Agenda - 09-05-2017 - 8-a - Minutes

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5 1 of $145,511 to Orange County and the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center; 2 consider approving Budget Amendment#10-B to accept the award, its Conditions and the 3 associated Draft Addenda, subject to final review and approval by the County Attorney's Office; 4 and authorize the Manager to sign any paperwork associated with grant subject to final review 5 and approval by the County Attorney's Office. 6 7 BACKGROUND: 8 Orange County and the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Center applied for funding through the 9 USDA Rural Business Development grant program and have been awarded $145,511. Of these 10 funds, $92,186 will be used to purchase additional capital equipment with which to expand the 11 capabilities and capacity of PFAP to serve the region's food entrepreneurs. In addition, $53,325 12 is directed at providing business support services and creation of a "road map" for start-up food 13 businesses in collaboration with Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA). 14 15 A pre-condition of accepting the award is a presentation of the grant conditions to the governing 16 board of the grant recipient, in this case the Board of Commissioners for Orange County. A 17 representative from the Henderson, NC Area Office will provide a brief presentation at the 18 meeting, after which it is proposed that the Board approve Budget Amendment#10-B to accept 19 the award, its Conditions and the Draft Addenda, subject to final review and approval by the 20 County Attorney's Office. 21 22 Mike Ortosky, Orange County Agricultural Economic Developer, presented the 23 background information. 24 Mike Ortosky introduced Eric Hallman, PFAP Executive Director, and Hilda Hawkins, 25 Community Program Specialist with Rural Development Agency of the USDA. 26 Eric Hallman gave background. 27 Hilda Hawkins reviewed the grant, and the scope of the work. 28 Commissioner Jacobs said he represented the Board of County Commissioners on the 29 PFAP board, and over time the board has realized that some of the equipment is not useful, 30 and thus has sold some equipment, and is acquiring more appropriate equipment. He said this 31 is a 4-county project, and PFAP is working as it was intended: growing businesses that then go 32 out on their own. He said they are in an interim stage, where there are a lot of clients, but they 33 are small clients. 34 Commissioner McKee said PFAP should stand for opportunity. 35 36 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs 37 for the Board to: 38 39 • to approve Budget Amendment#10-B to accept the award, its Conditions and the 40 associated Draft Addenda, subject to final review and approval by the County Attorney's 41 Office; and 42 • Authorize the Manager to sign any paperwork associated with grant subject to final 43 review and approval by the County Attorney's Office. 44 45 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 46 47 d. Proposed Resolution Regarding Reduction of Methane Emissions 48 The Board considered adopting a resolution to petition the Governor of North Carolina to 49 enact certain measures intended to reduce emissions of methane related to the use of natural 50 gas and power generation.