Sedimentation and soil erosion control ordinance:  Planning board chairman Lewis Penland requested that one of the board's next tasks involve reviewing the sediment control and soil erosion control ordinance or allowing the watershed council to review it.  Planning board member Susan Ervin said the ordinance needs clarification and more power behind it to allow soil and erosion control officers to better enforce it.  "It's a law like our other laws," Ervin said. "And I think we would like to see them (soil and erosion control officers) have the tools to enforce this like any other law.  'We see examples all over the county where we're still getting substantial erosion and sedimentation and degradation of our water."  She agreed with Penland that either the planning board or watershed council need to review and make the ordinance more enforceable.  Penland added that the N.C. Division of Water Quality is really coming after water quality, particularly after last year's drought.  "I think we need to try and get ahead of that or at least see where we are," Penland said.

Next steps:  At their regularly scheduled commissioners meeting May 12, the board will likely set a date for the public hearing. Following the public hearing, commissioners will vote on whether to implement the ordinance.  Following the April 28 meeting, county commissioners stood in recess until their May 1 work session.