SALISBURY — The Rowan County Board of Commissioners will consider changes to the ordinances concerning voluntary agricultural districts during their upcoming meeting on Monday.

The potential changes were brought about by a change in state statutes that changed the definition of what qualifying farmland is and clarified the government institutions that can create voluntary agricultural districts.

Most of the proposed changes to the ordinance simply update the language, but changes include a proposed change in notification period, updates to the selection process and an update to the mapping process for districts.

Currently, notices are required to be published in newspapers within two days of a request to create a district and hearings are required to be within 14 days of the request. The proposed changes would increase the period for publishing to 10 days and to hold the hearing to 30 days.

The proposed changes also include a statement that land value cannot be a factor in the selection between separate properties under consideration for any proposed action.

A new section of the ordinance is also proposed that would require the county’s GIS mapping tool to include information about any approved districts and the nearby properties that would be affected. The GIS would also be updated to provide notice to anyone researching a property that it is within a half-mile of a district.

The meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Monday and will be held at the Rowan County Administration building located at 130 W. Innes St. in Salisbury. The other agenda items that will be discussed include:

• The commissioners will hold a graduation ceremony for members of the county’s leadership class.
• The commissioners will hold a public hearing on the renaming of a road to Diamondback Drive. The road is currently an unnamed driveway, but an owner of land connected to the driveway is planning to build a third structure accessing the driveway. If three structures access a drive, county ordinances state that it must be named. The driveway is located on Shinn Farm Road, near N.C. Highway 152.
• The commissioners will hold a public hearing on the renaming of a road to Orange Creek Lane. This road is also currently an unnamed driveway which property owners plan to build three houses that access it. The driveway is located on Cruse Road.
• The commissioners will hear about citizens who applied for membership of local advisory boards and potentially approve their appointments.