state and county funding.
“At this point in time we’ll be preserving [land] entirely on our own until we know what kind of funding is coming from the state or county,” Filiatreault noted.
Walsh expressed similar concerns.
“I am concerned with us giving approval [to certain farmland preservation projects] and then finding out the “i’s” weren’t dotted and the “t’s” weren’t crossed and we won’t be receiving money from either [the state or county] level,” he said.
Despite hesitation from the council dais, Costigan and Kryskowiak proposed taking small steps to ensure funding from the state before the township puts itself at risk.
“When the state looks at a farm applying for preservation, they like things to stay contiguous in areas that are predominantly farmland,” Kryskowiak said. “That’s why they look at parcels of land already preserved and pursue new parcels next to them.”
Most of the farms suggested by the Preservation Task Force to be preserved are in the immediate area of the Bonim recreation tract (Route 547 near Maxim Road) and are identified as “target farms” within the Monmouth County Farmland Preservation Plan. Due to these factors, Howell could be easily funded, Kryskowiak said.
However, he noted that in order to avoid losing money from the state before it is completely distributed, the township must take action in reappraising the properties and showing interest in preservation.
“Howell Township is in a pressing situation with the county and the state,” Costigan said. “They don’t think we are serious anymore. We need commitment from the council.”
The council agreed to authorize reappraisals, after which each tract will apply for PIG. According to Costigan, between the municipal, county and state levels, the application process will not be complete for another one to two years.