Carlsbad CA— The City of Carlsbad is seeking residents interested in filling a vacancy on the City of Carlsbad Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee Ad Hoc Citizens Advisory Committee. The seven member committee reviews and makes recommendations to the City Council for proposed expenditures from the Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee Fund, which is designed to compensate for the loss of agricultural land in the city’s coastal zone.
When developers convert agricultural land to urban uses, they pay a fee for the loss of the farmland. The money collected must be used to benefit coastal or agricultural projects. Eligible projects are:

• Restoration of the local coastal and lagoon environments, including land acquisition or habitat preservation.
• Acquisition or improvement of agricultural lands to continue production or conduct research.
• Restoration of local beaches, including sand replenishment and trail improvements.
• Improvement of local lagoon nature centers.

The term runs through September 2017 or until all mitigation funds have been allocated, whichever occurs first. Committee members are required to complete two hours of ethics training every two years and file a statement of economic interests annually.
Applicants must be Carlsbad residents and registered voters. Applications are available on the city’s website or in the City Clerk’s Office located in City Hall at 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.
Applications must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by noon on Wednesday, March 18. For further information, call Associate Planner Pam Drew at 760-602-4644.