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17 <br /> • Help guide the County with the long-term economic recovery of Orange <br /> County's residents and businesses to recover from the significant financial <br /> challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to our community. <br /> What are your Board/Commission's most important accomplishments? <br /> • Several Advisory Board Members met individually with some members of the <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners to discuss economic development <br /> needs and objectives. The plan is to continue to have a direct dialog <br /> periodically throughout each year. <br /> • In 2021 the Advisory Board's subcommittee reviewed many small business <br /> grant applications that were submitted by Orange County residents for the <br /> "Small Business Grant Program", and approved 26 small business grant <br /> awards, totaling $134,465.00 for thee. <br /> • In 2021 the Advisory Board also assisted in the "Agriculture Economic <br /> Development Grant Program"to receive and review applications, approving <br /> 10 grant awards totaling $87,705.00 in support of Orange County's small <br /> farmers and food processors for the year. <br /> • Also in 2021, members of the Advisory Board participated in a third round of <br /> the Board of Commissioners' special "COVID emergency small business <br /> grant program", approving 44 awards totaling $132,000.00 for thee. (This <br /> activity was in addition to 2020's first two rounds of special grant approvals <br /> that made 78 awards totaling $520,131.00 for the prior year). <br /> • Overall in 2021, the combined value of all grant award activity benefiting <br /> small businesses & small farmers saw a total of$354,170.00 in economic <br /> development funding throughout rural Orange County and the towns of <br /> Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro. All of these business and <br /> agriculture/food processing grants were made possible by funds provided by <br /> the County's special Article 46 (1/4 cent retail sales tax)proceeds. <br /> • The Advisory Board made recommendations to the BOCC that several <br /> Advisory Board vacancies could be filled with new members who would <br /> increase the diversity of women and minority representation. Those now-filed <br /> vacancies were approved by the BOCC and accomplished this mutual desire. <br />