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M - '.ALTERNATIVES & ANALYSIS ,:.'In drafting the Land Acquisition Guide, staff reviewed several 'comparable guides, eventually using Volusia County's guide as a r, base model. - The draft Guide consists of five chapters and appendices which are ''summarized as follows. Chapter I sets forth the purpose of the Guide, as well as ,-objectives and policies to direct land acquisition actions. Chapter II describes the responsibilities and relationships of the _ Board of County Commissioners, the Land Acquisition Advisory Committee and county staff in carrying out the objectives and policies included -1n the Guide. An issue of discussion has arisen pertaining to the second paragraph on page 9 (of draft #3) of the Guide, under the heading of "Indian River County Board of County Commissioners" [responsibilities]. Specifically, the paragraph reads as follows: ..._,_[The Board of County Commissioners] approves in writing only those acquisitions of environmentally significant lands proposed by the Advisory Committee. (The Board may approve or delete any project proposed by the Committee; however, the -" -',Board may not add or expand projects on the prioritized acquisition list.) A 'similar paragraph can be found in the Volusia County land :acquisition manual and other comparable county manuals. In closely reviewing the paragraph's intent, the consensus of the Advisory •Committee was to leave it intact, emphasizing the importance of the -.LAAC's review and approval of all environmentally significant land 'acquisitions. The intent of the policy is to recognize the LAAC's expertise in environmentally significant land analysis by ensuring 'that properties. not receiving LAAC's endorsement will not be purchased for environmental protection purposes. At the same time, the -.policy recognizes the Board's ultimate authority by acknowledging its right to delete projects. Said authority is essential to the review process in that the Advisory Committee, by following the overall procedures in the Guide, is in the best position to fully evaluate (after a detailed analysis) a property's characteristics in satisfying (or not satisfying) the County's land acquisition objectives. Elimination of the authority would substantially dampen the Committee's purpose and function. y Chapter III summarizes the various methods that. can be used to protect environmental resources, with fee title purchase being just one of several alternatives. Chapter IV provides brief descriptions of the' various funding/financing approaches that can be utilized for land acquisition, including joint acquisition programs, local funding mechanisms, and private, cooperative acquisition. An important charge of the Advisory Committee is'to study and make recommendations to The Board of County Commissioners concerning the establishment of a long-term funding source for the acquisition of environmentally significant lands. Indian River County's approach is different from most other counties, in -that it entails developing 'a guide and evaluating properties prior to the establishment of a long-term funding source (e.g., a bond referendum).. By doing so, the Advisory Committee is able to conduct a "needs assessment" before -the -fact to determine the amount of money needed and the best way of obtaining such funding. 59