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5 <br /> c. USDA Rural Business Development Grant Award for the Piedmont Food & <br /> Agricultural Processing Center(PFAP) and Approval of Budget Amendment#10-B <br /> The Board received a brief presentation from staff from the United States Department <br /> of Agriculture (USDA) (Henderson, NC Area Office) regarding the Letter of Conditions, along <br /> with the Draft Addenda, for the award of a USDA Rural Business Development Grant in the <br /> amount of$145,511 to Orange County and the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing <br /> Center; consider approving Budget Amendment#10-B to accept the award, its Conditions and <br /> the associated Draft Addenda, subject to final review and approval by the County Attorney's <br /> Office; and authorize the Manager to sign any paperwork associated with grant subject to final <br /> review and approval by the County Attorney's Office. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> Orange County and the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Center applied for funding through the <br /> USDA Rural Business Development grant program and have been awarded $145,511. Of <br /> these funds, $92,186 will be used to purchase additional capital equipment with which to <br /> expand the capabilities and capacity of PFAP to serve the region's food entrepreneurs. In <br /> addition, $53,325 is directed at providing business support services and creation of a "road <br /> map" for start-up food businesses in collaboration with Carolina Farm Stewardship Association <br /> (CFSA). <br /> A pre-condition of accepting the award is a presentation of the grant conditions to the <br /> governing board of the grant recipient, in this case the Board of Commissioners for Orange <br /> County. A representative from the Henderson, NC Area Office will provide a brief presentation <br /> at the meeting, after which it is proposed that the Board approve Budget Amendment#10-B to <br /> accept the award, its Conditions and the Draft Addenda, subject to final review and approval <br /> by the County Attorney's Office. <br /> Mike Ortosky, Orange County Agricultural Economic Developer, presented the <br /> background information. <br /> Mike Ortosky introduced Eric Hallman, PFAP Executive Director, and Hilda Hawkins, <br /> Community Program Specialist with Rural Development Agency of the USDA. <br /> Eric Hallman gave background. <br /> Hilda Hawkins reviewed the grant, and the scope of the work. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said he represented the Board of County Commissioners on the <br /> PFAP board, and over time the board has realized that some of the equipment is not useful, <br /> and thus has sold some equipment, and is acquiring more appropriate equipment. He said this <br /> is a 4-county project, and PFAP is working as it was intended: growing businesses that then <br /> go out on their own. He said they are in an interim stage, where there are a lot of clients, but <br /> they are small clients. <br /> Commissioner McKee said PFAP should stand for opportunity. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs <br /> for the Board to: <br /> • to approve Budget Amendment#10-B to accept the award, its Conditions and the <br /> associated Draft Addenda, subject to final review and approval by the County <br /> Attorney's Office; and <br /> • Authorize the Manager to sign any paperwork associated with grant subject to final <br /> review and approval by the County Attorney's Office. <br />