HB2545 Summary: County Urban Agricultural Areas

• Allows county boards to establish urban agricultural areas upon application by qualified farmers or partner organizations, with formation of a committee to advise on designation, modification, and termination.

• Permits counties to provide property tax abatements for real property within urban agricultural areas used by qualifying farmers for processing, growing, raising, or producing agricultural products.

• Authorizes counties to allow utility providers to offer qualified farmers and partner organizations wholesale rates or reduced/waived connection charges for water, electricity, and other utilities.

• Restricts county ordinances within urban agricultural areas from unreasonably restricting farming practices and prohibits benefit assessments or special levies on agricultural land unless imposed before area designation or provided equally to other property.

• Requires the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules defining key terms (small/medium farmer, beginning farmer, limited resource farmer, socially-disadvantaged farmer) consistent with federal agricultural definitions and issue opinions on applicant eligibility upon county request.