Plum approves advisory committee to help establish agriculture security areas

Plum officials have moved one step closer to establishing Agriculture Security Areas (ASAs) in the borough.

Council unanimously voted Jan. 11 to form an advisory committee with Vice President Dave Vento as its chair.

Vento will work with council President Dave Odom to fill the other committee seats, which must include three farmers and a resident. The advisory committee is just one of several steps in developing an ASA.

“There’s a lot to it, so I’m just trying to read the manual and get up on all the things that it entails,” Vento said. “I’m in favor of getting as much economic development as we can. There are a lot of people that don’t want their land infringed upon.

“There’s people that want to farm their properties and people who just own the acreage that have shown interest. (Farming’s) part of the heritage of Plum. Why would we want to overlook that or have it be in jeopardy?”

The goal is to have the committee filled sometime in February. The remaining members do not need a council vote to be formally appointed.

“We have a list of people that have signed up that are interested in this,” Vento said. “We’re going to go from that list and see if they have enough land to qualify under the conditions of the ASA.”

The ASA program was established in 1981 through the state Department of Agriculture.

According to the department’s website, one of its benefits is that participating farmers are entitled to special consideration from local and state government agencies if a farm is proposed for condemnation. Participating farmers also are protected from some “nuisance” challenges.

The program’s handbook states municipalities are prohibited from enacting local laws or ordinances that would unreasonably restrict farm structures or farm practices within the ASA.

Jonathan Burgess, programs and policy director for the county conservation district, said 25 Plum residents representing 22 tax parcels and about 700 acres have petitioned the borough to create a new ASA.

Petitions will be shared with the borough and Allegheny County planning commissions as part of the process of establishing the areas.

“The purpose of sharing this info with the planning commission is to get feedback on the list,” Burgess said via email. “Are any of the proposed areas in conflict with the comprehensive plans for the county or borough? That’s the main question those commissions could answer.

“There is no requirement that the local and county commissions support or disprove of the proposed ASA, but it’s a heads-up and an opportunity to comment should they choose to.”

Plum Council would eventually have to vote on the matter as part of the final steps.

Plum would join Fawn, West Deer, North Fayette, South Fayette, Findlay, Forward, Frazier, and North Hills communities in having ASAs, should it be approved.

Applications are still available at the borough office.

Applicants must have a property of at least 10 acres or have an anticipated yearly gross income of at least $2,000 from agricultural production.

The applications are processed through the Allegheny County Conservation District and are reviewed by the Allegheny County and Plum planning commissions.

The land to be included must have soils conducive to agriculture and must be used for production of crops, livestock, livestock products, horticultural specialties and/or timber.

In other news

Mayor Harry Schlegel gave resident Dave Johnson a certificate of appreciation for his decade’s long effort to ensure borough emergency responders do not miss out on Thanksgiving dinner.

Johnson, principal of D. Johnson Insurance Agency in Penn Hills, bought the meals from Nathan’s Catering in Penn Hills the past nine years. He went with Pugliano’s Italian Grill in Plum this year since his Nathan’s connection has retired.

“It’s our honor and our privilege to do this for these guys,” Johnson said. “These guys are 24/7. We don’t say enough thank yous. If we need something and pick up that phone, they’re there.”