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10 <br /> g) Update on Chapel Hill Economic Development - Opportunity Zone, Project <br /> Well, etc. <br /> Town of Chapel Hill Economic Development Officer Dwight Bassett has provided the <br /> attachment noted below as an update. <br /> Attachment 49— Chapel Hill Economic Development Update <br /> h) Update on Orange County Economic Development <br /> Orange County Economic Development Director Steve Brantley has provided the <br /> information below as an update. <br /> Article 46 — Examples of Uses <br /> Local retail sales tax proceeds support a variety of economic development programs <br /> that benefit all of Orange County's residents, and show strong value in enhancing <br /> our local economic and commercial tax/revenue base. These programs assist the <br /> attraction, growth and retention of locally owned small businesses, support our farms <br /> and related agricultural ventures, permit entrepreneurial ventures, enable larger <br /> corporate recruitments, and aid the arts, tourism, and educational scholarships for <br /> county residents and special programs. Examples of such Article 46-programs are <br /> as follows: <br /> Orange County Small Business Investment Grant Program <br /> • Over the past 5 years, Article 46 has enabled 145 individual small business <br /> grants to be given to locally owned and operated small businesses across the <br /> County, totaling $735,000 since the grant program began in 2015. Recipients are <br /> primarily small urban-based companies located in Carrboro, Hillsborough and <br /> Chapel Hill. <br /> Orange County Agriculture Grant Program <br /> • Over the same period, Article 46 has enabled 61 individual grants totaling <br /> $474,583.83 since the program began in 2015. These grants are given to locally <br /> owned and operated small farms and food systems producers across the County, <br /> and recipients are primarily located in the rural parts of the County. Some have a <br /> recurring presence as vendors at our local farmers markets. <br /> LAUNCH, Inc. <br /> • Since 2012, Article 46 has supported a nationally renowned, award winning <br /> innovation center. The Town of Chapel Hill and UNC are funding partners along <br /> with the County. <br /> ➢ Cohort #13 is now been formed with new participants <br /> 113 total cohort companies have completed the LAUNCH internship, with <br /> 92 of the original firms still active <br /> ➢ $35.8 million in total funding has been raised by those companies: <br /> ➢ 559 total employees/jobs have been supported (as of 2018) <br /> ➢ 55 total volunteer jobs have been added (as of 2018) <br />